The Best Gym Workout Ever

Great starter exercise program for the newbie imo.............. Here's how to burn fat without being bored to tears.

By Selene Yeager

Do the following Monday, Wednesday and Friday, taking off or doing an easy, active recovery Tuesday and Thursday. On Saturday and Sunday, spin your legs for about an hour on the trainer or outside. Part 1: Strength Training Do these exercises at the quickest pace you can while maintaining good form. "You have to train fast to be fast," says Pelot. First, do a warm-up of your choice for five minutes. Then start the circuit. Do 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise, then immediately move to the next one. Repeat the circuit three times. Push-Up With legs extended, feet hip-width apart, hands directly beneath shoulders, arms extended and back straight, bend elbows and lower chest until upper arms are parallel to the floor. Press back to start. Squat Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips. Bend hips and knees, and sit back as though lowering yourself into a chair. Raise arms straight out in front of you for balance. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor. Press back to start. Body Pull Place a bar on a squat rack at about hip height. Grasp the bar with both hands shoulder-width apart and walk your body under the bar until you're in a reverse push-up position--hanging from the bar, shoulders directly beneath hands with arms and legs extended. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your chest to the bar, keeping back straight. Lower to starting position. Lunge Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands on hips. Take a giant step forward with one leg, bending both knees and lowering hips toward the floor until front thigh is parallel to the floor. Press back to start. Immediately repeat with other leg. Step-Up Stand in front of a just-below-knee-height step, hands on hips or at your sides. Step up with your right foot, then bring your left foot up onto the step next to the right foot. Return to start, stepping down with the right foot first. Immediately repeat, this time leading with the left foot. Part 2: Cardiovascular Training Head to the cardiovascular machines for a fast-paced 45-minute interval session. The intensity of this workout is based on a 1 to 10 exertion scale with 1 being breathing normally and 10 being a full-on effort. "Alternate between intense efforts and recovery efforts in a ratio of two minutes on, two minutes off," says Pelot. As soon as you're done with one machine, immediately move to the next. Treadmill Walk at a brisk pace (effort 3 or 4) for two minutes. Increase the incline 2 to 3 percent and pick up the pace to run at an effort of 9 for two minutes. Repeat two more walk/run cycles. Cool down two minutes. Benefit: Builds bone density. Stairclimber Step at an easy to moderate pace (effort 3 or 4), getting comfortable on the machine for two minutes. Set the resistance high enough so you feel like you're working, but not so hard that you can't keep your steps quick and fluid. Pick up your pace and increase your effort to 9 for two minutes. Keep your back straight and stand upright--leaning on the machine makes the effort easier. Repeat two more easy/hard step cycles. Cool down for two minutes. Benefit: Strengthens connective tissue, which helps minimize joint pain and protect you from injury. Spinning Spin at an easy to moderate pace (effort 3 or 4) for two minutes. Crank up your effort to 9 for two minutes. Repeat two more spin/sprint cycles. Cool down for two minutes, wipe your sweat, stretch and you're done. Benefit: Reminds muscles what you're working for--cycling!

Let me throw in another for cardio.  The treadclimber.  It is like a treadmill but had two tracks.  As you push down on one, the other raises so it simulates walking up hill.  I don't know why it is harder than just putting the treadmill on an incline but it is.  Ass kicking work out.

here's the real reality at my age...........http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/opinion/walthandelsman/blog/2007/11/animation_baby_boomers.html

enjoy......carbonblob

Wait a minute, hold on here....you mean you old timers actually exercise??  Glad to see some names I remember out there still!!

I second that, Padre! I haven't been around the board in a long time and decided to drop in tonight. Who do I see but you, C.B., Boner and Scott the Sheriff. Now where's Buckeye John? Best, Joe

Howdy Joe! Hopefully someone has been in touch with Buckeye and can let us all know how he's doing....sure miss his "defend the Locker Room at all costs" approach to life!!  OT but...can someone in very specific, non techie terms tell me how to swap my profile photo??  I'm too gorgeous for that old one now....course, next year this time, I'll have to ask all over again!!

Hi Terry,

A couple of things to be cautious of in the trendy high rep circuit training of late: 1. It may be good for general fitness. However, not necessarily for gaining strength or size (unless you haven't been doing much exercise of any kind, then anything is likely to bring you results)

2. High rep circuit training confuses tension with intensity. You're working multiple muscle groups simultaneously, so you get a lot of muscle tissue being stimulated around an area. It's like when you tense up your forearm musles and your bicep muscles at the same time (as opposed to one or the other individually) or like the ineffectual high-rep ab work of the day - crunches, for example The nerves go into overdrive and multiple muscles tensing up gives you a lot of pain (sort of). So multiple muscles -often many small muscles - tensing up in unison. You really feel it, but it's not the same as isolating and exhausting one muscle group at a time.

A surer way of getting intensity is to do two sets of the same exercise. THEN, switch to the opposing muscle for two sets. For example, bench two sets followed by bent over rows, two sets. Rest only 45 seconds in between sets. For an added effect, add 15 seconds of tensing a completely separate and unrelated muscle group (thighs, for example) during that rest.

This is intensity without too much tension in any single portion of the body.

Best Wishes,

Dave

Good stuff, Dave. Thanks.  What I'm looking for is to build lean muscle mass and not bulk up if that makes sense. With my weight training, I try to work all my major muscle groups especially my core (abs, back, shoulders) and let my cycling build the legs. I also do some basic chest, arm and stretching stuff. My approach is high rep, medium (relative term) weight, minimal rest time. I get through my entire session in 30 minutes and I do pretty much the same routine 6X a week.  I change the routine around after 6 months or so (winter/summer).  Boner