Over 40 Workout

[cvtsboss]

Ok so now that I've hit 40, I am looking to lift 2 days a week and do more cardio (i.e., racquetball) 3 days a week with Sat & Sun as off days. Problem is I can't find a routine that lets me cover all the major muscle groups without taking a hour and a half and everyone has told me now that I'm 40 my workouts should be no longer than 45 minutes or so.

Any suggestions?

[ChacoTom]

I do two full body workouts each week that take around 45 to 50 minutes:
Workout #1
-----------
BB Squat, 1 x 5 warmup + 5 x 5 regular sets
BB Bench Press, 5 x 5
1 Arm DB Row, 5 x 5
Pullups, 5 x 5
Stdg. BB Military Press, 5 x 5

Workout #2
-----------
BB Squat, 1 x 5 warmup + 5 x 5 regular sets
Incline DB Bench Press, 5 x 5
Deadlift, 1 x 5 warmup + 5 x 5 regular sets
BB Row, 5 x 5
Chinup, 5 x 5

[stahlhart]

Ok so now that I've hit 40, I am looking to lift 2 days a week and do more cardio (i.e., racquetball) 3 days a week with Sat & Sun as off days. Problem is I can't find a routine that lets me cover all the major muscle groups without taking a hour and a half and everyone has told me now that I'm 40 my workouts should be no longer than 45 minutes or so.

Any suggestions?

If you really need to work within these time and scheduling constraints, I'd think that you'd get the best bang for the buck by switching one cardio day for the gym, and doing a 3-day-per-week split.

[LogPressing]

ChacoTom's idea is pretty good.

But I'd agree with stahlhart too, why don't you want to lift more often or longer for that matter?

My workouts last ALOT longer than 1 1/2 hours. And I like to train 4 times a week not counting events.

[stachedwalker]

I don't know where the 45 minutes or so comes in. Personally,I don't like living in a gym so the quicker I can get in and out the better ... but I've got no problems with being there 1hour .. and doing it 3x/week. When doing racewalking training, I'm definitely longer than 45 minutes. right now I'm holding back to an hour. As I do find it takes longer to recover getting older, the only thng that tends to apply to is when I hurt myself.

[Sean Casey]

everyone has told me now that I'm 40 my workouts should be no longer than 45 minutes or so.

Who is everyone? Why would they tell you this? I'm only 37, will I magically start to fall apart at the age of 40?


I hate it when people try and dictate what you can and cannot do based on how old you are!

I personally only workout for 30-45 minutes. I like to get in and get out as fast as possible. I dont personally feel that 1 1/2 hours is necessary for anyone at any age, but if thats what works for you then dont let turning 40 years old stop you!

On a personal note, this reminded me how much I hate the exercise industry trying to dictate what my target heart rate should be based on my age. You'll notice that most programs for treadmills and eliptical machines do this. I just turned 37 years old this month, so the machines are trying to tell me to take it easier now that I'm 37 vs 36. Thats a load of BS. Your current physical condition should be the deciding factor of what you can and cannot do. NOT your age.

[larkinforce]

I agree that the over 45 min does not make sense. When I started out in Nov again I started with 2 full body workouts a week and three cardio. Then went to 3 full body workouts and 3 cardio a week. Now I'm at 5 days lifting (split body groups each day except I do bi's & tri's twice a week) and cadrio three times a week. I have never felt better. My lifting last between 1.5 - 2 hrs at a shot. So it's really a matter of where you are trying to get to and willing to do.

[larkinforce]

I agree that limiting it to only 45 min does not make sense. When I started out in Nov again I started with 2 full body workouts a week and three cardio. Then went to 3 full body workouts and 3 cardio a week. Now I'm at 5 days lifting (split body groups each day except I do bi's & tri's twice a week) and cadrio three times a week. I have never felt better. My lifting last between 1.5 - 2 hrs at a shot. So it's really a matter of where you are trying to get to and willing to do.

[ntrllftr]

Really can't help too much because we need to know your goals. Are you looking to get stronger, BIGGER or just get into better shape.

