Hi, I am new to all this and recently joined a gym. My intention was to work out Monday, Wednesday and Friday, cardio first then weights. It was suggested on here that it's better to separate the workouts, and I think this may be the case.

During midweek, I can only go to the gym after work, around 6.00pm. Did this tonight and had a really good cardio session. After that, though, I had little left in me for weight training and besides, the weights section of the gym was packed, couldn't get near some of the machines.

However, on a weekend, that part is really quiet durin the day, so I'd like to do some weights then. I need advice, though, as to how to split up the workout over the two days, Saturday and Sunday. The rest of my week will have looked like this:

Monday: 1 hour cardio (bike, treadmill, cross trainer, rower)
Tuesday: 7.00pm til 8.30pm Tennis
Wednesday: 1 hour cardio (bike, treadmill, cross trainer, rower)
Thursday: Rest day (have to work late)
Friday: 1 hour cardio (bike, treadmill, cross trainer, rower)

That leaves Saturday and Sunday for weights. I welcome all suggestions as to how to break the two days down to incorporate all necessary muslce groups. I know it's not ideal, and it would be better spread out, but as said, that's not really an option. So please, do your best to help out.

Thanks :tu:

Before going off topic -- if I had the proverbial "gun to my head" and could only weight train on Sat. and Sun. I'd probably split my workout so that one day I worked upper body, and the other day would be for lower body. Probably, I'd do UB on Sat. and LB on Sun. as I am more likely to wipe myself out and be a bit slower after a leg day. I'd probably cheat the schedule and do my abdominal workout on one of your cardio days. But, if that's against the rules, I'd likely do abs on the leg day.

OK, now to go off on a bit of a tangent it might help to know your current particulars. What are you looking for in a workout routine? Are you overweight? Looking to lose fat, maintain muscle? Are you skinny, looking to add muscle? It might help others to offer more pinpointed advice, if we knew where you're at, and where you're headed.

For example, if you weren't overweight and felt you needed more muscle, I'd be inclined to cut into those hour-long cardio sessions and do some weight work on, at least, one of those days.

Either way, I'd urge you to take some basic measurements, record what you do, and monitor to see if what you choose is working.

Also, don't let a crowded gym keep you from your goals. While a packed gym is a hassle, there is a certain gym protocal at virtually all gyms. Go to the occupied machine, politely ask if you can work in. You will likely get either a "sure, work in" or -- "I only have one more set to go." Just make sure when working in that you have your workout towel and wipe down the seat/bench whatever when you're done. The only time I might deny someone a work-in is if they're all sweaty, and don't have a towel (which in my gym is theoretically against the rules).

I need to lose a fair bit of weight so that's my main target, but I do want to add some muscle mass as well. I am currently 5 feet 10 and 262lbs so there's a long way to go.

The biggest problem with the weights is the sheer number of machines, I can't do them all. I did have a session to show me how to use them all etc but it's easy to forget when it comes to doing it and they didn't write down the names of the appropriate machines.

Any advice on a few good machines for upper/lower/abs?

Thanks.

Machines blow anyway. You want the free weights to be the bulk of your workout.

First off machines dont "blow". Resistance training is resistance training, anyone new to fitness will show results regardless.

Secondly, if you're only going to be training 2 days out of the week, you'll want to get as much out of them as you can. Since they're going to be dedicated lifting days, I would recommend you adopt an Upper/Lower body split. Start light, and just let your body tell you how it's doing. A good link to let you know the exercises to do is: http://www.exrx.net/Workouts/Workout2UL.html That site lists the areas of the body to work, as well as provides you with a list of applicable exercises for them.

With your given weight and height, exercising alone isn't going to do the trick, though. As most anyone on this board will tell you diet is at least 80% of the challenge. Developing a good diet (and sticking to it) is absolutely key for weight loss. Cardio is great, as are the benefits, but you will vastly accelerate your progress with a well thought out diet regiment. Have a gander at this site, I found it tremendously helpful: http://www.hussman.org/fitness/ My advice is to read that site from top to bottom, and reread it. You'll come out with a fresher mind and the path to your goal will become clearer.

