MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
I am doing a routine every other day which is mostly 3 sets of 15 or 20 reps. It doesn’t take too long and leaves me tired afterwards but not breasted. The number of reps is based on the maximum weight I can put on my dumbbells.
My main form of activity is running so get plenty of exercise.
I don’t particularly want to buy more weights and don’t want to bulk up, I’d like to get toned but also as I’m over 40 would like to see some of the health benefits that weight training brings. Will this sort of routine achieve that? Other than buying heavier weights, what would adding more sets do? Slight increase in strength / endurance and toning?
leaves me tired afterwards but not breasted.
If you wish to feel breasted, they maybe it's not weights you should be doing...
You need to go to failure irrespective of weight.
Ha good spot! Was meant to be beasted but autocorrect decided to embarrass me
Drop the reps, maybe pre fatigue using body weight exercises before the weights.
Honestly, best bet is to get to the gym and see who the best PT is around to assist, book them and have them work out the best plan, just be honest, tell them what you want and they can push you towards the right path.
The only thing you'll get here is generic advice, which will all be good, but might not be what you're after and waste time and effort for you, a PT will check your form, check your in the correct weight range, doing correct splits, etc for what you want and so on, well worth booking a block of 1 to 1s, usually cheaper as well, 5 is usually a good start point, means you have to dedicate a bit of effort to it, more than just a one off anyway.
What's your goal? Hypertrophy (big muscles), more power or more endurance?
If you are doing 3x 15-20 reps without feeling beasted then hypertrophy or power will be difficult without adding more weight or getting a bit creative with your exercise (ie training at end of range, adding in 5 second holds, reducing rest time between sets etc). If you are going strictly endurance then you should think about upping the reps- current evidence is pointing towards 30
The % range is talking about your rep max, which is the most resistance/weight you could lift once but be too breasted to lift again straight away
I am doing a routine every other day which is mostly 3 sets of 15 or 20 reps. It doesn’t take too long and leaves me tired afterwards but not breasted. The number of reps is based on the maximum weight I can put on my dumbbells.
Difficult to say much without knowing what exercises you are actually doing.
You can figure out a decent routine no matter what equipment you have (although obviously it's easier if you have access to the best equipment for what you're trying to do).
So long as you are hitting the major muscle groups, preferably with good range of motion compound movements, and you are training at RPE 7 (Rate of Perceived Exertion) or greater (RPE can obviously be a bit trickier to estimate at the higher rep ranges) then that should be good enough if you're not interested in exploring new routines.
Personally, figuring out a decent routine with dumbbells seemed like too much work for me. I bought an olympic bar and weights and made a set of squat stands that also hold the weights out of wood so when not in use they sit behind the door in the spare room. I then started doing a variation of Wendler's 531 program (I subbed out bench press for Pendlay Rows).
I workout 4 times a week in the basement before I have to wake up the kids and each workout takes around 45 minutes which suits me perfectly but obviously may not be any use to you.
What are your goals?
What do you want to achieve?
https://www.bikejames.com/strength/dont-ride-for-fitness/
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/strength-training-cycling-correct-balance/
https://www.redbull.com/se-en/top-7-pain-for-gain-exercises-for-mtbers
https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/downhill-mtb-exercises
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=413R7_tR8Kk
https://www.coachmag.co.uk/exercises/sport-workouts/128/greg-minaar-mtb-workout
Pull ups are easy to add in. Tough to do though!
Difficult to say much without knowing what exercises you are actually doing.
Very much this.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the dumbbells don't get much over 10kg each?
If you don't want to buy more weights (not sure why unless space) then I would look into a bodyweight program and maybe supplement it with a kettlebell or two.
You don't need extra weight, you just need to slow the reps down. Its safer doing that than adding lots more weight and possibly injuring yourself.
When I used to go to the gym, I decided to up my squat to 210kg (I was 68kg), my legs could handle it, but being a roadie and not a trackie, my upper body did not like it, so I did not do that much again.
When I was doing squats in my house, all I had was 156kg, so thats when I started slowing the reps down. I was taking around 5 seconds to come back up, and its much safer doing it that way and you'll still get stronger.
Try it, you'll be surprised how hard it is when you slow it down.
For strength, I would do 3-5 reps, for endurance, I would do around 20 reps.
Everything I read/watched (mostly Dylan Johnson on Youtube) suggested that heavier weights and lower reps was the way to go, especially over 40 and especially if you wanted to stay lean/light (i.e. avoiding 'hypertrophy').
I couldn't possibly say if he's 'right' but he's a professional coach and the tone of his videos is typically reviewing the available science and basing recommendations on that, which is good enough for me.
His argument is that doing loads and loads of reps to build endurance is a waste of time as you are doing literally millions of reps when you are pedalling/running anyway! Low reps and high weights effectively utilises or adapts different fibres so you can use more of the muscle, or something (go watch the video, don't listen to me 😎 ).
He also made a fairly convincing case for NOT doing reps to failure etc. but I can't remember exactly what it was.
Turns out though that most workouts etc. assume no pre-existing injuries or disfunctions, so whilst I was gradually raising my weight/lowering my reps on my squats and deadlifts, what I should really have been doing was lots of floor based nonsense in order to straighten out my twisted posture! And that sort of stuff does demand high reps and low weights as you are effectively trying to build new movement patterns.
When I used to go to the gym, I decided to up my squat to 210kg (I was 68kg),
Good gracious. You're only 10kg off the BPL men's open class record holder for 66kg bodyweight.
OP; I would agree with the posters who say your goals need to be slightly clearer. Weight training and distance running are somewhat uneasy bedfellows, improving both at the same time will be inefficient at best. You might find better long term results from watching the diet and switching the weight training for something like yoga or a good stretching routine. Depends on how much you want to push the running. Or if you are happy to put the running on the back burner and focus on strength & flexibility for a period then the whole 'best routine' thing looks very different.