If you are looking to get bigger or stronger 2 days a week will not do.
If you want to lean up 2 days weight training could be ok but i would throw some staionary bike or elliptical in the works on the days you don't play raquetball.

Remember depending on what your goals are proper diet is needed, and it will be different with the the each goal I mentioned.

[bodyhard]

I have no idea where you get that nonsense from about being 40 and having to work out no more than 45 minutes. Everyone is different what might work for you might not work for me, but using your an age to determine a time frame is ridiculous. I am 42 I put in 1.5 hours of training 4 days a week. Works well for me.

[SumthinOrNuthin]

Just wanted to say hi to a fellow racketball player

I play 2-3 times a week, and lift 3 days a week. In fact I probably work harder at all my activities now than I have for years. If what you've been told is true then surely something horrible would've happened to me by now?!

You do whatever you feel is the right amount of activity. Listen to your body, it knows a darn site more than some random person who isn't living your life

[QUALITYGUY1]

I have no idea where you get that nonsense from about being 40 and having to work out no more than 45 minutes. Everyone is different what might work for you might not work for me, but using your an age to determine a time frame is ridiculous. I am 42 I put in 1.5 hours of training 4 days a week. Works well for me.

I have 11 years on BH and I'm in for 4X~90 min. workouts/week...then add some cardio & misc...

[ChacoTom]

I have 11 years on BH and I'm in for 4X~90 min. workouts/week...then add some cardio & misc...

LOL, I have 5 years on you, and I generally spend 1 hour in the gym, 6 days a week.

I agree -- the idea that because you're 40, you should limit your workout time to 45 minutes or less sounds like poppycock to me.

[cvtsboss]

See this is soooo hard cause you just don't know what to believe. I read in articles on BB.com (example: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/brewster4.htm) one thing then everyone else says something different.

So maybe you guys can help me. Here is my story.... I get about 1 hour a day to workout M-F. My gym membership is through work. I like to play racquetball. I have been doing 3 days lifting & 2 days racquetball. Problem is racquetball is the only cardio I get in because it takes my a full hour to get through my lifting.

My goals are to lose about 5% more body fat and I want to look like Bodyhard. (Nice back dude).... So I need to lose some fat and I want big guns. I'm close but not there yet. I'm at 16 1/2 inches I want 18. :-)

My current workout:

Monday:
Squats
Leg Press
Calf Raise
Leg Curls
BB Curls
Drag Curls
Hammer Curls
Single Arm Curls
Abs

Tuesday: Racquetball

Wednesday
Bench Press
Cable Press
Bench Dips
Triceps Pull down
Underhand Lat Pull Down
Hanley Shrugs
Abs

Thursday: Racquetball

Friday
Lat Pull Down
Lateral Raise
Cable Rows
Military Press
Stiff Leg Deadlifts
Abs

The next confusion comes in the manner of sets / reps. Every article I have read here says if I want definition do higher reps (such as 2 sets of 20) If I want size and strength go with heavier weight and do 4 sets of 6 to 8. Is this true?

Is 2 days of racquetball enough cardio?

My current supplement stack includes
Creatine
NOS
Whey
Casein
Carb Powder
Multi
Green Tea Extract
ZMA

Please help a confused 40 year old or I will really think I'm losing my mind.

[ntrllftr]

The next confusion comes in the manner of sets / reps. Every article I have read here says if I want definition do higher reps (such as 2 sets of 20) If I want size and strength go with heavier weight and do 4 sets of 6 to 8. Is this true?
Please help a confused 40 year old or I will really think I'm losing my mind.

If I am getting ready for a show or just working out to add size I normally keep the reps at 5-8 in both cases. except 2 weeks from showtime I will up the reps to 10-12. I think that 20 reps is WAY overkill.

[LogPressing]

I've gained size and strength in my arms going heavier and fewer reps. I do sets of ten, but that is more for active recovery than anything else.

I would think 2 days of racketball would be plenty of cardio if your diet is in order.

[carbkilla]

If there is a magic number, you could go with a one hour work out as a general guide line. If you work out intensively for too long your body can go into a catabolic state and start burning muscle. In other words if you try too hard, you're shooting yourself in the foot. It's a personal thing that requires a bit of experimenting and good pre work out nutrition.