As for your request for a good abs workout...I know you probably want to lose that gut like anyone else on this planet, but spot reducing fat is a complete myth. Have a look at this website for further information: http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Myths.html

Good luck and I wish you the best :]

I wouldn't recommend a pure two day upper body and lower body split as there is a huge difference in the number of exercises:

Upper body: chest, upper back, traps, lower back, abs, shoulders, biceps, triceps, forearms.
Lower body: quads, hams, calves

If I was to split into two days I would (in this order):

Day 1: chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, calves, abs
Day 2: upper back, biceps, traps, hams, lower back, forearms

Chest: DB bench press (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/DBBenchPress.html), pec deck flys (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/LVPecDeckFly.html) (machine)
Shoulders: DB shoulder press (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBShoulderPress.html) (anterior delt), DB lateral raise (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/DBLateralRaise.html) (lateral delt), DB rear lateral raise (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidPosterior/DBRearLateralRaise.html) (posterior delt)
Triceps: BB lying tricep extensions (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/BBLyingTriExt.html), DB one-arm tricep extension (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/DBOneArmTriExt.html)
Quads: BB squat (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBSquat.html), leg press (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/SL45LegPress.html) (machine)
Calves: BB standing calf raise (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Gastrocnemius/BBStandingCalfRaise.html), DB single leg calf raise (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Gastrocnemius/DBSingleLegCalfRaise.html)
Upper Back: cable front pull-down (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/CBFrontPulldown.html) (machine), DB bent over rows (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/DBBentOverRow.html)
Biceps: DB curls (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Biceps/DBCurl.html), DB incline curls (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Biceps/DBInclineCurl.html)
Traps: DB shrugs (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/TrapeziusUpper/DBShrug.html)
Traps/Lower Back: BB deadlift (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBDeadlift.html)
Hamstrings: lying leg curl (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/LVLyingLegCurl.html) (machine), BB straight-leg deadlift (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/BBStraightLegDeadlift.html)
Lower Back: back extension (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/LVBackExtensionN.html) (machine), hyperextensions (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/WtHyperextension.html)
Forearms: BB wrist curl (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/WristFlexors/BBWristCurl.html), BB reverse wrist curls (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/WristExtensors/BBReverseWristCurl.html)
Abs: cable crunches (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/CBKneelingCrunch.html) (machine), leg-hip raises (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/WtInclineLegHipRaise.html), side crunch (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Obliques/WtSideCrunch.html)

Chicanerous dont you think this is a bit excessive?

Chicanerous is a very knowledgable person and will always offer good advice but personally i would stick to one excercise per body part and do the following.


Saturday
Chest: DB bench press
Upper Back: cable front pull-down (machine)
Shoulders: DB shoulder press (anterior delt)
Traps: DB shrugs
Triceps: BB lying tricep extensions

Sunday
Quads: BB squat
Hamstrings: BB straight-leg deadlift
Calves: BB standing calf raise
Biceps: DB curls
Abs: cruches

In both cases you shouldnt be in the gym longer than an 1 hour.

This is by no means a complete and absolute workout but it will be easy to maintain over a long period of time and contains all the core excercises. Also shouldnt place to much stress on you system since you will be training two days in a row.

Chicanerous dont you think this is a bit excessive?

Chicanerous is a very knowledgable person and will always offer good advice but personally i would stick to one excercise per body part and do the following.

Sorry, I didn't review my post after I went through exrx to list exercises --

I should have clarified that I was seperating basic effective compound exercises for each bodypart from their variations (isolation and movement-wise: incline, decline). By no means, should someone use every exercise that I listed.

To a beginner the lists on exrx.net are overwhelming and full of exercises that, while effective, are best incorporated after you have a knowledge of how your body responds and functions.

For anything but shoulders, abs, and forearms*, I would recommend only picking one exercise from the bunch and learning how to do it, using it for five to six sessions and then learning another one. While doing this, I would recommend working in high rep ranges 12-15 reps for the first four to five sessions to get the body accustomed to weight-lifting and then moving to a slightly lower 10-12 rep range.

