# Weightlifting: what's your routine?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 16, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772 "2001-10-16T18:22:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/1 "2001-10-16T18:22:49Z")
Right now, I’m doing a 3-on, 1-off, alternating 1-chest/shoulders/triceps; 2-quadriceps/hamstrings/calves; 3-back/biceps. I do about 20 minutes of cardio after working out 3 times a week and then one long cardio session on the weekend. Because I broke my arm last April, the subsequent time spent out of the gym and then the recovery to make up for lost time have put me behind my goals for this year, but I feel really good that I will meet or exceed my new goals for the next six months.
I eat 5-6 small meals a day-
breakfast=oatmeal, coffee, egg whites;
midmorning snack=can of tuna, banana
lunch=Healthy Choice or baked chicken breast and veggies from home
pre-workout=MetrX bar
post-workout=chicken breast or fish, veggies, diet soda
What about y’all?
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### Author:  [@Ikujinashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ikujinashi)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2001, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/2 "2001-10-16T19:31:42Z")
You’re a lot more into it than I am. My schedule is just 3 days out of the week:
Mon- chest, bis, tris
Wed- shoulders, back
Fri- legs, varying light upperbody
Then again I’m not directed enough about it to have goals. At least my cardio’s pretty good, run 36+ miles a week. Not even gonna touch on my diet… ‘undisciplined’ is a little too kind.
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### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2001, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/3 "2001-10-16T19:35:01Z")
I just started a modified “Body for Life” type of routine. Modified, since I haven’t quite boughten into his “drink my super special expensive shake stuff 3 times a day!” bit. But I like the exercise routine.
Basically, I’m doing 45-60 minute lifts 3 times a week, alternating lower body & upper body. About five sets on each of the major muscle groups, gradually getting harder on each set.
On alternating days, I do 20 minutes of cardio - either on my Spin bike, or running. I do interval training - 4 sets of 4 minute intervals, along with a 2 minute warmup and a “killer” minute or so at the end.
Eating-wise, I’m not so good. Decided to cut waaaaay down on the alcohol (anyone else been drinking too much since 9/11?) which should make a difference right there. Other than that, just going for reasonable portions about 6 times a day. Yesterday, that was:
breakfast - instant multigrain hot cereal, coffee w/ milk, 1 pc toast & jam
snack - banana
lunch - salad with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, sliced ham, sliced turkey, cheese, minimal amount of dressing
afternoon snack - cupcake. I know, I know, but I got HUNGRY and I had run out of Nutri-grain bars. That or a candy bar/chips from the vending machine. I tried to make the right choice.
Dinner - homemade chicken soup, small piece of cornbread.
I think I did OK. We’ll just see if I can keep it up.
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### Author:  [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/4 "2001-10-16T20:49:18Z")
I usually do short workout sessions, usually about an hour per session, with about 20-30 minutes of cardio before or after, depending on what I’m doing.
Monday AM - Chest
Monday PM - Abs
Tuesday AM - Arms
Tuesday PM - Traps & Delts
Wednesday AM - Legs & lower back
Wednesday PM - Abs
Thursday AM - Chest
Thursday PM - Lats
Friday AM - Arms
Friday PM - Abs
Saturday AM - Legs
I’ll usually try to use a weight that’ll cause failure at about 6-8 reps, and do as many sets as I can. One technique I use to break things up every once in a while, is doing drop sets, where I’ll start with a set weight, say on bench, work till failure, jump off and drop 20 lbs or so, and do another round to failure. As for meals, I agree with you on the diet, several small meals spread out over the day is much better than 2 or 3 large ones.
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### Author:  [@Demise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demise)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2001, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/5 "2001-10-16T21:21:11Z")
I lift 3 times a week: Tues., Thurs., Sat.; karate class on Mon. and Fri.; cardio on Wed. and Sat.
I concentrate on upper body pretty much exclusively when lifting. I have large, well developed thighs and calves, so I don’t feel I need to work on them beyond the workout they get from cardio and my karate class.
My weight routine consists of chest, shoulders, tricepts, bicepts, forearms. I use a pyramid method consisting of 4 sets of increasing weight and decreasing reps for all excercises.
As for diet…hmm, I eat lots of protein and fiber and stay away from large amounts of fat and sugars/starches. Except on weekends, where I eat whatever I feel like.
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### Author:  [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2001, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/6 "2001-10-16T22:08:04Z")
**Weedeater**
> [@](#):
>
> Monday AM - Chest
> Monday PM - Abs
> Tuesday AM - Arms
> Tuesday PM - Traps & Delts
> Wednesday AM - Legs & lower back
> Wednesday PM - Abs
> Thursday AM - Chest
> Thursday PM - Lats
> Friday AM - Arms
> Friday PM - Abs
> Saturday AM - Legs
This is a great idea- and what I’ve been doing lately. I’m currenty freelancing and spending a lot of time at home. I have the equipment I need here. Previously, when I had a job and couldn’t go with twice-a-day workouts I used this system:
> [@](#):
>
> Monday PM cardio and chest/tri
> Tuesday PM cardio and abs
> Wednesday PM cardio and back/bi
> Thursday PM cardio and abs
> Friday AM thorough stretching but no workout per se
> Saturday afternoon cardio
> and on Sunday he rested
I found it worked well with my job and social schedule, which tends to pile on during the weekends (lots of weddings recently). I have **Demise** ’s legs and my cardio tends to be bike which keeps them bad boys in shape.
