Workout Routine Help (Please ...)

[musclemom]

Here's my problem ... I work out from home so I have limited equipment, I also have some very real physical limitations so I can't necessarily do some exercises that would seem logical.

Finally, I've been through a couple of different workouts and ... I'm bored to tears ... I'd like to come up with a different workout, specifically I'd rather work out four days a week for about 30 minutes or so each time (M/T, Th/F) but I'm tapped out.

I'm trying to work all muscle groups. This is what I do currently (sort of grouped by muscle group but not the way I had them organized) and was doing three days a week, with deadlifts and assistance work being one day ...

I would be SO happy with any suggestions on what could I add or drop ... and what's really twisting my head around is how would this best be organized?

DB Bent Over Row
Upright BB Row
Lat Pull Down

BB / DB Shoulder Press
DB Laterals

Bench Press
DB Flyes (Incline or Flat)

Curl (DB or Preacher or BB)

BB Triceps Extension
DB Triceps Overhead Press
Triceps Kickbacks

Quadriceps Extensions
Deadlift

Leg Lift
Crunch
Seated Weighted Cable Crunch

Thanks for your time and any help

 

[mermaid]

Hey lady

Did you see the workout Nelms put together that's detailed in my journal? It's a great workout, brief but intense with the supersets and 4 days per week, working bodyparts twice.

Ab exercises can be varied and the pull ups might be hard if you need weight assistance.

Just an idea......

 

[2dagym]

I not sure if you can accomplish an efficient workout in 30 minutes with what you have here, just my opinion though. 45 minutes maybe....

Did you do each of these exercises all of the 3 days you worked out a week??? Depending on how many sets you perform and how much weight you use, you may be overworking your muscles. Although bored, you sound motivated to continue, but also sound like your spent with what you're currently doing (overtraining??)

So, are you attempting to work each body part once a week or more than once a week??

My suggestions below are for each body part once a week, but this is mostly beneficial for individuals who are at least at the intermediate stage of training. If you do decide to work each body part once a week, it's been my experience that you need to be sure to incorporate good intensity by using both quality (heavy) weight, and adding more sets than you would if you worked each bodypart say, twice a week.

I tried to consider only the things you stated, but felt it necessary to add some things for the purpose of your getting a meaningful workout.

Day 1 (Monday) - Chest and triceps
(chest)
Bench Press
DB Flyes (Incline or Flat)
(I would definately add an incline bb or db press)
(tris)
BB Triceps Extension
DB Triceps Overhead Press
Triceps Kickbacks
(lose or alternate between one of these each workout because your getting some triceps work from the chest exercises you'll be doing)

Day 2 (Tuesday) - back & biceps & abs
(back)
Lat Pull Down
(Can you add DB rows?? you need to do more for back, maybe even consider getting a different handle for the pull down, like a v-grip handle, and doing it, the regular lat pulldown, and the db rows).
(biceps)
Curl (DB or Preacher or BB)
(I would have this read: "Curl (db or bb AND preacher)"
(abs)
Leg Lift
Crunch
Seated Weighted Cable Crunch
(when I do abs I'm an ab freak so I recommend doing all of these each ab workout )

Day 3 (Wednesday) break

Day 4 (Thursday) - legs
(quads & hams)
Quadriceps Extensions
(Can you add some db lunges to this or squats (I know you said you have limited mobility so maybe not)??
Deadlift
(No curl ability I guess. If you do have a curl machine and can do them, try adding them)

Day 5 (Friday) - shoulders & abs
(shoulders)
DB Laterals
(I would add DB front raises, but since you have a lot of shoulder work here, I would consider alternating each workout between the db front raises and the shoulder presses)
BB / DB Shoulder Press
DB Bent Over Row
Upright BB Row (traps)
(abs)
(same as above)

Hope I didn't go too far off of what you were attempting to accomplsih. I also hope you get more suggestions from others so you can choose what you feel will work best for you. You may want to consider posting more information about your actual workouts so people have a better idea of what you are actually doing each workout. The information you get back might be more useful to you that way.

Good Luck to you!!

 

[musclemom]

I not sure if you can accomplish an efficient workout in 30 minutes with what you have here, just my opinion though. 45 minutes maybe....

Did you do each of these exercises all of the 3 days you worked out a week??? Depending on how many sets you perform and how much weight you use, you may be overworking your muscles. Although bored, you sound motivated to continue, but also sound like your spent with what you're currently doing (overtraining??)

So, are you attempting to work each body part once a week or more than once a week??

2Dag, thank you so much for your suggestions!!!

I'm trying to shoot for one body part a week, and I should have said 45 minutes or less [/I] for workouts what can I tell ya!!!

