Post: #1

This is the one I'm following:

Day 1:
Jump Squat: 2 sets of 14 reps
Dumbbell Step-Up 4X4
Dead lift: 4X4 (reducing the weight on this one due to what I've read about it and some back pain)
Leg Curl: 4X4
Leg Extension: 4X4
Leg Press: 4X4
Standing Calf Raise: 4X4
Pile Dumbbell Squat 4X4
Treadmill: 20 min

Day 2:
Stationary Bicycle: 45 min

Day 4:
Push-Ups 15X2
Upright Barbell Row: 4X4
Lying Triceps Press: 4X4
Barbell Curl: 4X4
One-Arm Dumbbell Curl 4X4 (each arm)
Strait Arm Pull-Down 4X4
Treadmill: 20 min

Day 5:
Elliptical trainer: 45 min

Day 6:
Butt lift: 2X14
Barbell Shoulder Press: 4X4
Romanian Deadlift: 4X4
Lying T-Bar Row: 4X4
Wide-grip Lat Pull-down: 4X4
Back Hyper-extension: 4X4
Pile Dumbbell Squat: 4X4

Any constructive criticism appreciated. I am starting to bulk after 6 months on this program, just can't seem to loose weight. However, my doctor tells me you can't loose weight by exercise alone. And I'm in my 50's.

Post: #2

We need context. How long have you been training? What are your goals?

Post: #3

How long have you been training? 6 Months on this program.
What are your goals? Build muscle and loose weight.

Post: #4

There's a lot of unnecessary fluff exercises here for a novice with general body composition goals. Also, I don't think this push-pull-legs routine is optimising frequency (essentially each body part gets focus once a week.) I think you should look to an established novice routine like Starting a Strength or Ice Cream Fitness 5x5 and build a foundation on the basics.

You may be able to build muscle and lose fat at the same time for a while as a novice, but then you may just spin your wheels. You generally can't do both unless you're on drugs once you're past the beginner stage.

Your doctor is right, you can't out-exercise a calorie surplus and lose weight. You need to start tracking your calories. Try to find a calorie level where you can keep your weight stable for a couple of weeks. Then reduce calories by 10%, and stay there until you stop losing weight. Cut calories further.

Post: #5

60-70-80% of weight loss is in the kitchen.
"You can't outrun a jelly donought" Dan John.

One has to run (approx) one hour to burn of a donought.

You exercise selection should be scratched. Because: to many exercises and isolation, which contribute marginal, at best, to fat loss, and little to muscle hypertrophy.

From the little info you gave, you should do Escalating Density Training.


But if you do not want to start a new routine (like the one suggested above) then use these suggestions:

1. Why are you doing jump squats? (at 50 - your knees.. )
If it is to activate the muscle (you could do without this, as a beginner ) then AT LEAST do sets of 3-5 MAX repetitions. For any other reason -> lose them.
2. Erase leg extension, back extension (if you decide to keep it, your back should NEVER HIPER-extend - that causes more problems than NEUTRAL-back deadlifts).
3. Your current routine 4x4 leads to strength gains and some muscle hypertrophy.
+All the fluff burns some extra calories, BUT in same time you do them, doing 10 more clean or squats or deadlifts or press or pull ups would burn more calories.
Tip: don't look at caloric charts on the net, they measure only what calories are burned DURING exercise.

Aerobic exercise burns a lot during. And stops 10 minutes after you stop.
Anaerobic (weights or high speed running) burns less during, but continues 24-48 hours.

I advice against running in all athletes. And even in people that don't do it for a living.
But if you like running switch to 400 meter running. Or 800 or multiple 100 runs. That burs of much moooore calories. Hill runs. Pushing a car.

If you have a condition or just like to jog, then at least dont go on the tread mill (you burn less calories). You under utilize the Biceps femoris (mucle on the back of the thight), because the tread.. pulls the band backwards also pulling your leg to some degree, thus in one mile at jogging pace you do 1500 steps.
Thats 775 with each leg. Avreage jogging pace is 6 mph -> 2 miles. So you do 1500 steps with each leg, where the quad contracts 100% and the B.F. 20-30%.
50 weeks/year => 52.500 reps or more done with the quads compared with their ANTAGONISTs. So you will create a muscle imbalance. At LEAST run outside.

My respect for starting, especial when the body is no longer "new". And for the balls to ask for criticism.

Best of luck!

Post: #6

Think I'm going to try the Ice Cream 5X5 program and see where it takes me. Also downloaded a program to track the calories in what I eat, I've hear those are a good idea.
The only thing which puzzles me about all the programs suggested it that none of them have separate cardio routine. I can understand getting rid of the treadmill, but what about the elliptic and stationary bicycle?
Thanks for the input!

Post: #7

(01-04-2015 09:08 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  Think I'm going to try the Ice Cream 5X5 program and see where it takes me. Also downloaded a program to track the calories in what I eat, I've hear those are a good idea.
The only thing which puzzles me about all the programs suggested it that none of them have separate cardio routine. I can understand getting rid of the treadmill, but what about the elliptic and stationary bicycle?
Thanks for the input!

5x5 is a solid starting place. You can go on for years with it (as a novice) ! (+ minor modification to avoid burn out and stagnation).

But mind you that after you reach a resonable amount of muscle mass (that will burn calories even when you sleep, passive-loss-of-weight) then you will have the means (enought muscle) to switch to higher repetitions 10-15- MAAAAXIMUM 20, NEVER more than 20, and thus burn calories somewhat faster.

I am not trying to confuse you. By doing 5X5, which is very good in your situation, you are laying the ground work for later on. Yes you will need to, and will change the exercise routine, but LATER. For now your body is getting enought stimulus just by doing something new.

And once more, please consider that this is a LONG term investement. By doing 5 reps, you can grove proper motor pattern, exercise form + as I said, muscle growth that wll help you later on.

Don't hurry to change from 5x5 to 3-4X10. The difference in calories burned is small FOR you right now (from your description).
Also in the case of running, even running might not burn in the post exercise so much, if you do not do it with enought intensity.
I don't know the stats for 50+ years, but if a 20 y/o healthy male runs 100 in more than 14 secons, it is exercise of medium intensity, so...it will burn little calories post exercise (where miracles hapen).

I am sorry to have not said in my suggestion that the 800/400/100 m, hill sprints or car pushes are A TRAINING session in themselves.

So you could do, in a week:

2 full body workout 5X5 A)lift B)press C)pull
1 or max 2 RUNNING/PUSHING training sesion.

Once more, if you don't have enought speed in the runs it might be tehnique (it is if you jump in speed after 4-5 training sesions) it might be force and power (if 8 training sessions pass, and no visible time improvement). In the latter case, concentrate more on strenght gains and after some months start re-increase the number of running sesion.

+Cardio can be and should be (the best form) any exercise that involves a lot of muscle (carries, pushes, puls, swiming) and if possible something fun, competitive maybe. The former because involving a lot of muscle at the same time has the effect of burning more calories than the total sum of the parts (the sum of calories burned by working the muscle individualy).
And the latter because even thought X is 10% more efficend then Y. It's horrific to do X, and in the long rung 99% of people quit if training sucks ALL the time.

And again you doctor is right. The biggest fight is the kitchen.