He also made a fairly convincing case for NOT doing reps to failure etc. but I can’t remember exactly what it was.
draining on the CNS, slows recovery, not much evidence for any strength benefits
(I think)
might be a different kettle of shrimp if you are geared up and going for hypertrophy
So I want to get lean / ripped (ultimately!!), keep a decent amount of strength as I get older and get the required benefits that it'll give me that over 40's seek, e.g. increased bone density. I'm not bothered about getting big and strong, more that when I'm 60 I'm not saggy and still able to lift bikes on to the roof of the car.
If I just keep up the current routine I guess that will be of some benefit, but my time could be better used by increasing the time held in certain positions (assuming I don't want to buy more weights). The main reason for not buying more weights (at least in the next year or 2) is due to space.
I know going to the gym is probably the most sensible solution, but it wouldn't really fit in with my routine at the moment.
If you already have a good muscle mass "tone" in my interpretation is more often gained through fat loss, the muscles are there you just can't see them.
The main reason for not buying more weights (at least in the next year or 2) is due to space.
Pressups and variations - narrow/wide, to handstand and one-armers; pullups and variations - narrow/wide/weighted palms away and facing; squats and lunges, jumping and one legged; plus abs/core/lower back - doesn't need kit and will get you a long way. I mean I prefer weights but did this for years when the kids were small and I'd no time for gym nor room for weights. On my bike ride home to the amusement of kids in the local park...
So I want to get lean / ripped (ultimately!!), keep a decent amount of strength as I get older and get the required benefits that it’ll give me that over 40’s seek, e.g. increased bone density. I’m not bothered about getting big and strong, more that when I’m 60 I’m not saggy and still able to lift bikes on to the roof of the car.
Lean / ripped = diet, straight and simple.
Everything else, I would absolutely second the calisthnetics recommendation. Everything can (a) be done in a bedroom and (b) be made as difficult as needed, e.g.
pressup -> pressup with feet up on blocks -> handstand pressup with feet leaning against wall -> full planche
squat -> one leg squat -> one leg jump squat
pullups (hard enough as is) -> one arm pullups -> muscle ups
required kit = one chin up bar
if you have space for a pair of rings, they are excellent, too, although they need a fair bit of space
Thanks all, the Calisthenics training is probably more transferrable to real-life situations as well, and will probably benefit my running too.
When I used to go to the gym, I decided to up my squat to 210kg (I was 68kg),
:Swoon:
Was the attempt subsequently featured on the GymFails Instagram account?
When I used to go to the gym, I decided to up my squat to 210kg (I was 68kg), my legs could handle it, but being a roadie and not a trackie
A 3.1x bodyweight squat is impressive for a professional powerlifter, nevermind any kind of cyclist.
All Chris Hoy could manage was 240kg at 93kg bodyweight.
Maybe kettle bells? I'm no expert but I think they help functional fitness.
Just wondering if that 210kg is a number on a machine, rather than a standing free weight squat... if the latter, that's really impressive!
Possibly mixing up kg and lbs? As 210lbs is 95kg which is a good weight for an amateur gym-goer. I can do about 100kg for reps but I weigh about 80kgs.
I am doing a routine every other day which is mostly 3 sets of 15 or 20 reps.
What's your routine? What exercises are you doing? What are your goals?
Without that info no one can offer advice or criticism.
functional fitness.
what's that then?
or, maybe the opposite question is easier, what's non-functional fitness?
The routine is =
3 x 15 bench fly's with 5kg dumbells
4 x 20 bench press with dumbells of 10kg
3 x 20 bent over rows with dumbells of 10kg
4 x 20 bicep curls with dumbells of 10kg
3 x 15 lateral raise with 5kg dumbells
I can fit them all in between tasks during the wroking day. I know its not particularly intense.
So mostly arms, chest & a bit of back.
I would definitely look at adding goblet squats, one legged deadlifts etc into the mix
but my time could be better used by increasing the time held in certain positions
Yep, this'll work, or 'pulsing' at end of range, or standing on an unstable surface, all good ways of progressing without adding resistance
Three primary physiological routes to muscle hypertrophy (and therefore one component of muscle power) are: tension/load, metabolic stress or tissue damage (lol). Tension is the primary one but you can increase the other two by reducing rest time between reps, increasing number of reps, using multijoint movements, pulsing, unstable surface. Plenty there for you to play with!
If you are looking to increase muscle power then you would do well to look at proprioception exs too- these can be done anywhere and without weights
I'd get some pullups and pressups in there. They'll give far more results than the 10kg dumbbells.
Also, pistol squats (or work up to them).
Just to clear things up, I guess I should've said the 210kg was for partial squats.
I was using The Cyclist’s Training Bible at the time and Joe Friel recommend partial squats as full can put too much stress on knees as you're a cyclist, not a powerlifter.
Here is a good article about them -
https://powerliftingtechnique.com/partial-squats/
I got a huge amount of strength from doing it that way and I got some good results because of it, so it worked for me.
Hmm, good link, looks like I could benefit from partial squats, must be easier on low back also!
Slightly linked, but I've been using the Fit4Racing programme for a few months (started with the riding one and change to the more weight focused Enduro programme last month).
Real mix of trad strength work (squats, bench, deadlift) combined with capacity work using strength movements, like pull ups, air squats, Burpees, goblet squats, press ups, turbo sprints etc
It's absolutely brutal and I feel like I'm getting more out the mix up than focusing purely on lifting (not that I was ever lifting huge weights, I'm 65kg!).