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I recently started back to the gym after a few (?) years off. I am 45 years old. I have down 4 rounds of p90x over the last 8 years, but wanted to get back in the gym. I took weightlifting in high school (1990 ish), and no matter what I did, I was never able to develop chest muscles (at least what I envisioned). Right now, I have created my own workout which consists of dumbbell presses, fly's, cable fly's, and pushups. I am 5'-8", 190, shooting for 175-ish. I realize some of the development is good genes, and the fact that I am 45 cuts down on building muscle as fast as I used to. Are there different exercises I should try? In the end, I know its what you put into the workout..
I know you're asking specifically about chest exercises but what are you doing for back/posterior chain, legs, etc? Chest exercises alone will only get you so far in getting from 190 to 175. What you're going for is doable even at 45, especially with a more comprehensive regimen. And of course, the part nobody likes to hear, you may have to make some changes to your dietary habits too.
Specific to your chest exercises you're actually doing, what kind of weight are you moving? How many sets/reps are you doing?
I am only on week 2. I did 4 sets, 15 reps with 25 lbs on the presses, 4 sets 13-15 reps
(20 lbs) on the flys. I am also doing lat pull downs, 4 sets, 12 reps at 100 lbs, and dips until failure.
Legs, I do leg press, 3 sets, 12 reps, 235 lbs, dumbbell lunges, 25 reps, leg extensions, 3 sets, 15 reps, 60 lbs. I did barbell squats one week, but didn't get much enjoyment from my knees.
I am working on the diet portion too. I gave up soda 3 years ago. That dumped 15 lbs right there. I don't eat fast food..but there is still room for improvement.
Unless you develop very large powerful chest, it will look comic to have developed pecs. So deep bench presses with controlled breathing. As you expend chest from the inside with air taken in. Plus, proper BP form elevates rib cage. I used to place half round piece of foam on the bench, to allow arms to go farther back doing flies.
next will be pullovers. But done across the bench, with bench centered roughly at the bottom of your shoulder blades. Then you lower weight down and behind your head, continuously inhaling. After few of those, you WILL notice how your chest pops out and does not want to go back.
"Right now, I have created my own workout which consists of..."
Sigh...Once again, someone lacking knowledge goes out and creates their own workout, instead of just using the numerous proven routines created, tweaked, and recommended by experts and proven strength champions who have decades of strength training experience.
I am only on week 2. I did 4 sets, 15 reps with 25 lbs on the presses, 4 sets 13-15 reps
(20 lbs) on the flys. I am also doing lat pull downs, 4 sets, 12 reps at 100 lbs, and dips until failure.
Legs, I do leg press, 3 sets, 12 reps, 235 lbs, dumbbell lunges, 25 reps, leg extensions, 3 sets, 15 reps, 60 lbs. I did barbell squats one week, but didn't get much enjoyment from my knees.
I am working on the diet portion too. I gave up soda 3 years ago. That dumped 15 lbs right there. I don't eat fast food..but there is still room for improvement.
You will get different recommendations from different people here. Different things work for different people. My chest never grew until I started using some type of pec-dec machine or cable crossover flyes.
Bench press was never enough for me to stimulate chest development.
First of all, you haven't been at this long enough to make a difference. Second, where is bench press in your workout?
Your weights are way too light and you are doing too many reps. Focus on 5-8 reps to failure for upper and lower body.
Dips are good but you want to progress to weighted dips. Again 5-8 reps to failure. Forget about the push-ups, do bench presses instead.
Instead of the lat pulldowns, try pull ups. They will probably be very difficult but keep trying. Do some lat pull downs after you can't do a single pull-up.
Be careful about the leg extensions. Many people think they are one of the worst exercises you can do. My guess is 60 lbs. is too much for you and you're jerking the weight, which can injure your knees.
I am only on week 2. I did 4 sets, 15 reps with 25 lbs on the presses, 4 sets 13-15 reps
(20 lbs) on the flys. I am also doing lat pull downs, 4 sets, 12 reps at 100 lbs, and dips until failure.
Legs, I do leg press, 3 sets, 12 reps, 235 lbs, dumbbell lunges, 25 reps, leg extensions, 3 sets, 15 reps, 60 lbs. I did barbell squats one week, but didn't get much enjoyment from my knees.
