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So I've recently just started at the local gym, as part of joining I was given a "consult" with a PT. Below is the routine she designed for me for 3 days a week. I'm really just after a 2nd opinion, as money is tight I can't justify constant PT sessions. My main goal is to give this dad bod some definition. I'd also like a solid cardio program for the other 2 days of the week I go. Leg Press 70KG 12 REPS x 3 SETS Shoulder Press 35KG 12 REPS x 3 SETS Lat Pulldown 50KG 12 REPS x 3 SETS Leg Extension 50KG 12 REPS x 3 SETS Chest Press 40KG 12 REPS x 3 SETS Seated Row 45KG 12 REPS x 3 SETS Leg Raises BW 10 REPS x 3 SETS

So, I've been following my own training schedule to increase my distance to do a marathon after failing my first attempt and a coworker and avid runner seems scandalized that I would run over 22 miles preparing for a marathon. My plan actually over-shot the distance initially to give me room to miss runs and fall short of my total distance, but I'm so far staying pretty much on schedule (I've shaved a kilometer or two). My question is, if I'm recovering and the distance increases aren't crazy high is there a reason I SHOULDN'T run farther? Everything I've read has said that total distance run before a marathon is the #1 thing that correlates to fewer injuries. Running a greater distance would help both my mindset (I can tell myself I ran that far before) and my endurance. I'm just not getting his concern.

I'm not sure if I should be posting here or at the respawn point, but I'm in a bit of a jam. I've been training for a marathon on May first and I've run into some pretty awful knee pain. From my research I'm looking at either runner's knee or IT Band Syndrome (most likely IT Band Syndrome). Luckily treatment for both are similar: cut back running, swim, and lift (deadlift and squat). My question is, how do I translate swimming distance into running distance? Doubly so since I already had to cut short an 18 mile run (got maybe 10) and I am supposed to do my last long run (20 miles) this Saturday. My first instinct is to swap time running with time in the pool which means about 3 hours total for my long run (I would have to split it up with breaks and snacks). That sounds insane, but so does running 20 miles. However, I went for a 30 minute swim and it definitely kicked my butt waaaaaaay more than running a little over a 5k. Is there a method to translating pool time/laps to running time/distance?

So I recently did some reading and found a program called Thinner, Leaner, Stronger by Mike Matthews. He seems like he knows his stuff, but of course I'm fairly clueless and he could be completely lying for all I know, hence why I'm here. In particular I'm looking at his Year 1 Challenge for Women, which breaks down exactly what exercises to do on which days, which would help me a ton. I'm pretty new to weight lifting, but the people at my local gym are really nice and I figure between them and looking up forms online I should be able to do everything that's suggested, I just want to make sure I don't end up following a bad program. Has anyone read/tried his program(s)?? Recommendations are always appreciated!

I need a 30 day workout program that will get me in the best of shape possible without killing me, lol. I started today with Steve's Beginner Body Weight Workout and was thinking I would alternate days with 20 minutes of interval walking, I cannot run or jog. I just don't know if that will be enough to whip this body into shape and I'm fairly out of shape. I am a beginner and I have physical limitations. I have a herniated disc in my back so anything like jumping jacks, jogging etc is out of the question. I also have to be careful how many and what types of squats I do, although I can do certain types. Deadlifts are a big no-no for me. I tried the Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 days and there are several things in there I just cannot safely do. I can do everything that is in the Beginner Body Weight workout but had to modify the jumping jacks. I'm 54 years old and 20 lbs overweight. My heart is in good condition. I have 30 days until a vacation that I would really like to be in the best shape possible so don't have time to mess around with all the fitness crazes out there. Help!!

Hey guys! So, in a really disappointing turn of events the gym I lifted at closed and I am now gymless. I have had some really great strength gains and nutrition guidance the past few months and I really don't want to lose any of it! I was curious if anyone was doing or knew of any great 3-Day split weight lifting programs that they've seen great results with! This is something I will have to do at my home gym. I have a barbell, squat rack, dumbbells, and a bowflex (basic model). I'm sitting at about 25%BF right now and looking to lose about 4% more. Any program recommendations would be great! I love reading and researching new programs but it can be tricky to choose something that isn't a gimmick. I'm straight forward with my lifting and ready to continue. Thanks guys !!!

