What kind of workout routine do you have?

[Harold]

I am interested in what kind of workout routines people are using.  For instance, I workout 5 days a week.  Three days a week I do a routine starting with 3 miles on a exercise bike.  Then I do pullups,chinups,dips,pushups, and two abdominal exercises on the pullup bar.  I then do a workout routine on the total gym.  When I am done with that I do 5 miles on the exercise bike. When I am done with that I do deadlifts and then a dumbbell routine.  After that I will run three to 5 miles outdoors.  On the other two days I do longer runs.  I do an abdominal routine five days a week.  I measure running by miles per week rather than miles per day.  I keep a log of what I do and try to increase weight on the barbell and dumbbell routines each week.  The total gym I have allows me to add weight on a bar attached to it.  I don't move up a incline level on the total gym until I can do all of the exercises with an extra hundred pounds on the bar.  If I am training for a long distance race I will keep the same routine but use less weight. 

[intofitness]

I don't run but I do use an exercise bike and try to do 20 miles a week.  My routine is basically a power lifting  program.  I work out 4 days a week on a split routine with two days upper body and 2 days lower body.  For the upper body I do bench presses, standing presses, press behind the neck, and some other exercises.  I do high weight and low reps as I am in it for size and strength.  For the lower body I do deadlifts and Squats as well as some other exercises.  I do an abdominal routine for days a week.  The program is designed to build strength.

[helen]

I have a total gym and have routine to hit every muscle group.  I want to build strength, but not add size.  I also try to run 20 miles a week.

[intofitness]

I notice that many of you include distance running.  I am curious as to why?  Especially since I see a lot of strength training in your routines.

[Harold]

As I have gotton older I find getting bigger is not a priority.  I want the strength, but not the size.  I find I like endurance more.  It makes it easier to get around and do the things I want.

[intofitness]

Why do you like the total gym so much?  You are lifting weights, what does the total gym give you?  Also the pull ups I don't get.

[Harold]

I like the Total Gym because I am working with my own body weight and most of the exercises are easy on the joints.  I workout alone so I need to think safety. It also helps with the weight lifting and certain free exercises.  For instance, I can do pull ups on the total gym with a lot of reps to build up the muscles needed to do pull ups on a bar.  I like pull ups because they are great measure of what I consider useful strength where these movements are something you use every day. 

[intofitness]

How many days a week do you workout and how long?  I do four days a week for about 2 hours.  I do a split routine 2 days upper body and 2 days lower body with abdominal work all four days.  Iuse an exercycle for my cardio.

[intofitness]

I see you were in the Marines.  Is that where you got into fitness?

[Harold]

I have been  into fitness since I was twelve.  I was a scrawny kid and started lifting weights.  The Marines just reinforced it even more.

[denise]

I mostly run.  I do have a total gym as it is a good workout and helps with strength training, but it is also an aerobic workout.