your routine at the gym

exercise more

"shift the flab"

whats your goal? To get "cut" or to gain muscle?

My routine is that I biked 40 miles this weekend to get to events I was going to anyway, and scrubbed the entire shower, floor to ceiling, in a "wax on, wax off"-style with Bon Ami. I got stuff done while exercising! And had fun! It's amazing!

Then I ate three chocolate chip cookies. You should probably cut those out, too.

what do you eat, s?

Five times per week, currently alternating chest/triceps and back/biceps, with abs and legs/glutes thrown in randomly.

If you eat loads at night and very little in the morning, reverse it. Also, get more protein and lettuce. Lettuce reduces hunger. Blueberries and yoghurt are good too.

i've heard that doing weights/machines while a bit podgy isn't really so helpful and i should spend most of my time doing cardiovascular stuff (riding, rowing, running) to shift the flab and THEN start doing machine stuff to tone up. is this right?

1. bicycle over there in gym wear.
2. exercise bike for 15 mins.
3. sit ups, 3 x 20.
4. Various machines, chest and stomach stuff mostly.
2. A proper weight-lifting program.
5. exercise bike for 10 mins.
3. ride home, stinking.
4. have nice shower in comfort.

Use the time saved above for morning walks (which is to say, before-breakfast walks lasting at least an hour), and try cutting down on whatever it was that made you gain weight in the first place.

1. take one of the following:
...a. a nitric oxide supplement
...b. fast-acting protein + glucose powder
2. fast walk to gym (10 min)
3. gradual warm-up to heavy weights by doing sets of 12, 10, 6, 3 and 1 (!)
4. knock out all sorts of insane weightery (4-6 reps per set) (~40 mins)
5. fast walk home (10 min)
6. fast-acting protein

7. eat lettuce, it reduces hunger!

I have to eat more, not less. Trainer wants me having five meals every day. Gahhh.

wow does your trainer post to here?

Bahahaha. Nahh. It's only temporary anyway, as far as I can see, until I bulk up.

Its ALL about the GAINS! Cant see myself back on the heavy weights, they made me HUGE but sluggish and slow. I will need to adopt a regime bordering on self loathing if I am ever to get back into shape.

I don't want to be like that, ugh. Just more size than I have now.

1) walk towards gym
2) continue walking

1. Ice
2. Tonic
3. Slice of lime

Autumn Almanac: MAX OT?

Yes! How did you know?

#3 gave it away. I found an outline of the routine on the web and did it for a while, it really works!

It does, doesn't it? I've been doing it for a month and was just about to change routine, but my trainer wants me on hypertrophy suddenly.

jeb absolutely OTM above: a proper cardio-and-weights routine is vital, whatever your fitness goals are, otherwise you're going to end up bored, frustrated and seeing no real difference at all.

and, er, that's it.

mind, i can talk: i'm working on a programme i cobbled together myself because my trainer's disappeared off the face of the planet. time to find another one, i guess.

1. take one of the following:
...a. a nitric oxide supplement
...b. fast-acting protein + glucose powder
2. fast walk to gym (10 min)
3. gradual warm-up to heavy weights by doing sets of 12, 10, 6, 3 and 1 (!)
4. knock out all sorts of insane weightery (4-6 reps per set) (~40 mins)
5. fast walk home (10 min)
6. fast-acting protein

what are the supplements and proteins for? there is so much of that stuff on the market, it seems impossible to know....

my routine:

1. drive to gym
2. stretch
3. 30 min. of cardio (usually elliptical)
4. 15 min of machines (usually upper body stuff)
5. maybe some sit-ups, stretch, go home, eat

it's not based on anything but seems to work for me.

i work out in my apt.

1. do some press-up type thing (triceps) on a couple chairs 10x
2. crunches with my legs up at 45 degrees, 15x, try to hold the last one as long as i can
3. pushups with my arms pretty wide apart, up on fists for a little extra distance, 12x

repeat these until i get tired or bored. try to do it every other day.

no idea if it's doing anything!

Noodle - we should work out sometime.

i drive to the gym since its not that close.

- weights for 30 minutes
- treadmill for 40 minutes

want to switch to a cross trainer for cardio since walking briskly for 40 minutes only burns 193 CALORIES. i was kind of pissed off last time i went to the gym because i was all huffing on the treadmill only to burn 193 wimpy calories while my sis reported she burned over 400 on the cross trainer.

oh and i go approx 4 days a week. i have a recumbant (sic?) bicycle at home that i use when I am too lazy to leave the house, usually pedal on that thang for 40 minutes while lifting 8 pound dumb bells every 5 minutes.

