Getting Back Into Training and Need Advice

[BadHairDecade]

My girlfriend came home the other day and to my surprise she signed us up at the local gym. Probably because I've been bitching that i need to start working out again. Anyways......I used to be really into it several years back, steriods and all (stupidest thing I've ever doen BTW).
My question is how should I get back into it the first 3-4 weeks? It's been a long time and I'm a little older now (30's), Not really overweight maybe 10 pounds at the most.
Can't jump into it full on right away since I have lower back issues and seem to have developed a problem with one of my shoulders. Gettin old is fun guys
Any help like a basic routine would be greatly appreciated otherwise I'll have to use one of the gyms personal trainers to get going.

 

[Cassin]

Good for you!

Yeah I am in real bad shape right now and I have re-entered the gym. Damn I used to be in such good shape just 4 years ago (28 now) I am sure this is a common theme with many people.

My best advice after a few failed re-entries is to NOT design a program right now and just hop in and do whatever you enjoy for a month or two till you get your rythym back. Whatever it takes for you to come back, no matter what try to have fun. It's good you and your girlfriend go together, it keeps you honest. I am sure most won't agree about not designing a program but it worked for me and maybe won't for others.

Supplements, just use Protein shakes and a soild Multi.

Also, learn how to stretch your back correctly.

 

[not me!]

Cassin has a great point. Get in there and get your niche back. Just moving some iron around for a little bit will get you in your groove. Just be very careful not to overtrain (its very easy to do) and to take it easy. You should already know that you arent gonna move mountains your first month back.

When you do want to look into a routine again, try this:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/workout.htm

You can narrow your search by type of workout (full body or splits - i suggest splits), # of days per week, and your goals. Since I alter my workouts every three weeks or so I find that it is invaluable for keeping my perspectives fresh.

Lastly, I envy you. I have to drag my gf to the gym. I wish that she'd drag me once in a while. She's in great shape, but I think that she's under the impression that it will last forever. ::shrugs:: oh well, shes not marriage-material anyway. :wink:

 

[Cassin]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/workout.htm

That is one of the best sites on the internet, I Have been spending my lunches reading that site at work for awhile now.

There online store is legit by the way, fantastic prices on protein. Way cheaper than GNC or Wholefoods.

Anyone tried that Protein shaker they rave about on that site?

 

[BadHairDecade]

Thanks guys...yea I guess I just have to get in there. Thanks for the link. I think I already found something there that looks pretty good.
Basically works all the major muscle groups each workout without over-training....then 20-30 minutes of cardio.
I'm pretty sure this is how I did it when I first began way-back-when
I figure a few weeks of that then i can go to the heavier stuff and break up the muscle groups by days (chest, tri's : Back, bi's).

BTW...I'm pretty sure I'll have to drag my GF to the gym after a couple weeks. She's notorious for starting sh*t (like diets, yoga, arobics) and never sticking to them. SHe bought this damn eliptical machine that I told her not to because she''ll never use it. To make a long story short...It makes a great place to hang your coat :lol: I'll be putting a "for sale" sign on that thing soon. Her last gym membership cost her a fortune and she went once...ONCE. Wasting money drives me nutz....okay I'll stop here otherwise this will turn into a novel if I keep talking about how she wastes money :evil:
Still lover her though......known her since I was 19. Started dating 7 years ago and been living with her for 6 years.

 

[not me!]

Anyone tried that Protein shaker they rave about on that site?

If its the same one that I got free with my order of $100+ then the f****r leaks like a son-of-a-b**ch as soon as you shake it. But you're right - the store is fantastic and you will not beat the prices.

 

[Cassin]

If its the same one that I got free with my order of $100+ then the f****r leaks like a son-of-a-b**ch as soon as you shake it. But you're right - the store is fantastic and you will not beat the prices.

Damn - That thing looked like a solution to drinking protein at work when I want one instead of forcing one down at 6 30 AM like I am doing right now.

What kind of protein do you order? I love the optimun whey, stunning price. I remember reading a stat that the forum on that site was the 4th busiest on the internet, they must have so many orders that they can afford the markdown.

BHD - Again, just whatever you do for now, no matter what, make sure you are having fun so you keep going back. This is the key to my success this time with sticking to it.

