home gym routine

[66fyssh]

Does anybody have a Total Gym

We have one! Had it for a few years. My wife wanted something (I think that something was Chuck Norris, lol) but she has a challenging time getting up from down there. I keep telling her start slow and soon she'll be able to get up easier! I've done a couple workouts on it. I like it, just have to make the commitment to do it. Sure was nice in the military doing PT as part of the workday!!

By the way, it's in our "classroom" where my wife home schools our grandson.

 

[tinman2]

Gym equipment is important but your gym partner is much more important!!!

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I took an interest in nutrition and fitness about 40 years ago. Have tried lots of different exercises and menus. My wife starting cutting me off around 2000. By 2004, as she developed some health issues, the physical relationship was over.

Equipment: I had a squat rack with lat pull down and seated row attachment. A bench with leg extension and leg curl attachments Also a pullup/dip stand. And a dumbell set going from 3lb. up to 50lbs.

Best routine: I pushed ahead with my workouts and eventually came across AthleanX on youtube. I ordered his program and it turned out to be by far the best I have ever experienced. I wasn't sure about it at first. I didn't think 45 minute workouts were enough. But the strength and stamina results were great.

Motivation: It was difficult to keep going just for myself. Then my wife's niece (not blood related to me) moved in with us. She was really fit with slightly less up top and slightly more backside than the picture above. She could do 20+ pullups easily. Crunches all day. And every time I went to workout, she would put on her workout clothes I guess just to tease me. Dang! I'm guessing my testosterone went through the roof. In a very short time, at 60 years old, I was in the best condition of my life. I was lifting 50% heavier weights than I ever had. I had a visible six pack for the first time in my life. I could easily jog and sprint on a treadmill for 30 minutes. I felt happiness that I didn't understand, and slept better than I ever remember. Then I read that testosterone level is key to this.

Well, the wife's niece found a new boyfriend, and moved in with him. When I would show my wife what I had accomplished, she would just roll her eyes at me and ask "Why do you want to look like that?". Motivation gone. Testosterone gone. Fitness gone. Sold my equipment. A quick 7 years later and I get short of breath just walking up a flight of stairs.

 

[diymirage]

You’ll use it for the first bit or so and then, eventually by next Spring, it will sit unused and be a massive dust collector, clothes rack or car parts hanger. Most home workout equipment goes unused after a while......

well, here we are, three years later and im still using it
i will admit there has been times where it set dormant for a few weeks, maybe even a month but ive always been getting back into it

in fact, my boy just turned 13 a few weeks ago and me and him have been working out together
pretty cool

been about two weeks and i think ive been using it a good 5 days a week
heres the routine im using

800 reps on the bike as a warm up

then 3 sets of 10-15 reps of the following

low pulley shrugs, #4 (60 lbs)
preacher curls, #4 (60 lbs)
leg extensions, #6 (80 lbs)
flat chest press, #6 (96 lbs)
butterflies, #6 (40 lb per arm)
behind the neck pull down, #6 (80 lbs)
frontal pull down, #7 (90 lbs)
high pulley ab crunch #6 (80 lbs)


then i add this 7 minute abb work out



and finally 400 more reps on the bike to cool down

the whole drill take me about an hour and 15 minutes

havent noticed any weight changes, or flattening of the stomach, but i have noticed some muscle growth on my arms

so, where are we a few years later?
new numbers in red

low pulley shrugs, #4 (60 lbs) #9, 110 lbs
preacher curls, #4 (60 lbs) #6, 80 lbs
leg extensions, #6 (80 lbs) somehow this one got out of the mix
flat chest press, #6 (96 lbs) #8, 122 lbs
butterflies, #6 (40 lb per arm) #8, 50 lbs per arm
behind the neck pull down, #6 (80 lbs) #11, 130 lbs
frontal pull down, #7 (90 lbs) #10, 120 lbs
high pulley ab crunch #6 (80 lbs) #7, 90 lbs

so im pretty pleased to see there is some gain there, but i did stop doing the athlean, man, that was just brutal

Kitty and I have been thinking about getting one of the Total Gym models. We have a nice treadmill. It's not always nice out for a walk so we could take advantage of those inside. Does anybody have a Total Gym? you know, the Chuck Norris one?

if i would start over id look into a blowflex, i have seen probably a half dozen for free over the last year on craigslist

 

[rumblefish360]

That's pretty impressive for pushing 70! Keep it up! I carried my bare block up the stairs and mounted it to the engine stand without a lift. I'm young tho I don't think I will be able to do that stuff when I'm 50 plus lol

When I was young and very dumb…. I was able to pick up and entire 318 and roll it over the trunk lip into my Magnum. Some fella came running up for the last bit of the engine to clear the turn I lip. I took it apart to get it out. That was my absolute maximum effort.

Today? 30 years later, I twist the wrong way and I’m my back for 10.

When I would show my wife what I had accomplished, she would just roll her eyes at me and ask "Why do you want to look like that?". Motivation gone. Testosterone gone. Fitness gone. Sold my equipment. A quick 7 years later and I get short of breath just walking up a flight of stairs.

I did it for me way back…. Do it again for yourself.
Stay healthier.

 

[rumblefish360]

An old thread revived! And a good one.

I’m starting back up. Following a Co-workers advice. Since he has been a life long body builder and have known him for 33 years, and we have always gotten along great, I figure he was my best bet on honest advice.

