How do you split up your workouts at the gym?

[gymfitlove]

I go 4-5 days a week and loving the progress with the weights! I usually spend about 10 mins at cardio and the rest of the time on weights. I'm wondering if I should be more specific for muscle groups to make it more effective. What do you do on your days? For me, this is what I'm currently doing:

Day 1: Lower Body.

Day 2: Upper Body.

Day 3: Abs, more cardio than regular days more for endurance, flexibility, lighter weights.

Day 4: Upper Body.

Day 5: Lower Body.

Updates

+1 y

Edit: Days 6 & 7 are rest days, which is why I put lower body on day 5 because I usually can't feel my legs for a couple days after. 😅

[D_Bone_Steak]

Push-legs-pull for me. Abs is part of pull and legs day. I don't take breaks or days off. I bought micro weights because I do believe in progressive overload, but I don't want to jump 10 pounds on a lift and then just fail to do the reps. I progress exactly.5 lbs at a time. I'm back to the point that soreness just doesn't happen anymore.

Me

Keep in mind I'm 40 years old and this is me. I don't think it's a bad program. It's doable and I don't take junk to get all big or anything. There are plenty of people out there that has basically gone to shit at half my age... I think my slow and steady idea is working out just fine and who knows... maybe I'll be some sort of sex beast when I'm 60 or something. I only recently added bullshit like arms, abs, and specific stuff (isolation work)... so maybe I'll have huge as arms a year from now. Pretty cool.

I'll go into detail on it if anyone is interested.

[Boomchakalaca]

Sex beast.

[gymfitlove]

I'm definitely into the natural progression. I only do protein drinks at the most after the gym. I've never done micro weights as a progression. I don't think I have that option at the gym. Details would be good! I'm trying to learn from others and see what they do. Thanks for sharing your progress!

[D_Bone_Steak]

I used this site to get the weights, and it was close to $100 because I had to get 2 sets so I could apply the idea to dumbbells as well.
https://www.microgainz.com/shop
I'm extremely rigid on tracking progress, so I keep sets and reps exactly the same, even rest times.

I do a mix of protein/whole oats shake post-workout if I don't have a meal option. Cod liver oil and a multivitamin. I always chose food though if I have the option at hand. All non-flavored... but it doesn't really taste like shit.

[D_Bone_Steak]

3 sets of 12-10-8 reps, 60-second rest between sets, and 3-minutes between exercises. Currently, just 7 exercises are prescribed for each respective day of push-legs-pull, and the idea is to keep it under 90-minutes of work. When I finish the required work I let myself eff around and find out whatever I want to do after that and don't really track anything. If I failed at something which has only happened once... I will go back to that exercise and drop-set it by 10% until failure with the sets going all the way to absolutely no weight at all, which is basically my way of telling the body to just do better on that lift.

Prefer compound lifts... picture is a result of compound lifts only... no arms, no isolation work, and no abs. The other stuff came like a package deal by doing compound lifts alone. The logic is the chest press also works the triceps and rows also hits the biceps, so why bother?

When I used to run, I noticed daily running removed the idea of being sore as hell the next day... DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) becomes a thing of the past once the body adapts. I no longer fear leg day (or skip leg day because of that fear).

Keeping it fun and not making it a chore is the goal. More about setting a pattern... generally 90 days will make a pattern that is very hard to break. The whole idea of just 3 days a week is why I think so many people fall off the wagon. I mean it's more like working to create a habit of taking days off. I imagine our ancestors didn't take a break from getting water in buckets or hunting/gathering.

[gymfitlove]

Thank you SO MUCH for all of the detail! Wow! 12-10-8. I want to do that. I've been doing 8-8-8 primarily, but I want to change it up. Nice work on the compound work! I'm learning so much from you. Thank you! Your program looks great and I'm so glad it's paying off for you! The commitment to a program is so good. I'm happiest with my 5 day weeks, but 4 at the least. I told the staff trainer that I would eventually like to progress to using the squat rack and doing deadlifts when I get to that point and I need her help with form. I want to keep getting stronger while working on toning. Trying my best to keep with it and watching my protein intake. I do like the post workout protein shake as well as whole oats and multivitamins like you. I have done a lot more with veggies and fruits, more toward honey than other sugars... trying to maintain what I eat as well. I love seeing progress and I'm definitely seen a lot of change over the past 7 months going 4-5 days a week instead of only 2-3, every other day as I used to do. Working on it and being addicted to the gym now. 😄

[D_Bone_Steak]

I used "Jeff Nippard technique Tuesday" to get my form down. You'll be able to find the video series on youtube. Helped me a lot with my squats. I've always had issues with back squats, but his video on that set me straight.

