2021 stats - 54 years old, 6 feet tall and 175 pounds natural - no TRT needed yet!
Nov 2020 to June 2021 -Gyms were closed here so worked out at home with EliteFTS bands
June 2021 to Sept 2021 - Bought adjustable dumbbells and a bench - did Upper/Lower or Full body at home until gyms opened then did Chest, Shoulders, Tris at home and Legs, Back, and Bis at the gym - total 3 or 4 days a week split
Sept 2021 to May 2022 -Fortitude Training - 3 day Family Man plan in Sept 2021
May 2022 - now - Lyle Macdonald’s Generic Bulking Program
Since gyms are closed - started the year off a bands only leg work out.
I’m following the James Grage TA2 Undersun Resistance Band workouts - which is bro split with 4-6 exercises per muscle group. The goal is do hard sets as much as possible to hit the ground running when gyms open up.
I will also work the John Meadows - Work out with me Upper Lower days when time crunched.
Sunday: Off
Monday: Back
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Arms
Friday: Shoulders
Saturday: Legs
Sets/Reps
All exercises use the follow rep and set structure.
Legs day is always blah … arthritis and bad ankles and knees mean it is harder to find exercises that can be done and can be progressed - especially with only bands at home.
Did banded Romanian deadlifts, banded split squats and banded sissy squats and finished with single leg stair calf raises … fun stuff.
Finished up a month of the bros. split band training and took a forced deload for a week long full time course again.
Since gyms may be opening soon, I am switching over to the 4 day split i will be running when they eventually open.
Day 1 Chest - Back - Bis - can be straight sets or antagonist super sets
Resistance Band Pushups
Resistance Band Bent Over Row - Supinated grip to hips
Resistance Band Most Muscular
Resistance Band Bent Over Row - Pronated grip to shoulders
Resistance Band Curls
Day 2 - Shoulders, Legs, Tris - (will swap in Romanian Deadlifts and split squats for leg curls and extensions)
Resistance Band Single Arm Shoulder Press
Resistance Band Leg Curl
Resistance Band Single Arm Lateral Raise
Resistance Band Leg Extensions
Resistance Band Skull Crusher
Resistance Band Pull Apart - to forehead
All exercises use the follow rep and set structure.
20 reps (low-medium intensity. feel burn 15 reps in and push for 5 more)
10 Reps (high intensity)
10 Reps (high intensity)
15 Reps (Same band as first set - more than 15 reps means workout may not hard enough so more resistance next time)
Well gyms are closed again for at least a month … got in 2 gym workouts and really felt the difference in the band exercise compared to having a weights I.e. more tension in the bottom than the top. When gyms open up again I may keep the bandworkouts in to stress the muscle in both the bottom and top
Positions.
Going into full body sessions to add in biking now that the snow is gone.
Today I did - all with bands :
4 sets of banded overhead squats
4 sets of front raises with chess focus
4 sets straight arm pull downs for lats
4 sets of single arm overhead press
Super set of 4 sets of overhead tricep extensions wit
4 sets of bicep curls
Started the Fortitude Training 3 Day Family Man plan this week. I did volume tier 1 and will keep it at this level for a few weeks to settle in. I am also skipping abs and adductors for now - never trained them so will see about adding them in later. The only other change is rotating 1 or 2 exercises for loading sets as i do better hammering an exercise and beating the log book with it as opposed to the suggested method of having a different loading exercises for 3 weeks and rotating that way.
Saturday - Lower Load - Upper Pump -
Lying Leg Curl - 110 lbs 10
Leg Extension - 130 lbs 12
Seated Leg Press - 190 * 16 - need to go heavier
Standing calf - 190 lbs * 11
Did a Mountain Dog lower style today to get the variety the program calls for - this leg press is heavier on the bottom and the other one is heavier on the top - working sets only.
Seated Leg Curl - 135 * 12 - PR
Leg Press - 420 * 14 - PR
Single leg extension - 75 * 12 - PR
Standing Calf raise - 190 * 12, 11
Tues - Oct 5 - Upper Load - Lower pump - B exercises
Lat Puldown - 60 * 15
Dual Pulley Row - 70 * 10
Dumbbell Press Flys ala Jeff Alberts - 30 * 16
Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 40 * 9
Hammer Strength V-Squat - 90* 16 - not doing these again - lots of knee pain due to the angles
Lying Leg Curl - 95 * 16 + 4 partials
Leg Extension - 115*20
Calf Raise 150 * 20