Routine first, strength second. Critique my game plan, or provide reassurance! My origin story, and an introduction to your newest member

[ryspi76]

Warning: Long. TL;DR Provided

Howdy!
It’s been 10 years since I’ve stepped foot in a gym. Back then I lost weight, got fit, got the girl, then quit.

Fortunately I still have the girl, and better yet we’ve added a daughter into the mix! Through that time I’ve fluctuated between 85 and 113kgs. I’ve lost weight and gained it thrice with Keto, once with CICO and once with the gym. Currently 30 years old, 110kgs (242lbs) 6’2”.

My mum has always been overweight, and has never provided me with a healthy example of eating or fitness. I want to be sure that I am a shining example to my two year old, and any further children that may follow.

My wife works construction, and leaves by 5:30 each morning. I’m in sales so I typically wouldn’t leave until 8:00. This has lead to me sleeping in, and staying up late playing computer games after the wife goes to bed. This routine has been my life, and it snowballs an unhealthy personal relationship with my wife, my weight, and my anxiety.

Following a trip away, when I returned I decided to stay on their time zone to match my wife’s bed time and wake up. In the 2 hours each morning that I’ve gained I’m going to the gym to ensure that I’m well and truly tired by 9:00pm.

Already my wife and I have been more intimate, happier and more connected. Already I’ve come home from work with the energy and drive to help out with housework and to cook dinner. It’s been 2 days.

Here’s the rub. I’m an all in all out type of person. I can’t -just- do the 3-4 day style. After listening to a podcast on Joe Rogan (here -

)
I’m really interested in this style of working out. Going 70% 6 days a week. Never waking up sore, never dreading the gym. Always wanting to go, never punishing myself to the point of pain. I find so many conflicting reports - “The pain tells you it’s working!”

I’ve booked a session with a PT who is also a good friend. Currently my gym visit consists of the following.

25min brisk walk (5.5kmph) at a 7% incline, trying to keep my heart rate at approx 155-160bpm.
And 2-3 machines - reps at 3x8, at a moderate weight for my capability. So far have done shoulder press, chest press, biceps, triceps, and lat-pulldowns.
I don’t want to wake up sore, but I also don’t want to feel like I’m not utilising my mornings. Am I going too light on, provided I do similar things 6 days a week?
Any less than 6, and I feel like it’ll interrupt the routine I’m trying to set, and the routine is the core to my new lifestyle, as opposed to “something I do for a while and quit.” That being said, I want to be strong, and I want to have a frame I can be proud of 12 months from now.

TL;DR. Is it aOK to cruise and enjoy the gym? Do I need to feel pain, or should I settle in for a few months? Is accepting a C+ for effort going to promote a lazy approach into the future?

 

[emoore80]

@ryspi76 C+ effort for 3 years > A effort for 3 weeks. You're fine.

Bonus points if you plan for some sort of progression. As you get stronger a C+ effort at 50 lbs can lead to a C+ effort at 55 lbs, etc. That's the amazing benefit of years of contiguous training.

I'll add in the standard reddit trope of suggesting you incorporate more compound lifts and body weight exercises (squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, pullups, dips, planks and possibly back extensions). They're good "lazy" exercises since they hit tons of muscles in one exercise AND they tend to improve your functional fitness as well (since the random gym machines usually don't accurately simulate real life).

 

[ginnypan]

@emoore80 This is my exact training philosophy. I have been delivering c+ effort for about 3.5 years now and I actually have faintly visible abs and can squat 230 lbs, starting out where I couldn’t even break parallel and do a body weight squat. I’m so lazy. I half-ass 95% of my workouts. I just half-ass it 2-5x per week. Haha

 

[ryspi76]

@emoore80 Thank you. I entirely extend on getting the know-how from the PT on Monday regarding compound lifts. I’m just cautious of attacking those style of lifts before I’m taught proper form face-to-face.

Compound lifts are actually what I’m most excited for!
Working towards being able to do pull-ups for the first time in my life is the current long-stretch goal.