I should think about my diet more, I ate 1 handful of broccoli, 1 handful of snap peas, and 1 handful of green beans all raw, with two baked chicken thighs just now for breakfast... so I think I'm doing alright. I looked up the protein in two boneless skinless chicken thighs and it's 56g... my whey/oats shake is only 37g. I have my vice though... alcohol. I switched from beer to dark red wine, but I'll work on cutting back on that.

Just keep it up. It's a lifestyle first... the results just come with it.

[gymfitlove]

That's a pretty clean breakfast! I usually do something with eggs, fruit, light yogurt, granola or hemp seeds for extra protein. I save the chicken and red meats for lunch or dinner.

Wine... I love it. I've cut back from before, but definitely love that on a weekly basis. Usually once a week now.

Thanks for the encouragement! Hope you keep getting the gains you're looking for too! I agree with the lifestyle, which is why I really like chatting about it. I only chat with a handful of people while at the gym because I assume everyone is there to focus so I just leave people alone. It's always good to find people to chat with about health and fitness and brings that community goal and mindset to the conversation.

[Haha456]

you look really young for 40

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Haha456 Yeah I still get carded every time I try to get beer in some place where they don't know me. My wife that's younger for most of the year (we're basically the same age) gets a lot of shit sometimes. She does look much older than me. It's in the genetics... My Mom at my age pulled a 23-year-old guy which was ridiculous (divorced of course at this point). Born in 1982 though... I swear I'm 40. 2 of my kids are adults. 😂

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

you look young due to genes, not exercise.

Both your kids are adults? you're kidding me. You might as well look like a brother to your kids.

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Haha456 I guess lifestyle plays a part. Naw my kids still look like they're in High School... especially nowadays. I'd go to pick him up from school and some of those dudes had full facial hair like me. The girls looked legal age as well. Not all of them, but damn something is in the water making all these young ass old people 😂 Dudes with receding hairlines and stuff (glad that's not in my genetics... I like my hair.)

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Haha456 Hey you might be onto something! I got curious about working out and if it makes you look younger. Check this guy out in his 40's.
https://youtu.be/NVLgQj8tVXE

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

Not everyone who workout look younger. I know plenty of people who work out that look old as he ll. Its all in your genes

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Haha456 Yeah you're probably right... and Arnold's teeth do look exactly like mine... I think the same hair too. He's way more jacked than me though.

I'd pay attention to people that go heavy on steroids... notice they usually don't have hair and it makes their face super wide looking. They die at like 40 too or have heart problems. I think it does something to them. I know Arnold did some, but he said he'd only do them right before a competition. I believe him because he has hair, has a normal-looking body and face... No giant gut from HGH use either.

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

Consider yourself lucky that you get the chance to work out. As a full time student and also working part time job. I really want to workout but never get the chance to. I'm getting bigger every day due to all the stress and lack of sleep. I can't remember the last time I had enough time to cook myself a nice meal from scratch.

There are tons of 40 yr old parents who work 8-9 hrs a day then run home to care for young children (under the age of 10). Never have enough time to work out or do any self care.

I think you're already very lucky. You don't realize what you have until you lose it.

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Haha456 This is true. I'm a stay-at-home Dad. The whole reason I invested in a home gym was because I was stuck at home changing diapers. At first, I was getting fat like the other dependasaurs (that's slang for the big fat military dependents), but I was like, "fuck... I'm not going to sit on my ass here all day just to watch these kids do kid shit." Which is basically what the dependasaurs do... they sit there watching TV and get fat. I couldn't leave them and go to a gym (especially when I was in Japan), so I did the home gym. But I have all-day, and whenever I would like to do it. Makes me wonder about those dependasaurs though... they could do it too. Half of them don't even clean their house.

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

How many people can afford to be dependasaurs?

Retired at 40. you're blessed

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Haha456 Yeah military is 20 years and then you retire. Collect your money every month after that. Also go to the VA and claim you have everything wrong with you and blame it on the military... that's around 3k extra and it's tax-free. My wife was about to retire because she hit her 20th year, but she signed on for 3 more years. If she makes rank, that's more retirement pay.

[gymfitlove]

@d_bone_steak wow!! Thank you to you and your wife for serving in the military! Good on you for keeping with staying healthy after retiring as well!

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak
I actually didn't know that. Its a better deal to join the military for 20 years than to work your ass off for the rest of your life. I know I will make amazing money one day but at the same time we also bust our asses our entire life to make that kinda money.

