Workout Routines

If there are any fitness nuts out there, I could use some feedback on a workout routine. Baby’s coming soon, and I refuse to be the fat dad that can’t keep up with him when he’s playing ball or teaching him to skate.

 

I’ve started a 6 day per week routine and am 6 weeks in doing cardio and 10 weeks in weight training. I’ve got 3 days of weight training and 3 days of cardio running on the treadmill per week. It takes about 45-50 minutes total each session. Being 5’10 at 250 lbs, running is going slow and I am still in the interval stages alternating running and walking, gradually increasing my run-time and reducing my walk time each week.  Once I hit 30 minutes straight running, I can focus on increasing speed.

 

Prior to each session is a 10 minute warmup on the heavy bag where I do a series of 5 different combos with 60 reps for each combo alternating stances from left to right after each rep moving 90 degress around the bag to get my legs and arms moving and stretched out equally.

 

My weight training is in a pyramid scheme, with 3 main exercises per session, with at least one compound movement. The pyramid is in 5 sets with low weight and high reps to start and gradually increasing weight for fewer reps until the 5th work set. In between sets is a set of stretching exercises and a set of ab exercises to keep up the heart rate and stretch out my muscles. For example, these are my one-arm dumbbell rows:

 

Set 1:   30 lbs   20 reps

Lunges 12 reps, Crunches 30 reps

Set 2:   35 lbs   12 reps

Set 3:   40 lbs   8 reps

Set 4:   45 lbs   8 reps

Set 5:  50 lbs   8-12 reps

 

Once I can hit 12 reps on the 5th set comfortably for 3 weeks, I increase the weights and start over at 8 reps on the 5th set again at the new weight. My schedule looks like this:

 

Day 1: Cardio: Running

Warm-up:         10 Minute Heavy Bag

Warm-up:         5 Minute Walk

Run:                  30 Minutes (3 Minute Jog/3 Minute Walk X 5)

Cool-down:      5 Minute Walk

 

Day 2: Weight Training (Upper body)

Warm-up:         10 Minute Heavy Bag

Exercise 1:        Seated Alternating Dumbbell Curls

Stretch:          Lunges

Abs:              Crunches

Exercise 2:        Flat Bench Press

Stretch:          Squats

Abs:               Mountain Climber

Exercise 3:        Lateral Pull-Downs

Stretch:          Calf Raises

Abs:               Seated Leg Raises

 

Day 3: Cardio: Running

Warm-up:         10 Minute Heavy Bag

Warm-up:         5 Minute Walk

Run:                  30 Minutes (3 Minute Jog/3 Minute Walk X 5)

Cool-down:      5 Minute Walk

 

Day 4: Weight Training (Upper body)

Warm-up:         10 Minute Heavy Bag

Exercise 1:        Tricep Kickbacks

Stretch:          Lunges

Abs:               Crunches

Exercise 2:        One-Arm Dumbbell Rows

Stretch:          Squats

Abs:               Mountain Climber

Exercise 3:        Shoulder Press

Stretch:          Calf raises

Abs:               Seated Leg Raises

 

Day 5: Cardio: Running

Warm-up:         10 Minute Heavy Bag

Warm-up:         5 Minute Walk

Run:                  30 Minutes (3 Minute Jog/3 Minute Walk X 5)

Cool-down:      5 Minute Walk

 

Day 6: Weight Training (Lower body)

Warm-up:         10 Minute Heavy Bag

Exercise 1:        Leg Extensions

Stretch:          Lunges

Abs:               Crunches

Exercise 2:        Leg Curls

Stretch:          Squats

Abs:               Mountain Climber

Exercise 3:        Dumbbell Deadlifts

Stretch:          Calf raises

Abs:               Seated Leg Raises

 

Day 7: Rest

 

I haven’t had any pulls or strains doing this yet. Running is tough, but I only started out at 90 second jogs and will hit 3 min 30 seconds next week. I have no idea how someone makes it up to 5k in 30 minutes at this point. I’m getting just about 3.5k right now during my 30 minute run. My weight hasn’t changed much yet, only a few pounds, but I attribute that to mostly muscle gain. I don’t have an accurate measure, but my weight has dropped about 7 lbs while lean body mass has increased about 7 lbs.

 

I’ve put together a calorie log, but it’s hard to stay on track with a pregnant wife who wants to eat everything I shouldn’t have. I’m trying to focus mostly on lean protein and high quality fat while cutting out refined carbs for a 30% Protein, 45% Carbs, and 25% Fat calorie source for my daily requirements less about 500 calories per day.

 

Any thoughts or maybe alternate exercise suggestions? I’m almost maxed out on a few, like tricep kickbacks because we only have 50 lb dumbbells in my condo gym and no straight bar that I can add weight too. I may need to switch it out for another tricep exercise soon, but need something that can be comfortably done without a spotter.  I'll need to look for a good set of adjustable dumbbells for when we move next year.  Hopefully I can find a set that be adjusted up to 90 or 100 lbs per dumbbell.  Any recommendations on brands?