Apparently you should do weights and cardio on separate days. Something about optimum effectiveness.

M@tt: The nitric oxide is for extra pump, like that berserk power-up in Doom. Protein is to feed the muscle, and glucose powder aids that in some way.

30 minutes of elliptical (on level 18)
30 minutes of free weights and machines

4-5 days a week. Most important thing is having a gym 2 blocks away.

10 mins bike
10 mins running machine
10 mins that bouncy walky thing
various exercises on the core ball
15 reps upper back machine
15 reps chest press
15 reps leg press
15 reps on some free weights
repeat machines and weights
swim a bit to cool down

i try to do this as often as poss but it tends to average about two-three times a week. I find that the whole gym experience seems to take SO LONG. It's only supposed to be 50 mins, but by the time I've got there, changed, stretched, waited for some old cunt to get off the machine I want to use while she jabbers away at her mate completely oblivious, swum, showered, changed - well, that's 2 hours a pop at least, which is quite a long time when you have a life to lead after work.

It's only supposed to be 50 mins, but by the time I've got there, changed

I go in my gym clothes.

stretched

I stretch after.

waited for some old cunt to get off the machine I want to use while she jabbers away at her mate completely oblivious

This precisely is why I changed gyms in December.

well, that's 2 hours a pop at least, which is quite a long time when you have a life to lead after work.

I go before 6am. The whole thing, including the walk there and back, takes just over an hour. It's morning so I'd have to shower anyway, so no time lost there.

i don't think they open till 6 at least. and hang on just one minute - you're expecting me to get up in the morning??! (i start work at 8:30 and I have trouble getting there on time as it is).

haha. Mine usually opens before 6. It just works for me; I'm useless in the evenings.

i would have trouble getting to work at 8:30 too!

mine is more similar to jordan's now. update:

1. ride over in gym wear, takes about 3 minutes.

2. exercise bike for 25 mins, burns 230 cals.

3. weights for approx 15 mins, mostly upper body:
i) pushy forward one, 3 sets of 15-20 reps. then use different handles and do another 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
ii) stomach crunch, 3 sets of 20 reps.
iii) pully down one, 3 sets of 20 reps.
iv) leg machine that works on back of thighs, 3 sets of 20.
v) im trying to put the bicep curl machine into my routine but i find it insanely hard, even on a really low setting. i guess i'll have hide my pride and do it on the very lowest setting, 3 sets of 15-20.

4. 15 mins on the bikes again, burns 160 cals.

5. cycle home, shower at home.

whole thing takes about an hour and 10 mins. i do this 3 times a week, mon/wed/fri. if im in the mood i may go more days, rarely do less.

currently quite pleased with this as i've increased it from the past few years of half-arsedly turning up and not doing very much, but i think i have a long way to go before i have a routine that is really right for me. the next big step i want to make is to have my own home mini-gym with weights, bench and bike.

1. do some press-up type thing

10 mins that bouncy walky thing

i) pushy forward one

iii) pully down one

I love this thread.

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.

does anyone here actually train *for* anything? or is it just for general health improvement?

my routine is just run three miles (after warming up)

thats it. i guess sometimes i do situps too

mine is just bike around all day

That's a pretty good set, s.rose. I recommend using free weights (dumbbells) to do your bicep curls, so you can go lighter and work on stability.

This is mine:

Day 1
Squats 3x4-6
Leg press 3x4-6
Stiff leg deadlift 2x20 (this is anomalous)
Standing machine calf raise 3x6-8
Seated calf raise 2x6-8

Day 2
Incline barbell bench press 3x4-6
Flat barbell bench press 3x4-6
Decline barbell bench press 1x4-6
Barbell wrist curls 2x6-8
Dumbbell wrist curls 2x6-8

Day 3
Barbell rows 2x4-6
V bar pull-downs 2x4-6
Pull-ups + weight 2x4-6
Seated cable rows 2x4-6
Barbell shrugs 2x4-6

Day 4
Seated dumbbell press 3x4-6
Military barbell press 2x4-6
Standing side lateral raise 2x4-6
Lying tricep extension 2x4-6
Cable push-downs 2x4-6
One arm dumbbell overhead extension 1x4-6 <-- I am crap at this one

Day 5
Straight bar curls 2x4-6
Hammer curls 2x4-6
Curl bar curls 1x4-6
Prone jackknifes 2x20
Bench sit-ups (1 + 1/3) 2xfatigue
Leg raises 2x10

My workout is online ... http://www.orgs.ttu.edu/techrugby/Rugby/strength_and_condition.htm

who are you people?