I only have a single 20lb dumbbell and a single 15lb dumbbell. I also only have about 5ft by 10ft of floor space due to the fact I live in student accommodation. I can nowhere near afford a gym membership nor have the time in the day, so I workout at home. There are plenty of workout routines online, however none I have found which can be done with my limited resources. Here is my current workout. I've been doing this or slight variations of this for about 2 months, and I am starting to see my beginner gains. day 1 - biceps, triceps, chest 3 sets, 12 reps, dumbbell curls 3 sets, 12 reps, triceps extensions 2 sets, 20 reps, press ups day 2 - abs, legs, biceps 3 sets, 10 reps, crunches 3 sets, 10 reps, sit ups 3 sets, 30 seconds, plank 3 sets, 10 reps, leg raises 3 sets, 12 reps, squats 3 sets, 12 reps, bicep curls day 3 - forearms, shoulders, back 3 sets, 12 reps, Hammer curls 3 sets, 12 reps, alternating shoulder press 3 sets, 10 reps, Kneeling One Arm Row (poorly as I have no bench) - How can I improve this for more efficient muscle gain?

Heyas, im trying to make my own workout program, mainly focuses on strength. I'm relatively new, 8 months into training and im attempting to fix the issues i ran into with my last few plans. If you have any advice or exercise suggestions, tell me. :] 4 sets of 5-7 reps. 2 min breaks. Leg day Barbell Squat Deadlift box jumps (3 sets of 20, 45 sec breaks) Tabata cardio 4 min push day Military Press Bench press+Incline Dumbbell Press (3 sets of each) Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Press Lying Face Down Plate Neck Resistance (3 sets of 7) pull day pullups barbell row Hammer curl +alternating dumbbell curl Overhead Slam (2 sets of 20, 30 second break) Farmers walk ab exercises every second day Landmine 180's Cable Crunch

Heyas, im attempting to build my own workout plan to improve my existing one. The thing is though, in wondering if my varied exercises will make me better balanced or hurt my progress. Generally i spend one of each of my three exercise days a week with a completely different goal in mind. For instance, Sunday focuses on a reverse pyramid set, Tuesday is a heavy lifting straight set and Thursday is light, endurance weights. The exercises i use are generally the same every day, but with variations and switching up the order. An example is weighted squats on Sunday, box jumps on Tuesday and body weight squats on Thursday. I also do two sessions of hiit cardio a week. Will this much variation help or hurt my workout because of the contrasting variety? I want power, strength and reasonable endurance. Size isn't my main priority.

Hi guys, I'm new around here, and I would like your precious advice. I've been following the Start Bodyweight routine for 3 weeks now http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/some-sample-custom-programs.html (Simple weight loss program (6 days a week): DAY 1: Start Bodyweight basic routine (modified to: 3 sets of 8-12 reps ; 60s rest between sets)DAY 2: 35 min steady state cardio, stretchesDAY 3: Start Bodyweight basic routine (modified to: 3 sets of 8-12 reps ; 60s rest between sets)DAY 4: 35 min cardio (on rowing machine) including 3 sets of tabata intervals (3 sets of 8x 20s efforts, with 10s rest in between); stretchesDAY 5: Start Bodyweight basic routine (modified to: 3 sets of 8-12 reps ; 60s rest between sets)DAY 6: 35 min steady state cardio; stretchesDAY 7: rest day. For those who don't know, the basic routine is: EXERCISESETS/REPS/TIMEDynamic warm up10 minAppropriate variation from squat progression3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropriate pull up variation3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropriate handstand push up variation3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropriate leg raises variation3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropiate push up variation or dip variation(alternate between the two with every session)3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropriate horizontal pull variation3 sets of between 4 and 8 repetitions;Rest between one and 2 min between setsAppropriate plank variationone plank between 30s and 60sStatic stretching10 min If you notice, the only change from the basic routine to the weight loss routine is the number of reps that is increased (8-12 vs. 4-8). Now browsing NF today I came across something totally different that made me consider if I was doing the right thing. Let me explain: When I do the basic routine I just do 10 push ups, then rest for 60 secs, then 10 push ups, rest 60 secs and a final set of 10 push ups. Then I go to the next exercise and repeat the same pattern. What I saw on NF today was this: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ Where it is mentionned to do ''each exercise in succession without a break in between (if you’re able). Once you’ve finished all exercises in the circuit, you do it again. If you’re still able after the 2nd run through, go for a third.'' My question is: Am I doing the right thing with the Start Bodyweight Routine? Did I misunderstand something? Am I supposed to do this guy's routine the same way it is described on NF? Because I've also read an article here that once you finish your workout, ''if you're not sweating it's because you didn't push hard enough'' (or something similar)...There's the problem with my method, I'm not sweating at all! I mean I know I work hard, I can feel it, my heart rate goes up, but the resting period is so long that at the end of the workout, even though I can feel my muscles being sore, I don't really have the impression that I've worked hard enough and I feel that I have done more resting than training... So what do you think? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks for reading the long post and thanks for your knowledge.

