Gym Routine for over 40s men

[Safriz]

I am a man aged 40+ . I re-started Gym training after a gap of 10 years and obviously many things have changed with age.
Ten years ago i could do anything in the gym without worrying about internal injuries. Now i have to be very careful.
Thread is for men aged 40 and above who do regular exercise and can share their experience and gym routines.
Right now i go to the gym three times a week for a 60 minute session.

I do warmup 15 Minutes of running on treadmill
Smith Machine Squats with 40 Kg (10 kg weights on either side and 20 Kg bar) . 10 reps and 3 to 5 sets.
Barbell squats with 30 Kilos 10 reps, 3 sets.
Dumbell bicep curls with 14Kg weights . 10 reps and 3 to 5 sets.
Smith Machine bench press 60 Kilos (20 Kg each side and 20 Kg bar) 5 reps 3 sets.
Smith Machine bench press 50 Kilos , 10 reps, 3 sets.
Bar bell bench press (Unassisted) 40 Kg , 10 reps , 3 sets.
Dumbell bench press with 14 Kg, 3 sets of 10 reps.

Then i do some machines for back, abs and other muscles.

60 Minutes is the maximum i can workout and cannot do anymore.

It has been 4 months and i haven't seen much improvement. My endurance and stamina has remained the same.
Where and how can i improve?

 

[war&peace]

Mate, try to change diet and living style...it may help..
BTW, for stamina and endurance you have to gradually increase the weight / load and reps.

 

[Mrc]

I am a man aged 40+ . I re-started Gym training after a gap of 10 years and obviously many things have changed with age.
Ten years ago i could do anything in the gym without worrying about internal injuries. Now i have to be very careful.
Thread is for men aged 40 and above who do regular exercise and can share their experience and gym routines.
Right now i go to the gym three times a week for a 60 minute session.

I do warmup 15 Minutes of running on treadmill
Squats with 40 Kg (10 kg weights on either side and 20 Kg bar) . 10 reps and 3 to 5 sets.
Dumbell bicep curls with 14Kg weights . 10 reps and 3 to 5 sets.
Smith Machine bench press 60 Kilos (20 Kg each side and 20 Kg bar) 5 reps 3 sets.
Bar bell bench press (Unassisted) 40 Kg , 10 reps , 3 sets.
Dumbell bench press with 14 Kg, 3 sets of 10 reps.

Then i do some machines for back, abs and other muscles.

60 Minutes is the maximum i can workout and cannot do anymore.

It has been 4 months and i haven't seen much improvement. My endurance and stamina has remained the same.
Where and how can i improve?

Do alternate day ... not more than 3 time a week... try cycling instead of treadmill

 

[I.R.A]

It has been 4 months and i haven't seen much improvement. My endurance and stamina has remained the same.
Where and how can i improve?

I am 39 .......... what is your ultimate goal? Fitness or muscle building? Your height and weight?

I do warmup 15 Minutes of running on treadmill
Squats with 40 Kg (10 kg weights on either side and 20 Kg bar) . 10 reps and 3 to 5 sets.
Dumbell bicep curls with 14Kg weights . 10 reps and 3 to 5 sets.
Smith Machine bench press 60 Kilos (20 Kg each side and 20 Kg bar) 5 reps 3 sets.
Bar bell bench press (Unassisted) 40 Kg , 10 reps , 3 sets.
Dumbell bench press with 14 Kg, 3 sets of 10 reps.

Have you been following this training regime since start consistently for four months? Without any variation?

 

[Safriz]

Mate, try to change diet and living style...it may help..
BTW, for stamina and endurance you have to gradually increase the weight / load and reps.

I am lactose intolerant so cannot have Milk. What other diet can be beneficial?

I am 39 .......... what is your ultimate goal? Fitness or muscle building? Your height and weight?



Have you been following this training regime since start consistently for four months? Without any variation?