I keep it down to 6 exercises with a little punching bag warm up.

There are a million ways to do sets and reps. You're going to be changing them every few months anyway so, just pick one and get started.

The basic scheme is 3 sets with 10 reps. If you get to feeling 12 reps is fairly easy then up the weight. If you're completly confused aways go back to the old 3x10.

After 3 months roll by, take a week off. If you feel good with no injury issues try lifting heavier with less reps to shock you past your platue. 6 reps 4 sets works well for this. Stay with it for a few weeks keeping a close guard on those BB trouble spots (like shoulders) then go back to a lighter 3x10 routine that will keep you limber while your muscles recover and grow. In a couple of months when you feel stronger again, go for the heavy metal with a couple weeks of 5x5.

Do you see how that works? Push your luck and test your limits then fall back and lick your wounds.

Now the idea of the split is to work a muscle harder and let it recover longer. If you can't work it that hard without injury then you need to work it less hard but more often which would be a "total body" workout 3-4 times a week with no split.

The more splits you have the more intense your working each muscle so, be carefull about splitting the routine with a lower rep workout. Hey 5x5 with all chest exercises on the same day is gonna hurt baby.

Bulking Vs cutting is how much weights you do Vs cardio. Cardio twice a week is a bulking scheme IMHO.

There are so many combinations once you realize how much work you can do and how much rest you need. Have fun switching them up.

Right now I'm doing a kind of combo routine where I work a hard 6 reps x 4 sets mon/tues, rest wed, then easy 12 x 3 thur/fri and rest sat/sun. Each weigth routine is a different total body work out so, I can hit all the different exercises but on different days so I don't over work anything.


Hope that helps,
CK

[bodyhard]

See this is soooo hard cause you just don't know what to believe. I read in articles on BB.com (example: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/brewster4.htm) one thing then everyone else says something different.

So maybe you guys can help me. Here is my story.... I get about 1 hour a day to workout M-F. My gym membership is through work. I like to play racquetball. I have been doing 3 days lifting & 2 days racquetball. Problem is racquetball is the only cardio I get in because it takes my a full hour to get through my lifting.

My goals are to lose about 5% more body fat and I want to look like Bodyhard. (Nice back dude).... So I need to lose some fat and I want big guns. I'm close but not there yet. I'm at 16 1/2 inches I want 18. :-)

My current workout:

Monday:
Squats
Leg Press
Calf Raise
Leg Curls
BB Curls
Drag Curls
Hammer Curls
Single Arm Curls
Abs

Tuesday: Racquetball

Wednesday
Bench Press
Cable Press
Bench Dips
Triceps Pull down
Underhand Lat Pull Down
Hanley Shrugs
Abs

Thursday: Racquetball

Friday
Lat Pull Down
Lateral Raise
Cable Rows
Military Press
Stiff Leg Deadlifts
Abs

The next confusion comes in the manner of sets / reps. Every article I have read here says if I want definition do higher reps (such as 2 sets of 20) If I want size and strength go with heavier weight and do 4 sets of 6 to 8. Is this true?

Is 2 days of racquetball enough cardio?

My current supplement stack includes
Creatine
NOS
Whey
Casein
Carb Powder
Multi
Green Tea Extract
ZMA

Please help a confused 40 year old or I will really think I'm losing my mind.

Thanks for the ego boost man, but honestly if you want to drop bf it is in your diet NOT in your training no such thing as doing higher reps for definition that is a myth

[SumthinOrNuthin]

cvtsboss, I empathise, sometimes I find all of the information utterly overwhelming but I've gained some peace from reading the stickies in the Nutrition thread. Bodyhard and the others are right, your diet is the place you have most room for manoevre and is the thing that will most determine your results.

From the stats you posted it sounds like you're in a pretty good place already so don't lose sight of that. We are all different and what works for one doesn't work for another. You need to methodically try different things, like make a change to your diet and give it a couple of months to monitor the effects, then take stock and/or re-assess. Patience is the key here.

