Over-40 Guy just starting...

Bigger Stronger Leaner Over 35 Lifter
1

Hello!

I have been an endurance guy most of my life. I engaged in sports like bike racing, triathlons, marathons, and duathlons (run, bike, run).

And I have the body to show for it! I’m about 6’5", and at the time I was a hulklking 185lbs. While I was “fit” I had very slight musculature.

To make matters worse, a few years ago I got a weird job, with random hours and I quit doing even that stuff, so I got fat. (up to 219!, all fat) But I didn’t -look- that fat, because I was so skinny (and tall).

Well, a couple of months ago, I got a different job, and it affords me a regular (albeit strange) schedule, so I have decided that I am going to try to add some mass to my frame.

I read a lot and came up with a program that I have been doing for about 8 weeks now. I have seen “some” progress, but not as much as I’d have liked.

workout 1
Bench Press
Incline Press
DB Flys
Push-ups/ Dips
Reverse Dip
Tri- Extension
Skull Crusher
Weighted Crunch
Knee Raises

workout 2
Deadlift
T-bar Row
Lat Pull-down
Pull-ups
Preacher Curl
Hammer Curl
Barbell Curl

workout 3
Military Press
Lateral Raise
Upright Row
Bent Lateral Raise
DB Shrug

workout 4
Squat
Lunges
Leg Extension
Stiff-Leg Deadlift
Leg Curl
Standing Calf Raise
Seated Calf Raise

I work 12 hour shifts, 4 days on, 4 days off. I doing was doing the weights on two consecutive days, then two days off (rest or easy low-heart rate cardio). But, waking up early enough two days in a row (during my work days) seemed to cut into my recovery sleep, so I changed it a bit.

I now do it as a day-on/ day-off (or cardio) schedule to help me get more sleep during my work week.

So my schedule looks like this:

Day 1- workout 1
Day 2- rest or cardo
Day 3- workout 2
Day 4- rest or cardio
Day 5- workout 3
Day 6- rest or cardio
Day 7- workout 4
Day 8- rest or cardio

I had been pyramiding the weight/rep scheme, but a friend of mine suggested I do all the exercises on a 5 rep/5 set, with same weight across all the sets. Keeping in mind that I live pretty far away from a gym, everything is done with my home equipment.

Ideas and comments much appreciated.

2

I was also over 40 when my gym-life began (powerlifting) , but with no prior athletic endeavors …and weak as shit . I can tell you this…if I did that many movements every session all kinds of bad would happen . but that could just be me .

good luck to you guy

train hard

3

[quote]RWillie wrote:

I had been pyramiding the weight/rep scheme, but a friend of mine suggested I do all the exercises on a 5 rep/5 set, with same weight across all the sets. Keeping in mind that I live pretty far away from a gym, everything is done with my home equipment.

Ideas and comments much appreciated.
[/quote]

Hey RWillie! Congrats on deciding to pound the iron versus the road :wink:

I think your friend is doing you a disservice telling you to do straight 5x5 sets. Pyramiding up is the way to go with your last set or two being very hard to get to the number in your rep scheme (10 reps, for instance) if at all on your last set. When you do, move up.

It’s a classic, proven way to build stregnth and muscle (so long as you’re eating right for it). There are some other good ‘programs’ out there, but given your body split, looks like you’re doing more of a BB split versus a powerlifting regimen or other.

Go look up “The Bodybuilding Bible” thread in the BB forum. There’s actually some good tips in there mixed in with the dickery (like most of the BB forum)…

There are some big, strong dudes in here in the Over35 forum who have lots of great advice for old farts that train!

Just my 2-cents (that really isn’t worth the two cents it was 20 years ago, but that’s a different thread…)

Good luck!

4

welcome to the oldmonkey house!

Now, do 5/3/1 or we’ll kill you.

5

[quote]mjnewland wrote:
welcome to the oldmonkey house!

Now, do 5/3/1 or we’ll kill you.[/quote]

OK, I will.

What’s 5/3/1?

(Doing a search now…)

6

[quote]mjnewland wrote:
welcome to the oldmonkey house!

Now, do 5/3/1 or we’ll kill you.[/quote]

No, seriously.

MJ is Wendler’s “black hand”.

7

[quote]mjnewland wrote:
welcome to the oldmonkey house!

Now, do 5/3/1 or we’ll kill you.[/quote]

I found an article by Christian Thibaudeau that seems to refute this. It said, if I am reading it right, that the 5/3/1 program was more of a powerlifting/strength program.

I want to add mass, so I don’t think that 5/3/1 is what I need to be doing to reach that goal.

8

Welcome Cuz! You have an intresting program. It will be fun to follow. And dont worry about MJ he is the Rev Moon of the 5-3-1 cultist.

9

[quote]j_willy3 wrote:
Welcome Cuz! You have an intresting program. It will be fun to follow. And dont worry about MJ he is the Rev Moon of the 5-3-1 cultist. [/quote]

Classic!! “J” Willy greets “R” Willy! It’s Silly Willy Nilly Vanilli. If we had pasta, it would be fusilli!

10

[quote]RWillie wrote:

[quote]mjnewland wrote:
welcome to the oldmonkey house!

Now, do 5/3/1 or we’ll kill you.[/quote]

I found an article by Christian Thibaudeau that seems to refute this. It said, if I am reading it right, that the 5/3/1 program was more of a powerlifting/strength program.

I want to add mass, so I don’t think that 5/3/1 is what I need to be doing to reach that goal.
[/quote]

Oh But it will. If you do the boring but big assistance routine and eat for it, you will get bigger. particularly if you keep pushing the assistance exercise weight. 50 reps of anything over half max is going to put size on you.