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Haha456 Yeah... I mean military life sucks... but if you can deal with bullshit and not get in trouble... it's a good life choice. You'd be surprised how many just pass it up just because they don't get to smoke weed. There are some sacrifices of freedom that I think a lot of people wouldn't give up. Personally have gone through plenty of work days having to work 72 hours straight with no sleep, getting punished for no reason (blanket policies), and basically like a prisoner that has to work their ass off for years out of the day. Your SSN is basically your prison number and your cell is a bunk half the size of an actual prison cell bed with the same mattress... the hours, omg. There were good time too, but... yeah... it's a shit show the entire time. I literally just got a phone call at almost midnight here. I have a 44 hour drive to do this October... keep in mind I'm the lazy dependent that lives the stay-at-home wife life right now. Gotta take the good with the bad. The bad is just a heavy dose until you get to a certain point and then it gets easy. Unless you do something like wake up late for work because you haven't slept for 3 days and nights. I think it was the only time I was lucky to be an insomniac... but I'm pretty sure the military is the reason I'm an insomniac. I lifted weights hard every day for a while now, but here I am... took a double dose of sleeping pills and drinking wine to fall asleep before 2am and I'll probably wake up naturally around 5 am... weekend times. That's the after effect when you're out... stuff like that.

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

Take a look at my life. I gave up my social life, parties, friends in high school to study to get into a great college. When I got to college, I worked a part time job while going to school full time. Keeping good grades was a struggle since I had to spend many hours working a job. There were many nights where I would get 3 hours of sleep yet still be expected to accurately memorize hundreds of pages of a textbook and still get As on all the exams (in order to secure the major that I wanted). There were years where I studied while I pooped on the toilet or while I ate lunch or while I walked to school. The exams were merciless. I've given up numerous Christmas/ Thanksgiving celebrations with my family to cram for exams, never went out with friends because I simply never had the time to. As a student, there really is no such thing as "time off". Being a student is not a job, its a lifestyle. You could be doing assignments or finishing up work in the day time or be working until 3 am in the morning without sleep. As a result of this constant never-ending studying, I developed chronic fatigue and severe burn out. It lasted many years after I graduated from college. Basically I would wake up every morning and still get tired within 3 hours for no reason. This lasted for years after I graduated. It got better over time but it never really entirely went away.

After I graduated, I secured myself a career. Worked 10 hours a day in accounting, quickly realizing that the career choice was a mistake. Basically I ate breakfast , lunch and dinner at the desk, doing work that I absolutely hated. I had no life. On weekends, I would get so exhausted from the job that I didn't have the energy to do anything else other than to lay in bed. So I decided to go for a career change. The only way to do this was to pull out a loan and go to school AGAIN.

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

Now that I am 27, I am in graduate school for nursing. Experiencing the same thing I've experienced many years ago when I was in my late teens to early 20s: Burn out, chronic fatigue, always exhausted, stressed, no time for a social life. No time to date, no sleep. Every day is a 20 hour day, still absolutely broke.

Only difference between then and now is that now I would get severe aches and pains. Back then when I was 21, I can get 3 hours of sleep and still be able to memorize hundreds of pages of information. Now that I'm 27, I can't even pull an all nighter anymore. I would get severe bone pain where I could barely walk to school. Often times, I would find myself just limp to school.

My life hadn't been easier either. I'm almost 30 years old never had the chance to enjoy money, enjoy friends, never had much time to look for dates or build a social life. But I look forward to the days where I can make a very good salary working just 8 hours a day , 40 hours a week. So far life has just felt like a constant battle. But the best has yet to come.

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

I'm in a mid life crisis right now. I'm almost 30 years old, half my life is over and I've only spent my entire life in school , never had any fun. I've got 30 more years to enjoy before I turn into a senior citizen- where I would be too weak or old to travel or climb mountains or ride motorcycles anymore.

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Haha456 I feel ya... outside of the feeling the age in the body stuff of course. As soon as my food digests I'm going to hit some weights with some help from this Gorilla Mode pre-workout. The kid and I just woke up like a hour ago and I still feel drunk.

Getting an Accounting degree was the biggest waste of time I ever did. But at least I can say I did it, and at least the Navy paid for it all... no debt. It never helped me in any way though. It just made my day-to-day life more stressful while I was trying to learn the math that my brain just isn't made for. If I do it again because I'm entitled to even more school (they give you rent money as long as you're in school and of course pay for the books and the classes [they is the GI bill stuff]), I'm going to do a trade like welding or something. I'm done with anything related too closely to customer service instead of just doing a task... if I ever decide to work again at all. It would be cool to make my own workout equipment though. Well, I gotta go slam water and get less drunk to hit these weights.

