Workout Regimen

[monkeygirl]

My high school has a pretty nice gym with lots of exercise equipment and machines. I'm required to work out twice a week, an hour a day.

 

As of right now, my workout consists of something like this:

 

15 minute bike warmup

 

Leg press (175 lbs)

 

Seated leg extension (120 lbs)

 

Leg curl (60 lbs)

 

Vertical bench press (90 lbs)

 

Seated tricep extension (120 lbs)

 

Bicep curl w/freeweights (haven't started yet)

 

Here's what I'm looking for:

 

1. Suggestions for how many sets and reps I should use in my current exercises

 

and

 

2. Suggestions for new exercises. I prefer machines over freeweights, but I wouldn't mind two or three dumbbell exercises. Please include set and repetition information if you can.

 

Are there any good lower- and upper-back (especially near shoulderblades) strengthening exercises that I could do?

 

Also, please keep in mind that while I'm a practitioner of TKD, I'm not in formal training, so I don't have two classes a week to keep up my physique anymore.

 

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

[Tibby]

Nice program, but you have no back work in it. Pull ups, pull downs, rows, you need to add something to get your back worked. And your stomach as well. As come sit-ups in, and a few twist ups.

 

I would suggest 4 sets, 8-12 reps. That is about as basic as it gets.

 

I would suggest buying the book "Complete Conditioning for Martial Arts" by Sean M. Cochran. It was written by a black belt in TKD. I didn't find it very usefull, because I was looking on some streingth books for Jujitsu, and most of this facts are wrong about Grappling, BUT, he does go into great detail about Training for TKD and Karate. Very good book for Strikers wanting to spend a little time in the gym. A MUST READ!

[SaiFightsMS]

It looks like you are missing shoulder work too. Reverse flyes might be one of the things you are looking for.

[Tibby]

Thanks for the input, but shoulder work is kind of advanced. The problem with Shoulders is it has 3 heads, and unlike other muscle groups, that only move one way, the shoulder joint is a strange joint that moves in many directions. So while the biceps are pulling the fore man in, and the Quads are pulling the low leg out, they shoulder muscle move the arm up, down, left, right, back, and front. Working them with one exersice will inballance the rest. That is one of the problems many people have with shoulder when weight lifting. Reverse flyes work the back shoulder head, but the middle and front, plus the smaller supporting muscles, would be left unworked. I think she would do best to just work what she has, chest and back exercises should work the shoulders just fine for a beginner to lifting. Thats just my two cents.

[battousai16]

i would recomend 2 sets of 8-12 sets to work the endurance level, assuming your going back into MA (or if you plan on running ). if there's a pool near by, you may want to consider a bit of swimming, as they seem to work out their whole body and they can do it forever, what with there being in a large tank of cool water and all.

 

lat pull downs should work your shoulders to a certain degree, at least that's what the lifting chart at my school says. i could be wrong, its been awhile, but i believe it does. otherwise DRLs, but those are free weights. HOWEVER: allow me to point out that you're the first person i've ever talked to who lifts and prefers the machines. free weights develop more muscle over shorter periods of time on account of the fact that you work other muscle groups to do the exercises properly.

[Tibby]

Yeah, the pull downs shoulder work the back of the shoulder.

 

A lot of people who are taller perferre machines, freeweights can hurt their elongated spine. Some exersices, like squats, are harder on taller guys. Arnold would often talk about how he have to hunch over when doing squats, while guys like Franco can stand streight and do them. But I don't think she is very tall at all.

 

Besides, most new weight rooms in schools are doing more and more machines, and less and less free weights. She may not have a choice.

[WhiteBelt]

Lat. Pull Downs work your upper back.

 

Seated/Bent Rows also work your back.

 

Lat. Raises work the should but you need to start them from in the front, the sides, and behind you to work all the angles.

 

Straight Arm Pull Downs are great at working the shoulder/upper back for stabilizing your arms.

[battousai16]

hmmm... i see what you mean, tibby. i guess i'm just fortunate, i'm of average height and my school swears by free weights do what you can monkey girl

[Tibby]

yeah, lol. I'm short, so free weights are my cup of tea

[monkeygirl]

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

I was also concerned by my lack of back exercises. At my old gym, there was a little elevated pad that you rest your hips on (face-down) and then you let your upper body hang below while holding a dumbbell, then use your back to lift up. I really liked that exercise, but my school's gym doesn't seem to have anything like that. They also don't have the back rotator machine that I used at my old gym.

 

Yes, I'm pretty short...5'2". I just don't really like freeweights. They're okay for bicep curls, etc...but I hate doing squats, lunges, and steps with them.