Are you and your girl gonna get married? 7 years! :freaked2:

I'm sure you get sick of that question.

 

[Guest]

I too have just started going back to the gym. I'm not in bad shape for 36 but I have ticked over for a year or so doing plenty of swimming.

My advice goes the same way as the other guys. Don't try to rush into it otherwise you could injure yourself.

Start with a light 5 minute walk on a running machine. This get's the body warmed up. Then if need be a 5 minute jog.

Then I would just do as Cassin said. Focus on what you would like to do. Just do some light weights on the machines available for the first two weeks and then gradually extend your workout by adding weights as you go along.

If you can do it on a morning before work you will burn up most fat at this time of day. Then maybe on an evening go for hard swim. You can swim quite hard without worrying about impact. With weights you have to be a bit more careful.

I reckon in two months I will be in great shape for the summer.

So, weights and stuff on a morning and a nice swim, sauna and jacuzzi on an evening. Don't forget than tan...

 

[BadHairDecade]

Are you and your girl gonna get married? 7 years! :freaked2:

I'm sure you get sick of that question.

No plans......We're not the marrying type. We get along great so our theory is "why spoil it by getting married". It's pretty cool when you're that in tune with someone else....I'm sure though that it's something we'll consider in the coming years.

If you guys want a good "shaker"...just buy those rubbermade drink containers. they have a screw top. I used to use these to make my shakes years back. Never had one fail. Here's a pic I took for ya
http://img26.echo.cx/img26/6461/img00035iv.jpg

Start with a light 5 minute walk on a running machine

yup that's kind of how I used to warm up years ago.....10 minutes on the bike gets the blood pumping pretty good.
My main goal is to be able to fit back in my wetsuit....Nothing worse than a chubby guy in a wetsuit :freaked:

 

[Cassin]

So how has it been going?

 

[The Gardener]

The best advice I got to devising a workout plan you can stick to is to keep your workouts short, but go more frequently.

Shorter workouts are easier time blocks to fit into a day. If you start getting the mentality that you have to spend an hour and a half at the gym, you will soon start making excuses not to go just because stuff will come up and you won't be as easily able to fit it in. Not just that, but you get burned out.

Keeping gym visits short makes it less of a burden to fit in when the sh*t hits the fan with the schedule. Mentally, I have just found this strategy much more easily maintainable over time than those who go to the gym and spend a few hours there. That sh*t gets boooring.

 

[BadHairDecade]

So how has it been going?

well I went for the first time...without my GF :roll:
It was great!....I can definitely see myself seriously getting back into this, minus the steroids this time.
Looking forward to going back.
Now i just need to pick out a good tasting protein powder, and stock the house with the proper foods and supplements.

 

[Cassin]

So how has it been going?

well I went for the first time...without my GF :roll:

HAH

It was great!....I can definitely see myself seriously getting back into this, minus the steroids this time.
Looking forward to going back.
Now i just need to pick out a good tasting protein powder, and stock the house with the proper foods and supplements.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/whey.html

Thats what I like, you can't get it cheaper anywhere else. I always get vanilla because when I get tired of it, I can always add in chocolate or strawberry syrup. It mixes well and isn't too thick.

Here is what I did a month ago, I went through the entire kitcken and tossed all junk food and tossed out all menus for delivery. I couldn't believe how much garbage we had. Pop-tarts, waffles, ice cream, cheetos (man I miss those) etc.

The best advice I got to devising a workout plan you can stick to is to keep your workouts short, but go more frequently.

Shorter workouts are easier time blocks to fit into a day. If you start getting the mentality that you have to spend an hour and a half at the gym, you will soon start making excuses not to go just because stuff will come up and you won't be as easily able to fit it in. Not just that, but you get burned out.

Keeping gym visits short makes it less of a burden to fit in when the sh*t hits the fan with the schedule. Mentally, I have just found this strategy much more easily maintainable over time than those who go to the gym and spend a few hours there. That sh*t gets boooring.

I could not agree more. If you watch people that are in there for a long time you notice how much time they waste, walking around talking to people, staring at the TV with there hands on their hips, sitting on whatever equipment they just used staring blankly forward, messing with their headphones, going to the water fountain every 10 minutes. REPEAT.