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

The most precious commodity in life is not money, its time. Once time is gone, you can't ever get it back. Spend it wisely

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

by the way, accounting is going to get automated in 10 years or less. Sepcifically the lower to mid level accounting tasks are the most susceptible to AI. That was another reason why I left.

However, nursing will never be automated. The work requires too much mental flexibility and human judgement for it to be affected by automation.

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Haha456 Yeah... My job in the military went from me having to type out entire official letters/contracts/orders from scratch to basically me putting in basic information in the Microsoft Access thing we made and it would do the rest. I only did the college stuff for the accounting degree, but I could see how easily a human having to do any thinking wasn't really required. When I was doing accounting in the military (not the money stuff, but reports on personnel) I just relied on Excel to do all the calculations for me before I made manning reports to the commanding officer. I felt like I wasn't really needed, but you'd be surprised at how many people can't figure it out. I'm pretty sure AI could do it though, and I would've been scrubbing toilets instead of making reports. Jobs like welding, plumbing, electrician, etc. I don't think AI robots will replace anytime soon.

Also, the most insufferable part of being a paper bitch for me was the people. That fucking phone constantly and having to speak in a customer service way. People coming to me constantly because they can't figure something out on their computer, people in my face constantly with questions... people in general. Then there was having to work with females...

This is just an example: She and I have some data entry work to do, the same amount of work. Oh a refrigerator needs to get moved. She can't because she's too weak. I get back to my desk afterward and start clacking away. Oh, we need these boxes of paper moved. She can't, they're too heavy. So then I go sweat my ass off moving paper. I get back to my desk and start clacking on my keyboard again. The division officer comes to see the progress. "She's almost done, so why are you not even halfway done? Overtime is authorized shipmate"

[D_Bone_Steak]

Don't get me wrong, I like females and working with them, but that workload is only going to get shifted my way when it's dirty or heavy.

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

Being a good accountant has nothing to do with lifting boxes. It has to do with how precise, accurate, alert, ambitious and analytical you are. Some of the best accountants I've ever known are women. Working with a bad accountant on your team can screw you over more than simply having to lift a few boxes.

One of my first jobs in accounting fresh out of college was accounts payable at a construction firm on wall street (trump building). It was basically low-level work that the real accountants did not want to do. I complained to the CFO about the shitty work. I hated it. I didn't spend 5 years in college to enter numbers from invoices into the computer. It was something a 7 yr old could do.

I wanted to learn how to do real accounting work such as analyzing financial statements and reports. He told me that I had to "pay my dues first " or basically do shit work until I can rise up the ladder a few years later before I can go anywhere close to that stuff.

I felt like all my years in college learning how to analyze financial statements / reporting had gone to waste.

And its the accountants who know how to do analysis that will still have their jobs after automation kicks in.

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

I wouldn't say my accounting degree was a complete waste though. It makes you so much more business savvy and gives you a head start in evaluating companies when it comes to investments.

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Haha456 So true. I felt like I was preferred because I actually did some work, before college. After college, my degree was just a dumb requirement some places use and it got me nowhere. It helped me like 0% at least in terms of doing anything directly to do with my degree. College was great for other reasons though... I should've just got a general studies degree... I mean the business law stuff taught me some stuff I never knew. I didn't end up doing anything accounting-related after the military... except for college. My only option was bullshit like a bank teller... which I considered High School work. Fortunately for me though the idea of having to work became a thing of the past for me after that. I feel like overall... college is one big scam. When I came back to the States and tried to go for a higher degree or a different one, they just wanted me to repeat classes I already did. Yeah... sucks... If I go back to school... it will only be for some trade that will be around and pretty much needed no matter what state this country falls into.

Oh and yeah, that's what sucks about the military... you can get sucked out of your actual job to some random thing at a given moment. Everybody except for the cooks have to become firefighters for instance. Random manual labor tasks like any sort of janitor work. We were straight slave labor to be blunt. Then you'll go from something like chipping paint all day to having a gun thrown in your hands to stand a 8 hour watch all night. Any other watch was just 4 hours, but not enough people. Endless bullshit.

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

I wouldn't say college is a scam if you pick the right major, understand how to develop necessary skills for the job market. Because truth is... there are still many jobs out there that still require a college degree. If you want to become a nurse, teacher, doctor, pharmacist, physician assistant, respiratory therapist, CPA, CFA, you need a degree. In the competitive job market, you're also competing for jobs against those who not only have skills but also college degrees.