I'm glad to see you're not just focusing on chest. There's a lot of room to improve what you're doing though. You may have noticed boxus' comment:
Quote:
Originally Posted by boxus
"Right now, I have created my own workout which consists of..."
Sigh...Once again, someone lacking knowledge goes out and creates their own workout, instead of just using the numerous proven routines created, tweaked, and recommended by experts and proven strength champions who have decades of strength training experience.
This forum gets a lot of people asking questions or inviting others to critique their workout plan. A lot of times people attempt to reinvent fitness when there's a lot of good info out there for free. It's just a google search away. I'd look into Stronglifts or Starting Strength as great places to start.
Another key thing is I would keep things basic. If you're 45 and you've not really been in the weight room since high school I wouldn't start with the clean and press. With that said, looking at what you've shared I would make a few changes.
- Don't be afraid to trade reps for weight. Not to the point that you are struggling to maintain proper form, but 25 pound DBs is pretty light. Maybe try 50s at 8 reps or something like that. You may even be able to go a little heavier than that. You know you, I don't but I'd still be willing to bet 25 pound DBs is probably not a significant challenge.
- Add some incline and decline to your DB presses.
- You can use the cables for flys and adjust the height, which will target different portions of your chest similar to incline and decline on the bench/DB press. Most cables have diagrams for what to do if you're targeting a certain muscle group. If yours doesn't, you may be able to find the same type of diagram on google.
- Don't be afraid to start working barbell exercises into what you are doing. If you research either of the two programs I mentioned above you'll find they're entirely barbell based. They're similar programs and stress compound lifts, which give you an immense bang for the buck with regard to each exercise. One of the benefits of using a program like one of these is it shows you a more comprehensive body workout and teaches you how to rotate muscle groups so you are getting adequate recovery time in between workouts for a given muscle group. At 45 I imagine this is important.
There's a lot of good info out there and it's free for the taking. There's also a lot of bad info too, also free and easy to find. Knowing the difference is huge because it can literally make or break you. And of course it can be overwhelming when you have two seemingly qualified individuals each telling you the exact opposite thing. That's why I emphasize: keep things basic. Make some of the modifications I recommended or try one of the two programs I mentioned and see how your body responds. If you are able to afford it, invest in a trainer even if for only a few sessions to get you a start in the right direction. Sometimes having on the spot corrections and coaching can make a huge difference. It can be expensive but your body is worth it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Badbird2000
I am working on the diet portion too. I gave up soda 3 years ago. That dumped 15 lbs right there. I don't eat fast food..but there is still room for improvement.
I hear you. Soda is awful for you. I think I may drink one Coke or Dr. Pepper once every 8-10 weeks but for the most part I am thankful that the stuff just doesn't appeal to me.
Keeping away from fast food is another plus, so good on you for that. I would suggest avoiding any exotic diets unless you've thoroughly researched them. Look at where you can make marginal and sustainable improvements to your existing dietary habits. Portion control is a good place to start, but it would also be a good idea to take a look at what a given week's worth of meals look like and evaluate where you need to make changes. If you're loading up on pizza or pasta every night maybe swap out some of those meals for something a little less carb induced (at the same time don't go low-no carb entirely). Avoid snacks like chips and cookies. Make sure you're eating vegetables. This one is hard for me because I am a bit picky on how vegetables are prepared.
Anyway I hope you find this helpful. I'm 38 so a few years younger than you but I have had to reinvent my fitness habits a couple times in my mid-30s. I am also an officer in the USMC approaching 20 years of service. While I'm not an elite athlete I understand better than many the challenges of maintaining a high personal and professional standards in an aging body.
Good luck and don't be afraid to keep asking questions. Share your progress with us too. We all love to hear each others' success stories!
Thanks for everyone's input. I had to google the "pullover" routine. I might add that to my workout. I typically do chest by itself. I was a member of a gym back in my 30's, went with a co-worker for about a year. I'm just trying to build a routine best suited to me and the time I have. Not looking to look like Arnold or The Rock, just don't want a dad-bod. I am always looking for new workouts to add to my routine, to keep from getting bored. I'll probably try what I have for 4-5 weeks and see how I progress.
iknowftbll thank you for your service.
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