Post your diet and workout plans here

[TripletDaddy]

I've been thinking about trying to get a six pack for a while now, and have been working toward it for a few weeks.

Wow, still not there yet??? It should happen any day now.

[Katy Lied]

I've been thinking about trying to get a six pack for a while now, and have been working toward it for a few weeks. All I know if that you have to pound the abs hard and have very little body fat. Never paid much attention to a six pack, as I thought that was a goal for men, not so much women. So far all I am getting is row definition, not column definition, if you know what I mean. Now I read that you have to have good genetics to produce a nice ab rack, as evinced by this photo of 2 hardbodies, only one of which has good genetics.
hqdefault.jpg

If you know anything about this, please let me know. Is it genetics? Or do you have to lift a certain way? Any tips?

[MarkGrace]

^ is well versed in the cultural goings on of gay bars around the nation.

This isn't the first sign. He recently also used the phrase "grotty to the max."

[RC Vikings]

Anyway, how heavy is your kettlebell? How many days a week do you do that routine?

It's 35lb. It's plenty heavy for what I want to do. I do this two to three times a week right now and I also row 2000m a day. During the winter I'll try to step it up to five times a week. Between this and my cycling it's all I can handle but I've only got one more week until I back it off.

[Donuthole]

^ is well versed in the cultural goings on of gay bars around the nation.

Work, man. Slip and fall accidents happen at gay bars, too. Mister Fister is a fantastic client.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

^ pickup line often heard in gay bars around the nation.

^ is well versed in the cultural goings on of gay bars around the nation.

[Donuthole]

Y
Anyway, how heavy is your kettlebell?

^ pickup line often heard in gay bars around the nation.

[ERCougar]

ER this is what is currently working for me and can be done almost anywhere. All it takes is three times a week for 30 minutes and I think it will do exactly what you are hoping for. It's a Tabata workout needing only a kettlebell and a jump rope. I set my timer for 1 minute on and 30 seconds off and I'll do one of five things during that minute, kettlebell swings, pushups, air squats, jump rope and then some different routines with the kettlebells. Do as much as you can during that minute be it ten pushups or 40 pushups. It's strength interval training. Your chest will firm up, your arms will have more definition, and your heart will be stronger for when you ride. It's tough, during these 30 minutes you will be working really hard for 20 of them and for me I get more done than I would in an hour of going from station to station.

Yeah, I think I'm headed this way, at least until marathon training is over. I used to do a very simple pushups, pullups and squats routine, but I got bored with it and then I broke my leg. That's when I started to do more strength training and I made gains 27th that, but it scares me that I lost so much conditioning. So I might be willing to do three days a week (and cut back running/riding) if it were HIIT type stuff. Then after the marathon, I might try the 5/3/1 thing for a little while, just see what I can do.
Anyway, how heavy is your kettlebell? How many days a week do you do that routine?

[RC Vikings]

So...I'm trying to design a strength program to supplement my running/cycling. I figure I have two days of 30-60 minutes a week to devote. Would you recommend a whole body circuit each day, or half the body one day and half the other and do a more traditional 3 sets each exercise kind of thing?

Edit: I guess I should say, I'm not really looking to bulk up (although I guess I'm not against it)--just functional strength. I've been doing some stuff for a few months, and I made some gains, but it was just taking too long (40 minutes, 5 days a week), with lots of waiting between sets. I'm running more, so I need to condense it down. Couldn't i just go through a whole body circuit three times? Is there a problem with waiting that much time (to complete the circuit) between sets?

ER this is what is currently working for me and can be done almost anywhere. All it takes is three times a week for 30 minutes and I think it will do exactly what you are hoping for. It's a Tabata workout needing only a kettlebell and a jump rope. I set my timer for 1 minute on and 30 seconds off and I'll do one of five things during that minute, kettlebell swings, pushups, air squats, jump rope and then some different routines with the kettlebells. Do as much as you can during that minute be it ten pushups or 40 pushups. It's strength interval training. Your chest will firm up, your arms will have more definition, and your heart will be stronger for when you ride. It's tough, during these 30 minutes you will be working really hard for 20 of them and for me I get more done than I would in an hour of going from station to station.