 

[ryspi76]

@emoore80 Just a quick update. Had a session with a PT today so that they could instruct / check and correct my form on squats, deadlifts, bench press, and overhead presses.

Shocked and appalled at how much damage the squats did to me. I already know they’re going to be the bane of my existence. Wholeheartedly loved everything else though, and I’ve been told my form is solid, so keen to rip in again tomorrow!

 

[emoore80]

@ryspi76 I'm guessing you mean "good" damage on the squats. If so, great!

FWIW I have learned that I must squat (even a relatively light weight, say 40% of 1RM for 3x5 plus quick warmup) at least twice a week or I'll be horribly sore for a few days afterwards (DOMS).

 

[andrewm12]

@ryspi76 That approach is basically exercise, as opposed to training. Nothing wrong with it really if that’s what you want to do. You’ll get more fit and probably gain some strength over time.

If you really want to focus on strength, then a more regular strength program using progressive overload would be better. You’d probably make strength gains faster using the stress>recovery>adaption model of a 3-4 day a week program.

But as they say “the best exercise is the one you want to do” so if you don’t want to do a typical program then don’t.

 

[ryspi76]

@andrewm12 Cheers for that. On this, I’ll simply enjoy exercising for a while. When I feel too comfortable, I’ll consider a training regimen.

 

[hopefulinthebayarea]

@ryspi76 The key is consistency and effort:

1. Dial a diet that you can stick with on the long run have a look at r/leangains etc.
2. Establish a routine where you go in the gym x times a week (if you have a PT he will also guide you)
3. Going to the gym should be fun, not only pain or a chore. Find something to have fun (maybe a martial art class or anything else, kettlebell routine etc.) find your poison

ensure these are in place and in 3 months time you'll see the difference Keep us posted on your progress..

 

[souheilzeit]

@ryspi76 This is an eminently sensible approach. If it works for you, if you feel good and are achieving your own goals then you’re doing it right. What you have sounds awesome to me. Let your own feelings, physical and personal, guide you, that’s all.

 

[ryspi76]

@souheilzeit Thanks for that. I need to do better at letting people on the internet do their thing without having it interrupt my course. I’m such a “thinker” and if someone knows more than me I immediately investigate. one size does not fit all.... one size does not fit all...

 

[mark2022]

@ryspi76 Absolutely it is okay!!

Two very simple adjustments you can make to keep it the same but get a bit more bang for your buck:

Progression: Instead of 3x8 do 3x8-12. Meaning aim for 12 each set (but stop if you approach acute pain/technical failure). When you reach 12 for the full three sets increase the weight and/or decrease the tests between sets the next time you use that machine.

Movement variation: Push, Pull, Hinge, Squat, Carry, Everything Else are the categories of movement according to Dan John (who btw has a great program called Easy Strength). Vary your days’ movement concentration (by focusing one day on Push, another on Pull, etc.) and/or do everything or most everything in one day but vary within the movements (bench press machine one day, shoulder press machine another, etc.). Also if you want to go 6 days, you could concentrate on one movement category per day (plus some cardio&mobility/yoga).

Very easy adjustments that retain the ease of your plan but will help you progress, practice breadth, and avoid injury!

 

[ravnen]

@ryspi76 Consistency is key, not the amount of pain you feel. You can make good progress by sticking to a plan that challenges your body over a long period using small increments in volume, frequency and intensity. You do not have to lift maximal weights.

So you should keep to a regular gym routine, find exercises that challenge and interest you, aim to improve them over a sensible time period. Repeat

 

[jd1992]

@ryspi76 If the stuff the guy in the video says is appealing to you, consider high frequency training models if you like to go to the gym frequently. Dan John and Pavel Tsatsouline write about this in "Easy Strength" ("Power to the people" is also a good read). Articles and books available a quick google search away. These are both 5 day a week lifting plans at ~70%. Another high frequency guy is Chad Waterbury, he has a number of plans that are 5-7 days a week. Anthony Mychal has experimented with combining the two, you can search for "How and Why I combined Easy Strength and PLP" for an example.

