Reply With QuoteI've been doing this 20 minute no weights work out 3 to 5 times per week. Good for core strength. I've added more planks and push ups at the end but you can use it as a start. Good luck!
https://youtu.be/oAPCPjnU1wA
Trying to get back into some kind of acceptable shape! Wondering if anyone had any workouts they have enjoyed or signpost to some decent resources?
Work full time and have a 7 month old baby so time efficiency is a must. Realistically I can get to the gym 4 times a week for an hour most weeks. I will be incorporating 10-15 mins of yoga into that as well (think it helps my back pain). So maybe upper/lower split? Mostly compound movements.
My main aim is to lose some weight which I know is mainly down to diet but would be good to get some strength and an "ok" physique back as well. I am 32 so probably past my peak in terms of recovery and fitness but hopefully still have time to help myself!
Share your time efficient workouts please!
I've been doing this 20 minute no weights work out 3 to 5 times per week. Good for core strength. I've added more planks and push ups at the end but you can use it as a start. Good luck!
https://youtu.be/oAPCPjnU1wA
I've done the six-pack revolution a few times. Good healthy food, five meals per day so never hungry. Kept to their exercise program plus 100 push-ups per day. I lost 2 pounds per week and felt loads better. The program is around 3 months..
Don’t over think it, to some extent exercise is exercise, there’s no silver bullet. Reducing weight will be a self fulfilling prophecy as muscle burns more calories than fat.
At your age flexibility is key, it reduces injury and helps with chronic pains such as back issues. 15 mins yoga is not a lot though.
Lifting actual weights at the gym is much more advantageous than any home workout. Possibly
Day 1 Chest and shoulders (both pushing exercises)
Day 2 back and legs (start low weight but you need to build up to heavy weights)
Then when you get stronger spilt shoulder and chest days
Day 3 Cardio/Yoga/HIIT type class
Repeat
Also, what about complementing it with a sport; 5 a side, tennis, squash etc
Try and go out for a run 2 or 3 times a week
Then a couple of gym weights sessions
Soon trim up and feel loads better
That's my routine, I run about 5 to 7 km's 3 times a week and I've got some free weights out back by the pool, a bench and a roll mat for sit ups, do a 100 or so, variety of types, on non running days, job done.Originally Posted by lenlec
I try and do the same. A few of us do 3m 3 times a week
Road running is tuff but very beneficial
It always amazes me how quickly you lose the
Running fitness
I found the running and body weight exercise far more beneficial than the gym. Eating properly is far more important than all of the above but you should already know that.
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I stopped (road) running due to potential wear on the knees I don't have any issues yet but don't want any in future. Am contemplating an exercise bike as I do miss the cardio workout.
Fair play about the wear and tear with running
I’ve found it hard to replicate the road running though
I find hasfit very good on YouTube. He's not all about bulking up and looking ripped which is my sort of work out.
I use them now mainly for stretches.
https://youtube.com/@HASfit
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Just re- read the OP’s comment regarding his age (32).........how’s he gonna feel when he’s the wrong side of 60!
My advice is to get in the gym 3 times/ week, working on weights with short recovery between sets. Try to work alternately on 2 pieces of equipment, ideally arms and legs, this way you don’t spend time sitting on your arse recovering, just go straight from one to the other circuit- style, it’s hard and it’ll get your heart rate up but you’ve got to be prepared to get stuck in if you want to get anywhere, time spent in the gym having long recoveries whilst playing with your mobile phone is time wasted, aim to be in for 1 hr and make it count.
On non- gym days get out for a run, alternate walking and jogging until you’re fit enough to keep running, aim to get out for 40 mins.
Eat sensibly, stick to the exercise and you’ll get results, at 32 you’re still a youngster. As a medical man I would've thought you could sort out your own exercise schedule, maybe it’s motivation you lack? Here’s another piece of advice: when you’re finding the exercise hard or your motivation’s wavering, tell yourself to put some bloody effort in and stop being soft........trust me it comes from within! I’m 65, just coming back to exercise after surgery to ( hopefully) fix a heel/ foot problem and I’m taking my own advice, if you think it’s hard in your early 30s you’ll find it a whole lot harder as you get older.
To quote the Nike T shirt.......just do it.
I’d recommend Freeletics.
Body weight exercise routine that takes 30-45 mins. Easy to do anywhere. There is a paid app but plenty to try for free To see if you enjoy it.
Haha well I certainly like to tell myself I am a (relative) youngster!
Yes I could devise my own workout and have done in the past but sometimes it is nice to get a change in perspective!
Despite being in the worst shape of my life I am confident I could run for 40 mins at a 9 min/mile jog.
