Cheers Rabby! missed your sexy Jock Backdoor too X

Liking the simplicity of that approach. Need that.

I have my first of 3 free appointments with a PT today.... Should be funny if nothing else. I'm actually a bit of a fatty at the moment, so I'm gonna get the guy to do all these fitness tests n all that crap. Also, I'm gonna see what he says regarding going forwards with fitness. Also I need a good Core routine, my flexibility is pish at the moment, and he might be able to help iron out some squat imperfections. He might just be a flid too - I'll decide in about an hour.

I'll probably aim for fitness, and strength in a parallel fashion - take my strength training from various sources - advice here obviously, and I'll take my test results today and see what to do about fitness. I'll be able to train most mornings, so will probably be doing something every mornong Monday-Friday strength/fitness/strength...

The fat should sort itself out with diet and training without too much special attention, hopefully the guy'll have calipres and I can have a good laugh.

Starting strength or what Rab suggested are both good options I think.
I could come up with quite a few other ideas, but I believe in keeping things as simple as possible.
If I were to start from scratch, I'd do something similar to Starting Strength.

I’m doing a bastardised verion of SS, I replaced cleans and OHPs with HC2PP. Mainly because I enjoy them, but also because I think they cover the bases for those two lifts, and help me put off learning the slightly technical clean.

Good luck, mate. I've found training helps to give life some structure, and helps to clear your mind.
Altogether now, ooooommmmm...

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_arti ... nching&cr=

All you need for core strength.

the_cheshirecat wrote:http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/death_to_crunching&cr=

All you need for core strength.

Craig how hard can it be to use your own login?

Rilla wrote:

the_cheshirecat wrote:http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/death_to_crunching&cr=

All you need for core strength.

Craig how hard can it be to use your own login?

Makes you wonder, uh?

Talk about meathead..

Rilla wrote:Talk about meathead..

LOL!
the problem is in his chromosomes, not his (meat)head!
Y marks the spot...

Hey Upright... is good to have you back

i think when returning to training the important thing is just to be progressive with each session - no matter what the routine or split. Have had great 'newb-like' gains (regaining lost muscle) when coming back after a long lay off even with starting again with relatively light weights and low intensity... is the progression bit from session to session that does the job when first coming back rather than the intensity level imo.

Dtlv74 wrote:Hey Upright... is good to have you back

i think when returning to training the important thing is just to be progressive with each session - no matter what the routine or split. Have had great 'newb-like' gains (regaining lost muscle) when coming back after a long lay off even with starting again with relatively light weights and low intensity... is the progression bit from session to session that does the job when first coming back rather than the intensity level imo.

In Practical Programming... Rippetoe explains how even elite trainers (world class athletes by his definitions) can use a novice routine (with progress from workout to workout) with great succes after a prolonged break.

Yeah, I've seen him talking about that on his forum, and getting annoyed with people who assume an advanced athlete has to use an advanced routine (probably out of pride as much as anything).
Whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced athlete, if you gain on a beginners stick at it until you stop gaining, then move onto the next stage.

Rorschach wrote:Yeah, I've seen him talking about that on his forum, and getting annoyed with people who assume an advanced athlete has to use an advanced routine (probably out of pride as much as anything).
Whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced athlete, if you gain on a beginners stick at it until you stop gaining, then move onto the next stage.

Minor nit: When you stop gaining deload and go back to it. Repeat that a couple of times till progress completely dies. :p

Rilla wrote:

Dtlv74 wrote:Hey Upright... is good to have you back

i think when returning to training the important thing is just to be progressive with each session - no matter what the routine or split. Have had great 'newb-like' gains (regaining lost muscle) when coming back after a long lay off even with starting again with relatively light weights and low intensity... is the progression bit from session to session that does the job when first coming back rather than the intensity level imo.

In Practical Programming... Rippetoe explains how even elite trainers (world class athletes by his definitions) can use a novice routine (with progress from workout to workout) with great succes after a prolonged break.

You mean strategic deconditioning?