Another option is to build in the habit by going to the gym everyday to do something but not necessarily the same thing. Here's an easy split that you could use, for instance.

M: Press

T: Cardio

W: Pull

R: Cardio

F: Legs

S: Cardio

U: Yoga & Foam Rolling

(Obviously adjust as needed, this is just a quick example.) This allows you to start building the habit of working out. I think C+ effort performed over a long period of time is better than A+ and wake up too sore to train. Tomorrow is your most important training day, so never do so much today that you hate going into the gym tomorrow.

 

[ryspi76]

@jd1992 This is perfect!! I’ll study up on my commute home. Thank you.

 

[jd1992]

@ryspi76 Let me know if you have questions, I have been running these high frequency cycles since around 2000 or 2001 for at least part of my training year.

 

[jamalh]

@ryspi76 It's a slow process no matter what. Just go and do. If you are not getting the results you want, push it harder and / or smarter with your programing. I'm in the 40+ age group. Workout 4 times a week with weights and typically do some sort of conditioning on off days. I train for strongman and push very hard. Outside of the days after a competition I hardly ever wake up sore because my body has adapted to the intensity I use. With a little time and patience you can find the same groove. Start out slow and light, and build gradually.

 

[chibimaddy]

@ryspi76 Get the routine down. Get it rock solid. This is normally 6 weeks to make it a habit. Two months to be a real habit.

You want to make change slowly. You're over 30 now. You don't heal as fast. In particular us old farts have less stretch in our tendons and ligaments. Blood supply to these tissues is very limited, so they don't respond to stress very fast.

Muscles increase in strength MUCH faster than connective tissue does. I've seen this over and over: I start running. I do well for 2 months. I increase at 10% per week. And my knees start to hurt. I'm back to square one.

Now if my knee even twinges, I stop my run, and walk in. Take the next day off. Spend that time doing knee exercises, range of motion exercises, gentle stretching. This seems to be working.

IMHO: The machines will help you build muscle mass, but cardio is what will make you healthier.

Don't go for power or if you do, go slowly. Might be a good idea to put more different exercises in your routine, and alternate muscle groups on alternate days. This gives you more healing time.

I'm a fan of the Mov Nat idea. The notion is that your exercise period is a crazy mix of climbing, crawling, lifting, throwing,pushing, carrying, running, swimming. Not sure where in the city you could do this. Lends itself to an acreage.

 

[davidcapp]

@ryspi76 I never understood this mentality of hitting the gym as close to your absolute limit as possible. Everyone reaches a point where progess slows dramatically--who cares if it takes a few more months to get there?

 

[christphen]

@ryspi76 This is kinda my philosophy. 5-days a week I’m in the gym for 45-60min (I go over lunch). Weekend are for recovery. And if I miss days because of life so call it a recovery day. Just no more then 2 misses a week, and never the same day(s) two weeks in a row!
do
I hit different muscle groups each day running a bastardized version of nSun (if you can even still call what I do nSun). The biggest difference is I don’t do progressive overload, meaning I only add weight if I’m over ~5 reps, and if I’m under I drop weight. And that’s only at 85% effort in 1 rep per lift. The rest of the reps for the lift are at ~75% effort (it depends on the lift). The key here is number of reps with good-perfect form, say I can 8 reps before I need a spot, but those last 3 were probably ugly. So I call it good and record the remaining reps I thought I could do as reps in reverse (RIR).

Running this for the last 11 months I’ve hit PRs in all my lifts. Never been stronger in my life. And people often remark on my physic.

Most importantly (knock on wood) I’ve had no more injuries. Other programs I was running (including pure nSun) I would get burnt out and then injured after 2-3 months. And the injuries were getting worse, scarier and taking longer to recover from. I’m not 26 anymore. I want to be mobile and active until my last days (I’m among for high 90’s). My inner mantra at the gym (really though, I tell myself this every day almost) is: I’m here to be strong not look strong. Then I put the 10-plates on instead of the 25 or 45s.