Goal is to build muscles.
I am 6 Foot one and weigh 80 Kg.
Yes same gym routine for the last 4 months.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Gradual progression and a high protein diet are the key, incremental weight increase each week, the weight should be enough for you to struggle to perform the last couple of reps with good form. Add deadlifts and barbell rows to your regimen if you already haven't. Your routine is fine otherwise.

Warmups are very important at your age, or for that matter to all gym goers. Apart from running, also involve rotator cuff exercise, pec stretch, pushups, pullups and bodyweight squats to minimize chances of injuries.

 

[I.R.A]

I am 6 Foot one and weigh 80 Kg.
Yes same gym routine for the last 4 months.

Your body weight is okay according to your height (there is room to add), so basically running everyday on treadmill for 15 minutes .... is taking away a lot of energy ..... not necessary, for stamina and core strength you can mix other exercises as well. Following same routine is tiring and boring and brings little gains.

You are mid forties or late forties?

Same gym routine doesn't bring positive results. And what you are doing is trying to build chest and biceps only.

Smith machine if you can handle the free weights is a big no ....... (in my opinion)

Goal is to build muscles.

Unless you shock the muscles, there would be little growth. And you need to focus on other major muscles as well, shoulders, back, thighs ..... you are skipping these ....

 

[Safriz]

Your body weight is okay according to your height (there is room to add), so basically running everyday on treadmill for 15 minutes .... is taking away a lot of energy ..... not necessary, for stamina and core strength you can mix other exercises as well. Following same routine is tiring and boring and brings little gains.

You are mid forties or late forties?

Same gym routine doesn't bring positive results. And what you are doing is trying to build chest and biceps only.

Smith machine if you can handle the free weights is a big no ....... (in my opinion)




Unless you shock the muscles, there would be little growth. And you need to focus on other major muscles as well, shoulders, back, thighs ..... you are skipping these ....

I am mid 40s.

Btw whats your gym routine? If thats your biceps in the picture, you must be doing something right.

 

[war&peace]

I am lactose intolerant so cannot have Milk. What other diet can be beneficial?

Try laktosfri (Lactose free) diary products

​

 

[Safriz]

Gradual progression and a high protein diet are the key, incremental weight increase each week, the weight should be enough for you to struggle to perform the last couple of reps with good form. Add deadlifts and barbell rows to your regimen if you already haven't. Your routine is fine otherwise.

Warmups are very important at your age, or for that matter to all gym goers. Apart from running, also involve rotator cuff exercise, pec stretch, pushups, pullups and bodyweight squats to minimize chances of injuries.

At my age getting injured is a big worry as recovery times are prolonged compared to younger guys. Deadlift is something i been thinking of doing but haven't tried yet.

 

[Skies]

My endurance and stamina has remained the same.

For more endurance you may have to do more cardio. Currently you are doing 15 min of cardio on treadmill. I guess, squat is also semi-cadio if done quickly.

However, u said your focus is muscle gaining/strength, not endurance/stamina.

For endurance, you can read these:

https://www.mensfitness.com/training/endurance/7-ways-to-boost-your-endurance-and-stamina/slideshow

https://www.livestrong.com/article/250491-a-runners-heart-rate/

 

[I.R.A]

I am mid 40s.

Btw whats your gym routine? If thats your biceps in the picture, you must be doing something right.

I restarted after 15 years, but by blessing of ALMIGHTY what I did in my late teens and twenties was enough to survive me 12-15 years gap, during youth I did win a gym competition , now I mainly do it for my kids.

Yep that's my bicep. I do daily exercise, building each muscle ... with occasional gaps in between. Basically I had to first perfect and regain my form again (watched videos, read articles, compared the advice) .... once I gained the form, lifting weights according to my body weight (now 75 kg gained 5 kg after I restarted) was never an issue. Plus currently I have trained a gym partner half my age, and an overweight colleague ......