I have motivation - like I said, time is my main limiting factor. I am finding time the main challenge of being a parent to be honest!
I take what you said, I think when my baseline fitness is up a bit I could and should move a bit more towards circuit style training. Or at least super sets.
I've really enjoyed the stronglifts 5x5 routine. Doesn't take too long or need loads of different machines/equipment which keeps the workouts quicker. It's easy to follow too.
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Saturday mornings 9am, parkrun. There's bound to be one fairly close, 5km and then home. I doubt you'd be out of the house more than 45 mins unless the traveling is further.
One of the real downsides of working on Saturdays is that I can't.
Did this in my early 20s, loved it. I think the heavy deadlifts at the moment with my back could be a mistake, maybe after i get some more flexibility back!
32 is still young enough to do whatever you want and being able to commit to 4 times a week is fantastic.
Asking for ideas and suggestions is a good way to look at things, although for me and exercise, I have to find something I enjoy. I would love to experience the benefits of running, swimming and yoga but the don’t release the endorphins for me, so have never lasted more then 4 weeks in any program that involved these.
In my time, I’ve enjoyed general weight lifting, playing squash, body pump, HIT classes and the 5*5 workouts. I am a little older than you, still working and have a many family commitments, currently boxing twice and week and 5*5 once a week.
Do what you enjoy and you will do it.
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The word "routine" is really the key part of this which is something hard to achieve with small kids.
For me I've made exercise a part of my daily routine and it's not something I even think about. I've ridden my bike for transport (and pleasure) for almost 30 years now. I'll walk and take the stairs any opportunity I can get and carry the groceries home etc. It's such a standard part of my day I don't even think of the "gains" as for me it's habit but also more importantly good for the mental health (I'm a cranky man when I don't get the ride to work in for a few days).
Cycling to work is great (and I'm fortunate I'm in a place it's possible) and gives me an hour per day on the bike at a decent intensity and makes the dead commute time beneficial which is important with the family and busy lives. It's created a strong base that even when the other exercise (proper rides, runs, swims, surfing) drops off with life getting in the way I've always got a good base fitness.
I'm also fortunate with my genetics (thanks mum and dad) and also a lack of sweet tooth but for me the daily routine has been super beneficial and now my kids are hitting early teens I can still keep up with their active lives.
There's no magic bullet with this and you have to find what works for you and kids make it soooo tough (I was putting on weight faster than my wife during her second pregnancy) but you need to find the time for yourself as you'll come back healthier and happier and ready to dive into work and family life.
The first step's the hardest but you won't regret taking it.
https://youtu.be/mmq5zZfmIws
Workout is 7 minutes long.
Great visual instructions/timer.
Going on what you've said, the main factors with suggesting a workout routine are: your parental duties and the tiredness you will experience with having a demanding job as well; limited time at the gym to train (you need to warm up so that's 10 mins from the hour); you need recovery time; you are possibly overweight? (sorry - it's a direct question but an important factor); your motivation, which decreases the more fatigued you are; and previous exercise experience - which I think you have so that will help enormously with mental strength and muscle memory.
My suggestions are:
1. Do not run. If you're overweight, running will not miraculously make you slimmer. It'll increase cardiovascular fitness and burn calories but will not necessarily make you lose weight and certainly will not tone your muscles; it also places stress on your body and you're more liable to pick up an injury
2. Walk instead. Walk everywhere and as much as you can. Walk fast, walk up inclines, walk every chance you get. It will burn fat much better and not place stress on your body
3. Are you able to do yoga and stretching at home by any chance? This would really help with the next bit
4. I would do (as you said) an upper body/lower body split for maximum efficiency. Yes, compound exercises, but alternate the exercises every week and using either a barbell or dumbbell for them (e.g. military press with a barbell and dumbbell front press)
5. At this stage I would not superset exercises except for arms
6. Try and supplement the gym work with push ups and core work at home. You can go from a set of push ups to a plank etc. It should only take 15 mins (if you're able to do this at home, of course)
7. What you eat. And drink. Just reducing or cutting out the bad stuff means you don't have to go on any radical eating plan. Sugars in food and alcohol will kill your progress. Drink tons of water.
Hope this helps and good luck!
32 might be too old to start training for the Olympics, but for personal improvement it's the perfect age.
I can only speak from experience, but for me finding what I was interested in and enjoyed, and getting a good trainer to assess my level of fitness and write me a programme based around my needs was invaluable. Having a programme (or even personal training) is a great way to stay focused and committed. For me the most important factor was that I got interested in it and made it a hobby. I think finding a gym which feels like a comfortable environment is also very important. And never be afraid to ask for advice from those who know what they are doing.
