Getting My Strength Back

[s0undbwoi]

I haven't been excercising over the past 4-5 years do to a busy schedulet and a right upper arm fracture repair that made me a little scared to train. So about 4 months 4 months ago I started weight and cardio training again and I feel great. Mt general goals are weight loss, better body fat composition and gaining strength. I have been alternating upper and lower body workouts with Wednesday being my skip day (golf day). My routine has changed/increased over the passing months. I try to shoot for 1 minute of rest between reps, 90 seconds for harder excercises 30 seconds for easier excercises.

My Current Routine is:

Thur-Sat-Mon
30 minutes cardio
3x20 Straight Leg raises
3x10 per side with weight sideways movements on Back extension rack
3x10 back extension on the back extension machine
3x10 standing shoulder press
3x10 bench press
3x10 lat pulldown
3x10 dumbell press
3x10 dumbell fly
3x10 low row
3x10 Bicep curls or tricep extension on alternating days

Fri-Sun-Tues
3x20 Straight Leg raises
3x10 per side with weight sideways movements on Back extension rack
3x10 back extension on the back extension machine
4x10 Leg Presses
3x10 calf raises
3x10 leg curls
3x10 leg extensions
3x10 abdominal crunches on the ab machine

Questions:

Are there any other lifts I should consider adding to my leg routine?

When the wieght becomes easy to do the amount of reps I outlined I usually go up in wieght, is this a good strategy or would increasing reps be better?

Thanks for any help.

 

[s0undbwoi]

Moved my rest day to Sunday as it seemed more logical.
Pre workout - N.O. Xplod
Post Workout - Whey Protein powder drink

Numbers for the last two weeks:

M-W-F
Back Extension machine - 280 lbs
Standing Shoulder Press - 100 lbs
Bench Press - 165 lbs
Lat Pulldown - 160 lbs
Dumbell Press - 60 lbs per side
Pectoral Fly Machine - 160 lbs
Low Row - 200 lbs
Tricep Extension - 60 lbs dumbell
Bicep Curl - 30 lbs per side

Tu-Th-Sa
Back Extension machine - 280 lbs
Leg Press - 457 lbs
Calf Raises - 120 lbs
Leg Curl - 160 lbs
Leg Extension - 70 lbs per side
Hip Adduction - 190 lbs
hip abduction - 190 lbs

 

[Aleks Sytsevich]

Hi,

Might I suggest Squats for legs -- 3 sets of 5 reps. And while we're at it...may as well take out all of the other lifts for leg day. Squats are all you need, good sir.

Mayhaps a gander at the faq located in the S+C sub forum would be beneficial to your goals of increasing your strength, as what you are doing here appears to be a goal of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

 

[s0undbwoi]

What is sarcoplasmic hypertrophy?

I think Squats are probably a good idea but I don't have anybody to work as a spotter so I was kind of warry of doing them by myself.

 

[Aleks Sytsevich]

What is sarcoplasmic hypertrophy?

I think Squats are probably a good idea but I don't have anybody to work as a spotter so I was kind of warry of doing them by myself.

You don't need a spotter for squats. There is a helpful thread in the s+c sub-forum inquiring how to fail a rep.

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is useless mass achieved by using rep ranges 8-12 iirc, muscles fill with sarcoplasim and appear quite large. Myofibular hypertrophy is what you're after, rep range of 1-5...assuming you're male.

There are others here with far more knowledge than myself. Step one is to check the faq, it is a great jump off point and will get you steered in the right direction re: strength training.

 

[s0undbwoi]

Thanks I will take a look at that

 

[s0undbwoi]

I took that dude advice after doing some research and switched up my reps/weights and feel that it has made a huge difference. I strained an intercostal muscle so that was a set back but that is mostly better. So now I think tomorrow i will go to some deadlifts and squats in my leg workout. Still don't have a workout partner although this one dude always asks, but only on my leg days and he doesn't want to do legs

M-W-F
Back Extension machine - 295 lbs 3x10 1 minute rests between sets
Standing Shoulder Press - 110 lbs 3x8 1 minute rests between sets
Bench Press - 185 lbs x6 195 lbs x 6 205 lbs x 6 225 x 6 3x10 1 minute rests between sets
Lat Pulldown - 180 lbs 3x8 1 minute rests between sets
Dumbell Press - 80 lbs per side 3x8 1 minute rests between sets
Pectoral Fly Machine - 175 lbs 3x10 1 minute rests between sets
tricep machine - 110 lbs 3x10 1 minute rests between sets
MTS bicep Curls machine - 50 per side 3x10 1 minute rests between sets
Bicep curl machine - 110 lbs 3x10 1 minute rests between sets

Tu-Th-Sa
Back Extension machine - 295 lbs 3x10 1 minute rest between sets
Leg Press - 477 lbs 4x10 1 minute rest between sets
Calf Raises - 150 3x10 1 minute rests between sets
Leg Curl - 175 3x10 1 minute rests between sets
Leg Extension - 70 lbs per side 3x10 1 minute rests between sets
Hip Adduction - 205 lbs 3x10 1 minute rests between sets
hip abduction - 205 lbs 3x10 1 minute rests between sets


really looking forward to squats and deadlifts tomorrow