My gym is close by so I walk only a few blocks.

1) 5-15 minute walking warmup on treadmill
2) 1.5 - 3 miles of jogging/running
3) another 10-15 minutes of steep incline walking
4) stretching
5) 30 crunches
6) 20 crunches to each side
7) some sort of lower-ab exercise (either using the upright support thingy or doing what I guess are called jackknifes with someone pushing my legs)
8) 20 pushups
9) 3 sets 15 curls (relatively light weight)
10) 3 sets 15 shoulder presses
11) various other freeweight/machine upper body stuff depending on day

I don't always hit all of these in a day but I try to do most. I might do less running if I plan to do more weights. I also try to vary to avoid boredom.

tonight was my first time after a few weeks off and I was pretty rusty, so I did more walking/less running, added some eliptical and then did a pretty light abs/weights routine

1. do some press-up type thing

10 mins that bouncy walky thing

i) pushy forward one

iii) pully down one

I love this thread.

-- Autumn Almanac, Thursday, February 7, 2008 8:24 PM (2 hours ago)

hey bro i knew 'tricep' cmon

now i know how you guys feel on my gtd thread

(xp) I wasn't having a go, I genuinely love the terms being used.

I bought a bag of chia seeds and it looks to me like 400g/day will provide you with 2000 calories, 100g protein, 100g fat and 166g fiber. Thinking of turning this into a diet book.

i always lard my morning smoothie with chia seeds and they are so gross but really filling

I tried doing some inverted rows using the new TRX system at my gym last night. Very hard, especially not to let myself sag in the middle, but i think it could be a great way to improve posture and overall core/back muscle. Also tried some body squats and it felt very unnatural and hard to do correctly. My knees ache a lot today. Hopefully I'll get better at them.

After hitting the gym more regularly, I could definitely feel an improvement. Felt like my gut was getting smaller, I was standing up straight etc. Last time I went was Thursday evening, felt great all through Friday. Had planned to go again on Saturday but got busy and ran out of time and now I feel like a sack of old spuds. I swear I've got my beer-belly back and then some, and my posture is worse than ever. Could this be possible? Is this simply psychological? It's only been a few days!

ur prob mostly experiencing increased energy/good feelings from moving yr body around

http://www.30bananasaday.com/

The fruitarian diet. In my mind this is heaven for about 36 hours and then you just want to kill yourself for something savory.

― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Thursday, July 23, 2015 10:02 PM (4 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

an old colleague was a fruitarian for like 3 years, then raw for another 4 years. she's still at it.

raw foodists/fruitarians are odd people

Can't find it right now but there was an NYT article about the trend toward "functional fitness" stuff like kettlebells, cable machines, ropes, trx etc. and away from those "isolation" machines. Which all actually seems to make perfect sense, except it makes me wonder how everyone decided that isolation machines were a good idea in the first place. Granted I guess they teach you form and help prevent injury if you're a total beginner.

yeah, it definitely feels as though since i've been away from the gym and came back that the whole approach is changing. when i first joined in 2007 it was machines, curls and crunches, and i don't even remember seeing a kettlebell or whatever until i rejoined last year but it's a big thing now.

OTOH the cynical part of me thinks changing it up is a good way to sell personal training sessions (gotta learn how to use those straps)

i'm getting a bit frustrated with my lack of progress really. started the gym about october last year and more recently have been going about 2-3 times a week. i definitely feel a lot fitter than i've been for a long time and am even surprised when i notice a muscle that wasn't there before. but i still feel like i look pretty much the same as i was hoping to lose some fat, especially around my stomach and chest. i've been trying to do more cardio and that's going better than expected. lots of stomach, torso and core exercises as well. but i still have a gut - in fact it feels like since i started i've developed a bigger stomach and the start of a double chin. and i don't eat crap either - cereal for breakfast, salad for lunch and a sensible meal in the evenings. is it just a matter of patience, or is there more i can be doing?

