STEROID
12-22-2011, 03:56 AM
The Old Man Routine
Take a ride in the Wayback Machine…
Remember back to your teens and twenties, you used to hit the weights like a madman. Your body looked good, and you felt great. That was before the pressures of work, children, marriage, and the onset of age kicked in.
Now you are in your late 30’s or beyond, out of shape, sluggish and generally feel like crap. You want to get back into the gym, but don’t know if your body can handle the hardcore programs that flood the bodybuilding forums.
The Old Man Routine is for you.
Some points to think about when beginning The Old Man Routine:
1) Reduced Training Frequency. You need not work each bodypart less than every 6-7 days. Allow time for your aging/aching/out-of-shape joints to recover.
2) Progression. It may take you longer to progress in weight than when you were young, but you must try. Attempt to increase reps and/or weight for each exercises from workout to workout. Because you have had such a long layoff, (or maybe you’ve never trained) you don’t need a fancy routine. Stick with simple progression.
3) 6 Months. Stick with this program for at least 6 months, or more if you are still regularly progressing in poundages. Then, at that time, assess your progress and newly recovered fitness level, and adjust your routine to fit your capabilities and needs.
4) No Failure. Do not train to failure. Train one rep shy of failure at most. You are out of shape, and will make very good progress in the next year. Training to failure only taxes your body unnecessarily, and increases the risk of injury.
5) Nothing Fancy. No heavy duty training. No supersets. No giant sets. No training body parts three times a week. No German volume training. No HST. No powerlifting training. Keep it simple, and get back in lifting shape. Then, when you begin to learn what your body is capable of, alter course as needed.
6) Metabolism. If you want to pack on mass as an old geiser, you must be willing to monitor your caloric intake like a hawk. Your metabolism isn’t what it used to be, and bulking up on calories may lead to rapid fat gain. I recommend purchasing a skin-fold caliper and monitoring your body composition weekly. Try to find a comfort zone, 300-500 calories above maintenance level, that will allow you to gain muscle without gaining fat.
7) Cardio. Perform 20 minutes of cardio a week. Better overall fitness will only increase your lifting and metabolism. This is a great fat-fighting aid for the aging as you attempt to gain muscle.
Take a ride in the Wayback Machine…
Remember back to your teens and twenties, you used to hit the weights like a madman. Your body looked good, and you felt great. That was before the pressures of work, children, marriage, and the onset of age kicked in.
Now you are in your late 30’s or beyond, out of shape, sluggish and generally feel like crap. You want to get back into the gym, but don’t know if your body can handle the hardcore programs that flood the bodybuilding forums.
The Old Man Routine is for you.
Some points to think about when beginning The Old Man Routine:
1) Reduced Training Frequency. You need not work each bodypart less than every 6-7 days. Allow time for your aging/aching/out-of-shape joints to recover.
2) Progression. It may take you longer to progress in weight than when you were young, but you must try. Attempt to increase reps and/or weight for each exercises from workout to workout. Because you have had such a long layoff, (or maybe you’ve never trained) you don’t need a fancy routine. Stick with simple progression.
3) 6 Months. Stick with this program for at least 6 months, or more if you are still regularly progressing in poundages. Then, at that time, assess your progress and newly recovered fitness level, and adjust your routine to fit your capabilities and needs.
4) No Failure. Do not train to failure. Train one rep shy of failure at most. You are out of shape, and will make very good progress in the next year. Training to failure only taxes your body unnecessarily, and increases the risk of injury.
5) Nothing Fancy. No heavy duty training. No supersets. No giant sets. No training body parts three times a week. No German volume training. No HST. No powerlifting training. Keep it simple, and get back in lifting shape. Then, when you begin to learn what your body is capable of, alter course as needed.
6) Metabolism. If you want to pack on mass as an old geiser, you must be willing to monitor your caloric intake like a hawk. Your metabolism isn’t what it used to be, and bulking up on calories may lead to rapid fat gain. I recommend purchasing a skin-fold caliper and monitoring your body composition weekly. Try to find a comfort zone, 300-500 calories above maintenance level, that will allow you to gain muscle without gaining fat.
7) Cardio. Perform 20 minutes of cardio a week. Better overall fitness will only increase your lifting and metabolism. This is a great fat-fighting aid for the aging as you attempt to gain muscle.