Your lifting/weights schedule is the same pattern as mine - racketball on Tues & Thurs. I also do 20 mins cardio after each weights workout because I have this fear that if I don't, my cardio fitness will suffer and so will my performance on court. Like, you have to be 'court fit'. Deep down I worry that I'm compromising myself in some way.

I plan in the next 3-4 weeks to change everything up and drop the post-weights cardio and see what happens.

Again, experimentation and patience. Transforming our bodies is a lifelong journey and we won't get all our results in the first couple of miles.

[bodyhard]

Also try not to make it so complicated I am not saying that training is easy but also it is not rocket science. If you understand the caloric intake then you will have an idea of how much calories to take in to lose/gain weight.

In case of training EVERYONE is different what works for me might not work for you and vice versa.

I have been training for quite sometime and to be quite honest I learned more from listening to my body than from any reading I have done over the years.

What I do is try out a certain routine an dI give it at least 5 months to see if it works for me, I jot down my progress (or lack thereof ) and work off of that.

If you are not working out to compete then the basic is simple: Eat, Train, Rest listen to your body watch your progress you'll know when it is working and when it is not. But patience is definitely a virtue when it comes to your body, stay consistent and don't get overwhelm by all the hype and you will reach your potential

[IdahoViking]

Who is everyone? Why would they tell you this? I'm only 37, will I magically start to fall apart at the age of 40?

Yes you will. First it will start with the hair, and work it's way down. Body parts begin to fall off left and right!

[Joe K.]

I'm 51 and started working out a year ago after a 15 year layoff! My workouts take 80 to 90 minutes. Here is what I do:

Monday and Thur.

Seated Press 4 sets
Seated Lat Raises 4 sets
Incline Bench Press 4 sets
Lying Dumbell Flye 4 sets
Tricep Pull Downs 4 sets
Tricep Extensions 4 sets
Situps (laying on bench) 100
Leg Raises 3 sets of 25
Bike 20 minutes

Wed. and Sat.

Squats and Calf raises Superset 4 sets
Leg Raises 4 sets
Leg Curl 4 sets
Situps (laying on bench 100)
Leg Raises 3 sets of 25
Bike 20 minutes

Tues. and Fri.

Rowing and Lat pulldowns Superset 4 sets
Deadlift 4 sets
Barbell Curls 4 sets
Dumbell Scott curls 4 sets
Wrist curls 4 sets
Reverse wrist curls 4 sets
Situps (laying on bench) 100
Leg Raises 3 sets of 25
Bike 20 minutes (sometimes on Fri. I will skip the bike.)

Sun.

Bike 30 minutes

I do 10 to 15 reps usually to failure. I feel great and have lost over 50 lbs. My pant size went from 42 to 34.
I take ON whey protein, vit.C, calcium, multi vitamin, zinc, and NOW? Glucosamine, Chondroitin & MSM.

One change I am thinking of making is to do chest and shoulders on different days.

[thr61]

I am 46 and started back with weights about 6 months ago. My initial workouts were splits 3x weekly for about 45 minutes. I made some progress but found myself stuck about 6-8 weeks ago.

After doing some research, I started using Chad Waterbury's methods and am now doing a 3x weekly full body superset workout (6 movements per session) and cardio on the 2 middle days. Saturday and Sunday are off to spend with family.

After only a week I can feel the difference and know that I will return to gains with this program. Bottom line for me is that 3x weekly, for about an hour per WO, is needed to reach my own goals.

[rocketman44]

Ok so now that I've hit 40, I am looking to lift 2 days a week and do more cardio (i.e., racquetball) 3 days a week with Sat & Sun as off days. Problem is I can't find a routine that lets me cover all the major muscle groups without taking a hour and a half and everyone has told me now that I'm 40 my workouts should be no longer than 45 minutes or so.

Any suggestions?

Yeah, I wonder about the "everyone" too.

I let my body dictate, based on intensity and rest intervals, the length of the workout. For larger muscle groups like chest, my workout tends to last longer because I need a bit more rest between sets. So the length, for me anyway, varies and I try not to go into any workout with a specific overall length set in stone.