They always say losing fat is diet more than exercise. Maybe try one of those calorie-counter apps for a bit to see your intake compared to your activity? Or maybe you're not going as regularly as you think -- do you keep track of your gym visits? Supposedly a lot of people overestimate the regularity of their workouts.

My standard for whether I'm working out hard enough is just kind of "do I feel like I really worked out?" Maybe it's too vague a standard but I usually find that regular visits plus that "damn I worked out" feeling lead to eventual progress.

Is there any unnecessary refined sugar you can cut? Are you grabbing little handfuls of snacks here and there?

seeds/nuts but not really. i don't graze a lot and i don't eat an unusual amount of sugary food. alcohol may be a factor, but if anything i've cut that down to once a week at most, which is less than i used to.

the other reason i go is to improve my posture, and standing up straight really helps in making me look slimmer. i find i'm able to walk a lot straighter the day after the gym, but it starts going wrong if i leave it more than two days.

IDK how old you are but age is also a factor, I'm 35 and it's definitely slower going this time around.

It sounds like you are actually seeing some pretty good results for the time you are putting in. I've always heard you really need to work out at least three times a week to see a difference; can you bump up your workouts to 3-4 times a week? Also, are you focusing on compound exercises that hit a lot of muscles, and feeling it? You might not be pushing yourself quite enough.

But I relate. I've been working out hard and faithfully for three years, and I'm impressed with how I've stuck to it. Some days I'm really satisfied with the returns, and other days I can't believe this is all I have to show for all that effort and commitment.

if you want to lose weight you really just have to cut calories esp if you're older and/or have been overweight for some time

what are compound workouts?

Somebody else can explain this much better than me, but compound exercises are the big ones that hit a whole lot of muscle groups at once, and tend to be more taxing and effective than the isolation exercises we were just talking up about thread:

http://www.primalpal.net/paleo-recipe-blog/46/The-15-Best-Compound-Exercises-for-Super-Efficient-Workouts

thanks!

i've started trying to get into squats and trx stuff since reading these threads. squats are really hard. i'm not a very flexible person it seems.

Can't find it right now but there was an NYT article about the trend toward "functional fitness" stuff like kettlebells, cable machines, ropes, trx etc. and away from those "isolation" machines. Which all actually seems to make perfect sense, except it makes me wonder how everyone decided that isolation machines were a good idea in the first place. Granted I guess they teach you form and help prevent injury if you're a total beginner.

― five six and (man alive), Thursday, August 13, 2015 9:45 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

p sure rippetoe addresses this specifically in 'starting strength' --- machines are attractive to health clubs because they don't require instruction, and you don't have to worry about injury (not from poor form, per se, but from like dropping a barbell). also, they require minimal staffing and you can use space more efficiently than you can with squat racks. gyms that just have machines and treadmills cater to people who have passing dalliances with fitness: get a gym membership, show up a few times, aimlessly try out machines, stop going but keep paying until you realize that you're getting dinged $XXX/mo

free weights require instruction, which doesn't come cheaply for either the gym or the consumer. moreover, once you've received that instruction, you can make good progress on your own --- coaching would obviously help with form and programming, but it isn't strictly necessary. qualified instructors are more expensive than gym monitors, and tough to rationalize if people stop using them after a few sessions.

which i suppose is where cross-fit comes in: ppl pay for the instructors' certifications, and for spot-checking of form and other inputs (eg yelling), so you get the volume of machine-based gyms and the upcharge of personal training. and the best part is that since there is no progression to cross-fit, no trajectory, no end-point, people just keep paying

It's also kind of a relic of postwar/space race 'technology will save us all' ideology - that's when you start seeing the original Nautilus research and that kind of stuff. It wasn't necessarily an appeal to average gym owners as the workouts were kind of insanely tough.

