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Workout Routines

Chinh Chinh

Warm up

  • I use this warm-up on leg days and days I know I’m going to go for a long run after my lifting session.

  1. 5 min on bike or stairmaster

  2. Stretching on mats: sit and reach toe touches, alternating legs, feet together, butterflies

  3. Glute bridges x 20 (resistance band)

  4. Clam shells x 20 each leg (resistance band)

  5. Donkey kicks x 20 each leg (resistance band)

  6. Pulses x 20 each leg (resistance band)

  7. Fire hydrants x 20 each leg (resistance band)

  8. Monster walk back and forth across the room =1 set. Do 3 sets

  9. Storks with exercise ball. Hold for 15 seconds, alternating legs, do 5 sets per leg.

  10. Planks x 3 sets for 90 seconds each.

  11. Leg lifts x 50. Do 3 sets.

Legs

  • I do legs 2-3 days a week, depending on how sore I feel since leg soreness is usually at its peak 2 days after you do them so I leave at least 1-2 days in between leg sessions. The reps for all the workouts below are just the reps I am currently able to do. If you’re able to do more, great! Keep going. If you can’t do them all, no worries! Work your way up and do what you can. Go easy on yourself so you don’t injure yourself but make sure it’s not too easy that you’re not getting anything out of it. You want it to be a little difficult.

  1. Leg press

    1. Start with just the plate x 20 reps.

    2. 2 x 25 lbs(one on each side) Do 20 reps.

    3. 2 x 45 lb weights. Do 20 reps.

    4. (2 x 45 lbs) + (2 x 25 lb). Do 20 reps.

    5. (4 x 45 lbs) - 2 on each side. Do 10 reps.

    6. After you’re all done, do a drop set. Basically everything you just did, but in reverse, til there are no weights left on the plate. You can rest between sets.

  2. Squats

    1. Start with just the bar x 20 reps

    2. 2 x 10 lbs (one on each side). Do 20 reps

    3. Add 10 lbs on each side. Do 20 reps.

    4. Keep adding 10 lbs on each side and continue with 20 reps until you can only do 10.

    5. At your heaviest weight of which you can only do 10 reps, rest for a few minutes. My current heaviest weight is 50 lbs each side (100 lbs + the bar)

    6. Put on a good fire pumping song for a drop set!

    7. Dropset (this helps if you have a friend to remove the weights but if you don’t, it’s okay, you can do it yourself if you’re on the Smith machine). Starting at the heaviest weight, do 5 reps. Remove one weight from one side. 5 reps. Remove one weight from the alternating side. 5 reps. Repeat continually removing weights until you get down to 20 lbs on both sides (40 lbs total). Do 10 reps. Then remove each weight doing 10 reps each set. When you get to 10 lbs on both sides, do 20 reps and continue removing weights and 20 reps until the bar is left. Finish strong with 20 reps on just the bar. No rest between sets until you’re all done.

  3. Stiff legged deadlifts

    • 3 sets x 20 reps at 25 lbs on each side.

  4. Leg extension

    • 3 sets of 20 reps at the heaviest weight you can finish 20 reps at.

  5. Leg curls

    • 3 sets of 20 reps at the heaviest weight you can finish 20 reps at.

  6. Leg push down on assisted dip machine

    • 3 sets of 20 reps each leg, alternating legs at 55 lbs, 70 lbs, 85 lbs.

  7. Hip Adduction

    • 3 sets of 20 reps at 90 lbs

  8. Hip Abduction

    • 3 sets of 20 reps at 90 lbs

  9. Lunges

    1. Back and forth across the room with 10 lbs weights in each hand = 1 set.

    2. Do 3 sets.

Back

  • I do back 2-3 times a week, usually right after I do legs since if my lower body is sore, I’ll work on my upper body.