Bored is exactly the term ... most definitely not overtrained. I LOVE weights, but I don't look forward to the workouts anymore, and that makes it a chore ... I have some chronic medical conditions that weight training really helps (but that's a life thing), additionally I'm dealing with some acute conditions that I'm trying to alleviate by shortening up the workouts and reducing excess work on any joint ... that's why I'm totally open to any and all ideas

 

[wlmcrae]

Hi MuscleMom, I've just switched to a workout regime almost exactly what you say you want. Check out the last three workouts in my log. That's all there is of the 'new way', since I've gotten quite ill this week. Might be of interest!

 

[2dagym]

2Dag, thank you so much for your suggestions!!!

I'm trying to shoot for one body part a week, and I should have said 45 minutes or less [/I] for workouts what can I tell ya!!!

Bored is exactly the term ... most definitely not overtrained. I LOVE weights, but I don't look forward to the workouts anymore, and that makes it a chore ... I have some chronic medical conditions that weight training really helps (but that's a life thing), additionally I'm dealing with some acute conditions that I'm trying to alleviate by shortening up the workouts and reducing excess work on any joint ... that's why I'm totally open to any and all ideas

I see. I've been at the point where workouts were a chore too. I always bounce back though, but can't always pinpoint what brings me back. I think this time it was all the new people showing up at the gym for their new year's resolutions that usually only last about 2 weeks. I realized how lucky I was to love weights as much as I do, and lucky that I don't have to "resolve" to do it because it's so much part of who I am.

You and I and most people on this forum are so fortunate to able to "just do it", whether we are really in the mental mood for it that day or not (once we start that usually changes ). That's saying something considering most people are at home vegging on their couch day in and day out and will never be able to commit to working out like us no matter how much they want to in their head.

You'll lose the "chore" and find the good grove again I'm sure. Don't beat yourself up over it - we've all been there

 

[nikkita]

Here's my problem ... I work out from home so I have limited equipment, I also have some very real physical limitations so I can't necessarily do some exercises that would seem logical

What are your physical limitations?

 

[musclemom]

What are your physical limitations?

Old age Well, that's not true, I'm only 41, but everyone's got their thing and mine is a wicked bad back. Spine's all screwed up, top to bottom, I don't bend so well and periodically I can't move at all (especially if I slack off all exercise for too long) Neck range of motion is limited, can't put any type of strain on it, I have a problem with my left shoulder, it's a lot weaker than the right, and certain movements in certain directions are very painful (like the laterals? I can only lift 5 lbs, and that's pushing it, but letting that shoulder joint get weak is even worse). Some exercises are totally out of the question, like goodmornings (even though they're supposed to be GREAT for your lower back), never going to happen, bending from the waist with weight in front of me is essentially impossible. Some things I can do with variation, like shoulder presses with a DB are okay, whereas with a BB they're painful so I only do them when I feel cocky Basically I don't know what I can or can't do until I try it

 

[2dagym]

You don't have to responde to this, but I wonder if you've considered switching your workouts to a gym because they offer a wider variety of equipment?? AT 48 years of age, I have had 2 rupture disc w/ surgery (L4-L5, L5-S1) and now have to be careful with my workouts due to arthritis and narrowing disc space that sometimes cause my vertabre to rub up against each other. Most gyms have machines like leg sleds which give excellant support for the back, or leg press machines where you either lie down or sit (again, good back support).

I use to squat and do stiff leg deadlifts but had to quit because of my back. Suprisingly though, I get a great workout from the machines I've mentioned above, to include the leg extension machine.

Also, there are shoulder rotator cuff strengthening exercises you can do and they only takes a 3 or 5 lb dbs. A good internet site shows how to perform this is at Body Results (www.bodyresults.com/E2RotatorCuff.asp) . If you can strengthen that, you might see an improvement but I'd suggest you see a doctor if you haven't already. As you've already experiences, shoulder injuries can be very painful.

Have you ever been diagnosed by a doctor for any of your pains/limitations? If is not an operable thing (who want's surgery) Maybe a Chiropractor can help.







The gym will also take alot of the boredom out of your workout - a lot of variety and people to make it interesting (not suggesting it turn into a social club by any means).

 

[Gymgurl]

Old age Well, that's not true, I'm only 41, but everyone's got their thing and mine is a wicked bad back. Spine's all screwed up, top to bottom, I don't bend so well and periodically I can't move at all (especially if I slack off all exercise for too long) Neck range of motion is limited, can't put any type of strain on it, I have a problem with my left shoulder, it's a lot weaker than the right, and certain movements in certain directions are very painful (like the laterals? I can only lift 5 lbs, and that's pushing it, but letting that shoulder joint get weak is even worse). Some exercises are totally out of the question, like goodmornings (even though they're supposed to be GREAT for your lower back), never going to happen, bending from the waist with weight in front of me is essentially impossible. Some things I can do with variation, like shoulder presses with a DB are okay, whereas with a BB they're painful so I only do them when I feel cocky Basically I don't know what I can or can't do until I try it

OH gawg girl don't say that! I'm right there with ya LOL