I got into working out a few years ago after a motorcycle accident. I was never really out of shape, per se’, but I didn’t take an active role in being in shape. I was always the skinny kid growing up, and at 6’1” and only about 165-170 lbs, I was kinda lanky. I was always active (hiking, biking, etc), but not really strong.
Anyway, I tried a couple of free gym memberships, but with work, kids, and the hustle of daily life, I could never find the time to actually get to the gym. Couldn’t go before work, due to getting the family off to school and work. Couldn’t do it right after work because 5-8 pm was when they were busiest. And didn’t want to go after the evening rush, because it just got too late for me, and still fulfill family obligations, or take care of household chores.
What I ended up doing was buying a home gym set-up, which for me meant a Bowflex unit initially. Now, I go down to the basement whenever I want, and workout anywhere between 30-60 minutes, 4 times a week. I’ve also accumulated a treadmill (hate it, but the wife loves it), a spin-bike (love it), and a couple of pull-up bars. Over the last 3 years, I’ve put on 15 lbs of muscle, and at 47, I’m in the best shape of my life.
My routine usually consists of 10-15 minutes of cardio on the bike, then 30-60 minutes of weight training on the Bowflex. I’ll also throw in some pull-ups and body-weight exercises (push-ups, sit-ups, burpees, etc). At least once a week, I’ll put a full 45 min of cardio on the bike. And once the weather breaks, I’ll get the mountain bike out, and put on 5-10 miles on the road or trails, as time permits.
Weight wise, I push myself with reps, instead of going to failure. I’ve maxed out many of my exercises, as far as weight goes, so the only way to get to failure is by reps. And even then, I much prefer to go for a full body workout than focusing on size of any particular muscle group.
Im no fitness guru by any stretch of the imagination. I’m also not a body builder. But I can tell you what i’ve learned to this point:
Results take time and dedication. You gotta force yourself to keep on it, even when it’s been a long day and you just want to be lazy. You can skip a workout here and there, but don’t let it become habit.
Your choice of exercises and equipment is less important than doing the work. Get up and start doing it, even if you’re just working with your own body weight. You can find the equipment that works for you as you develop, and figure out what your goals are. Heck, you can do basic curls with gallon milk jugs filled with water - 8lbs is 8lbs and your body doesn’t care if it’s dumbells, milk jugs, or Home Depot buckets filled with bricks - the muscles will respond to the work you put in.
If you want to put on any mass, you gotta take mass in. This was hard for me. I have a fairly fast metabolism to begin with, compounded with the fact that I’m not a huge eater. When I started, I was working on a calorie deficit. I had to force myself to eat more in order to put on some mass.
Set some realistic goals. For me it was a target weight. Once I hit that, I bumped the target up some. Bit it can be anything - body weight, waist size, muscle mass, or whatever - just make them achievable. Once you hit them, set new ones.
Take pictures. When I started, I took a photo in the mirror every week. From one week to the next, I couldn’t see much difference, but when I compared the first photos to ones 4 weeks, 8 weeks, or 6 months out, I was amazed at how much I’d accomplished. This also applies to tracking your weight, BMI, reps, or anything else you wanna track. Being able to look back and see the results over time is a great way to keep you motivated.
Realize that you will go through peaks and valleys, and hit plateaus. The first month or so, you’ll most likely see big results (providing you’re doing the work), but eventually you’ll hit a wall for a bit. This is completely natural, but can be a bit discouraging when you go for a few weeks without any gains. It just means your body has found a natural balance for the work you’re doing, the calories you’re taking in, and your metabolism. At this point, you can either continue doing what you’re doing, and simply maintain, or change things up a bit to keep progressing. Do heavier or more reps. Eat more. Add more cardio. Or just change the routine.
Finally, research what you want to accomplish. I’m constantly Googling ideas for new workouts, reading magazines for tips and hints, or just asking people I know for what is working for them. I take it all in, and figure out what works for me and what doesn’t.
Don’t know how much of this you already know, or how much it helps, but good luck with it. I know it’s more than you asked for, so take it as just my journey for what worked for me. The big thing is, if you take nothing else away from my long winded post, is just get started and take it from there. If it’s not working, make some adjustments until it does.
