Program where I can use free weights [Archive]

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Tempest

Mon, February 16th, 2009, 05:23 PM

Need a little input if possible. I am cutting. From 274 1/1/09 to somewhere near 200lbs. I am running, 5-6 days per week, 3 or 4 days are outside 3 miles at a time. the other days are on a treadmill for 3 miles. My current goal is to run an organized 5K every month this year, a half marathon in october and a full marathon Jan 2010. I have been running since a little before January 1st, when I found out that I could actually run, and not walk, for 30+ minutes. This got me motivated and so I have really been enjoying it.

I have also been weight training, 3 days per week. Not as consistantly as I have been running, following the Body for Life website. It consists of the upper body workout below on Mondays and Fridays. On Wednesdays I do lower body (leg presses / hams / calves / abs)

Chest
Bench / Chest Press
12x
10x
8x
6x
12x at beginning weight

Incline Bench
12x

Back
Lat Pulldown
12x
10x
8x
6x
12x at beginning weight

Rows
12x

Shoulders
Overhead Press
12x
10x
8x
6x
12x at beginning weight

Lateral Raises
12x

Biceps
Standing Dumbbell Curls
12x
10x
8x
6x
12x at beginning weight

Concentration DB Curl
12x

[BTri-Ceps[/b]
Dips
12x
10x
8x
6x
12x at beginning weight

Tri-Cep Extension
12x

So, I have been wandering into the free weight section of my gym and today i did both bench and incline using free weights instead of machines. I really enjoyed the free weights more than machines, but i found, especially with my current program, that I can not go to failure like I am supposed to by using free weights. <--- Due to no available spotters etc.

So is there a different program where i can do free weights for everything, but not go to failure and not have to rely on others, or is this a pipe dream and I would be better off sticking to machines?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

I am looking for a 3 or 4 day split with the goal fo maitaining muscle mass while losing weight.

bradh

Mon, February 16th, 2009, 05:35 PM

Speedster

Mon, February 16th, 2009, 06:25 PM

I agree, you don't necessarily always have to go to complete failure. The only exercise you should need help on is barbell bench press. Rather than doing that, switch it up to dumbbell bench press and you should be fine.

While doing DB bench presses you could also incorporate a barbell press on the smith machine. That way you can still get some of the barbell work in and go to failure.

artizzztik

Mon, February 16th, 2009, 06:29 PM

Hmm, well, I think you have the right idea as far as lifting for maintenance goes. With all that running you're not going to see any hypertrophy, really. Your body has enough to do with keeping you in running shape.

Your workout seems decent, but standing lateral raises, standing DB bicep curls, tricep extensions, and concentration curls can probably be scrapped. That kind of isolation work isn't going to be all that helpful for maintenance. It might even be too much, given the amount of running you're doing. My advice would be to stick with the compound movements: bench, military press, cable rows, bent-over rows, chin-ups and dips and things like that.

As for spotters: well, given what you say you've been doing in the gym, you really only need a spotter for the bench. Everything else you're doing involves pretty easy-to-ditch dumbbells and cable stacks. Don't be afraid to ask someone to spot you - I hardly EVER see someone get turned down, and believe me, it'll be WAY more embarrassing if you're squealing "help" under a bar.

Rep ranges and failure: Yeah, I don't think you need to be working to failure at this point. I think it's probably best to stick with 8 to 12 reps and maybe three to four sets of each exercise. What you're trying to do with your rep and set scheme takes you kinda past the realm of maintenance. Don't try to push the weights and the running at the same time. Make sure your last rep takes some good hard pressing, but anything beyond that is probably overboard.

I'm sure if you do some limited maintenance in the weight room it'll keep you in some kick-ass shape. Good luck!

Tempest

Tue, February 17th, 2009, 10:38 AM

Thank you for the replies.

To clarify, I am wanting to move into as many free weights as possible. Including squats, calf raises etc. I am not as concerned about doing too much on squat, since I am in a cage that has safety racks.

So, from ya'lls comments more compound lifting would be better than isolation that i am currently doing.

Still working on a three day split for weights, I could do

Monday & Friday Adding weight to every set
Bench 1 warm-up set
12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps

Incline Bench
12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps

Military Press 1 warm-up set
12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps

One Arm Dumbbell Rows
12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps

Barbell Curls - Standing
12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps

Then on Wednesday - Lower Body,

Squats - 1 set warm up, then
12x
10x
8x
6x

Deadlift
12x
10x
8x
6x

Standing Calf Raises
12x
10x
8x
6x

Abs
4 sets of 25 crunches

Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.

artizzztik

Tue, February 17th, 2009, 11:54 AM

Speedster

Tue, February 17th, 2009, 12:30 PM

Looks great! That's nearly about what I do.

Honestly, you might be able to ditch the curls, too, and the dumbbell rows and you could then do Pendlay rows or barbell rows, which will work your biceps, too.

Incorporating pull-ups, too, will work your lats as well as your biceps ... thus Pendlay rows and pull-ups would do for your biceps what those curls would, too, but they're compound exercises that'll work more areas and you'll get a better anaerobic workout.

Tempest

Tue, February 17th, 2009, 02:58 PM

Looks great! That's nearly about what I do.

Incorporating pull-ups, too, will work your lats as well as your biceps ... thus Pendlay rows and pull-ups would do for your biceps what those curls would, too, but they're compound exercises that'll work more areas and you'll get a better anaerobic workout.

I weigh 261 lbs and have never been able to do 1 pull-up. Even playing football, baseball, or running cross country in HS, I could never do one pull-up. So I don't think I can incorporate them into the program. Thank you for the input though. It sounds like I do have a another fitness goal though. To do at least 1 pull-up. :nod:

Speedster

Tue, February 17th, 2009, 03:14 PM

I weigh 261 lbs and have never been able to do 1 pull-up. Even playing football, baseball, or running cross country in HS, I could never do one pull-up. So I don't think I can incorporate them into the program. Thank you for the input though. It sounds like I do have a another fitness goal though. To do at least 1 pull-up. :nod:

I think that's a great goal! Ones that can be hard to attain definitely motivate me a lot.

You might consider just trying the pull-up, really put your all into it so you at least work those lats through the struggle, then go over to the lat pull down machine and work from there.

artizzztik

Tue, February 17th, 2009, 10:00 PM

I've heard that people can get a bit of progress out of a static hold. You can climb a box to get you to the top of the completed pull-up position and then hold it as long as you can.

Also - you can do negatives to work those muscles too. Just get to the top position and slowly lower yourself to the bottom. If you're feeling up to it, you can do it again and again.

If you're feeling really masochistic, try a static hold at the top AND a slow negative on the way down. Or a static hold at some point mid-way between the top and bottom. There's no shortage of variations you can incorporate to get some useful work in. Experiment!