help my dad please

[kovalaybolt17]

my dad quit smoking after 30 years of the ****. hes looking to get back into a more healthy life style. hes 44 now and asked me to help him with a routine to help his fitness... hes not going to be a mass monster or anything, just for general fitness.

my goals and the way i train are going to be completely different from what he should be doing and his goals. i was wondering if some of you older guys could help me out.. this is what im looking at for him. 3 days a week:



keep in mind hes like 165 pounds and 6'1'' hes skinny.

monday: 2 sets of bench press machine, 2 sets of hammer strength, 2 sets shoulder press machine, 3 sets of tricep pulldowns...cardio

tuesday: off

wednesday: hypers, some lat pulldowns and hammer rows, curls, cardio

thursday: off

friday: leg press, leg ext, leg curls, calve raises

weekend off


i dont know.. am i taking it to easy on the old bastard? he was an excellent goalie in hockey his whole life and still plays golf and baseball so hes no pushover. im not sure about heavy compound lifts though i dont want to hurt him and his goal isnt to get big really. help?

[joemomma]

Doesn't sound to bad there, maybe add another day of cardio on Friday, or have him do the cardio on off days. Let him go at his own pace, push but dont' shove. He may get to where he likes it and wants to start putting on some poundage, you never know!

[kovalaybolt17]

yes i was thinking about starting him on mostly machines like posted above... i dont think he'll be into the whole deadlift, squat, bb row etc... thing. we'll see how it goes.

[gymNut]

I do the following (age 48). Adjust weights so the first set is fairly easy, third set is difficult to finish. Use machines or free weights, whatever your pops is comfortable with. The Monday/Wednesday routines get your heart pumping pretty good, no other cardio needed. I mix in some ab work once or twice a week. Actually took an inch off my waist just switching to this routine for a couple months. Don't rest more than a minute between cycles. Three days a week is probably enough for him unless he's retired !

Mon -
First cycle:
Squat 10 reps
Lat pull downs 10 reps
Leg raise (for quads) 10 reps
repeat cycle 2 more times (increase weight each cycle)
Second cycle:
Hack squat 10 reps
Push press (seated DB press straight up for shoulders) 10 reps
Bent over DB rows 10 reps each arm
repeat cycle 2 more times (increase weight each cycle)

Wed -
First cycle:
Shoulder press 10 reps
Lunges 10 reps each leg
Flyes - dumbells (10 reps)
repeat cycle 2 more times (increase weight each cycle)
Second cycle:
Front raise (delts) 10 reps
Step ups with dumbells 10 reps each leg, kinda like step aerobics but a bigger step up
Skull crusher 10 reps
repeat cycle 2 more times (increase weight each cycle)

Fri -
Chest day - 3 sets flat bench, 3 sets incline bench, declines if you want to

[dazza n17]

Hey first and foremost i gotta say "well done" to your dad for quitting the cigs. I did the same this march after not missing 30 cigs aday for the past 27 years so i know how hard it is, I now spend 3 days aweek in the gym, have put on 15lb of weight and lost 2 inches from my waist line. started at 180lb and 5ft 9" and 34 waist so in a little over 9 months ive gone from being unable to climb 3 flights of stairs without stopping to running 3 miles every 3 days and blowing away a 1000 calories on the cross trainer and doing the weights to add 15lb of solid lean muscle mass. all at the ripe old age of 41. if you wanna help your dad , my advice is to keep doing what is best and thats supporting him and let him do what feels GOOD in the gym and let him enjoy the experience . That way he keeps going and keeps getting fitter.

[liftnw8z]

Honestly, if I were working with him I would put him on a circuit training style program for the first month.

This allows the machines to give him proper form (as proper as machines can be...I know they are off) instead of jumping into freeweights, his stabilizers are probly not well. I would keep his reps and sets at 2 sets of ten to fifteen reps. More of an endurance strength type of workout.

This will get his body used to exercising again, get his joints used to moving, and get his heart used to pumping during workout.

Probly go full body two or three times per week.

this just for the first month. then move him to other splits using compounds and freeweights.

Gotta let him walk before you make him run. I do this with many men over forty that are getting back into it.

After that month he can assess where he would like to go and you two can make a program based on those goals. This may seem easy to most of us, but trust me, it won't see easy to him.