[cvtsboss]

Ok so the workout is dictated by how you feel. Consensus is in order to add mass do fewer reps with heavier weight. Both splits and full body work, just mix things up.

Next question. Diet is the toughest part of your routine. I have 4 kids and it is becoming so hard to find healthy meals without going bankrupt plus with taking one kid to wrestling, one to dance another to soccer another to scouts it gets kinda hard sometimes to sit down for a regular meal.

I seem to do pretty good through most of the day when I work but I have real problems between say 8pm and bedtime and on my days off.

Here is my diet:

6:30am - Coffee / Muscle Milk
9:30am - Oatmeal & Banana
12pm - Lunch. Usually a salad with Chicken breast and low fat dressing.
1:30pm - 1/2 Scoop whey protein, 1/2 scoop carb powder
2pm Workout
3:30pm - 2 Scoops of Whey, 1 scoop of carb powder plus a Banana or Apple
6:30pm - Dinner. Usually Chicken, Top Round Steak, Pork Tenderloin, 96% fat free ground beef and a salad with Brown rice or whole wheat pasta and some type of veggies.

Here is my trouble spot.... After dinner.....

Before bed (bed is between 11 & 12) - Casein protein

I've read everything from don't eat anything 3 hours before bed to no carbs after dinner but I sometimes get hungry between dinner and bedtime. I've tried the cup of cottage cheese, but I just can't seem to make myself eat it and I don't necessarily want another whole meal right before bed.

Any suggestions? I really appreciate all the help so far and I give you all mad props for your replies!!

[XIII]

At your stage if you want to make a beeline to the fastest possible gains do the 3/week workouts. Dont do too much fluff, get away as fast as possible from the "bodypart" mentality and train lifts. Dont chage or mix things up too often, let your body adapt by getting bigger and stronger. And good luck, you would be amazed at what can be achieved drug free!

Cheers

[cvtsboss]

At your stage if you want to make a beeline to the fastest possible gains do the 3/week workouts. Dont do too much fluff, get away as fast as possible from the "bodypart" mentality and train lifts. Dont chage or mix things up too often, let your body adapt by getting bigger and stronger. And good luck, you would be amazed at what can be achieved drug free!

Cheers

So what does that mean to get away from the body part mentality? Do full body workouts?

[XIII]

Well, when I think chest the only thing that comes to mind is wich plane of movement I'll be working. Incline, flat, decline(usually do dips instead). You will progress much faster if your efforts are concentrated, instead of having the "kitchen sink" syndrome. Most of my cycles year round are based either on a 3/week or a push/pull. Any workout can have as few as 4-6 exercises. Progress is ramped up quickly and gains are piggy backed most of the year.


Cheers

[cvtsboss]

Well, when I think chest the only thing that comes to mind is wich plane of movement I'll be working. Incline, flat, decline(usually do dips instead). You will progress much faster if your efforts are concentrated, instead of having the "kitchen sink" syndrome. Most of my cycles year round are based either on a 3/week or a push/pull. Any workout can have as few as 4-6 exercises. Progress is ramped up quickly and gains are piggy backed most of the year.


Cheers

Ya still got me lost brother. :-) pretend for a minute here you are dealing with someone who doesn't know a lot about body building. Can you give me an example of what you do?

[XIII]

Ummm, well, ive checked your lifts, it all depends on what your goals are really. Most trainees dont realize how easy it is to hit the magical 300/400/500. Just takes a bit of concentrated effort. But aside from the lifts, even if your just doing it for the "look" your body will have a better chance of adapting if it's not pulled in a hundred different directions at once. Also quite a bit of exercises are pretty much useless compared to others, wether your a strength athlete or your weekend warrior. Plus at your age you will get a much better hormonal response with full bodies, or near full bodies with big basics. It also doesnt have to be an all or nothing thing here. I have been known to train bi's a few cycles per year lol. Just do what is most efficient for your goals. Heck, it's even getting so ridiculous that in the program section they are talking about 12 day splits for natural trainees!!!

Cheers