I decided in my late 30's to get stronger. I was doing pushups for years, so I had a big chest and strong triceps, but pretty much everything else needed work, from my legs, to shoulders, to back, etc.. My lifting power was as week as a child's. I saw the guy who owns the gym I go to and I said "give me whatever you're doing". 8 years later and my focus has shifted away from pure powerlifting and towards full body, strongman style stuff (log lift being my favourite) simply because I became really addicted to pushing myself to see how far I can go before age interferes. I am 46 and recovery isn't as good as it would've been at 32, or 22, but I am still improving and am so far beyond what I could have imagined at the start.
OP, what is your swimming like? Up to the point I reached university age I competed to a reasonably high level and have found the ability to swim properly invaluable to fitness through my adult life, especially combined with several 45 minute weight sessions per week.
Swimming utilizes every muscle in the body and provides a broad range of movement which is great for flexibility and fantastic for all round fitness. Unlike other cardio sports like running, it will not negatively impact your joints. Other benefits are that an average adult male provides enough resistance to the water to build a level of muscle too. You can expect your shoulders to broaden, arms to thicken, waist to narrow and lats to broaden. It is however important to have a proper schedule to swim to. I see many people plodding up and down incessantly, which will not yield good results.
I would start with 4-5 days per week (45 minute sessions) alternating between pool and gym. There's no need to go crazy and you will see noticeable results within 1-2 months.
Last edited by Spesh; 1st April 2023 at 12:26.
I'm 62 this year and have being doing pushups, then various combinations of weights along with a 10km row when I get up every morning, 6 days a week, for many years. I usually manage about 3,000km a year on the rower once holidays are deducted which is usually farther than I drive my car!
It's the same routine year in year out with minor tweaks in the weights department, so I'm probably not varying my routine enough to get the maximum benefit from it, but I'm of the opinion that any exercise is better than none at all. I don't like the thought of continuous joint impacts which is why I don't run, and I don't really enjoy cycling which is why I settled on (indoor) rowing. Anything you do is better than nothing.
I use my concept 2 rowing machine pretty much everyday for between 20-40 mins . Works everything with the added bonus of binging Netflix series lol
Thank you for taking the time, some useful advice here I think.
I am overweight... just about, not massively but I am. 14 stone and 6 foot. Yes I do have previous exercise experience, I think by most people's standards I was very fit up until around 23-24, this was due to rugby and running mostly, shoulder injuries put an end to my rugby playing and my fitness suffered, then job pressures increase and a baby comes along, bam I am overweight... doing my best to end the excuses and not end up being a fat sh*t!
Last edited by watchstudent; 1st April 2023 at 20:01.
Just take small steps. You don't have to launch into a full on Rocky 3 training plan. There are some excellent suggestions above too, like swimming and rowing and bodyweight exercises. The biggest barrier at the moment is in your head, telling you to put it off till tomorrow. Honestly, most of the people I've taught at the gym just needed someone to drive them on and tell them that they could do one more rep. Exercise is more psychological than physical, so once you start you'll find it much easier to do it consistently. If you need any tips on a workout plan just PM me.
Echo what others have said small steps will help embed the routine into your day to day. It will help you with sticking to the plan
Also what also worked for me was making sure my diet was sorted so I’m eating as well as possible.
For weights, PPL is working for me well allowing for a good distribution of muscle groups worked coupled with some football and now the weather is better cycling
32 is no age at all, I’m 40 this year and the strongest I’ve been since that’s age targeting a 3 plate squat before I hit the big four zero.
For me, efficiency means avoiding the gym (thus freeing up that travel/change time) and getting set up for home stuff. Weights, erg, running, yoga, etc, combined with a decent HR monitor and a data suite to keep you engaged….
Despite what vested industry interests will tell you, it’s diet to sort out weight. Exercise to sort out fitness.
First four weeks will be hard; you’re going to make significant (permanent, sustainable) changes to your diet and see no gain at all so you won’t have +ve feedback. You need to power on through and trust it’s working.
Suddenly, about week 4/5, you’ll notice improvement. It gets really easy from there - visible improvement, narrowing waistline, comments from others. Just go into it - right now, today - knowing that April is a blind month where you will see no gain, but by May you’ll be on the foothills of the sunny uplands :)
Lots of excellent responses here and you should be able to pick and mix and make something work for you.
I’d also suggest some form of accountability to keep you on track.
I use the app Streaks on my phone to log in every time I do it. The idea is to build up a running streak and habit and not break the chain.
The are lots of other ways and apps for this but I’ve found it useful. You will always find a few minutes to keep the streak even if it is push-ups or bodyweight squats.
Lots of good advice here. But firstly I would address this ^^^^.
If this is under control and you are confident it won’t get worse with what you are planning, crack on.