Machines get a bad rap, IMO - just as you can get super fit with a couple of KBs, you can get fit with the machine course at your local Y if you add reps and/or weight, just like you do with freeweights. The reversion to 'if you're not barbell squatting you're wasting time' is just another ideology shift.

real talk

... the trend toward "functional fitness" stuff like kettlebells, cable machines, ropes, trx etc. and away from those "isolation" machines ... seems to make perfect sense, except it makes me wonder how everyone decided that isolation machines were a good idea in the first place. Granted I guess they teach you form and help prevent injury if you're a total beginner.

xposts -- good comments above, I'll just post what I already wrote:

I think the simple version is that organized fitness activities prior to World War 2 mostly emphasized the kinds of exercises now trendy as functional. Then researchers doing kinesiology experiments discovered that certain kinds of free-weight training got measurably better results for muscle hypertrophy (measures of the growth of a muscle are convenient as quantitative data). As weight training became more widespread and more research-driven, popular fitness literature and programs started emphasizing isolation exercises, mainly because body builders were using some of those methods to get crazily big and ripped. Photography, film, and TV changed the popular image of fitness to something closer to the body-building ideal. With more people coming into gyms in the 70s and 80s, machines like the Nautilus got popular as ways to use gym space more efficiently and provide safer routines for less experienced lifters. What today's fitness people argue is that isolation exercises, seated exercises, exercises with limited range of movement, etc., aren't the most efficient ways to develop the kinds of fitness that support functional performance. So everything old is new again: kettlebells, Indian clubs, bodyweight exercises, climbing, etc.

v good explanation, thx

also milo and gbx. Good posts all around. Part of why I still come to ILX -- highly historically literate and well-reasoned posts on weightlifting.

Somebody else can explain this much better than me, but compound exercises are the big ones that hit a whole lot of muscle groups at once, and tend to be more taxing and effective than the isolation exercises we were just talking up about thread:

http://www.primalpal.net/paleo-recipe-blog/46/The-15-Best-Compound-Exercises-for-Super-Efficient-Workouts

― Evan R, Thursday, August 13, 2015 11:04 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

thanks!

i've started trying to get into squats and trx stuff since reading these threads. squats are really hard. i'm not a very flexible person it seems.

― 9 days from now a.k.a next weekend. (dog latin), Thursday, August 13, 2015 11:10 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I never squat with weight, but I only just recently learned that my squat form was bad because I was getting up off my heels. I have short calf muscles, so this is not an easy thing for me to avoid, but I was told to really focus on pressing down through my heels, and it helps a lot.

lol @ white middle class fitness culture: new balance's slogan is "always in beta"

http://www.newbalance.com/always-in-beta/

xp yeah I've always had trouble touching my toes because the pain in the back of my calves/knees feels unnaturally excruciating if I even do it for more than 2 seconds. it's too tempting to roll forward or back on your feet.

i'm weighing up the pros and cons of joining the gym again when i move house vs investing in a kettle bell, gym mat, core ball, possibly a TRX system if there's space and a few other bits and bobs and just working out at home.
i'm not terribly interested in getting sw0le per se, just keeping healthy and lean. it could save time and money in the long run, but not sure if i'd realistically have the will power to do regular home workouts, or if i'd get the holistic benefits of the entire gym gamut. the advantage of a gym membership is it forces you to get out the house and work out somewhere away from distractions and just get into the space of 'this is what i'm going to do now for 75 minutes'.

Yeah I can't even force myself to do a few push-ups at home. Go for the gym membership and use the extra space at home for something fun like a library or home theater or something

I think the gym is a much better idea. Home workouts only work well for people who are already well into the habit/addiction of working out. There's something about having a separate time/place to do it that makes a huge difference.

I also highly recommend setting a (very light) workout schedule for yourself, like put it on your calendar, Wednesday at noon, Sunday at 2, whatever, and just going at your scheduled times. This has made a huge difference for me in making sure I get into the gym regularly.

Also helps a lot to have a gym bag packed and ready to go in advance. Really anything you can do to make that final moment of getting out the door to the gym less of a decision and more of a response.

"healthy and lean" is so amorphous an idea--i think you gotta have swoleness or some other benchmark in mind or else working out just feels like punching a clock. imo!

I used to sort of fear weights/bulking up/building too much muscle mass, but at some point I realized that you have to lift pretty heavy to really bulk up, especially if you're naturally thin-framed (which I'm not fwiw). My 40-50 lb per arm dumbbell presses are not going to turn me into some kind of hulking meathead who can't clap his hands over his head.

And yeah, if you DON'T do that stuff, you don't see as much visible progress. Seeing some definition in your chest/arms after a month or two of working out is a more concrete reward than just feeling vaguely healthier.

i work out at home and it's perfect because i can do whatever i want without the discomfort of people looking at me. i'm pretty independently motivated, so that's not a problem. i do calisthenic routine, yoga, dancing, weights 3x a week and i don't think i'm swole but my upper body strength is vastly improved. i can feel it. not sure i can see it, but i don't really want to.