Bison wrote:

Rilla wrote:

Dtlv74 wrote:Hey Upright... is good to have you back

i think when returning to training the important thing is just to be progressive with each session - no matter what the routine or split. Have had great 'newb-like' gains (regaining lost muscle) when coming back after a long lay off even with starting again with relatively light weights and low intensity... is the progression bit from session to session that does the job when first coming back rather than the intensity level imo.

In Practical Programming... Rippetoe explains how even elite trainers (world class athletes by his definitions) can use a novice routine (with progress from workout to workout) with great succes after a prolonged break.

You mean strategic deconditioning?

Nope, I mean a break caused by injury, real life stuff or whatever.
Strategic deconditioning sounds like it's = deload, though I might be mistaken?

Rilla wrote:Nope, I mean a break caused by injury, real life stuff or whatever.
Strategic deconditioning sounds like it's = deload, though I might be mistaken?

SD is just a total break, you do absolutely nothing for 10-14 days... pretty much like being injured really I suppose. It's effective, you go from being your strongest and smashing out PB's left right and centre in the 3-5 rep zone... then 2 weeks of SD later and you're back in the gym shaking like a leaf after banging out a couple of 60kg 15 rep squats! Truly humbling the first time you do it!

Hell, I do that every workout...

Bison wrote:

Rilla wrote:Nope, I mean a break caused by injury, real life stuff or whatever.
Strategic deconditioning sounds like it's = deload, though I might be mistaken?

SD is just a total break, you do absolutely nothing for 10-14 days... pretty much like being injured really I suppose. It's effective, you go from being your strongest and smashing out PB's left right and centre in the 3-5 rep zone... then 2 weeks of SD later and you're back in the gym shaking like a leaf after banging out a couple of 60kg 15 rep squats! Truly humbling the first time you do it!

Yes, lol and it can be psychologically difficult for us gymheads to do... can be hard not to train for a fortnight!

My own training has been crap as far as consistency goes for the last twelve months at least if i'm honest. Lots of heavy real world stuff so i couldn't have done anything different but at times i actually feel like i'm a bit of fraud on here... preaching consistency but not doing it myself.

One thing i have learned though is just how to train effectively (for my body anyway) after a lay off! The best gains i've made coming back have been when i've actually started with weights that feel pathetically easy - and just one set of them to start with. Next session though the reps go up, then the load, then the reps/sets etc etc. I normally could get back to somewhat close to my original strength in a month or so, but i like to actually extend it to a six week block of training... spreading it out but ensuring a smooth progression seems to be the key for me.

After back to full strength, i take a week where i might only do one moderate intensity workout (a bit of a deload) and then launch into whatever split i want to do at the time with all guns blazing. From then on i take a similar week out every six-eight weeks and always do a different split/change exercises/work with different %1RepMax etc when coming back again.

The really interesting thing to me is how my growth occurs in spirts, and often the (lean) weight seems to pile on during the deload weeks and the first week of coming back. Sometimes i think sensible breaks can actually be more 'hypertrophic' than just training straight through!

Gonna go with Rab's idea after I finish playing with these machines. At the moment though, I think I'm gonna do a couple of weeks of high intensity stuff with a 50/50 split each session with cardio and resistance. Had a quick blast round the other day and really liked it and was intending to work at my fitness for a while also.

Yesterday morning I did:

15 Minutes+cool down Xtrainer on Fat burning setting avg. BPM = 135, didn't waver to far from this

T=0
Shoulder Press machine SS/w Lat Pull Down
WU +12,12,12,12

Dip Machine SS/w Low Row
WU +12,12,12,12

Seated Chest Press SS/w VBar Tricep Pushdowns
WU + 12,12,12,12

Leg Ext. SS/w Leg Curl
WU +12,12,12,12

Leg Press
WU +12,12,12,10
T=50

20 minutes + cooldown Xtrainer Cardio setting avg BPM 159

Mad training after work. Felt really good after that. Rest times were basically catch my breath and go again.

Will be ramping up the cardio for a couple of weeks and then moving over to Rab's suggestion for strength training and keeping cardio to off days but still pushing and using some of the other bits - bike etc.

Forgot to mention that I have aspirations of running a marathon - mum reckons it's a midlife crisis and Manky 2(the wench) laughs cos I'm stilll on the patches and cheating here and there... Fuck em - bitches LOL