Alternative to sets/routines

[Southpaw535]

Howdy, as many times over the last few years as I;ve said "this year I;m sorting my fitness out" it never happens especially when I try and do routines with liek 5x10 sets on a tuesday or whatever. Obviously this would only work for endurance but would it still be semi-effective to just do it every other day but instead of doing 5x10 sets just aiming to do, say, 5 more reps each time?

[Kuma]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you asking if you should do 5x10 every day, or try to add 5 reps each time you do an exercise?

[Frodocious]

Seconding Kuma - what are you asking?

What are your goals - strength, size, endurance?

What exercises are you doing and what equipment do you have access to?

[Southpaw535]

Sorry about that guys.

Are you asking if you should do 5x10 every day, or try to add 5 reps each time you do an exercise
The latter. Everytime the last couple of years I've set up a proper routine I've always stopped doing it after a few weeks for whatever reason, but I still randomly do bodyweight exercises throughout the week. I think part of the problem is sets bore me since I'm used to working till exhaustion or something comes up one day so I can't do it and then its a downward spiral from there. So what I'm wondering is if its worth me doing that still but just trying to improve on the number of reps so at least there's some form of progression going on.

Kind of a way of getting me used to doing routine work without jumping straight into one I guess.

I'm not convinced thats much clearer but its the best I can do.

[Frodocious]

If you want to improve endurance you could add reps. If you want to improve strength you could progress to a harder version of the exercise. Which of these are you working on?

Take pushups for example. You could keep adding 5 reps per week for endurance, or you could start working them with your feet raised or with a weight on your back for strength improvement.

If you're going to workout regularly then a routine is a good idea, as it allows you to measure progress. It doesn't really matter if you miss a session because real life gets in the way, just pick up where you left off and keep going.

[icefield]

if you dont want to lift weights then dont, lifes too short to do things we dont like to do or that bore you, and without that passion for lifting you will never stay the course so why bother?

[SenseiMattKlein]

Seconding Kuma - what are you asking?

What are your goals - strength, size, endurance?

What exercises are you doing and what equipment do you have access to?
I'm with Frodocious here. You have to have a goal to be motivated to work out. What are you doing it for? Power and speed for martial arts, endurance for the ring, a 2nd Dan grading? Biceps for the beach? Visualize yourself achieving your goals as you train, and you will be more likely to stick with it.:hat:

[Southpaw535]

Well strengths the one I really need to build and I'm joining a gym at some point in the next month or two with a mate to sort that out and training with him will get me to stick with it. Until then I don't reallly know I'm kinda just doing it because I enjoy it

[Kuma]

For strength then, do multiple sets of low reps of difficult bodyweight exercises, ones you can only get about 5 reps with. Once you can do all the sets, amp up the difficulty. There's loads of incredibly tough bodyweight exercises out there that are done with minimal to no equipment.

[Southpaw535]

Ok so doing a lot of reps is endurance right?

[Mitch]

What movements are you doing though SP? I generally hate weight training. But I really enjoy doing bench press, shoulder press, deadlifts. I add chin ups to that and I've got a pretty good workout; add squats and I'm about there I reckon.

So maybe big compound lifts would work for you.

Or you could try complexes. T nation had one called The Bear which looked good, a real challenge and a whole body workout done with a barbell and light weights. I think it was a clean, squat, shoulder press, squat and down repeated with a fluent motion so the bar was always moving.

Like MA I think it's about finding something that you like enough to stick with, and varying it enough so it stays fun.

Mitch

[Fish Of Doom]

the bear ftw

i tried it once and it was awesome, but it had a lot of movements so i always forgot the order or added or removed some between reps, but it's still awesome :p

[Frodocious]

Ok so doing a lot of reps is endurance right?

Right.

[Southpaw535]

Right.
Yay! Lurking h+f does work!

What movements are you doing though SP? I generally hate weight training. But I really enjoy doing bench press, shoulder press, deadlifts. I add chin ups to that and I've got a pretty good workout; add squats and I'm about there I reckon.
Normally just the normal push ups and crunches, trying to work in squats, dorsal raises and dips. Used to do chin ups on a monkey bar on the way back from training but can't do it with the shoulder now.

Or you could try complexes. T nation had one called The Bear which looked good, a real challenge and a whole body workout done with a barbell and light weights. I think it was a clean, squat, shoulder press, squat and down repeated with a fluent motion so the bar was always moving
Sounds interesting, I did something similiar once before a class and it was pretty good.

[Frodocious]

Look into more difficult bodyweight variations - pistols and glute ham raises for the legs, L-sits and windshield wipers for the core, handstand pushups for your upper body (might have to hold off on these with your shoulder though).

[Southpaw535]

Will do!

[Kuma]

I like Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur Bodyweight Training book. He has some great exercises in there and some tough workouts.