Can anyone critique my exercise plan please and tell me if I’m on the right track?

[JenniferJupiterr]

I’ve been following this plan for around 2 months now and I’m definitely seeing progress. I started off very weak and feel stronger and perhaps look it too. Hard to say!

just wanted to check that I’m on the right track with more experienced gym goers! I workout out 5 times a week, swap between upper and lower body and each workout is about 40 minutes in total. I look to increase weight / add an extra rep in every time I go. Anything to slowly move forward without rushing.

my goal ultimately is to get strong. That’s about it really! I’m on my 50s so no spring chicken - I do 3 sets of each exercise, and between 10-12 reps

UPPER BODY

CHEST PRESS
SEATED ROW
LAT PULLDOWN
SHOULDER PRESS
TRICEPS PUSHDOWN
BICEP CURLS
LAT RAISES
AB CRUNCH

LOWER BODY

LEG PRESS
ROMANIAN DEAD LIFTS
SEATED LEG CURLS
GLUTE BRIDGE
STANDING CABLE GLUTE KICKBACKS
STANDING CALF RAISES
PLANK - just one and held for 2 mins ish

Would appreciate any pointers or just knowing I’m on the right lines

thanks

Personally I would add either Pilates or yoga for a strong core.

Don’t like either Pilates or yoga but it’s on my list to do some form of stretching / core work for sure

I’m no expert but would say that it looks boring, sorry! I think it may be hard to maintain that for a long time? Have you looked at mixing in so some free workouts from people such as Caroline Girvan. Also look at Megsquats to get other ideas on gym programmes with progression.

Have done it for 2 months now and not bored! Well, I probably am but I’d be bored doing whatever exercise! I’ll have a look at Caroline Girvans thanks

Looks OK.

Personally, I prefer doing the big compound lifts: squat, deadlift, bench, as they work on an all body effect, so what you do are just "accessories" to me.

But if it works for you & you enjoy it, go for it! You could add in some pull up and push up work as well as some free weights work as you get more confident. Managing free weights (dumbbells, barbells) will test you as your body (abs, spine, glutes, quads) will have to provide the stability to haul the dumbbells around.

However, your work out is pretty static. Our bodies adapt quickly. You'll progress more in overall fitness, strength and mobility, if you change things around every 12 weeks or so, and you should probably add in plyo work & mobility. Jump, crawl, swing, run - move in as many different ways as you can. So you could think about dumbbell thrusters or devil's press, for example, or sled push/pull, or wall balls, or rope work. Stuff that requires mobility and strength.

I found weighted barbell squats were fantastic for my core. If you're properly aligned & braced in things like lat pull downs, your core will be working!

How old are you? As we age as women, fundamentally we need to pick up heavy shit, to improve bone density and increase metabolism. So the exercises you listed are fine, but how much weight are you lifting? A chest press with 5kgs is very different to a chest press with 50! Are you working to failure and progressive overload?

Looks great!

The way to succeed in getting strong is to repeat the same thing again and again adding extra weight. So you are right on track.

It might be worth trying to go even heavier on some of the exercises, but for 5 sets of 5 reps. This would be the next phase of a weightlifting plan (start with hypertrophy 3 sets of 12 to increase the amount of muscle mass) then onto a strength phase such as 5x5 to increase the strength of the muscles.

I would try a month of doing heavier 5 sets of 5 reps, and then switch back to your original plan, but starting the weights heavier.

Are you doing any aerobic exercise? It's good for your health to get your heart rate up sometimes, too. Terrific you found a routine you otherwise like & can sustain x

@Thaigreencurryrules I can chest press 30kg so I’m not setting the world on fire or anything! but this steadily increases each time. I do three sets and it’s to failure more or less - the last rep or two are almost impossible for me

@lljkk god don’t give me more stuff to do! 😝 But yes, I’m active in other ways to but not running marathons or anything. I make sure I get out of breath a few times a week

it’s just my strength that my main focus is on right now

@ParmaVioletTea thanks! Words like ‘compound’ and ‘bench’ don’t mean anything to me right now really - I have a vague idea but wouldn’t have a clue what to do or how to start - although I built this routine through research and from scratch!

I’ve done it for 8 weeks or so now so it’s time to liven it up a bit for sure. But I’m such a beginner I had to google every single exercise I do, along with look at videos to understand it and visualise it

I always recommend watching both MegSquats and Rachel Henley (Henley Fitness) on YouTube (both are also on Instagram). I got the recommendation for MegSquats here, I think.

They both deal with women getting stronger, and beginners to lifting weights. They're both excellent in terms of knowledge and approach - trying to demystify using weights for women - barbells and free weights like dumbbells.