My routine is

1. Chest ....... keep varying my routine (pyramid training, drop sets, heavy sets, low weight sets with max reps etc. including focus on push ups, chin ups and dips) from barbell bench press to dumbbell presses .... I target my lower, middle and upper chest .... building upper chest is key to bigger, broader pecs .... chest compared to my other muscles has remained weaker .... so whenever I get a free day, I do upper chest exercises (inclined presses) .... my max lift is 80kgs (total) straight bench press, 20 kgs dumbbell press, 50 kgs incline, 40 kg reverse grip, 25 kg decline barbell press .... pull overs with dumbbells and incline benches and flyes both dumbbell and cable ....
2. Biceps ...... my strongest muscle. Barbell curls (straight wider grip, close grip, e z bar, 28 method), dumbbells (alternate,hammers, cross body, preachers, concentration curls) etc. Weight .... warm up and then go on to shock the muscle .... e.g. even if I have to lift 50 kgs for 3 reps I would do it.
3. Shoulders ...... lengthy exercise and takes time. because you have to target four areas ... front, middle, rear shoulder and traps. The exercises e.g. are standing military press, front raises, alternate side raises, cable pull overs, single side raises, overhead barbell raises, rear deltoid raises, face pull overs, cable cross pull, bent raises, arnold press, dumbbell press, machine press, bus driver steering ... and different variations of shrugs with barbell, cattle bells, smith machine
4. Triceps ..... targeting all heads of triceps. The best exercises are push ups (different styles), dips (different styles) .... then you move to weights.
5. Back ........ focusing both on width and thickness ....... chin ups, cable pull downs (different styles), rowing etc etc
6. Thighs ...... The key to rest of the muscles ...... don't do cycling, running on the day you plan to hit the legs. And to perfect the squats, lunges, kick backs etc ..... I would suggest watching videos of female fitness models (if you can control yourself and your hormones sorry emotions )

In your training, sometimes you will lift and sometimes you won't ..... just keep mixing, keep the lower weights close and respected, leave the ego at gym door, and try understanding your body, try syncing with your body and the movements, pay attention to people who are regular and are good at it, watch them, their form ..... start from building your core strength, perfecting your form ..... don't think you cannot lift, you can but never try something stupid. Never ever try weights in exercises where your back is involved unless you have perfected the form. The rest is it doesn't matter if I am lifting a ton of weight with no aesthetic body, I would prefer 2kg dumbbells if it brings shape to my muscles. All the best

At my age getting injured i a big worry as recovery times are prolonged compared to younger guys. Deadlift is something i been thinking of doing but haven't tried yet.

Its a very good exercise, planks, dead lifts, push ups. The only thing is it can be counterproductive if you don't do it in proper form. Watch videos and practice it with simple barbell without weights.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

40 y/o male with a long recess between working out.

Considering your age, you're program looks good. Keep your joints and select parts safe especially the hip, shoulders, knees, and back (includes neck). Keep free weights to arms (biceps & triceps). Use machines as much as possible.

You're not looking to gain massive amounts of muscle as much as to maintain it or keep a steady plateau. And this will involve isolation workouts targeting muscle that is already weak for hopes of building it up.

 

[third eye]

I do warmup 15 Minutes of running on treadmill
Smith Machine Squats with 40 Kg (10 kg weights on either side and 20 Kg bar) . 10 reps and 3 to 5 sets.
Barbell squats with 30 Kilos 10 reps, 3 sets.
Dumbell bicep curls with 14Kg weights . 10 reps and 3 to 5 sets.
Smith Machine bench press 60 Kilos (20 Kg each side and 20 Kg bar) 5 reps 3 sets.
Smith Machine bench press 50 Kilos , 10 reps, 3 sets.
Bar bell bench press (Unassisted) 40 Kg , 10 reps , 3 sets.
Dumbell bench press with 14 Kg, 3 sets of 10 reps.

My endurance and stamina has remained the same.
Where and how can i improve?

Slow down , look after your joints. After 40 a degree of degeneration begins to set in, the ability for the joints to recoup also slows down. The exercises you are doing strain the joints - Knees, vertebra & hip.


If your target is endurance & stamina , try cycling , long walks with a jog ( on soft ground) . Slower & sustained exercises will help endurance & stamina.

Tried Golf ?

 

[Safriz]