Question Gym Users: What's your routine?

[Rate]

I don't go to the gym but have a little more active life then most people through work. I ride to and from work(it's not far really, 3 miles) 5 days a week and walk the dogs every day. Also do a lot of lifting and a bit of walking as I'm a Butcher. At home lately I've been doing a 10 minute routine of (6 minutes) 2kg light weights, (2 minutes) 15kg heavy weights, (1 minute)situps and (1 minute)pushups twice a day. Feeling better for doing that but not really seeing much results other then lifting is easier at work now.

Would be nice to get some advice on if I'm doing it right with the little routine.

Its most likely not a bad routine, but if you want fast visual results, you must aim a good way above the program you have running there. I've read of multiple good programs from people on here, and its pretty much a personal case on what suits you, your level and your dedication.

Doing excersises multiple times a day, even if short, isn't something i'd recommend for people who dont power pump. You need to restore your musscle. The times I grow the most, visually, is when im having a break from my program every 5th week. In start I did the same as you pretty much, used my freeweights once in a while, didnt get much result except for some strength, but d'oh, your lifting something, ofcourse your musscles respond by getting stronger.

Also for fast results, I highly recommend weight gainer, or a 85 proteine (If your skinny, weight gainer, if you got enough fat and got a sweet tooth, protein powder.)

Im not sure if youre aware, but the way the musscle grow is when you literally "wound" the fibers in your musscle, they will get larger if you train hard and rejuvenate hard, you must stress your self to the point where you cant take one single pushup further,and then try do one more. But also carefully, cause overload can cause longer term injury, and set you back. Feel your body basicly, USE the musscle instead of just trying to do that pushup, if you know what I mean. Its like handwriting, you can smack something down there, but if you really try, others can read it. Bad meta but the best i can come up with right now, sorry!

I'd personally recommend pullups, pushups, reactionary excersise, situps with lifted legs, leg lifts and back lifts to begin with. Will strengthen your "core", and make sure your "backing" musscles will support your primarys, like fx. biceps when using your 15kg's.

If you want to do a small program like that, I could only recommend doing 15 pushups, 20 situps every morning when u get out of bed, nothing like feeling a little pumped for the day

 

[Vladamir]

I don't go to the gym but have a little more active life then most people through work. I ride to and from work(it's not far really, 3 miles) 5 days a week and walk the dogs every day. Also do a lot of lifting and a bit of walking as I'm a Butcher. At home lately I've been doing a 10 minute routine of (6 minutes) 2kg light weights, (2 minutes) 15kg heavy weights, (1 minute)situps and (1 minute)pushups twice a day. Feeling better for doing that but not really seeing much results other then lifting is easier at work now.

Would be nice to get some advice on if I'm doing it right with the little routine.

FFS you tell me this 2 days before I go back to uni, I could've come up to Southend to get some cheap meat from you

 

[ileks]

I've started going to the gym again since I got back to uni (so about 4 weeks now). I've lost about 9 pounds in that time and hope to lose about the same in the next 6 weeks of term.

I always do 55 minutes of quite intense cardio but no weights. I like to start with 10 mins on the rowing machine / one of the bikes (we have 3 different ones in our uni gym) and then 10 minutes on the stepping machine thing. I always finish with about 35 minutes on the cross trainer at quite high speed/resistance. My heart rate gets really high (like 165-180) and i sweat like a ****. Combine that with a low calorie diet and you really can't avoid losing at least 2 pounds a week imo.

The biggest thing is motivating yourself to get to the gym imo. Once you kill yourself in there you just won't want to eat the junk food. I can't motivate myself to diet without going to the gym. I think you are going too often. Aim for about 4 trips a week imo but really put the effort in. It's easy to keep going in the first week but get's a lot harder after a while.

I recently downloaded all the harry potter audio books on my phone and listen to them when i go Really helps pass the time. You can still hear the gym music on the top of it to keep you going.

I don't understand why people say do weights when you are trying to lose weight. When dieting you are starving yourself of calories. Surely your body can't build/repair muscle in these circumstances?