Re: food, I second **gobear** ’s tuna recommendation, I love it with a little balsamic vinegar right out of the can. High protein low fat and cheap cheap cheap. Bananas are awesome and a good easily digestible pre-workout meal. Skim milk. Plain yogurt, bananas, strawberries in the belnder witha few ice cubes, you got a meal right there. I don’t like supplements.
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2001, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/7 "2001-10-16T22:10:53Z")
I spend an hour at the gym every day, and alternate between upper body and middle/lower body. On the days when I work a part of my body, I work all the muscles there. I shoot for a weight that gives me trouble doing three sets of eight, but I try to add at least 10 pounds to one set of each exercise every day. Based on results and the lack of injuries, I’d have to say this is a good program. I’m going to start running/biking/etc. eventually, once I drop some body fat.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2001, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/8 "2001-10-16T22:15:30Z")
my routine: pop top on can (sometimes bottle)
curl diminishing 12 oz till empty
repeat till sleepy
for the hard days, add: throw 25 gram darts till the wife yells at you to turn down the stereo
(yes, im a fat, lazy slob!)
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### Author:  [@phartizan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phartizan)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/9 "2001-10-17T01:22:24Z")
Pretty much like Ikujinashi–3 days a week with a similar routine, except I often miss a day & then lift on weekends.
day 1- chest, bis, tris
day 2- shoulders, back
day 3- legs, varying light upperbody
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### Author:  [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/10 "2001-10-17T02:36:20Z")
I remember being told, way back, by a guy who allegedly knew what he was talking about, that working “Opposing” muscle groups in the same session was somehow less effective than working them in separate sessions. Examples- never do bi and tri on the same day. Never do back/lat and chest on the same day. Is this legend or reality? If it’s true, why? **gobear** , if this sounds like too much of a hijack- I’ll move into my own thread.
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### Author:  [@rundogrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rundogrun)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/11 "2001-10-17T14:01:42Z")
I weight train in the off-season which for me is just now starting. I’ll lift two or three times a week, working both upper and lower muscle groups. For the first half of the off-season, I’ll work on strength…3 x 10-12 reps of each exercise. For the second half, I’ll switch to more of a conditioning routine…2 x 20-25 reps with 30 seconds of rest between each set.
Both routines consist of a variety of free weights and Nautilus equipment.
As for eating, when I’m racing I watch the booze and desserts. These days, I’m washing Entemann’s cakes down with Rolling Rocks!
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### Author:  [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/12 "2001-10-17T16:00:33Z")
I hope this isn’t too much of a hijack, but I have a question or two. I don’t lift nor do more than, say, 200 crunches and maybe 50 situps every morning in addition to fencing about 8 hours per week.
I would like to increase my routine, but I am having a hard time deciding what to do and I am lacking the discipline to follow through. **gobear** mentioned that he has definite goals that guide his lifting, and I believe that I could benefit seriously from a few reasonable goals of my own. Despite all of my physical activity, I don’t really know what I should be shooting for.
I’ve gained some muscle in the past year, but I would like to pare myself down a little bit and increase my tone and endurance, especially in the chest and abdominal areas. I do not want to put on hard muscle, however.
I know that taking off five pounds is going to be very difficult. I am 5’7", 145 lbs.
Thoughts?
MR
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### Author:  [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/13 "2001-10-17T16:56:10Z")
**Stolichnaya** your friend is uninformed. I’m no expert in exercise physiologist, but the magazines I read and Web sites I consult, like [this one](http://www.atozfitness.com/cgi-bin/report_server/reporter.cgi?a=94&t=template.html) all recommend “supersetting,” that is doing two different exercises without a break, as a way of increasing muscle size and strength. It’s also a good way to shock your muscles into growth after you’ve hit a plateau, where you have stopped seeing gains.
**Maeglin** , to lose weight, you ned to expend more calories than you take in. What you can’t do is stop eating specific foods,eat ONKY specific foods. or eat only once a day, or any other fad method because those are actually destructive to your body.
I’ll pass on what has worked for me.
1. Avoid alcohol and junk food. Candy, chips, sugary sodas, beer (my downfall!) are all full of calories but devoid of nutrition.
2. Eat several small meals a day. Try to eat as much unprocessed food as possible–oatmeal, tuna, chicken breasts, broccoli, spinach, and so on.
3. To lose a pound a week, you need to expend about 3500 calories, or 500 calories a day. Half that should come from your diet, the other half should come from exercise.