Yeah I guess this is one of those things that you have to figure out for yourself -- I can see why some people prefer home workouts and get more exercise that way.

BTW usually when I make progress in my workouts I can feel it in my drumming -- do you find that to be true?

if i study a song while exercising, for sure! physically, idk? i've gotten fast enough that drumming doesn't really require that much strength, more agility.

I find improved muscle strength helps my speed/agility though. Even in indirect ways, like improved core strength helps me get around the kit better. Also being in shape reduces fatigue for me.

oh for sure
my answer to everything is to plank more
i have weird new muscles on my forearms from speed practice though -- i don't think it's related to my workouts since the muscles are so small

Today's routine:

Warmed up by jumping rope
3x "supersets" of kettlebell vertical pulls into shoulder presses (x10) followed by 10 "navy 8 count" pushups (sort of like a burpee pushup with a couple extra steps)
3x "supersets" of 10 TRX rows followed by 10 TRX squats
3x "supersets" of 10 TRX pushups followed by 10 high box jumps followed by 20 mountain climbers

I was actually pretty bushed and drenched in sweat from that, maybe like 35 mins total.

"healthy and lean" is so amorphous an idea--i think you gotta have swoleness or some other benchmark in mind or else working out just feels like punching a clock. imo!

― ryan, Tuesday, August 25, 2015 10:13 AM (4 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

feel like if you just get into the habit of pushing yrself you dont really need goals, like you just know what it feels like

which is not to say u wont notice that u can lift more run further etc

^^^ troof

I believe I'm at approximately 3 months of 3x per week now, and today I really noticed a difference in my overall fitness -- didn't get winded from the crazy combinations that used to make me want to puke, was doing at least 20% more weight on several exercises without having trouble finishing a set, etc.

Another interesting thing -- don't know if there is some scientific explanation -- is that my appetite/cravings are changing. I feel less urge to eat sugar and carbs, in fact I feel almost averse to eating too much of them.

So I got another free training session, different trainer this time, much better imo. This guy emphasized power-lifting and doing leg day/chest day/back day. The thing is, I don't really have good squat form and I also never learned deadlifting.

BUT, the training sessions are super expensive. No way I can afford the 1x per week regimen the guy tried to sell me on. Could maybe swing 1x per month.

Anyway, I'm wondering if it's possible to learn good squat, deadlift and bench form without a trainer or if it's just a bad idea and asking for injury?

You can do it! Just go slow, pay attention to how your body feels, watch videos, use light weight, and focus on things like flexibility and balance. A trainer can't step inside your body so you've got to sorta "find" good form through reps for yourself anyway. It's a journey. Don't go heavy and you won't get hurt.

cool thx! I really liked the dude and he was a great salesman too, but it's just so way beyond my budget it's not even something I can consider. But it does feel like now that I've been at this very consistently for a few months, I am making progress but there is a missing ingredient.

Apparently my hip strength is a weak spot. I never would have known.

i have never had a trainer and i think my deadlift form is a+ because there are really so few steps to doing it right. also i cannot recommend goblet squats enough. i am back to barbell squatting now but i think they are more fun. just limited by how heavy of a dumbbell you can carry in your arms (which is part of the fun of it, it works your arms and lats to hoist it off the ground). it really helps your flexibility and hips and teaches you to force your knees out. i do like 5 sets of 5 at 50-55 lbs or so and get so sweaty.

gonna try the more strength-oriented program for at least a few weeks I think. Did chest today -- 3 sets bar bench presses, 3 sets incline dumbbell presses, 3 sets cable cross fly, 3 sets bodyweight dips, all 10 reps and at weights where I could barely complete 3 sets of ten. I followed that with some abs and then brief cardio. I definitely feel different after this kind of workout than after my old one -- before I would be sweatier by the end and then leave the gym with a kind of pep in my step, whereas this leaves me feeling a little stiffer and slower, though maybe just getting used to it. OTOH I feel like I'm going to see visible results more quickly with this, like I just feel like I did much more to the muscles I worked, much sorer.

One thing I've noticed about "starting strength" types (from talking to trainers, reading on the internet, etc.) is that they're almost data-oriented -- very focused on numerically measurable results. You get "gains" in weight you can lift, and, for the heavy lifters, in muscle size. I think my personality is a little averse to this -- I like variety, improvisation, and I don't care much about measuring progress as long as I can sense it.