My new workout.

So here's the new routine. Not really that new...perhaps 8 months old.

Run, or as the physical trainers call it "cardio", three and if I'm lucky, four times a week. One mile warm-up/cool-down and two miles of actually running, which is all I can muster in one stint...20 minutes max on the running part.

Circuit training. I've emerged from the middle ages doing away with my antiquated anaerobic regimen. I think I've mentioned this before but my previous routine, which was getting old to the point that my body simply no longer responded to it, was a typical late 80's early 90's weight lifting routine which involved:
1. Separating body parts into muscle groups; chest/tri's, back/bi's/forearms, abs, legs.
2. Exercise one body part every 4-5 days and rotating the other muscle groups in a never ending cyclic pattern; ie.
Day 1: Chest/tri's
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Back/bi's/forearms
Day 4: Abs/legs
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Start all over again.
3. The basic premise being you completely blow out the muscle group and allow your body to recover before you blow it out again....and it got downright boring. No matter how I changed it up, whether I used dumbbells or barbells, changed hand positions, did fly's instead of press, or used Nautilus machines vs. free weights, my body simply got accustomed to the motion in a matter of weeks.

So, enter Circuit Training:
Totally different philosophy. You workout EVERY muscle group EVERY TIME. Of course I was sceptical given I was soo used to doing 24 sets of just one muscle group instead of 7-8 a night, but given your doing the muscle group 3 times over 6-7 days instead of only once, that's 24 sets right there!

Here's the new routine, sorry if this is completely uninteresting. This is why I'm a goober. Also note that unlike older routines which allow for 60-120 seconds of rest between sets, with circuit training, you blast out the sets with, at the most, 15 seconds or rest, or the time it takes for you to walk to the next station. You use that time to deep breath (or catch your breath) and stretch the muscle. BTW, optimally, your heart rate should be at around 80% capacity, or pulse rate at around 90 BPM.

Day 1:

Set 1: Warm-up, 10 reps, flat bench dumbbell press 75 lbs.
Set 2: Warm-up, 10 reps, wide grip pull ups, slow.
Set 3: Warm-up, 10 reps, military press dumbbell 45 lbs.
Set 4: Warm-up, 10 reps, seated calf raises Nautilus machine 80 lbs.
Set 5: 20 crunches.
Set 6: 6-8 reps, flat bench dumbbell press 85 lbs.
Set 7: Wide grip pull ups, slow and held at the apex, reps to muscle failure.
Set 8: 6-8 military press dumbbell 55 lbs.
Set 9: Seated calf raises Nautilus machine 100 lbs. reps to muscle failure...this one is quite a rush BTW.
Set 10: 20 leg lifts.
Set 11: Flat bench dumbbell press 95 lbs. reps to muscle failure.
Set 12: Wide grip pull ups, slow and held at the apex, reps to muscle failure.
Set 13: Military press dumbbell 65 lbs. reps to muscle failure
Set 14: Seated calf raises Nautilus machine 120 lbs. reps to muscle failure.
Set 15: 20 incline crunches
Set 16: Cable flys 110 lbs....immediately followed by
Set 17: Dips to failure
Set 18: Standing shrugs 180 lbs. to failure...this one kills me.
Set 19: Front lat raises 20 lbs. to failure...immediately followed by
Set 20: Hammer curls 20 lbs. 8 reps
Set 21: Cable flys 120 lbs to failure...immediately followed by
Set 22: Dips to failure
Set 23: Seated shrugs 200 lbs. to failure...I'm dying by now.
Set 24: Front lat raises 22.5 lbs to failure....immediately followed by
Set 25: Hammer curls 22.5 lbs to failure
Set 26: Cable flys 110 lbs. to failure...at this point, I'm probably doing only 4 reps cause my upper body is seizing.
Set 27: Dips to failure....maybe 5 max at this point.
Set 28: Dumbbell shrugs 140 lbs. to failure...I'm lucky to be doing 5 at this point.
Set 29: Front lat raises 20 lbs, to failure...KILL ME
and FINALLY
Set 30: Hammer curls 20 lbs....if I can bust out with 2 reps, I'm good.

Now this is DAY ONE. Day TWO, rest. Day THREE, it's the same cycle but you replace the previous exercises with these:
1. Flat bench dumbbell with BARBELL, 205 lbs.
2. Wide grip pull-ups with NARROW grip
3. Military press with BARBELL press 115 lbs.
4. Keep AB workout the same.
5. Seated calf raises with STANDING, same weight
6. Cable flys with NAUTILUS flys, same weight
7. Keep DIPS
8. Shrugs with SEATED CABLE ROWS
9. Lat raises with BENT OVER RAISES, same weight
10. And keep hammer curls.

Day FOUR, rest. Day 5, you start all over again!

As you can see, I'm doing the MAJOR exercises utilizing classic movements. No need to diversify or concentrate on minor or secondary muscle groups. It's just not necessary given the passive development...ex. no need to do tri's when we're doing presses and dips to failure.

To summarize, my body is completely destroyed after every workout. There is no way I can do any lifting the next day. The circuit, despite the number of exercises, moves you very quickly through the stations (and your panting throughout) and has you out the door in 40 minutes flat. Your body simply can't do or lift anymore at that point.

I do away with legs cause I run, and on my days off of running, I couldn't do legs anyway.

All in all, working out has been a steady, necessary, and consistent part of my life for close to 18 years. After about 7 days, I actually feel SICK if I don't do something associated with body movement and/or strenuous physical activity. And needless to say, I'm pretty much ripped at this point AND been gaining some muscle weight too....and eating like a starved PIG to boot. My wife pokes my nearly non-existent love-handles cause I think she wants to see a full-on six pack like JAMES on Survivor China....JEEZ, that guy is shredded. But I don't think my DNA will allow for a 6-pack, no matter what I do. Anywayz, I'm happy with a 2-pack and a paunch.

I gotta get back to work now....hehe.