Why do they do this? Because they are bored out of their minds. I am in there for 20, 30 to 45 minutes but when I am there, I don't mess around and I keep the motor going. This keeps me entertained and supposedly it builds stamina so another bonus.

Besides, I want to be in shape with some muscle and feel good. I amnot going for the linebacker look. Now, if I can just keep this up instead of my normal 2 month drop out.

 

[BadHairDecade]

, cheetos (man I miss those) etc.

LOL....that's my favorite junk food. I could sit down and eat a whole bag in one sitting

Gotta keep the chinese food menu! I can't live without that. Luv me some chinese food.

Actually we eat pretty good foods (not great) already. My GF cooks and she just has a habbit of making wayyy too much food.

 

[21gone]

BHD American whey tastes great. I have a ten pound bucket of it. My personal favorite flavor is orange cream it goes great with everything. Making a good protein shake with some yogurt and some fruit, oats and ice makes a great shake. There is a company that sells the stuff on ebay and it is legit because I got some from them. For 10 pounds it was only like 55 bucks which is super cheap. PM me if you need any help with workouts or anything else. That body building site is a good one btw.

 

[BadHairDecade]

Thanks for the info 21......How do I get rid of this tricep pain?
OK so it's the day after and everything is a little sore...Not too bad at all except for my elbows and where the tricep meets the elbow.
It's actually swolen and incredibly painful. I can barely touch my mouth. By no means did I over do it in any way. I streched everything, warmed up everything before hand. Can't remeber ever having this problem before.
I'm guessing this is because the elbow joint i's the one part that was incorporated into every excercise.
Basically I did every muscle group with 2 sets of light weight. Shoulders and chest indirectly work the tricep so I'm hoping that may be why it's so sore.
That or I'm getting old :-x

Usually you get really sore two days after so this is really gonna suck tomorrow.

 

[21gone]

I remember reading that when one ages there ligaments get a bit tighter if they had not been used. I read a story of a guy who used to be fit but then he let himself go. Well after a while he got back into running and when he started his ankles were hurting him terribly. He did not figure it out until he went to specialist and the Doctor told him that since he had not used them his ligaments in his ankles for lack of a better term essentially dry rotted. He had to go slowly for a while and eventually he got the elasticity back. Another thing is as I am sure you know that even though you did the roids a while back they still effect your joints from your muslces growing and your ligaments and tendons not able to keep up.

 

[BadHairDecade]

I remember reading that when one ages there ligaments get a bit tighter if they had not been used. I read a story of a guy who used to be fit but then he let himself go. Well after a while he got back into running and when he started his ankles were hurting him terribly. He did not figure it out until he went to specialist and the Doctor told him that since he had not used them his ligaments in his ankles for lack of a better term essentially dry rotted. He had to go slowly for a while and eventually he got the elasticity back. Another thing is as I am sure you know that even though you did the roids a while back they still effect your joints from your muslces growing and your ligaments and tendons not able to keep up.

Yea I remember reading something regarding tendons becoming "brittle" from steroid use. The weird thing is i thought if i was going to have pain somewhere it would have been in my shoulder since I had a problem with it years back. Shoulder is perfectly fine. Today elbows are still bad...not worse though, so that's good. Guess i just have to suck it up. Hopefully it'll pass in a few days.
Today I'm experiencing that sore muscle pain in my upper body. It's not bad, actually feels kind of good. Like I got something accomplished
Going back today for cardio

 

[21gone]

Since starting MSM for hairloss, I have realized that I actually do not care much for it in a hairloss way, but way it does for the feeling in my joints is amazing. A few week ago I ran out and did not have any for a bit and with my usual running at lacrosse on a fairly hard field led me to a lot of pain and swelling in my surgically repaired knee. I went out and got some more and the swelling subsided and the pain has left. It may be just coincidence but even at the placebo effect I will take it.

 

[Cassin]

It may be just coincidence but even at the placebo effect I will take it.

MSM used to be a perscription med for joints and swelling. The medical industry sytematically destroyed it because of paranoia over the lack of studies at the time.