 

[~Latency~]

have found that whole milk helps get the calories in (if you can bear it XD) edit: whole milk has loads of growth hormones and shit like 80p for 2 pints aswell and around 750 calories 40g protein

the main thing keeping me motivated is being able to add 2.5kg to my lifts every workout which should be ok for a while yet

 

[Wazzerphuk]

rofl!!! ah yes thank you for that informed opinion; and by informed I mean random statement backed up by no prior knowledge of what speed/resistance levels I use or at what alternating pattern.

Most cross trainers should take considerably longer to cover the same distance as you would when running. How you've got it to cover more distance than on a treadmill in that time suggests you don't know what you're doing, doing it wrong or reading 2.0k as 20k.

 

[Ch3tan]

All the cross trainers at the gyms I've gone to have always taken considerably less time to cover the same distance as a treadmill, so I'm not sure where you are getting that from Wazz.

 

[Ezteq]

I have been using cross trainers (started at a gym under a personal instructor who showed me the best way to get the most from my work out) for about 7 years; have not misread the distance, my usual workout per day is 10k which takes about 23 mins depending on how high I have the resistance setting and what alternation pattern I use for resistance.

XTs take less time to cover more distance than running because it is a lower impact, measured stride, where you use your upper body as well as legs to keep up the momentum; if I were to run 10k it would take longer than running the same distance on a XT, also it burns more calories.


...suggesting, you got it wrong.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Your calculations state you're doing well under the 4 minute mile for each mile. I find that hard to stomach.

 

[Ezteq]

oh ffs lol, so what if I am? You try running full pelt at high resistance maybe you can but I'm not Arnie.

 

[Gwadien]

Ez, face it, you suck!

 

[Ezteq]

I do, I have no allusions to the contrary. I am terrible at quite a few of the things I do but I still do em because I enjoy them, not because I am any good.

 

[Cerb]

I think he meant that he didn't believe you were doing sub 4 minute miles.

Cranky old fart

Also lastnight I did 30 mins on the crosstrainer and got bored XD

 

[Ezteq]

did you get pins and needles in your feel? tbh after about 20k that's what happens to me and it's either get off on my own (no, that is not a euphemism!!) or fall off.

 

[Gwadien]

On a furael note, I just think people should leave each other to their business, don't give them advice unless they ask for it, it's like when I do my odd-bit of weightlifting I only do a little bit, but loads of reps, and people are like yeah, put more weight on, no, fuck off, that's pointless, what's the point doing 1 rep of the highest thing, to make a point?

 

[old.Tohtori]

Waterfhuk just reminds me of an e-kid screaming

 

[rynnor]

I think going to the gym is a waste of time because almost no-one keeps it up because its dull and an effort.

Its better to develop an active outdoor hobby that way you get your exercise in a pleasurable way and its not dead time. Since its something you enjoy you'll keep it up too.

Gym's tend to be more a lifestyle accoutrement than a serious fitness regime in my experience.

 

[Septima]

I think going to the gym is a waste of time because almost no-one keeps it up because its dull and an effort.

Its better to develop an active outdoor hobby that way you get your exercise in a pleasurable way and its not dead time. Since its something you enjoy you'll keep it up too.

Gym's tend to be more a lifestyle accoutrement than a serious fitness regime in my experience.

This.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

oh ffs lol, so what if I am? You try running full pelt at high resistance maybe you can but I'm not Arnie.

If you are then you're basically doing something pro athletes do.

I guess we use completely different machinery. Your time would not be possible on the machines I use. Today 2k took just over 25mins using interval training (fast jogs, runs and sprints). Obviously doing 10x the distance in less than double the time is going to register as completely fucking wrong on my scale.

 

[Ezteq]

On a furael note, I just think people should leave each other to their business, don't give them advice unless they ask for it, it's like when I do my odd-bit of weightlifting I only do a little bit, but loads of reps, and people are like yeah, put more weight on, no, fuck off, that's pointless, what's the point doing 1 rep of the highest thing, to make a point?

my friend actually got put off from going to the gym because of all the big gym freaks telling him how he should be doing it, he was like 'hay man I'm just here having a work out stop advising me!!'



