Bored of my strict workout routine

[bazza]

OK so as the title says I'm bored shitless of my push pull legs split routine that I've been pretty consistent with over the past 2 years .

The routine itself has delivered some pretty good results ! I was floating around 180lbs before I hopped on the routine and as of today I'm 205 lbs ...obviously not all muscle but nevertheless I've made "gains".

I seem to have hit a brick wall in terms of progressing in size but to be fair that isn't really my goal now but I'm still stuck in the push pull cycle as I'm worried that I will lose a lot of my gains if I go back to training the way I want to like i always have which is pretty much doing whatever the fuck I want to do everyday..... circuits, supersets, mixing self resistance with calisthenics and with no strict routine in place ,pretty much making up the workouts as I go along each day .

So to you guys in the forum my question is what are your thoughts on strict routines compared to mixing it up each day and doing whatever thd he'll uou want to do !?

[trog]

I like to stick to the same three routines, which are set for which day and which gym I use. However it does depend on which equipment is in use. For instance, there is rarely anybody on the pullup bar, but nearly always someone on the squat rack or crossover. That's when I mix it around a bit. There is a whole range of exercises to choose from. For instance, you don't actually need a squat rack for squats (strange but true). You might need a lighter weight without a rack as you have to hoik the bar onto your shoulders. You can also squat with dumbbells.

They say variety is the spice of life. Don't be afraid to mix it up.

[bazza]

How's it going Trog. I actually don't lift weights or go to the gym as I get no enjoyment out if it so I have always stuck with bodyweight, self resistance and some kettlebells sprinkled in there for variety . I'm hitting the DVR routine today from PYTP and then I'm gonna finish off with 200 push ups and a few miles of walking . Nothing too fancy but it will get the job done .

[Michael]

Hey Bazza, glad to see You're doing good. I wrote this before, My body thrives on a routine. A routine doesn't have to mean the same old thing with no variety or change of exercises. For myself, the more regimented I am, the more my body appreciates it and responds accordingly. A routine for me is regular sleep times, waking up the same time, meal times, and training times. I do change up my workout from time to time. But that might be using a different variation of exercise, going from upper/lower split to a full body routine, etc...

[billfish]

I have never been good at following a routine and although I find myself sometimes doing the same things, change is best for me
When I followed a routine, I got bored quickly
What works best for me is doing something different often, it keeps it fun, and for me that's important as a strict routine for me would be like turning it into work
You have to do what works best for you
There is no "one size fits all"
Lately I have been hiking with a compass through the large treed private preserve (88 acres) behind my house which has berms you can walk on, for a change I have been using the compass to guide myself through the densely treed areas to get to other parts of the preserve, instead of walking on the berms
It's challenging and I'm enjoying it

[mr potatohead]

Jan 26, 2023 11:41:04 GMT bazza said:

How's it going Trog. I actually don't lift weights or go to the gym as I get no enjoyment out if it so I have always stuck with bodyweight, self resistance and some kettlebells sprinkled in there for variety . I'm hitting the DVR routine today from PYTP and then I'm gonna finish off with 200 push ups and a few miles of walking . Nothing too fancy but it will get the job done .

 That's what I do. I don't care what exercises I do. I go for the enjoyment.

[brothersteve]

For me, it's all about feeling good and looking decent as I age and I know I NEED to do something at least 5 days per week (ideally daily) or I feel kinda crappy and seem to eat more of the wrong foods and it usually leads to taking additional days off. Also, can't outwork a poor diet so pizza, burgers and beer (I'm hungry as I write this) choices are good for bulking and not leanness and health.

Seems like you've come to the point like I did where you need to choose your goal. Either do what you do randomly per day and sacrifice some fitness/gains or get in a strict routine which can be a pain in the rear and not like it so much.

[stormshadow]

Of all the ways of training I think calisthenics are the ones that are the hardest to not get bored. Couple of things you can do. Slow down the movements and do much less of them and really feel the burn. When in pain from the lactic acid, the focus is on that and not so much the boredom. One thing I do is to do ten to fifteen pushups in two to three minutes. I do not like them, but I do not get bored. Same with really slow squats or chins.

I think a suspension trainer is great for variety. You can do all the standard equivalent calisthenic type movements, plus face pulls, incline rows, flying motions and so on. In allows you to mimic many weight exercises while using body weight. Bring along some surgical tubing or speargun tubing and you can also do many types of movements.

Do an "exciting exercise" in between each calisthenics set. My favorite is punching or kicking a heavy bag. If you do not have one, do some shadow boxing and kicking. Just do not hyper-extend or lockout the punches and kicks. Burpees, running in place with high knees, jumping jacks, and so on. Even kettle bell swings.

Do more of the exercises with your hands and feet close together. In Wing Chun they call it center line training. Close grip pushups, pull up, squats and so on. Also very your hand positions and how far or close and what angle to the center line there is.

Also, there will reach a point in your life where you will hit a physical limit and then focus should probably shift to maintenance of strength, flexibility and good endurance or cardio.

I think routines are probably the way to go for beginner, but more advanced can go instinctive. I remember a friend of mine that went instinctive early and he basically just did the beach body exercises that he enjoyed, bench press, curls and triceps extensions. I like to have a core routine and then add or subtract to it.