If not, I suggest seeking advice.
As others have said, find something you can stick with. The best program is the one you will follow and finish.
I guess your 15 minutes of yoga is self taught? To find real benefits of yoga it would be best to take a regular class, and speak to the teacher beforehand.
I started yoga six years ago, I couldn’t sit legs crossed without discomfort. First lesson was a total disaster, didn’t know what I was doing, couldn’t keep up. At the end I told the teacher I couldn’t do it, “yes” she said , “it take time, that’s how it works, see you next week”.
I was lucky to find a good teacher who will explain modifications to poses making them accessible to all.
been doing fasting as in no eating after 8pm at night and no eating before 11-12pm next day
So been doing the crappy 10-20 minute planks, crunches etc... in the morning when I would normally have breakfast (so no need to wake up earlier)
The theory is your body will use its stored energy for this not the food you eat throughout the day
and if you combine with low or no-carbs diet after a few weeks your body fat becomes the fuel for this
you don't see results straight away but I have found my strength builds up quicker this way
There are lots of different opinions here as to what form of exercise you should do, but as someone who lost a significant amount of weight a few years ago (124kg -> 85kg) there are two things that really worked for me:
1) Booking an exercise class rather than simply going to a gym to workout alone created an appointment that I felt I should not miss. For me that made it more likely I would go than make an excuse not to. When I started it was an appointment with a personal trainer, and as I got fitter I joined a CrossFit gym and booked into sessions that started at a certain time. In both cases, the fact that I had a booking at a certain time carried me through on days when I really wanted to miss it. Training with someone else might provide the same encouragement - arranging to meet up with someone else to train at a certain time & place would mean even if I didn't want to, I would go because I wouldn't want to let them down.
2) However much you think exercise is the key to weight loss, it really isn't. It helps, but your diet is the most important factor. Start counting calories of everything you eat / drink. It's a pain to have to weigh everything and work it out, but there are apps that help, and without this knowledge it is so much harder. Counting calories will educate as well as inform, and you'll be surprised how soon you start wanting to make better decisions on what you eat.
As for what exercise, it doesn't really matter what form of exercise it is as long as it's something you enjoy. It won't matter how motivated you think you are, unless it's something you enjoy you'll struggle to develop it into a routine you can take forward longterm.
As others have said, consistency, routine and diet are everything.
I am 35, I work 5 days a week (in the office!). I barely squeeze in 3 gym sessions per week, usually less an hour.
I’ve tried many options and have settled on the Greyskull routine, Brontoswolus variant: here: https://i.imgur.com/EtDI4aP.png
It’s mostly compound movements, I superset to reduce overall time. E.G I will perform 1 set of Bench Press then immediately do 1 set of Rows. Rest for 90 seconds, bench then immediately rows etc.
As time has gone and my knowledge has increased, I’ve added some things to the options in the above image
I do yoga on the weekend, ideally 30-60m. Yoga is an absolute godsend!
Resources:
- Stronglifts app has been recommended and is good, I prefer an app called Pegasus, very similar but has more variety & control.
- MyFitnessPal App is your friend! Losing weight is simply Calorie In vs Calorie Out. If you consume fewer calories than you use, you will lose wait. It’s that simple.
- DownDog Yoga App, it's by far my favourite way to do Yoga, endlessly customisable - good for focusing on leg flexibility or hip or chest or back, whatever. I recommend Hatha Yoga.
MyFitnessPal helps you log how many calories you’re eating. Don’t obsess over being perfect to the single calorie, as long as you’re in a good calorie deficit over a long enough period of time, you will lose weight.
To add to that: Eating -1000 calories a day will lose you weight but is also very difficult, better to eat at a 200 cal deficit in my experience. It will take longer but will have less of an impact on your mood.
As has been mentioned, fasting is unbelievably good for managing calorie intake. I do intermittent fasting and it’s far, far easier than you think. I used to be convinced I couldn’t function without breakfast… now I don’t eat anything until lunchtime and I have more energy than ever.
Personally, I'm a huge fan of good old-fashioned calisthenics.
One of the resources I keep going back to more than any other is:
Convict Conditioning.
Don't let the title put you off.
Non-Convicts can benefit from it too =)
I like how it focuses on progression. Most people will be able to start wherever they find themselves and with regular practice increase their strength.
Best of all you need zero equipment and you can do it pretty much wherever you are.
Well, apart from pullups, you just need to get creative.
Add some regular brisk walks and follow Michael Pollen's guide to food:
- Eat real food
- Not too much
- Mainly Veggies
And you'll see things moving in the right direction.
Anyway...
...Just my 2 pennies' worth.
Good luck =)
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