After about twelve sessions, I would move into a proven plan (such as the beginner's Max-OT program) or start to pyramid.

*Shoulders have three parts that need to be equally worked: anterior, lateral, and posterior; abs have three effective motions: lower trunk (curling with hips), upper trunk (curling with shoulders), and side trunk (curling with one shoulder); both the forearm flexors and extensors need to be worked.

That's all really helpful!

Thanks!

Just one comment, which is probably a moot point, but anyways...

I would recommend working in high rep ranges 12-15 reps for the first four to five sessions to get the body accustomed to weight-lifting and then moving to a slightly lower 10-12 rep range.

After about twelve sessions, I would move into a proven plan (such as the beginner's Max-OT program)

I agree that it is best to spend a period of 12 weeks or so aclimatising your muscles to weight training before starting a serious program. This is SOUND adivce.

However, IF you are going to build towards doing a low rep program such as the MAX-OT 4-6 rep range, then starting at 15 or even 12 reps is not ideal IMO.

High reps focus on different muscle fibres to low reps. So by starting out on high reps, you will in affect be acclimatising a different type of muscle fibre then you would be using performing low rep sets. When you then began doing low reps sets, you would be shifting the emphisis to the practically un aclimatised fast twitch muscle fibres. Therefore, i would recommend starting in the 8-10 range for 6 weeks, then to the 6-8 range, and then onto max-ot.

Obviously if you plan to stick with high rep sets, this is a nothing point, but one i feel is worth a mention. I always think, train the way your going to actually do something. :)

The reasons for starting with high reps is not so much to "acclimatising a muscle fibre" you need to prepare the rest of your body for weight lifting. The muscles can handle a lot and adapt relatively quickly. What you need to be careful about is the tendons and ligaments. The strengthen slower than the muscles in a beginner. Th point of high reps is to strengthen the tendons and ligaments while using a weight the will likely not injure them. Now exactly how much weight or how many reps to use varies from person to person, but most experts suggest starting at 10 to 15 reps for the first 6 to 8 weeks. Don't worry about shifting the focus of muscle fibre types, muscles can handle the different loads, as long as the rest of your body is prepared.

The point of high reps is to strengthen the tendons and ligaments

Interesting point, i never considered that. :)

However, i still think switching from a begginers 12-15 rep set program to the heavy as hell 4-6 rep MAX-OT set with nothing in between is not a good idea.

Perhaps a better way of putting it, considering your tendons etc, is to do 6 weeks high rep (12-15), then 6 weeks medium rep (8-10), but then spend a few weeks just getting used to low rep heavy sets, perhaps 6-8 rep sets. I just feel you should give your body a taster of what its gonna go through, before you put it through it. Get the mind thinking explosive, rather then edurance.

Just my tuppence worth. :nod:

However, i still think switching from a begginers 12-15 rep set program to the heavy as hell 4-6 rep MAX-OT set with nothing in between is not a good idea.

I would move into a proven plan (such as the beginner's Max-OT program) or start to pyramid.

"the beginner's Max-OT program": http://www.ast-ss.com/training/getting_started/getting_started_intro.asp

I should have linked that, where was my mind yesterday?

However, IF you are going to build towards doing a low rep program such as the MAX-OT 4-6 rep range, then starting at 15 or even 12 reps is not ideal IMO.

High reps focus on different muscle fibres to low reps. So by starting out on high reps, you will in affect be acclimatising a different type of muscle fibre then you would be using performing low rep sets. When you then began doing low reps sets, you would be shifting the emphisis to the practically un aclimatised fast twitch muscle fibres. Therefore, i would recommend starting in the 8-10 range for 6 weeks, then to the 6-8 range, and then onto max-ot.

I see what you're saying, but like others have already commented: the high rep period is mainly to acclimate your tendons and ligaments, not your muscles. Your muscles can handle quick switches in weight surpisingly easily.

Fiber types come more into play in the calfs and abs than anywhere else. Usually 25 or more continuous reps are recommended for these muscles - that's endurance/fiber training. Really anything in the 10-15 range is just barely touching on this - it's still for the most part strength training.