I always do some type of pull up/chin up or lat pull down, chest and shoulder type push, back row, squat or leg press, forearm, grip, and core/lower back. Then I add or modify.

[trog]

G'day Bazza. I very much like body weight exercises, especially pull ups and dips. I'm not so hot on push ups; I get twinges in my lower back (an old injury). Much respect that you do 200! I stop after 10 or 12. Walking is good too. It's just cold this time of year, although I do have a brisk walk to the train in the morning (brisk as I find getting up difficult) and a more relaxed walk back home from the train after work. I also get to walk around the campus at work a lot. I much get a pedometer and find out just how far I do in the average work day.

[Michael]

Jan 26, 2023 15:42:39 GMT stormshadow said:

Of all the ways of training I think calisthenics are the ones that are the hardest to not get bored. Couple of things you can do. Slow down the movements and do much less of them and really feel the burn. When in pain from the lactic acid, the focus is on that and not so much the boredom. One thing I do is to do ten to fifteen pushups in two to three minutes. I do not like them, but I do not get bored. Same with really slow squats or chins.

I think a suspension trainer is great for variety. You can do all the standard equivalent calisthenic type movements, plus face pulls, incline rows, flying motions and so on. In allows you to mimic many weight exercises while using body weight. Bring along some surgical tubing or speargun tubing and you can also do many types of movements.

Do an "exciting exercise" in between each calisthenics set. My favorite is punching or kicking a heavy bag. If you do not have one, do some shadow boxing and kicking. Just do not hyper-extend or lockout the punches and kicks. Burpees, running in place with high knees, jumping jacks, and so on. Even kettle bell swings.

Do more of the exercises with your hands and feet close together. In Wing Chun they call it center line training. Close grip pushups, pull up, squats and so on. Also very your hand positions and how far or close and what angle to the center line there is.

Also, there will reach a point in your life where you will hit a physical limit and then focus should probably shift to maintenance of strength, flexibility and good endurance or cardio.

I think routines are probably the way to go for beginner, but more advanced can go instinctive. I remember a friend of mine that went instinctive early and he basically just did the beach body exercises that he enjoyed, bench press, curls and triceps extensions. I like to have a core routine and then add or subtract to it.

I always do some type of pull up/chin up or lat pull down, chest and shoulder type push, back row, squat or leg press, forearm, grip, and core/lower back. Then I add or modify.

Interesting post Stormshadow, Thanks for posting.

[Dave Reslo]

I only manage to make real progress if I focus on very few things at once, but if you're not enjoying it I would say it's probably not worth the time and effort.

[kraut ᚲᚱᚨᚢᛏ]

Jan 26, 2023 1:24:02 GMT bazza said:

OK so as the title says I'm bored shitless of my push pull legs split routine that I've been pretty consistent with over the past 2 years .

The routine itself has delivered some pretty good results ! I was floating around 180lbs before I hopped on the routine and as of today I'm 205 lbs ...obviously not all muscle but nevertheless I've made "gains".

I seem to have hit a brick wall in terms of progressing in size but to be fair that isn't really my goal now but I'm still stuck in the push pull cycle as I'm worried that I will lose a lot of my gains if I go back to training the way I want to like i always have which is pretty much doing whatever the fuck I want to do everyday..... circuits, supersets, mixing self resistance with calisthenics and with no strict routine in place ,pretty much making up the workouts as I go along each day .

So to you guys in the forum my question is what are your thoughts on strict routines compared to mixing it up each day and doing whatever thd he'll uou want to do !?

Baz,
I hit the same wall a few weeks ago, after following a randomized, but strict routine ("Dice and Chi Gong") for quite some time. All my workouts before had been freeform, and I used whatever I felt like: calisthenics, meels, kettlebells, expanders, bands, isos, self-resistance, kin shi hai do, pushing cars – you name it. 

Now, after returning to daily (or almost daily) freeform workouts, I'm enjoying them again, and I look forward to them. I'm not at all scared of losing muscle mass – as long as I train smartly and eat real food, this won't happen. So, my advice to you is: take a break, enjoy freeform workouts as long as you enjoy them, and then return to more structured routines. It's all good.

[moxohol]

⁃ Keep & vary the isometric protocols as ur foundation.
⁃ Combine those iso protocols with any dynamic exercise. I.E. callisthenics, sanchin katas, pre-exhaust method or as a standalone.
⁃ Work the legs hard no more than 3 weeks every other month.
⁃ Do aerobics exclusively on ur recovery days.
⁃ masturbate often to raise testosterone levels (optional).

[billfish]

Jan 31, 2023 20:10:08 GMT moxohol said:

masturbate often to raise testosterone levels (optional).

Yep.....keep the workouts fun ! 
As a teenager I had glasses and a white cane but my testosterone level was off the charts !  

[brothersteve]

Jan 31, 2023 20:52:15 GMT billfish said:

Jan 31, 2023 20:10:08 GMT moxohol said:

masturbate often to raise testosterone levels (optional).

Yep.....keep the workouts fun ! 
As a teenager I had glasses and a white cane but my testosterone level was off the charts !  

Like a joke I heard many decades ago; sex is like playing bridge - if you don't have a good partner you better have a good hand.