The hardest part about getting into shape is finding the time to do it. When I was younger, I could spend hours at the gym and never skip a beat. However, now I am in my 30s, married, two kids under five…it is almost impossible to work out. I have been able to find a routine that works well for me and I will share the chest portion of it with you.
I still get in some workouts, but only about 45 minutes or so at a time. I do chest twice a week, back twice a week, arms once a week, legs once a week and run whenever I can. I have come to the realization that I am not able to maintain a power lifter body and do exercises for tone and strength.
For chest workout number one:
Dumbbell press on flat bench four sets of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell incline press four sets of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell flies three sets of 8-10 reps
Fly machine for three sets of 12-15 reps
This workout takes me about 40-45 minutes usually and I am fortunate that there is a pretty decent make-shift gym right next to building.
Chest workout two:
Dumbbell press on flat bench for three sets 6-8 reps
Dips for three sets 8-10 reps or as many as I can get up to 10
Dumbbell incline press three sets 6-8 reps
Triceps extensions with dumbbell for three sets of 8-10 reps
Fly machine for four sets of 8-10 reps
This workout also takes 40-45 minutes.
I do these workouts for three weeks in a row and for the fourth week, I do the same exercises, but with a goal of 12-15 reps per set to build muscle endurance. If I am unable to make it to the gym on any of these days, I do a random pushup routine like the following:
Regular pushups one set of 40
Decline pushups with feet on a chair for one set of 25
Triangle pushups for one set of 25
Then repeat these three over and over until my arms tell me to stop.