What is a simple, non-gym, minimal equipment, killer workout plan?

I'm 44, 150lb. I want to put on 10-15 lbs, increase vitality, and
don't want to join a gym.

Contemplating:

1. a weight vest (pull ups, push ups, dips, lunges)
2. a set of dumbells + bench.
3. jogging
4. crunches

I'm wondering if this would make sense. If so, wondering where I
should look for good instruction on proper technique for dumbell
workout (books, dvd's?).

Can I increase mass on legs/calves using weight vest and dumbells?

Any supplements to recommend (whey, creatine, etc.)?

appreciate experienced opinions

simple

mikelebien@gmail.com wrote:

>I'm 44, 150lb. I want to put on 10-15 lbs, increase vitality, and
>don't want to join a gym.
>
>Contemplating:
>
>1. a weight vest (pull ups, push ups, dips, lunges)
>2. a set of dumbells + bench.
>3. jogging
>4. crunches
>
>I'm wondering if this would make sense. If so, wondering where I
>should look for good instruction on proper technique for dumbell
>workout (books, dvd's?).
>
>Can I increase mass on legs/calves using weight vest and dumbells?

It can be done, but it won't be as effective with the type of
high-repetition routine inherent in the use of that equipment. You'll
want to put a lot of concentration on weighted chins and dips, and
squats with as much weight as you can add.

>Any supplements to recommend (whey, creatine, etc.)?

Worry about that after you see how the lifting regimen works.

recent divorce?

<mikelebien@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1172973944.409333.192900@n33g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> I'm 44, 150lb. I want to put on 10-15 lbs, increase vitality, and
> don't want to join a gym.
>
> Contemplating:
>
> 1. a weight vest (pull ups, push ups, dips, lunges)
> 2. a set of dumbells + bench.
> 3. jogging
> 4. crunches
>
> I'm wondering if this would make sense. If so, wondering where I
> should look for good instruction on proper technique for dumbell
> workout (books, dvd's?).
>
> Can I increase mass on legs/calves using weight vest and dumbells?
>
> Any supplements to recommend (whey, creatine, etc.)?
>
> appreciate experienced opinions
>
> simple
>

"JMW" <jmwilliams@enforcergraphics.f2s.com> wrote in message
news:1mcku2tlj9p8aks70biihte2k6rdiqmgnd@4ax.com...
> mikelebien@gmail.com wrote:
>
> >I'm 44, 150lb. I want to put on 10-15 lbs, increase vitality, and
> >don't want to join a gym.
> >
> >Contemplating:
> >
> >1. a weight vest (pull ups, push ups, dips, lunges)
> >2. a set of dumbells + bench.
> >3. jogging
> >4. crunches
> >
> >I'm wondering if this would make sense. If so, wondering where I
> >should look for good instruction on proper technique for dumbell
> >workout (books, dvd's?).
> >
> >Can I increase mass on legs/calves using weight vest and dumbells?
>
> It can be done, but it won't be as effective with the type of
> high-repetition routine inherent in the use of that equipment. You'll
> want to put a lot of concentration on weighted chins and dips, and
> squats with as much weight as you can add.
>
> >Any supplements to recommend (whey, creatine, etc.)?
>
> Worry about that after you see how the lifting regimen works.

Whey? I mean why?

mikelebien@gmail.com wrote:

> I'm 44, 150lb. I want to put on 10-15 lbs, increase vitality, and
> don't want to join a gym.
>
> Contemplating:
>
> 1. a weight vest (pull ups, push ups, dips, lunges)

Good backpack will be cheaper and fully adjustable.

> 2. a set of dumbells + bench.
> 3. jogging
> 4. crunches
>
> I'm wondering if this would make sense. If so, wondering where I
> should look for good instruction on proper technique for dumbell
> workout (books, dvd's?).

Don't know about books or DVDs, but there is plenty of what you are looking
for on the net.

> Can I increase mass on legs/calves using weight vest and dumbells?

Yes. High stepups, Bulgarian split squats, dumbbells squats, dumbbell front
squats, dumbbell cleans, lunges. Whole loads of good exercises which you
can do. For calves you need mostly standing calf extensions (one leg at a
time).

> Any supplements to recommend (whey, creatine, etc.)?
>
> appreciate experienced opinions

I train at home with minimal equipment. Works well for me.

> simple

--
Andrzej Rosa

JMW wrote:

> mikelebien@gmail.com wrote:
>
>>I'm 44, 150lb. I want to put on 10-15 lbs, increase vitality, and
>>don't want to join a gym.
>>
>>Contemplating:
>>
>>1. a weight vest (pull ups, push ups, dips, lunges)
>>2. a set of dumbells + bench.
>>3. jogging
>>4. crunches
>>
>>I'm wondering if this would make sense. If so, wondering where I
>>should look for good instruction on proper technique for dumbell
>>workout (books, dvd's?).
>>
>>Can I increase mass on legs/calves using weight vest and dumbells?
>
> It can be done, but it won't be as effective with the type of
> high-repetition routine inherent in the use of that equipment.