4. If you want tone and endurance in your chest, try lifting light weights with high reps, like bench press 15/12/10. If you’re doing 200 crunches and 50 situps a day, I’d say your abs have plenty of tone and endurance already.
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### Author:  [@rundogrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rundogrun)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/14 "2001-10-17T16:59:22Z")
**Maeglin** - not to over simplify, but building muscle comes from fewer reps with higher amounts of weights; conditioning comes from more reps with lighter weights. It sounds like the latter is more of what you’re after, particularly if you want to complement your fencing. Similarly, when I’m lifting, my goal is to put on as little muscle as possible, and tone what I have.
If you lack the discipline to hit the weight room 3x a week, is there a pool nearby? Swimming is great for toning and conditioning and I’m guessing would also be a great complement to fencing.
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### Author:  [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/15 "2001-10-17T17:25:35Z")
Well, I’m quite the lanky fellow, and I’ve always wanted the typical bodybuilder physique. Big and hard is my goal. So, I go to the gym three times a week, and put as much weight as I can handle 6-8 times, and do only one or two sets. I do every muscle group I’ve got every time I go. Now that I’ve stopped being lax about it, it’s really starting to pay off, I’m getting thicker and much stronger all over the place. Maybe I’ll top 200 lbs one of these days!
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### Author:  [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/16 "2001-10-17T18:52:22Z")
Thanks for all of your suggestions. I do crunches and pushups, I misspoke situps.
My diet is already pretty good: I eat no meat but liberal amounts of fish and seafood. I avoid processed grains and junk food whenever possible, and do not consume large amounts of alcohol. Just small amounts relatively frequently. 😉
It is difficult to get to the gym as I already fence 2-3 times per week. A pool is sounding like a really good idea, though. Something to consider for the weekends.
And no, despite my morning exercise, I am not noticing any difference in my abdominal tone. Granted, I have only been working seriously for about two months, but I would have expected even a subtle change.
I like eating numerous times during the day and smaller quantities each time. I think I am going to leave a stash of tuna in my desk to faciliate that.
MR
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### Author:  [@rundogrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rundogrun)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/17 "2001-10-17T20:20:25Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Maeglin \*
> \*\*And no, despite my morning exercise, I am not noticing any difference in my abdominal tone. Granted, I have only been working seriously for about two months, but I would have expected even a subtle change.
>
> MR \*\*
For me, I always joke that my abs are ripped. You just can’t see it because of the layer of fat.
If you’ve got one of those layers, situps won’t get rid of it…if you already have a flat stomach, you might want to reconsider your crunches…you should be doing a variety of different ones that work your midsection differently.
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### Author:  [@DoperChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoperChic)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2001, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/18 "2001-10-18T00:01:25Z")
I go to the gym after class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 90 minutes each day. I start off with a 10 minute warm up on a cardio machine - the elliptical machine if it’s available, if not, a bike. Then I stretch out my whole body, concentrating on the areas I plan to work on that day.
On Mondays, I do Triceps, Biceps, and Back.
Wednesdays are Legs.
Fridays are Chest and Shoulders.
I do intense ab work with every work out.
I end my workout with 20 minutes of cardio, usually on the elliptical machine, and then stretch again. I’ve found that stretching after every workout prevents a lot of soreness the next day.
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### Author:  [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2001, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/19 "2001-10-18T05:52:25Z")
I probably have the most lax and undisciplined regime, but i pretty much focus on arms, chest, delts, and lats. I work my muscles three times a week, but sometimes I slack (obviously i’m not into seeing fast results). I was doing legs, but mine are fairly well built up (my calves are big, even under the fat).
Five times a week i do cardio, usually 30 minutes. I’ve been going to the gym primarily for weight loss, but also to build some muscle so i dont look like a skeleton. I’m losing weight at a good pace. SInce i got serious about cardio about two months ago, i’ve gone down from 245 to my current 230…and i can fit into pants with a 36 inch waist now! 🙂
I’ve seen some decent results with my biceps at least. Since april i’ve seen the weight i can curl go from 15 to 35 lbs. My triceps (the outer head at least) is nicely developed (it sticks out a good bit when i extend my arm). But the inner head needs work.
Gobear, can you suggest an excercize that will target the inner triceps (I mostly use the lat pulldown machine)?
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### Author:  [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2001, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weightlifting-whats-your-routine/87772/20 "2001-10-18T14:21:35Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Gobear, can you suggest an excercize that will target the inner triceps (I mostly use the lat pulldown machine)?
Hey, Doob,
I’ve seen other guys using the lat pulldown for triceps, but it’s never worked for me. I find that I can get my triceps really pumped with 3-4 sets of French presses
and the triceps pushdown machine, and then doing reverse pushups. Those will develop your triceps really well.
Right now, my biggest beef is that I don’t look like a bodybuilder. I look strong, but I just don’t have the v-shaped back I keep working for. I want to have size and symmetry, but I think genetics are against me.
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