Hello everybody, I'm so glad to have come across this awesome website and community! I'm new to working out and I would gratly appreciate any advice and recommendations you could give me. I have done a lot of research and combined my own workout routine that I think would help me achieve my goals. I wrote a bit more about myself further down. I was thinking of doing a whole body workout routine 3x a week, preferably on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The program would be as follows: Alternate every two weeks: 3 sets of 10 reps / 6 sets of 5 reps 1) Alternate: Squats or Lunges2) Barbell Bench Press3) Deadlifts4) Alternate: Pull ups or Chin Ups5) Butt Lift/Hip Raises6) Dips 7) Dumbbell Shrug8) Alternate: Exercise Ball Pull-In or Sit-Ups What do you think? DO I have everything covered or should I add or change something? (PS: Thank you for taking the time to answer me and help me out! <3) Fitness Goals To lose weight and to gain strengthExercise Preference Body weight, barbells, bar you use for budypump, bar you use for squatsCurrent Physical Stats Gender: FemaleAge: 18Height: 158cmWeight: 58kgTraining History I've done this beginner's workout program with less reps per set for two weeks: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/conditioning-workout-for-women.html. => I've mostly used 4kg-6kg weights In addition I have started the so called blogilates beginner's workout challenge (I will continue with Day 8 tomorrow): http://www.blogilates.com/calendar/beginners-calendar-for-popsters-just-starting-out , Current Diet Normal; I'm trying to aim for approximately 1500 kcal of healthy food daily, but I've been slipping up on the weekends.Current Resources/Limitations I have access to a gym and I have a fair amount of time available.

This PDF is an 8 week workout program I am about to put two mates on who I have trained for a month or so and worked out their strength etc. Their goals are hypertrophy and just wanted to run it past you guys before getting them to start. Thanks for any constructive criticism in advance. 8 week Program.pdf

I am a 5'8 137 pound female who has been running distance for years. Last month is started Crossfit 3xs/week, and since then have only been running 1-2 times per week (prior to CF i was logging about 30-35 miles/week, 5 days/week). I want to start building strength, seeing more definition in my legs, arms, etc. I am eating paleo 80/20, and trying for about 1500-1700 calories a day, with at least 100g of protein a day (today i hot 130g..yay!). soooo, where do i start with the lifting? i am so clueless, i know the basic movements, but have no idea as to where to start...1-2 days per week? more than that? How many exercises/day? do i do 1 day of legs, and then 1 day of upper body?also should i be breaking up the days into arms and legs? i can drop my running down to 1x week, but would like to keep the 3x/week CF. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Recently I have been pretty insterested in adding some bodyweight exercises to my workout regiment. I am a runner and that has pretty much been it. I can run for a long time but can not do pull ups and push ups to save my life. Time to change that. I have been attracted more to bodyweight stuff because I am a musician (a cellest) and bodyweight exercises target many of the muscles that I use on the daily while I am practicing and playing, but at the same time fit into my schedlue better then traditional gym workouts. I also just like the idea better of using my own body vs using weights, can't really explain why it just resonates with me better. So while I am not a beginner to exercise (I dont have motivation issues, etc) I am a begginer to this type. So something that I can scale up over time would be very ideal. also if anyone has some reading material they think would be up my alley I would love to hear about that as well. here is the good stuff Fitness Goals 1. Improve range of motion in back and arms 2. Improve strength of my back and arms to help with playing and injury prevention 3. 3 days a week of exercise and 3 days a week of cardio (preferably running becuse i like it ) 4. improve all around strenght and flexibility Exercise Preference Body weight Current Physical Stats Gender-Male Age-20 Height-5,11 Weight-145 Previous Training History Past Programs-n/a How long- Present Program -lots of running and yoga (not so much yoga now). Have been doing a modified version of the advanced BW workout posted here for a week or so. I alsodid the fitness blender "brutal bodyweight workout" a couple of times. How long-about 2 years Current working weights-n/a Current Diet Normal- I eat pretty healthy. 100% whole grains, clean protine, and minimal sugars and other bad stuff. I dont do shakes or other things, I try to eat real food. I have pretty good controll over my food situation becuase I like to cook, so no easy mac. Daily Calories- Try not to count, I usualy just go by portions, but I probably need to eat more lol Daily Macros-same. havent really thought about it. Current Resources/Limitations Gym Access-going back to school in the fall so I will have a gym but I really dont like gyms. Can make it work though. Work/School Schedule-student. So that means busy. but again, I can make it work! Time Allowed-30-60 minutes a day would be ideal. modified BW workout 10 1 leg squats (not pistol, the ones where you put your leg behind you) 20 squats 20 walking lunges 20 step ups 5 negative pull ups at 5 seconds a each 10 dips 5 negative chin ups at 5 seconds 10 push ups 14 jackknife crunches 45 second plank repeat 3 times as fast as possible also if someone has a good benchmark test that I can do to help people understand my fitness level better I would be down to hear it.