When I told him what I’m doing, he asked if I was crazy. I asked him why. He laughed at me saying, “Bobby, your not young anymore, (more laughing) at your age with your injuries, trust me, 20lbs for your curls and such exercises.”

He then pointed out that he gave this advice to a couple of the other fellas in the shop and I gotta tell ya, these guys looked great. He said “Go ask them.” And so I did.

Vinny is Da-Man! Light and many reps.

 

[3forty]

Kitty and I have been thinking about getting one of the Total Gym models. We have a nice treadmill. It's not always nice out for a walk so we could take advantage of those inside. Does anybody have a Total Gym? you know, the Chuck Norris one?

What are you getting first,the new tv or the Chuck Norris total gym, lol

 

[diymirage]

It's awesome that the customer service from Marcy was top-notch, it's always a plus when companies go the extra mile for their customers.

did i mention their customer service?
(its been a while since i have read through this entire thread, but if i did i will simply repeat myself)

when i had just gotten the machine one of the cables was fraying (the sheathing, not the cable itself)
i called them and they send one out free of charge

then a few of the bearings on the pulleys got loud and they send me a new set of those

finally, a month or so ago i broke the preacher curl pad and i had to order a new one (of course, at this point i have had the machine for three years and it wasnt brand new when i got it)
so i had to pay for that one, i think with shipping i paid 30 dollars and change

good luck finding one somewhere else for close that

An old thread revived! And a good one.

I’m starting back up. Following a Co-workers advice. Since he has been a life long body builder and have known him for 33 years, and we have always gotten along great, I figure he was my best bet on honest advice.

When I told him what I’m doing, he asked if I was crazy. I asked him why. He laughed at me saying, “Bobby, your not young anymore, (more laughing) at your age with your injuries, trust me, 20lbs for your curls and such exercises.”

He then pointed out that he gave this advice to a couple of the other fellas in the shop and I gotta tell ya, these guys looked great. He said “Go ask them.” And so I did.

Vinny is Da-Man! Light and many reps.

so what kind of reps are you doing?

 

[rumblefish360]

so what kind of reps are you doing?

Just starting back up, actually yesterday was the first time touching the weights in about 4 months… not knowing where my muscles were at exactly & trying to avoid a lot of sore muscles…

3 sets of 10 repetitions. No ill effects this morning. We will see what tomorrow brings. I’m f all goes well, more repetition will be added. I try and limit exercise time to an hour. It should be more than enough time. But some days (LOL) I’m just sluggish and it takes a little longer to get everything in.

Yesterday I worked on biceps, triceps, forearms, shoulders press via exercises called “Arnies” as described to me. Upper back and shoulder shrugs.I was worn out a bit and didn’t get to the chest with dumb bells in what should have been 30 lbs each.

Today will be crunches, legs and a few “Superman” exercises.

There will be some bicycle riding on n the future while the weather lasts here.

Diet wise it’s normally 2 hard boiled eggs, salt pepper & hot sauce, 2 slices of toast, butter substitute. 2 cups of coffee.
Lunch is healthy, not fast food. A slice of (2 max) pizza or a small hero. A no carb or starch dinner. Meat, veggie. That’s it.
Any snacks in between are protein bars IF need be. Low calorie and low or better yet NO cholesterol bars.

A long ways back, I was 215lbs, felt a little crappy, followed Vinny’s advice which is slightly different but mostly what I wrote above, and add in a 5 mile bicycle ride to the gym, 1-1-1/2 hour work out, 5 mile pedal back home.

Vinny suggested a slight modification to my eating. That’s when things happened a little faster. I dropped to 170lbs.
Thin and ripped I was. It took 9 months to drop the 45 lbs.

Before I put the weights down, I was 199 lbs @ 5’8”/9”.
I hadn’t weighed myself in a while and I was feeling that I should and seen the weight. I was like - “Freak this crap! I ain’t going there again!”

Through diet mostly, I managed a clear 10-12 lbs. weighed myself the same time every day after breakfast and the morning dump on the throne and butt naked. So I’m at 189 as an average. Only A pound or to variance is what I see.

When I was down at 170, I looked great. Didn’t feel great. I added 10 lbs and felt great. 180 is my comfort weight. Minor love handles. I’ll have to live with them I think. Going to try 170 again.

 

[tinman2]

When I was young and very dumb…. I was able to pick up and entire 318 and roll it over the trunk lip into my Magnum. Some fella came running up for the last bit of the engine to clear the turn I lip. I took it apart to get it out. That was my absolute maximum effort.

Today? 30 years later, I twist the wrong way and I’m my back for 10.



I did it for me way back…. Do it again for yourself.
Stay healthier.

I hear you. I remember loading a Ford 289 block by myself into the back of my Plymouth Arrow. That was when I was hanging out with my Hemi pro stock buddies. They were amazed because they weren't carrying those Hemi blocks.

As far as exercising, it bothers my wife that she's not able to exercise with me. And the more fit I got, the more insecure she became. But it's ok. We have a great relationship other than physical. But when I was in my forties, I wasn't ready to give it up.

 

[rumblefish360]

I hope the relationship ship gets better and better for you. It’s hard sometimes. My wife is in the same boat. It’s her own doing. Despite what I say, LMAO! There’s always an excuse. They don’t hold any water.

I’m now 56 and I’m not ready to give it up ether. The hardest part as most know and have said is to just simply do it and do it consistently.