Wazz lol I thought you were telling me I should be going further in the time it takes me, I'm like ffs dude I've only got little legs I cannot do any better than this unless I take up pro XTing!! wrong end of stick, I has it.

 

[Nate]

stuff

Cheers mate. Will have a go

FFS you tell me this 2 days before I go back to uni, I could've come up to Southend to get some cheap meat from you

You'd love to have my meat in your mouth wouldn't you. I have a lovely sausage. Southend wouldn't be the right place though I don't travel, unless it's to Asia.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

my friend actually got put off from going to the gym because of all the big gym freaks telling him how he should be doing it, he was like 'hay man I'm just here having a work out stop advising me!!'



Wazz lol I thought you were telling me I should be going further in the time it takes me, I'm like ffs dude I've only got little legs I cannot do any better than this unless I take up pro XTing!! wrong end of stick, I has it.

Yeah, there's a guy at work who's often telling me what to do. It's annoying but I ignore him, what he sees and what I feel are very different things.

Yes I think we both got a little confused. I was suggesting you could work harder over a shorter distance.

 

[leviathane]

i normally go with a mate, we're about the same strength so makes spotting easy. Also it's good having him there to get them extra reps out.

 

[Ezteq]

aaaah no, well sometimes I do but I really like to stick my music on obnoxiously loud and work my muscle (only got one) with a nice long thrashing.

 

[Cerb]

work my muscle (only got one) with a nice long thrashing.

Thats what Cho said.

haha do you try for these things or do they happen naturally?

 

[Jiggs]

I walk 47 miles of barbed wire a day.

 

[Gwadien]

my friend actually got put off from going to the gym because of all the big gym freaks telling him how he should be doing it, he was like 'hay man I'm just here having a work out stop advising me!!'



Wazz lol I thought you were telling me I should be going further in the time it takes me, I'm like ffs dude I've only got little legs I cannot do any better than this unless I take up pro XTing!! wrong end of stick, I has it.

Little legs, hehe, lets not get that started again..

But seriously, You don't see me going to these gymaholics and explaining why they have only got friends @ the gym, and that they're complete nobs

Stereotype I know, but generally speaking, it's so true.

 

[Ch3tan]

I've been to a lot of gyms over the years, and the social aspect of people pushing you further, giving friendly advise etc, is the best bit about working out at a gym. Harder to motivate yourself and do more at home.

Gwad, you sound like the nob tbh, not the guys at the gym, although they could be too

Maybe they aren't helping you in the right way, or maybe you are taking what they say the wrong way.

 

[Gwadien]

I've been to a lot of gyms over the years, and the social aspect of people pushing you further, giving friendly advise etc, is the best bit about working out at a gym. Harder to motivate yourself and do more at home.

Gwad, you sound like the nob tbh, not the guys at the gym, although they could be too

Maybe they aren't helping you in the right way, or maybe you are taking what they say the wrong way.

I just find people who are belittleing(sp?) and patronising nobs tbh, just going to the gym to show off that they have muscles, but really, they're nobs, because they think their muscles give them the right to show off to people and make people feel small as possible, go to a popular gym, there will be a crowd of them, just looking at you, wondering wtf are you doing...

 

[leviathane]

end of the day everyone has to start somewhere.

 

[rynnor]

I just find people who are belittleing(sp?) and patronising nobs tbh, just going to the gym to show off that they have muscles, but really, they're nobs, because they think their muscles give them the right to show off to people and make people feel small as possible, go to a popular gym, there will be a crowd of them, just looking at you, wondering wtf are you doing...

I think that depends on the Gym - there are poseur gyms where its wall to wall fake tans, meathead gyms where everyone does low rep high weight and is on steroids and/or approaching cardiac arrest and there are actually normal gyms without the nonsense.

Best to visit first and try to work out what type it is.