College provides the background knowledge but not the skills needed to get a job. Its the student's responsibility to go out by themselves to learn those skills via internships- which are mighty difficult to get unless you have great connections or top gpa. There was a point in college where every week I was attending class 12 hours , working 16 hours, and interning 20 hours. For the remainder of the time, I studied. I had absolutely no personal life.

Difference between the military and trying to succeed in the workforce is:
In the military, you get all the guidance you need. In the real world, you are all by yourself struggling to get the guidance you need. In the military, you will do well if you are persistent. In the real world, persistence and hard work does not guarantee success. Either you have what it takes to succeed, or you simply do not. Most about success has to do with talent, IQ, resourcefulness, social skills rather than hard work.

[Haha456]

@d_bone_steak

I consider the folks in the military have it easy. They don't have to worry about cooking breakfast lunch or dinner. They don't have to worry about bills or getting kicked out by a landlord. They get everything provided for them including mentorship, advice, guidance. Not saying the military is easy but its definitely not the hardest thing ever.

After a long day attending school in the morning then working at night, I'm too tired to even eat dinner by the time I get back home. I've gone 4 days without washing my face or showering. No time to shower and when I do have time to shower, I'm too exhausted to do anything. I can't even remember the last time I made a nice meal from scratch. You're not the only one who has to stand all day, I stand 6 hours a day at my clinical internship with just 3 hours sleep, be alert, not make any mistakes.

[Anonymous]

you should switch it around have day 1 as your upper body and have day 2 cardio abs etc day 3 rest day 4 lower body day 5 upper body day 6 rest day 7 cardio abs day 1 lower body day 2 rest day 3 upper body

[Opinion Owner]

the trick is to mix it up to draw muscle confusion OR you could do my method work your upper body for 3 days in a row then rest and take 5 days off before doing upper body again during your resting of 5 days you could walk and do cardio just don't touch any weights. this gives your body time to recover. during those 3 days of upper body do every upper body you can think of with at least 5 sets of each except bicep curls try to do 3 sets of that and spread it out throughout the day don't feel like you have to cram it all at once in a certain time period. do 2 sets in the morning or an hour then go back a few hours later and do 2 more sets then later on at night 2 more sets (do this for each exercise morning afternoon night) spread it out over the day each day for 3 days then rest and cardio

[Opinion Owner]

but don't do cardio for 5 days in a row though take 2 days off to fully recover. you could even do 1 day cardio 2 for lower body just mix it up

[Opinion Owner]

do the weights leave the cardio for later as a cooling down part so you don't put excessive stress on the body

[Opinion Owner]

do the weights first*

[gymfitlove]

Awesome tips!! Just reading what you wrote about doing 3 days of upper body and I was like 😬😵‍💫. But I suppose there's different things I can do for those days as well. 😊 Also appreciate you mentioning cardio later on. I'll look into mixing it up for muscle confusion. Thanks so much for the ideas! Gives me a lot to work with!

[Opinion Owner]

quick tip if you're trying to bulk up then eat carbs if you're trying to tone eat more protein. also stay away from cheese milk soy anything with starch like rice and potatoes (especially potatoes). if you're bulking then you can go with rice but be careful with potatoes. all the foods i mentioned above put body fat on

[Opinion Owner]

stuff like pasta and bread are ok since there's no starch or not much of it. and red meats for iron and protein like ground beef steaks or white meats like chicken and fish poltry or shrimp stuff like that is fine

[gymfitlove]

Definitely going more for toning! I'm altering my food intake for more protein for sure. I appreciate you bringing up foods! Do you do protein shakes? Some people at the gym apparently drink it both before and after a workout, but I only have it after. I limit my carbs to smaller portions, and trying to eat more clean overall, limiting unnecessary sugars as well.