Why do you think that the dumbbell based routine must be "highly
repetitive"? They are probably the most versatile training equipment there
exist, so if one wants variety he can have it. And why variety would be
necessary? There are some people who simply prefer doing plenty of various
exercises, but others concentrate on chosen few and often have better
results than those who hop around the gym from one machine to another. I
don't think that changing exercises frequently makes any substantial
difference.

> You'll
> want to put a lot of concentration on weighted chins and dips, and
> squats with as much weight as you can add.

Here you have it. Dumbbell squats, chins and dips. What's wrong with this
routine?

>>Any supplements to recommend (whey, creatine, etc.)?
>
> Worry about that after you see how the lifting regimen works.

--
Andrzej Rosa

Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> wrote:
>JMW wrote:
>
>> mikelebien@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>>I'm 44, 150lb. I want to put on 10-15 lbs, increase vitality, and
>>>don't want to join a gym.
>>>
>>>Contemplating:
>>>
>>>1. a weight vest (pull ups, push ups, dips, lunges)
>>>2. a set of dumbells + bench.
>>>3. jogging
>>>4. crunches
>>>
>>>I'm wondering if this would make sense. If so, wondering where I
>>>should look for good instruction on proper technique for dumbell
>>>workout (books, dvd's?).
>>>
>>>Can I increase mass on legs/calves using weight vest and dumbells?
>>
>> It can be done, but it won't be as effective with the type of
>> high-repetition routine inherent in the use of that equipment.
>
>Why do you think that the dumbbell based routine must be "highly
>repetitive"? They are probably the most versatile training equipment there
>exist, so if one wants variety he can have it. And why variety would be
>necessary? There are some people who simply prefer doing plenty of various
>exercises, but others concentrate on chosen few and often have better
>results than those who hop around the gym from one machine to another. I
>don't think that changing exercises frequently makes any substantial
>difference.

Read it again. Think hard. Understand what I meant.

>> You'll
>> want to put a lot of concentration on weighted chins and dips, and
>> squats with as much weight as you can add.
>
>Here you have it. Dumbbell squats, chins and dips. What's wrong with this
>routine?

Nothing. He just won't have enough weight.

It can be done but you have to be successful at two things:
consistency and diet. In fact, these two things should be your main
focus. If you focus on your workout and your weight, it's only a
matter of time before you stop and return to your old habits. But if
you constantly put an effort to eating the right foods and working out
4-5 times a week consistently - it will become a habit and you won't
feel the same without it. Having said that here is a plan you can
follow. I don't believe in scheduling an exact workout because it is
too mechanical and does not give you flexibility.

The Calendar

Buy a large laminated calendar and place it in an area of your home
where it is in clear view - I have mine in my kitchen. In the
comments or notes area, write the following: Bi's, Tri's, Back, Chest,
Quads, Shoulders, Forearms, Hamstrings, and Calves. You will notice
that I didn't include abs....when you work out consistently, your abs
naturally get worked because it's used stabilize your movements; if
you're working out consistently, your abs are getting worked out
consistently. Now, make sure that but the end of the week, you have
worked out each body part at least once. Aim to do 2-3 parts a day.
Once you have completed the workout, write the body parts you did into
that specific day. I'm not going to give you exact exercises to do
because that really isn't the challenge - you can figure that out as
you go along. There are plenty of websites that will show you how to
workout specific body parts. This calendar strategy will help you
build the habits to keep your working out for years. Before I started
doing this, my longest workout stretch was 6 months. Since using the
calendar in this way I have been working out for almost 6 years
straight.

Diet

I'm not going to go into any detail here; I'm just going to give you
rules to a good diet for putting on muscle. Eat 4-6 meals a day. The
goal is to eat the least amount of calories with most amounts of
nutrients in each of these meals. This is not easy to do at first but
after a while it becomes natural. Your stomach will shrink so eating
those huge meals will actually make you feel like crap. And because
you are working out consistently, you will naturally get hungry after
3 hours of your last meal. Make sure you are taking a multivitamin
daily. The one and most important supplement to take (whether you're
exercising or not) is L-Glutamine. Here is a link to info about it:
http://www.4seasonsbasketball.com/01...Glutamine.html

The one thing I've kept in mind over the past 5 years of exercising
was to workout for the way it makes me feel; everything else will
follow. If you work out for the way it makes you look, as soon as you
get your results, your will eventually stop working out. If you
workout for the way it makes you feel....you will never stop. Good luck
with your work out and let us know how you do.

