I have not been in the gym in over a year, though I have dutifully paid my YMCA membership consistently. I am planning a routine to get back in shape and I am having trouble determining realistic weight goals.

My current weight is 172. My overall goal is not to bulk up, nor to really lose a lot of weight. I just want to get my stamina and strength back and to be fit enough to participate in some sports again.

After reading a few different books and magazines I came up with a routine for the first four weeks. Most of the programs I found were predicated on a 12 - 18 week target to get back into prime condition. Many suggested by working up to 60% of your final goal by the end of the first four weeks. The logic being that you don't rush and set yourself back even further (which I have done, so I have learned that one already). I know I ultimately want to be able to bench 225. Based on my body weight I don't think that is too unrealstic, but I don't know how to set goals for many other exercises.

I was wondering if any of you gym rats could give me a little advice on how to come up with some goals for some of these exercises. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Leg Press

Chest Press - 225

Leg Curl

Underhand-Grip lat pulldown

Leg Extention

Lat Raise

Machine Row

Seated Dumbell Biceps Curl

Triceps Pushdown

Ok, here it is. The best weight traing I ever did was when I did one month heavy--say 3-7 reps each set--and the next month did light--10-20 reps a set. Really hits the muscles in a different way. And it works. No one else I know ever tried that so feel free to dismiss it. Besides, I think people at the gym do not like doing low wight exercises, makes them look weak I guess. But those light weights if you do them to max number of reps really work the muscles deeply.

I like to do 15 reps when I lift. I feel it gives the best of strength and endurance. I love the ProbodX workout and those type. I like to lift on unstable surfaces such as a BOSU ball or balance discs. Try that out

What's the best exercise(s) to increase the mass of the calf muscles?

Not sure about THE best, but jogging and jumping rope sure help, and their are s many side benefits to both besides.

i agree with your suggestion as common perception is for the best of endurance and strength is usually around 12-15 reps. Also, testing yourself in other ways like unstable surfaces and lifting in different directions rounds out the body more than the basic bench, squat, dead lift, and curls do

Calf raises

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and basically go from flat-footed to on your tippy toes. As you get stronger, use a squat rack and add weight to these exercises.

Cardio and rest about 30 seconds between each set of weight lifting you do.

Doing 12-15 usually is more for "cut". Doing 4-8 is more for mass. I remember once doing 5 reps, 15 exercises (30 seconds rest), very low weight. That one used to kill me, and when I switched to mass (after about 6 weeks), 8 reps psychologically felt relatively easy.

biking! My calves are monstrous from biking(17 inches)- I get complimented all the time. Biking will blow up your calves like nothing else! Jumping rope and plyometric exercises will also blast your calves

dude that sounds gay.......LOL

hey u like my calves.......

huh? Its more like cute girls come up to me all the time and tell me what great legs I have. What the hell are you talking about?

You got great calves

There are only 2 or 3 exercises that I know that blow up the calves and they are relatively all the same.

This guy , Ross Enamait wrote several books on weight lifting and body weight exercises.

http://www.rosstraining.com/infiniteintensity.html

I bought the one, "Never Gymless" which basically is for those who don't have access to a gym, or who want to stick strictly to bodyweight.

Maybe he thinks Carl Russo's are cute

I'm with Pete on this one. Whether it be calves or abs, chest or arms, when you get complimented it feels good. I'm 28 with a kid and have no problems with my sexuality. When I run into an old friend of mine and they see I'm getting ripped up, it's nice when they comment.... Boy or Girl. That doesn't mean I want to 'know' them.


T_R

I'm 36 and have been working out seriously for over 15 years. This is a topic near and dear to my heart so I'll try and keep it short.

First of all, choose a goal. Most people say they want to lose bodyfat and gain muscle mass. You can't do them both at the same time no matter what people tell you or what your books say, unless you want to talk steroids. Most people in your situation are better off by concentrating on losing bodyfat while preparing your muscles and joints for increased workloads as you progress.

Note: As you lose bodyfat and tone your muscles, you will look bigger and better even if you don't gain an ounce of muscle. This gives people the impression that they are gaining muscle, and for some this may be slightly true, but for most just getting rid of some of the fat that covers the muscles you already have will give the impression that you're getting bigger. Increasing your ratio of Lean Body Mass to Body Fat is the goal of bodybuilding.

Second, forget about absolute amount of the weight. The numbers don't mean anything, its continuous progression in the amount of weight you lift that makes the difference. The amount of weight you use is only important in the sense that you use enough to stress the muscle fiber to force it to adapt. It's simple - your muscles are exposed to a stress, the muscle fibers suffer microtears, the body rebuilds that fiber using protein and makes the fiber a little bit bigger in anticipation of the increased stress its been exposed to. As long as you push yourself to progress in reps and weight, those muscle fibers will continue to grow.

Last - nutrition is the absolute most important determinant in gaining muscle or losing bodyfat. There are tons of articles on line about sports nutrition. Read and educate yourself. You have to understand and control the calories you put in your body while making sure you get enough protein to give your muscles the building blocks they need to grow.

Hope that helps.

RTB

P.S. I didn't get into the exercises, but stick with compound movements for your first year or so. Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Military Press, Pull ups, Bent Over Rows, etc (read). Leave the concentration curls and triceps kick-backs for the curl jockeys in the gym. Consistently using compound movements in conjunction with good nutrition is key. Keep your workouts under an hour of weightlifting, any longer and your intensity just isn't there.

I just wanted to thank you all for the tips. They are greatly appreciated!

Looking at what your ultimate goal is (getting in to shape) you might want to change your individual goals. For example if I was training just to get in shape I would focus on a much different regiment then if I was training to increase my max rep in a particular exercise.

Endurance/Get in Shape Training
-Focus on high repetitions, between 10-15 in 3 sets with very little rest time. The weight you should use should become very difficult to lift as your set winds down.
-Workout each body part approximately twice a week, leaving enough time for the muscles to heal.
-Make sure you factor in cardio, a good 15-30 minutes on a treadmill or bike after your workout is perfect because your body is already primed to use its fat cells for energy.
-Try and cut down your total calories and your body should also be more geared to tap into your fat cells.
-Make sure your getting a decent amount of protein to help in muscle recovery, and to keep your body from eating your muscles.

Max Weight Training
-Focus on low reps, between 4-8 in 4 to 5 sets. The weight should be so heavy that you can't finish all your reps. A spotter should assist you in finishing each repetition.
-Do negative repetitions using a spotter with more weight then you can naturally lift.
-Workout each body part only once a week, but really destroy the muscle tissue during each session.
-Increase the total amount of calories in your diet.
-Eat at least 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day.

Both
-Split your workout into exercises that use the same muscle groups. This is the ideal split method because it allows each area proper time to recover. Chest, Triceps, and Shoulder are a good group because most chest exercises involve the Tri's and Shoulders. Biceps go with Back. Legs are so strenuous I give them they're own day.
-After about two to three months of performing the same exercises your body will adjust to its new demands and you'll have to shock your muscles by introducing all new exercises. Keep changing your exercises once every two to three months.
-Really focus on squeezing the muscle threw out each exercise.

For bench I put 3 25lb plates on each side of the 25lb bar (about 200lbs) and then strip off one plate at a time as I reach failure for each weight.