Expert: Brian - 11/14/2006

Question
Thanks for the advice.  Medical exam has been done and am only 15 lbs overweight.  Doctor has said to go ahead with weight lifting, etc.  Gym going to has Nautilus type machines, free weights and bikes, elliptical, etc.

Question I have is, could you fill in the specific or suggested weights and procedure to use?  If you tell me seated row, incline bench, etc I can for definitions and examples from the gym which has a trainer to be manning the desk.

Glen
-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
What program or schedule would work for someone who has done light lifting for 5 years, but is now ready to get fit for the next 50 years.  Would like to actually add inches to chest, arms, legs, and trim waist. Male.
-----Answer-----
Hi Glen. Adding muscle is not that easy at your (or my!) age. You can make some gains, but I wouldn't expect miracles.

The best thing you can do is make sure that working out is a consistent part of your "lifestyle." I recommend working out at least 5 days per week.

A good program would look like this:
Day 1 - chest
Day 2 - back
Day 3 - legs
Day 4 - shoulders
Day 5 - biceps & triceps

Each day you would be doing 4 different exercises for the day's muscle group(s), for 4-6 sets of 8 reps. Such a workout should take around an hour.

If you have weight to lose, you'd want to keep the rest between sets short (a minute or less). This will make the workout more "aerobic" in nature, and more calorie burning.

Since I have no idea what kind of shape you're in now, I'd recommend a medical exam before starting a program like this.

--Brian

Answer
Glen - Choosing specific exercises is really a matter of personal preference. The amount of weight you use for each exercise will depend on your ability--in general you should use an amount of weight that makes doing the sets challenging but not impossible. There will be a bit of trial and error, needless to say. Use a notebook so you can remember how much weight you used.

I'd ask your trainer to show you 4 different chest exercises. Some of them you may like, some you may just hate. If you just hate it, get some ideas (from a trainer or someone else) about other exercises you could substitute.

--Brian