[Opinion Owner]

no what those people at the gym have are what's called preworkout it's a powder mix with high doses of caffeine to jumpstart their heart prior to working out. i wouldn't recommend or advise that. what i do after my workout is i mix isolate protein powder with creatine powder 2 scoops of each in a big jugg glass and i mix it with water not milk since it's easier to digest. you could go with the protein shakes from the bottles but those things get pricey fast

[Opinion Owner]

oh one more thing when you look for protein powder you'll find different versions/variations called whey (which has higher sugar content amount and isolate and other various ones get the one that's isolate it has limited sugar higher protein content amount and easier to digest and easier on the stomach) but word of caution when you're first starting out on it only do one scoop not two same with the creatine... and also quick tip creatine is almost impossible to find in retail stores now you'll have to look online to find it or gnc or walmart or someplace else like amazon. target won't have it they suck and only have that vegan protein crap which is all soy based shit just avoid it like that plague

[Opinion Owner]

also to try not to follow what those steroid freaks at the gym do they're all pumped up on hgh testosterone boosters and cycled roids and god knows what other variations of roids they're doped up and pumped up on some are nice others can be jerkoffs depends on how their cycles are if they're on a cycle or off it and if they're on any estrogen to balance out the testosterone boosters to minimize the roid rage they experience

[Opinion Owner]

try not to do preworkout powder mix the caffeine in it will mess up your heart rhythm and pace of your heart and not worth it just avoid it

[gymfitlove]

Thank you!! Nope, I'm not doing pre-workout stuff and not creatine either. I'm currently just mixing one scoop of whey protein (I buy those big bags from Costco) and mix it with coconut water to give me more electrolytes with the protein shake without additional sugar. I'll look int

[gymfitlove]

Whoops... pressed submit too soon. I'll look into isolate and see the difference. Thanks so much for the info!

[noemiii]

Nope. I do full body every time and only use free weights. It’s easy, less moving around the gym and I just progressive overload if it gets too light, or switch the exercise if it gets too repetitive.
I go 4 times a week for about 2 hours each time. Only do arms, glutes and legs, no cardio, don’t do abs and I don’t use machines.
Whatever works for you I think you should do. I am naturally athletic build so my body carries muscle very easy so I don’t do much because I will bulk up like a She-Hulk. Some people need to do a lot because of different build and different goals in the gym. I don’t really have a specific gym goal so I really just work out to stay fit.

[gymfitlove]

I definitely love the free weights for the same reason you do! When you do full body every time, do you have muscle recovery days or things you do in those muscle sore days?

[noemiii]

I try to do one day on, one day off. I kind of use gym as a therapy system lol so sometimes I come in even if I should be resting. Got a few injuries from doing that so if I do need to come in, I’ll do cardio or stairmaster, which I hate doing so I just take the recovery day lol.

[noemiii]

And I apologize I read your question as “do you split workouts” not “how do you” I didn’t mean to come off as your way is wrong lol. Everyone is different when it comes to their needs at the gym!

[gymfitlove]

Oh I LOVE the gym as a therapeutic system too! So true!! I actually haven't even done spa days at all (which I used to do quite a bit) because I actually feel way better after coming back from the gym, hitting my goals. It totally helps drive my motivation when feeling good after!

[Sirenboobzilla]

Used to be 4 days a week when I played varsity volleyball. Now I go 3x a week for about an hour or 2.

Monday - upper body, cardio, kickboxing
Wednesday - cardio, yoga
Friday- legs, cardio, kickboxing

Don't do anything for muscle mass, more just to stay slim-ish and flexible

[gymfitlove]

That's a great split! Thanks for sharing! I try for strength training primarily to help with toning, but I definitely also like yoga and some barre work as well once in a while. Kickboxing seems so intimidating! I've never tried. Do you like it?

[burlen]

My workout schedule is as follows:

Day 1: 7-9 miles outdoor road running session

Day 2: 25-45 minutes yoga session

Day 3: Full body resistance training gym session

Day 4: 25-45 minutes yoga session

Day 5: 5-7 miles outdoor road running session

Day 6: Full body resistance training gym session

Day 7: Rest or yoga session

[gymfitlove]

That's an amazing schedule/routine!!!

[burlen]

@gymfitlove Thanks!

[TheIrishWolf]

Mon - Chest, Back, cardio, abs

Wed - arms, cardio, abs

Fri - legs, cardio, abs

I'm thinking of changing things to:

Mon - chest, back, abs

Tues - Arms, abs

Wed: legs, abs,

Thur: Cardio

Fri: delts, upper chest, upper back, lats

[gymfitlove]

Nice!! Thanks for sharing! Do you switch up what you do for abs work since you do it so often? Like, do you do more body weight based or do you do weighted core/abs stuff too? I'm curious to learn from others and what they do to change things up.

[Keishio]

I do 3 days a week and have two different routines to keep things interesting and to put some extra focus on problem areas.

One routine is a full body workout on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and the next is a back and bicep on Monday, legs on Wednesday, chest and triceps on the Friday

[gymfitlove]

Sounds like a great plan and balance. Thanks for sharing! I have always wondered how many people do full body more often and how they do with that.