  1. Pulldown machine

    1. Start at the lowest weight. 20 reps.

    2. Increase in weight x 20 reps per set until you can only do 10 reps. Rest in between sets. My current max is 85 lbs.

  2. MTS pulldown (alternating sides)

    1. Start at the lowest weight. 20 reps per arm.

    2. Increase in weight x 20 reps per set until you can only do 10 reps. My current max is 70 lbs.

  3. MTS row (alternating arms)

    1. Start at the lowest weight. 20 reps per arm.

    2. Increase in weight x 20 reps per set. I currently only go up to 50 lbs.

  4. Row machine

    1. Start at the lowest weight. 20 reps per arm, then 20 reps both arms together = one set. (i.e. right arm x 20, left arm x 20, pull both arms x 20)

    2. Increase in weight until you can only do 10 reps at the end with both arms.

  5. Deadlifts (Adding weights and then drop set, then heaviest weight, one rep each)

    1. This is the same as the squats above. 20 reps, adding weight each time to BOTH sides until you get to your heaviest weight and then dropset, removing weights alternating sides until just the bar is left.

    2. Then I do 1 rep with heavy weights

      1. 2 x 45 lbs

      2. (2 x 45 lbs) + (2 x 25 lbs)

      3. (2 x 45 lbs) + (2 x 25 lbs) + (2 x 5 lbs)

      4. My goal is to build my strength back up to being able to deadlift two 45 lb plates on both sides again (4 x 45 lbs)

  6. Assisted dips machine(I superset this with the next exercise, the assisted pull-ups)

    • Assisted dips: x 20 reps at 55 lbs

    • Assisted pull-ups x 20 reps at 55 lbs

    • Do 3 sets. Rest between sets.

  7. Back extensions

    • 3 sets x 20 reps. Remember to squeeze your butt at the top.

  8. Ropes - pull-ups

    • 3 sets of 10 reps.

  9. Battle ropes

    • 3 sets of 15-30 seconds. Try to increase your time each set until failure.

  10. Rope pull

    • 3 sets of 30 seconds. Try to increase your time each set until failure.

Chest

  • I do this maybe once a week if that, and very lightly. I’m not trying to expand my chest so I go very light. I only do chest to even out my workouts and because I can’t do legs and back every day. It’s just to give the rest of my sore body a break but still get a workout in, even if light.

  1. Chest press machine

    • 3 sets x 20 reps (1 set at 10 lbs, 2 sets at 25 lbs)

  2. MTS chest press

    • 3 sets x 20 reps (1 set at 10 lbs, 2 sets at 20 lbs)

  3. Pectoral Fly

    • 3 sets x 20 (1 set at 30 lbs, 35 lbs, 40 lbs)

  4. Chest press flat bench on smith machine

    1. 20 reps, just the bar.

    2. 2 x 2.5 lbs (one on each side) x 20 reps

    3. 2 x 5 lbs. 20 reps.

    4. 2 x 7.5 lbs (5 + 2.5). 20 reps

    5. 2 x 10 lbs. 20 reps

    6. 2 x 12.5 lbs (10 + 2.5). 10 reps

  5. Chest press incline on smith machine

    1. Kick the flat bench up one notch so it’s on an incline. Start with just the bar and do the same weight increase as flat bench chest press workout until you can only do 10 reps.

  6. Chest pushdowns on assisted dip machine

    1. 3 sets x 20 reps at 40 lbs.

Shoulders

  • I usually do this right after chest since chest is fairly fast to get through and you’re already on the smith machine anyway. If no smith machine is available, you can do this with a barbell and free weights instead. Works the same way. My shoulder routine is also very light because I suck at upper body. But I’m also not looking to get huge shoulders. So I just do light weight and higher reps. If you’re looking to build, then go heavier.

  1. Super super set (Squeeze butt during entire set except for bent over lateral raises)

    1. Smith machine shrugs (can increase to 2.5 lbs to both sides)

    2. Smith machine upright rows (can increase to 2.5 lbs to both sides)

    3. Free weight shrugs (10 lb weights)

    4. Free weight bent over lateral raises (10 lb weights)

    5. Free weight front raises (10 lb weights)

    6. Do all of the above with no rest = 1 set. Then rest and do 2 more sets for a total of 3.

  2. Shoulder press

    • 3 sets at 10 lbs

  3. MTS Shoulder press (front and back)

    • 3 sets at 10 lbs sitting forward

    • 3 sets at 10 lbs sitting backward

  4. Assisted dips machine (this is the same as the back. It works the shoulders too so I repeat this on shoulder day. I superset the dips and the pull-ups together no rest)

    1. Assisted dips x 20 reps at 55 lbs

    2. Assisted pull-ups x 20 reps at 55 lbs

    3. Do 3 sets. Rest between sets.

  5. Front raises with wheel 5-5-5s

    1. Grab a 10 lb wheel. Raise them in front of them 5 reps to shoulder level continuously. Rest for 2 seconds. Raise them again 5 reps. Rest 2 seconds. Raise them again 5 reps.

