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"test" workouts - adivce wanted

post #1 of 23
6/22/10 at 12:15pm
Thread Starter 
I have had an idea recently that is going over in my head. frankly, I like simple workouts - I am 43 and what I am looking for is to stay in good shape for a long time, not to bulk up too much or really change very much, once I reach a certain point. I don't want to do one of those workouts that does something different every day, I wouldn't mind doing the same thing, twice a week indefinatly. also, I box a few times a week, practice judo once a week, and try to run and do yoga once a week each, so I do get soem variety and different things. I am looking for a strength program that will be simple, hard, a short time, and stable. here is what I am thinking

pull ups - as many as I can
run 3/4 mile (from my house to the gym)
one set of bench presses - aiming at as many reps of 100 kilos as possible
one set of overhead squats at body weight - aiming at as many reps as possible
run 3/4 mile home
100 one arm snatches with a 55 poound kb


frankly, for me this is ambitious, but I am thinking that if I aim for it I can hit it within 6 months.

the reason that I call this a "test" workout is that I have chosen the differnt exersizes from various "tests", so they seem to be good indicators of specific abilities.


any thoughts on this? any reasons that this is a stupid idea that I might be missing?
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post #2 of 23
6/22/10 at 12:28pm
Do you mean BW overhead squat as in a bar loaded with your bodyweight, or as in a squat with your hands over your head? A BW overhead squat is pretty serious business . . .
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post #3 of 23
6/22/10 at 12:46pm
number of pushups in a minute?

i like to place goals based on bodyweight, such as # of x you bench your bw, bench dbl bw, mil press your bodyweight, etc...
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post #4 of 23
6/22/10 at 1:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by globetrotter View Post
I don't want to do one of those workouts that does something different every day, I wouldn't mind doing the same thing, twice a week indefinatly.

Workout itself is probably fine. I don't think you need to do something different each workout, but I'd say you should probably make up a couple different workouts and move to a different one every 1 to 2 months (do workout A for 2 months, then switch to workout C for 2 months, etc until you cycle back to A).
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post #5 of 23
6/22/10 at 1:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedLantern View Post
Do you mean BW overhead squat as in a bar loaded with your bodyweight, or as in a squat with your hands over your head? A BW overhead squat is pretty serious business . . .

yeah, the latter. honestly, I dont' know that I can get to this. I do just under twice my bodywieght on a behind the neck squat now, and I can do a military press with about 75% my body weight now, I am thinking that if I aimed at it I could achieve it. or maybe not.
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post #6 of 23
6/23/10 at 9:05pm
All those are really solid exercises that demonstrate a kind of conditioning I find very useful, but I am not sure I understand where you are drawing the distinction between process and goals.

e.g.

Are you trying to:

a) Improve your performance in each one of those tests OR

b) Simply go through each one of those challeneges as your daily workout?


I ask because if you really want to improve in each of those domains, the best way to achieve that goal is not going to be Option B. e.g. working 400 meter repeats will do wonders for your 3/4 mile time. Progressively loading heavier bench presses and back squats will be the fastest way to improve the combine-type rep tests you want to achieve. And improving pull up performance takes a lot more volume than 1 set, in my experience.

But if youre just looking for a workout to maintain and even slowly improve your strength and conditioning, I think you could do much worse than the program youve designed.
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post #7 of 23
6/23/10 at 9:14pm
people write phD thesis about this workout and that workout.........

As long as you eat right, do something to get heart rate up, then it's good.
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post #8 of 23
6/23/10 at 9:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lee_44106 View Post
people write phD thesis about this workout and that workout.........

As long as you eat right, do something to get heart rate up, then it's good.

Im probably splitting hairs, but I think the above attitude is where a lot of people go wrong. Some activity is better than no activity, but if you're going to actually spend time in the gym, you might as well do it right.

Im thinking of the droves of "exercisers" you see in most commercial gyms. After months of regularly punishing themselves an hour at a time, they generally dont improve on any test of physical prowess. Most don't have any goals to speaks of, unless you count the pain and fatigue they feel at the end of their session.

Pain and fatigue are almost completely uncorrelated with the quality of a workout, but that's a topic for another thread.

I think even people who do not plan to compete in sports benefit from the athlete's mindset over the exerciser's hour of self-abuse: Set measureable benchmarks, and train to achieve them. So simple, yet so few adults grasp it...
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post #9 of 23
6/23/10 at 9:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lee_44106 View Post
people write phD thesis about this workout and that workout.........

As long as you eat right, do something to get heart rate up, then it's good.

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post #10 of 23
6/23/10 at 10:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pennglock View Post
Im probably splitting hairs, but I think the above attitude is where a lot of people go wrong. Some activity is better than no activity, but if you're going to actually spend time in the gym, you might as well do it right.

Im thinking of the droves of "exercisers" you see in most commercial gyms. After months of regularly punishing themselves an hour at a time, they generally dont improve on any test of physical prowess. Most don't have any goals to speaks of, unless you count the pain and fatigue they feel at the end of their session.

Pain and fatigue are almost completely uncorrelated with the quality of a workout, but that's a topic for another thread.

I think even people who do not plan to compete in sports benefit from the athlete's mindset over the exerciser's hour of self-abuse: Set measureable benchmarks, and train to achieve them. So simple, yet so few adults grasp it...

+1000

Most "exercisers" have the mindset that they must run themselves into the ground in order to feel like they had a good workout. I don't understand where that thought process comes from but god is it de-railing results for alot of people.
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post #11 of 23
6/23/10 at 11:13pm
^ word. Plus its what makes people hate going to the gym, instead of seeing it as something fun.
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post #12 of 23
6/23/10 at 11:34pm
Can't add too much to what Pennglock said. He is spot on. Don't sell yourself short because of your age. Believe me, unless you are an Olympic athlete, you are not going to deteriorate with age for the simple reason that you are nowhere the peak of you genetic limits. Figure out what you want to achieve and set ambitious goals. Don't settle for anything less. Bodyweight metrics - pullup and pushup counts, weighted bodyweight exercises, burpees for count And time, speed and endurance in running and in the pool, etc are all worthwhile goals that can be easily pursued without investing a ton of time in the gym and while having a busy professional life as I suspect you do based on your other posts elsewhere on SF. Push the limits. Forty-something is not old by a long shot - take it fro me. I will be 44 in September and I am still improving physically.
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post #13 of 23
6/24/10 at 12:04am
I'm thinking about starting to work out .. doing primarily bodyweight exercisises. Lots of core stuff, lots of pushups, lots of situps. Been informed a medicine ball will greatly improve my workout options so might do that. Keeping it simple, keeping it short, and keeping it at home. I have never been to a gym, but I know guys who do go. A couple are good guys, but many are complete asshats, and I want nothing to do with them. So I figure this will work best.
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post #14 of 23
6/24/10 at 12:08am
one set of max reps, deadlift 2x your bodyweight
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post #15 of 23
6/24/10 at 12:16am
The most important thing you need to do is to set some quantifiable goals. Just going to the gym and putting in an hour's worth of random shit is a waste of time. Every minute you spend should be part of a plan to achieve something - get better at a sport, get stronger or faster or have more endurance in some quantifiable way, etc.
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