Cheers,

Richie from Toronto Canada

JMW wrote:

> Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>JMW wrote:
>>
>>> mikelebien@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
>>>>I'm 44, 150lb. I want to put on 10-15 lbs, increase vitality, and
>>>>don't want to join a gym.
>>>>
>>>>Contemplating:
>>>>
>>>>1. a weight vest (pull ups, push ups, dips, lunges)
>>>>2. a set of dumbells + bench.
>>>>3. jogging
>>>>4. crunches
>>>>
>>>>I'm wondering if this would make sense. If so, wondering where I
>>>>should look for good instruction on proper technique for dumbell
>>>>workout (books, dvd's?).
>>>>
>>>>Can I increase mass on legs/calves using weight vest and dumbells?
>>>
>>> It can be done, but it won't be as effective with the type of
>>> high-repetition routine inherent in the use of that equipment.
>>
>>Why do you think that the dumbbell based routine must be "highly
>>repetitive"? They are probably the most versatile training equipment there
>>exist, so if one wants variety he can have it. And why variety would be
>>necessary? There are some people who simply prefer doing plenty of various
>>exercises, but others concentrate on chosen few and often have better
>>results than those who hop around the gym from one machine to another. I
>>don't think that changing exercises frequently makes any substantial
>>difference.
>
> Read it again. Think hard. Understand what I meant.

OK. I got it this time.

>>> You'll
>>> want to put a lot of concentration on weighted chins and dips, and
>>> squats with as much weight as you can add.
>>
>>Here you have it. Dumbbell squats, chins and dips. What's wrong with this
>>routine?
>
> Nothing. He just won't have enough weight.

Why not? He's 150 lbs and one can put as much weight on a single adjustable
dumbbell.

--
Andrzej Rosa

Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> wrote:
>JMW wrote:
>> Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>JMW wrote:
>>>>
>>>> You'll
>>>> want to put a lot of concentration on weighted chins and dips, and
>>>> squats with as much weight as you can add.
>>>
>>>Here you have it. Dumbbell squats, chins and dips. What's wrong with this
>>>routine?
>>
>> Nothing. He just won't have enough weight.
>
>Why not? He's 150 lbs and one can put as much weight on a single adjustable
>dumbbell.

How long can you hold a 150-pound dumbbell, Andrzej? Have you ever
tried? Have you ever tried holding one even near that weight? And if
so, have you done it bouncing up and down for squats?

It's not nearly as easy as you think. That said, he could probably
buy a cheap Swiss ball, do wall/ball squats, and get a fair amount of
benefit from lighter dumbbells.

JMW wrote:

> Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>JMW wrote:
>>> Andrzej Rosa <bakters@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>JMW wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> You'll
>>>>> want to put a lot of concentration on weighted chins and dips, and
>>>>> squats with as much weight as you can add.
>>>>
>>>>Here you have it. Dumbbell squats, chins and dips. What's wrong with this
>>>>routine?
>>>
>>> Nothing. He just won't have enough weight.
>>
>>Why not? He's 150 lbs and one can put as much weight on a single adjustable
>>dumbbell.
>
> How long can you hold a 150-pound dumbbell, Andrzej? Have you ever
> tried?

I did heavy dumbbell shrugs in my time. I used straps for my target weight.
(I don't remember how heavy those dumbbells were. On the heavy side of the
rack, but most probably not that heavy.)

> Have you ever tried holding one even near that weight? And if
> so, have you done it bouncing up and down for squats?
>
> It's not nearly as easy as you think.

I know. I actually tried that. Exercises do not have to be easy to be
effective. ;-)

> That said, he could probably
> buy a cheap Swiss ball, do wall/ball squats, and get a fair amount of
> benefit from lighter dumbbells.

Or do single leg workouts. Or plenty of other things. Whatever he chooses to do,
limited equipment most probably won't be a limiting factor, and that is what I
wanted to say here.

--
Andrzej Rosa

>> I'm wondering if this would make sense. If so, wondering where I
>> should look for good instruction on proper technique for dumbell
>> workout (books, dvd's?).

I was building a very basic set up for a house use.
Not due to recent divorce , simply very hectic life, never met deadlines
but huge desire to be still able to do some work out w/o wasting an hour drive
to the nearest gym. I bought myself a book on Mistress Krista advice and with
all honesty I really happy with it:
"Men's Health Home Workout Bible"
http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Ho.../dp/1579546579

Let me paste a quote from one of the comments, it describe it well:

"The author divide the exercises into major sections, depending on what kind of
equipment you have at your disposal: no weights at all (i.e. use bodyweight only
and makeshift weights from things found around the house), dumbbells, barbells,
and exercise machine...."

regards

Sebastian
Kuala Lumpur

In article <1172973944.409333.192900@n33g2000cwc.googlegroups .com>,
mikelebien@gmail.com wrote:

> I'm 44, 150lb. I want to put on 10-15 lbs, increase vitality, and
> don't want to join a gym.
>
> Contemplating:
>
> 1. a weight vest (pull ups, push ups, dips, lunges)
> 2. a set of dumbells + bench.
> 3. jogging
> 4. crunches
>
> I'm wondering if this would make sense.

For putting on 15lbs of smuscle? No. For general fitness, yes.

--
Will @ www.BrinkZone.com

"It twas ever thus " - Mr Natural