[Bricealan]

I take HARD YOGA, and my trainer breaks up the workouts for us, and we do LEGS, ABS, UPPER BODY (with hand weights) and cardio, (mountain climbing, jumping jacks, or by using 'FLOW" movement, (fast changes between body positions, standing, Planks, push-up,

It is similar to having a Trainer" for each session. Some of the Hardest "hard bodies' you can imagine, for loyal practitioners.

[pervertedjester]

I don't use a gym. I workout at home with a routine that keeps me just fit enough to aggravate my brothers and to stay out of clinics. Daily: 60 Push Ups and 80 Crunches. 120 Jumping Jacks (every other day) with some basic weight lifting and occasional sprints across campus. I do take 2 days off like you though.

[exitseven]

I split it with different cardio sessions (bike, stairclimber, , rower, elliptical) and then do abs, crunches and incline crunches. Then I lift weights. i superset push pull exercises. Chest and back one day, legs another day, Bis and tris, and chest.

[petitedollbabee]

I do 2 days a week at the gym, Mondays for legs & cardio and Wednesdays for my core, and then I workout at home on Saturdays for my arms since I have my own weights and exercise routines.

[gymfitlove]

That's awesome that you have your own weights at home to keep working out there as well!

[petitedollbabee]

I find it too uncomfortable to do weights & arm workouts at the gym, since guys usually only swarm the weights area, so I got my own for at home.

[gymfitlove]

I usually go into the weights area and claim my space despite all the guys swarming it.😄 They know I'm there now and have been super respectful of my space and program. They know I'm around and so an occasional fist bump or nod with a hi from them makes it comfortable. They know they can't get rid of me from there. 😄

[RockyHammock]

I got good results with a push, pull, leg split. Although, I mostly just do endurance training with a focus of time under tension.

If you're not seeing results then I'd recommend dialing in your diet before the workout regimen

[gymfitlove]

I think it's because I'm seeing results physically and mentally that I've been really searching for more ideas on how to keep getting stronger. I really like finding new ideas and seeing what people do to see what I can incorporate and keep growing in my routine as well. 🙂

[Lionman95]

I regularly go two times a week because I've started it again at the beginning of March. I do upper and lower body in a row.

[gymfitlove]

Good on you for starting again! Hope you keep with it! 🙂

[LiamJHayden]

Monday & Thursday = Upper Body
Tuesday & Friday = Lower Body
Wednesday = BJJ Training
Saturday = Uechi-Ryu
Monday through Saturday = running and abs

Sunday = rest, unless the surf looks really good.

[gymfitlove]

I need to try surfing again one day. I tried it when I had terrible strength in the past and felt like I was going to die. 😅 I love watching people go and hit the waves and want to try again one day now that I feel like I have more strength and sense of what it requires. Good on your split! It looks amazing training!

[lightbulb27]

Depends what I'm preparing for. Rotating groups is maybe for weight lifters/body builders. I'd do cardio every day... I try to do everything. Rest when I'm tired or down days.

your body will adapt to what you put it through.

[Boomchakalaca]

3 days a week
Monday: legs
Tuesday : arms
Wednesday : legs
Thursday - Sunday : rest

[gymfitlove]

I love having rest days after leg days! 😄

[Boomchakalaca]

Imma be honest i dont feel sore after legs anymore. I do 1 hr sess. Hip thrusts (205lbs) bulg squats (25lb dumbells) deadlifts (115lb) and feel it slightly in my quads the next day. So am i doing something wrong

[gymfitlove]

That's such great work that you're doing!! Nice!! I don't imagine you're doing anything wrong. Sometimes I wonder maybe that I still feel sore is because I'm pushing too much. I don't know. I'm on 20 lbs dumbells for bulg squats and I want to make my way to deadlifts and squat rack. Haven't ventured over there yet. I want to really get the form down first and still learning. 🙂

[Boomchakalaca]

Compound lifts are a must in ur routine. Deadlifts and hip thrusts. Switching it up every now and then, makes workouts more interesting

[gymfitlove]

Totally working towards that! I have been looking into compounding and it makes so much sense to do! I try that with my core workouts like with doing renegade rows and such. Still working towards compounding lifts though. Working on upper body tomorrow at the gym and keep pushing for strength!

[warsevf]

You answered your own question, Just do whatever heck you want to do, Don't worry about progress nor the deadlines.

Always worry about consistency

[gymfitlove]

You're so right about consistency!

[warsevf]

Thanks, So you think of it the same way, nice

My Gym coach says that everyone gives good advices but they can get overwhelming.

