I started training 3 times a week at my local gym 2 weeks ago after many years of very little exercise. I'm 41, 5'11" and 154 lbs. I carry very little fat apart from the middle age spread around my abdomen (not much but enough to hide my abs)

I am currently starting with 10-15 minutes on a treadmill to warm-up then perform weight training for approx 45 min performing the following:

Leg Press (Machine)
Calf Raise (Machine)
Bench Press (Machine)
Lat Pulldowns (Machine)
Seated Rows (Machine)
Seated Press (Machine)
Bicep Curl (Machine)
Dips (Machine)
Crunches
Leg Raises

All exercises are 3-4 sets with 10-12 reps (I'm building up the weight slowly but aim to use around 80%)

I finish with another 5-10 minutes on the treadmill to cool down and some stretching. I also perform some Yoga workouts with my wife to aid my flexibility.

My aim is to increase my strength, fitness and flexibility as I play cricket (I'm from Australia) and am finding my body is just not up to the strains like it was when I was younger. I also want to increase my weight through increased lean muscle and have a target weight of 170-175 lbs (a gain of appros 15-20 lbs)

I follow quite a good diet with a balance of fish, chicken, red meat, vegetables, fruit, wholegrain breads etc. I also drink a protien shake which has a balance of protien and carbs. My 1 vice is I do enjoy a glass or 3 of red wine in the evening to relax (yes, i know... shame on me!!!)

My question is this:

1) As I have a spin bike at home, would I compromise by goal of gaining strength and lean muscle size if I add cardio sessions on my spin bike into my routine to help increase my fitness and burn off fat.

2) What would be the best way to incorporate this into my routine (same day as gym / alternate days ?


Thanks in advance for your help.

basically, dont look to burn fat and gain muscle at the same time.

yes , i know it is possible at the beggining, but in the long run it wont work out.

second, you need more compound lifts in your routine.

read the stickies, and post questions if you have them.

remember, to gain weight, you need to be in a calorie surplus, so if you are going to do the bike at home, you should make sure you complement it with a meal to replace the calories you have burned.

Thanks for the reply... I have been reading other posts and the stickies & intend on modifying my workout once I have 2-3 months of the basics under my belt ensuring I have a sound foundation.

Looks like I will need to focus on my cardio / lean muscle and alter my workout later down the track to burn off fat... I can live with that :-)

My main concern is that I will hinder my progress with gaining lean muscle mass, especially in my legs if I add spinning to my weekly routine. Any thoughts on this and the best way to incorporate it if I do ?

for most people bulking, i believe they try and keep cardio to a minimum. I myself do cardio about once every 2 weeks or so, if not less. I find it way to hard to substitute those burned calories for extra meals, as I am eating 6-7 meals a day (large ones at that) and cannot eat any more, unless i always want to be a the fridge.

If you wish to incorporate the spinning, my suggestion is to keep it to no more than twice a week. But remember to eat to balance out teh calories burned so that you are still in a surplus. If you do so, then you will have a good bulk, as the cardio will most likely minimize fat gains.