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[katiesuarez]

I was wondering if I could have some help setting up a good routine. I run five miles in the morning most days of the week. I bike outside on my off days. I do dumbbell extensions twice a week with a 20lb weight for my triceps (push-ups are too difficult). I just bought a Total Gym 1700 so I could build up some more muscle. It has exercises that will work every muscle group so I would like to get rid of the dumbbells. I am 5’10” and 142 pounds and I will be 31 in July. I’ve heard your metabolism really starts to slow down around 35 so I want to get my butt in gear before it’s too late. I’m just not sure how often I need to work each muscle group and which ones I should work together. Also, based on my height, weight and activity level, how much protein and calories should I consume everyday? I try to aim for 80g of protein, 30-40g of fat and 2000 calories. I have a pretty clean diet: mostly chicken, fish, skim milk, yogurt, almonds, walnuts, high fiber carbs, fruit and veggies. I try to avoid anything with hydrogenated oils and nitrates. I take a fish oil supplement everyday and I drink a gallon of water everyday. Does anyone have any recommendations?

[Boss Man]

2,000 calories a day sounds fine, although 80g of Protein is too low I think to adequately build, so you're potentially eating too higher amounts of Carbs, within the given 2,000 calorie limit.

I would be looking in that instance to swap about 40g Carbs per day, and add 40g Protein per day. Don't be tempted to do this with one meal either, so if you have say 6 meals a day, spread the changes out over 5-6 of your meals, so your ratios remain pretty similar, rather than, potentially having one meal with almost no Carbs in it, because you did a straight Carbs to Protein swap.

This should be pretty easy, as you're looking at about 8 Grams of Protein per 5 meals, for every 8g Carbs, to make that change more spread through out the day.

As an example, that's like replacing about 8g of Rice Carbs, for another 1OZ of Turkey, and just making that Rice portion smaller.

You won't really lose much benefit from the slight reduction in Carbs, but the additional Protein / Amino Acids, will assist you in development, if you're eating 120 grams a day, not 80, and by doing this measured and simple Caloric swap, you'll keep Calories about the same, so no worries about your intake possibly slipping a little over or under, where you'd like it to be.

As for the Dumbbells, don't get rid of them, or you're just reducing the type of exercises you can do.

Free weighted exercises, often are more productive or good for technqiue purposes over Machines, though Machines can allow for more weight, in many cases for someone training alone, a safer option.

An example being Barbell Squats, in comparison to Smth Squats. I mean it's pheasible someone Barbell Squatting, might be able to get a max level of weight, over their Head and onto their Upper Back, but after a set, when the Arms have been surely fatigued, having that weight loadbearing on them to some degree, whilst they're static, could the person get the weight back off the Upper Back safely, assuming they'd gotten it there safely on their own.

Chances are they might have to roll the Weight down their Back, which i dangerous, so therefore Smith Squatting would be a safer choice, or one / two handed DB Squats.

So unless your Dumbbells are like kiddie weights, and only good for a 14 year old female, don't pitch them, as they may well be more benficial to use, as alternatives to some of the bells, whistles and snazzy add-ons your new kit's got with it.

[katiesuarez]

I should also add that I drink a protein shake right after I workout in the morning. It has 200 calories, 2 grams of fat and 30 grams of protein. Should I just double this to get the extra protein or will that make me gain weight? Also, which muscle groups should I work together and for how many days a week?

[swanso5]

- keep doing db work w/ your total gym
- protein needs to get to at 120g/day
- 2000 cal's are about right maybe even a little less as your only small
- don't double shake just have more protein per meal during the day
- for training a 3 x week full body plan or a 4 x week 2 x lower/upper body program is the way to go depending on how many days a week you can and want to train

[katiesuarez]

I like to exercise everyday, but if you think weight training is too much seven days a week, then I will do it for four.

[Boss Man]

Weight training shouldn't happen 7 days a week. Exercise shouldn't really either, unless you're training for say a marathon, or a Boxing match something like that, then you might need to.

Some people do 5-6 days, like this perhaps.

Day 1. Chest

Day 2. Back

Day 3. Legs

Day 4. Triceps

Day 5. Biceps

Day 6. Shoulders

On a 5 day split, day 5 would often be Bi's / Tri's

On a 4 day split, you might do one of two things.

Two upper body, two lower body workouts.

Or a split

For example.

Chest / Shoulders / Triceps.

Legs / Back / Biceps

Both workouts done 2x a week

Then your 3 day split.

Chest / Triceps

Back / Shoulders

Legs / Biceps

In your case I'd say you can stick to 4 days, and go Upper Lower 2x, or the alternative like I suggested, with 2 workouts, 3 bodyparts for each, both workouts done twice weekly, so you'd never really need to exceed 3-4 sets per body part, around 6-8 sets a week.

This gives you at least 2 non-weights days in the week to do Cardio, so only 1-2 workouts would then have a Cardio session afterwards, and finally one day off a week of absolutely nothing. No serious exercise, for recouperation purposes.

That's just telling you the common types of splits, as I've seen or read of in my time, some people might do certain alternatives, like Shoulders with Legs, Biceps with Back as an example, but I think 4 days for you in either of the two ways described, should work fine.

You shouldn't then give your Nervous system, too much work each week.

[katiesuarez]

Thanks for the advice.