But my practical experience is of no special diet. Just increased my intensity day by day. It may have took longer than others.

I did not notice change for 3 years until i controlled how much i am eating, then boom magic. My body fat is now overweight from obese.

Maybe now its my time to do PHD on workout as i heard last of the body fat is tough to eliminate

[gymfitlove]

Good on you!!! 3 years and going. Hope you keep with it! Nice work on the gains so far! 💪

[Iron_Man]

Do your weight training first do your cardio second unless you do your cardio in the morning and then do your weight training later

[gymfitlove]

So start with weights first, then cardio later in the workout? Someone once told me to get my heart rate up first before weights. Is that wrong?

[Iron_Man]

If you do cardio, you’re gonna get yourself so tired you’re not gonna be able to have a good weight lifting program

[Iron_Man]

You need a break a long break in between? That’s why I said to do the cardio in the morning and do the weight training in the afternoon or evening? I know you can’t do two things at once if you want to have a serious weightlifting workout. Your stamina and energy is going to be downhill. to put in a good strenuous, weightlifting workout.

[gymfitlove]

Good point! Thanks for the tip!

[Iron_Man]

You’re very welcome

[Christoff92]

How about 30 mins of cardio. Whatever you like. Strength train in your favorite exercises. Then afterwards 15-20 mins of yoga 😀

[VikingWarLord]

Do one set per exercise.

I used to think I needed a gazillion sets but it's a waste of time.

Just do one good set per exercise, and get outta the gym

[Haha456]

I am naturally muscular woman so if I do upper body weights, I would end up looking like a man's upper body. Thats why I never work upper body with weights.

[Prince_09]

How much weight you lift in gym?

[Haha456]

@Prince_09

once, i lifted 40 pounds for 1 hour. For the remainder of the next 1.5 months, I had a huge upper body. I looked like a man.

[Prince_09]

Wow that's great.. then i think you strong as a man

[Haha456]

@Prince_09

I would say significantly stronger than the average woman. But not as strong as a man. I can train to be stronger than a man though. I have a lot of potential. A physical trainer told me that I had the body of a warrior.

[Prince_09]

@haha456 can you able to lift and carry 180lb person for some time?

[Haha456]

@Prince_09

I never work out. I am not muscular and I never lift. But if you look at my overall physique, you can tell that I am strong study and can fight.

[Haha456]

@Prince_09

180 pounds is easy for me. Only gets hard when it is 200 lbs+

[Haha456]

But I can def lift more once I start lifting weights. I never lift weights.

[Prince_09]

@haha456 wow that's great.. i like strong women's like you... But don't fight me because you can easily win the fight over me lol

[Haha456]

@Prince_09

there was once i wrestle my friends with benefits. I am 5'4.5 and he was 5'11. He didn't stand a chance. I pressed him down on the bed and he could not move.

[Prince_09]

@haha456 180 lb is easy for then you can easily lift and carry me like a baby lol 😂

[Haha456]

@Prince_09

most men don't like strong women. so thats why i don't lift weights.

[Prince_09]

@haha456 so sad to that man.. it may happen to me also if i have wrestling with you. I'm also 5'4 and 175lb 😅

[Prince_09]

@haha456 i like strong women's and i want they carry me and take care of me lol ☺️ and i love too encourage them doing more weight lifting too

[Nikki1989]

I only go there to swim. Everything else I can do at home.

[star42j]

I don't go to the gym but I sometimes do hiit workouts at home. I often go out for a walk (about 7 miles). But I'm not a fit person I prefer dieting.

[Anonymous]

I don't, I just stumble in when I can muster up the energy and endure as much torture as I can, which isn't very much since just being alive is already enough torture as it is

[OddBeMe]

I want to exercise randomly, so your body doesn’t get used to certain habits. But I need to get up first.

[Prince_09]

I don't go to gym.. But I'm planning to start.. how should I plan in tha case?

[alearningboy]

Not at the gym, but have a workout app that I use daily.

[itsalyssaagain]

2-3 days legs, 2 days upper body.

[shades777]

I spilt my workouts in half

[Avicenna]

You should be looking at doing more cardio

[Britney04]

I do yoga daily.

[gymfitlove]

I love yoga too!!

[Britney04]

Yes makes it flexible my partner she love it.

[gymfitlove]

I also love power yoga and yoga with weights. It's been so fun playing with flexibility and strength at the same time!

[Britney04]

Yes and I don’t wanna look like the she-hulk.

[Akam93]

People have certain days for each body part.

[MysticDevice]

Workouts?