[LA Ute]

Post your diet and workout plans here

Final (yeah, right) brag: We're in our 60s and tomorrow we celebrate our 40th anniversary. Today we had a fun 50-mile ride out in the hills and have felt great all day. This wouldn't be possible but for our being committed to getting, and staying, in shape the past few years. Absolutely worth all the work.

Totally agree. We're a bit younger, but one of us (you guess which) will be entering that 7th decade this fall. Like you (probably), I will be a much younger man at 60, in terms of health and fitness, than my father was at the same age. My workout isn't as varied or ambitious as yours but combine cardio work (biking, aerobic walking or elliptical/treadmill work) with pilates. We gave ourselves a pilates reformer (the machine) for our anniversary 7 years ago and it has been a great investment. There are so many exercises one can do with that device (core, strength and flexibility, cardio as well) that it's hard to get bored.

[ERCougar]

Thanks, guys. All good stuff. I think I may do that 5/3/1 program in the winter when I can't ride, and just run my other three or four days. In the meantime, I'll do something like jays outlined.

[jay santos]

So...I'm trying to design a strength program to supplement my running/cycling. I figure I have two days of 30-60 minutes a week to devote. Would you recommend a whole body circuit each day, or half the body one day and half the other and do a more traditional 3 sets each exercise kind of thing?

Edit: I guess I should say, I'm not really looking to bulk up (although I guess I'm not against it)--just functional strength. I've been doing some stuff for a few months, and I made some gains, but it was just taking too long (40 minutes, 5 days a week), with lots of waiting between sets. I'm running more, so I need to condense it down. Couldn't i just go through a whole body circuit three times? Is there a problem with waiting that much time (to complete the circuit) between sets?

I think you could put together a decent program with that schedule. I'd do full body each day. With a 45 minute full body work out, you probably don't have time to do more than one minute rests between sets, which is probably fine anyway. I don't know that you have to do circuits, but circuits wouldn't be a bad if you like them.

Three sets each of the following, you could probably do in 45 minutes if you limited rest, and done twice a week would be a decent program for a non-experienced lifter, imho.
squats
lunges
bench
shoulder press
pullups
rows

[Surfah]

That's what I would use if doing a 3 day split (or even a twice a week split). I like 5/3/1. Simple but with built in periodization. Of course, the main lift of the day will be with relative long rest periods, but all the accessory lifts you add to 5/3/1 for volume can be done with short rest periods.

Agreed. ER this site is great for calculating your 5/3/1 workout: http://www.strstd.com/

[pelagius]

Or a 5/3/1 type program.

That's what I would use if doing a 3 day split (or even a twice a week split). I like 5/3/1. Simple but with built in periodization. Of course, the main lift of the day will be with relative long rest periods, but all the accessory lifts you add to 5/3/1 for volume can be done with short rest periods.

[Surfah]

So here's what i don't get. I've read that you really only need to work a muscle group one time a week. But that's really for guys lifting all the time--I'm not that guy, obviously. So for the rest of us, I've read that there's a big increase in increasing lifting to twice a week,and then a marginal increase to three times a week. So what that article was suggesting was four days a week--two upper body, two lower body--to maximize bang for your buck. I don't really want to do that, at least not right now. So much of my time is spent recovering for the next set, why can't I use that time on another group and double it up? Even training five days a week like I have been, I bet I haven't been actually working 120 minutes a week.

I might get more strength intensive like Surfah some day, but right now, I don't like it all that much. I like being outside, for one, and i like running and cycling too much. And Joe, how do you triathlon train and still lift three times a week?

What you say is generally true. But I still think it's difficult to maintain whatever gains and strength you have made with such short workouts. But then again I don't know what those gains are.

There are two day split workouts all over the net that you can try. It sounds like you're going to want something that provides a full body circuit or plenty of giant sets and supersets. If I was that limited for time, I'd try and make sure I do a couple compound lifts like bench, squats, deadlifts and overhead press. Then I'd incorporate a few accessory lifts exercises. But that's me and what I like to do and my goals are much different.