[mom2w]

I've been in and out of 3FC over the years but always know this is the place to come to for some good, reasonable information. So here's the quick story...

5'6", 115lb 39 years old 3 years ago I was 195lbs; lost the weight through Atkins, calorie counting, lifting weights and cardio

I'm now looking for a good workout system/routine to keep going. I belong to a gym and *love* free weights so there's no problem there. I did Chad Waterbury's TBT last fall and liked it but got bored by the end (basically 3x/week to life, limited cardio, 4-6 exercises, 4 of them must be compound lifts).

I'm, technically, underweight so I limit my cardio due to that. I'm getting the nutrition/eating thing under control but want to balance it with lifting too.

I can easily commit to lifting 3x a week, sometime 4. We just got our recumbent bike fixed at home so I am adding a little cardio on off days.

Any ideas on where I can find a routine or how to design my own? I just feel a little lost. I don't want to compete or lose any more weight and I'm not so much a bodybuilder as a fitness-lifter. My legs tend to bulk up quickly so I do squats, deads, lunges & calf raises but don't want to get too into leg routines.

Here's a typical workout for now:
5min warm up on treadmill
chest/bench press 3x10 @30#
standing shoulder press 3x10 @25#
squat (station, not smith of BBS) 3x10@115#
deads 3x10 @95#
I'll switch up the deads & squats -- do either 1 or the other or both, add pull downs, assisted pull ups, seated row, bent over rows, etc to augment the workout.
Ab work -- floor stuff or stability ball or bosu
Stretching

Any ideas or guidance would be soooo welcome!!!
Thanks,
Brenda

oh -- I looked at BFLs suggested workout, but pyramids and super sets at my gym are a struggle because of the set up there

[RobertW]

Are you interested in getting much stronger, but staying around this weight? If so I would maintain a strict diet to keep from bulking up, and trainn for strength using a higher intensity/lower rep scheme.

[Ilene]

My advice would be to go to a 3 or 4 day split where you would work...
day 1 -- legs
day 2 -- chest and triceps
day 3 -- back and biceps
if you have a day 4 work shoulders and abs, if you don't have a day 4 work your abs every second day and your shoulders on leg day or on one of the other days... there are several variations you can do...

Here are a few examples:

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/WorkoutMenu.html

http://www.fitsense.co.uk/fit_article.php?id=48

http://www.muscle101.com/routines.html

Hope this helps... TTFN

[Firmgirl]

It sounds like you are doing standing leg work, but maybe neglecting floor leg work. You might try alternating stand leg work with floor leg work using no weights until the movements feel like you need added resistance.
You might also try doing cardio drills, where after you have done your warm up and have done one set of lifting you do some type of cardio for 1 minute- jumping rope/jupming jacks etc then go to the next set of weighted work. This way you don't go overboard on cardio, but still get the heart pumping, and b/c you will be doing it at intervals, you get the benefits of interval training.