Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

I am 40 years old and was working out on a four day per week program, but seems like I may have been over-doing it.  I tried to go heavy when I could,but I work as a laborer on pipeline construction. I am in a slump and haven’t worked out regularly in over a year. Any suggestions? Thank you.

I’d stick with the three-day-a-week scheme. I suspect your job has you hustling, so you can forgo the aerobic exercise; save time and energy and motivation for focused and formed workouts.

Here’s an idea:

Day 1) chest and back, Day 2) legs and core, Day 3) shoulders and arms — a day between workouts.

Day 1) chest and back>>>

Bench press supersetted with wide-grip pulldowns  (4 sets x 10,8,6 reps)

Dumbbell incline supersetted with stiff-arm dumbbell pullover  (4 x 10,8,6 reps)

Cable crossover  (4 x 8-10 reps)

One-arm dumbbell row  (4 x 10,8,6 reps)

Day 2) legs and core>>>

Rope tucks and leg raises

Leg extensions (4 x 12,10,8 reps)

Leg curls (4 x 12,10,8 reps)

Squats (4 x 12,10,8 reps)

Calf raises (lots of sets of burning high reps between ext and curls and squats)

Day 3) shoulders and arms>>>

Steep incline dumbbell press supersetted with side arm lateral raise (4 x 10,8,6 reps)

Barbell curl supersetted with lying triceps extension (4 x 10,8,6 reps)

Seated dumbbell alternate curls supersetted with pulley pushdowns  (4 x 10,8,6 reps)

That’s plenty for now, providing you train intensely and with focus… Try it and tweak it… add more or less of this and that.

Here you hit everything directly once a week, and everything, but legs twice a week by virtue of muscle-overlap.

On a fourth day if you get the shakes you can blast a little of what you think is missing.

Some worthy links, please read:

Superset Training

Instinctive Training

Slumpbuster Workouts

Focus and form and confidence, we press on… Godspeed… Dave