    2. Do 3 sets. Rest 15 seconds between sets.

  6. Lateral raise machine

    1. 3 sets of 20 raises at 10 lbs

Arms

  • I do arms maybe once a week because like chest, I’m not trying to get big arms. I’m just doing it to give the rest of my body a rest and to round myself out. I also don’t go too heavy because my arms are too big for my liking to begin with. I prefer them to look a little softer and feminine but I inherited my dad’s arms so here we are. Welcome to the gun show.

  1. Cable pulleys one hand

    1. Overhand - 3 sets x 20 reps (5 lbs, 7.5 lbs, 10 lbs)

    2. Underhand - 3 sets (5 lbs, 7.5 lbs, 7.5 lbs)

  2. Cable pulley dual rope tricep extensions

    • 3 sets x 20 reps at 15 lbs

  3. Bicep curl

    • 20 reps at 10, 20, 30, 40 lbs

  4. Tricep extension

    • 20 reps at 10, 20, 30 lbs

  5. Tricep press

    • 20 reps at 40, 50, 60, 70 lbs

  6. Skullcrushers + chest presses superset

    • 20 reps skullcrushers + 20 reps chest press

    • Do 3 sets. 1 with 20 lb barbell, 2 with 30 lb barbell.

  7. 21s - 7,7,7

    • 7 bottom, 7 up top, 7 bottom to top = 1 set

    • 3 sets

  8. Tricep kickbacks

    • 3 sets of 20 reps each arm. 10 lb weight.

  9. Free weights bicep curls, increasing weights

    • I basically sit on a bench curling free weights til I can only do 10 reps. (10 lbs, 12.5 lbs, 15 lbs, 17.5 lbs, 20 lbs, 25 lbs)

Abs

  • Honestly don’t do abs much because abs are made in the kitchen. It’s more diet than exercise on this one and it’s so true. I used to do abs in the beginning but then I stopped. Since I stopped, and just focused on diet, I’ve seen more results. You can add on abs if you want more definition in your six-pack but I’m not looking for that. I just want a flat stomach and to not look bloated. I’m not greedy.

  1. Leg lifts on mat: 50 reps x 3 sets

  2. Planks x 90 seconds x 3 sets.

  3. Crunches x 50 x 3 sets

  4. Sit-ups x 20 x 3 sets

  5. Trunk twists x 50 x 3 sets

  6. Leg lifts on captain’s chair x 20 reps x 3 sets

Cardio

  • It’s not necessary to do this everyday but I personally do every day after lifting if I have time. I try to make sure I always have 30 min-1 hour left to finish with cardio. But don’t be crazy like me if you hate cardio. Aim for 2-3 times a week if you can. I used to hate it but ironically I grew to really like it when I started training for the half marathon and I told myself I would stop after but I haven’t seemed to fall off that wagon yet so why get off? I just do one of the following after lifting. Usually it's just running but sometimes I vary it up. If my legs are sore, I'll do the bike or ligh power walking. The elliptical is also easier on the knees. The stairmaster I've only recently started. I usually HATE stairs so I avoided this machine for the longest time since joining the gym. Recently though I'll admit it's not so bad after getting used to stairs on my cruise trip.

  1. 15-30 minutes stairs

  2. 1 hour bike.

  3. 30 min- 1 hour running outside or on treadmill (try to do 5k or work toward 5k)

  4. 30 min-1 hour elliptical

  5. 1 hour power walking

There is no rule or anything to these routines I do. Yes, I know there are other ways and other routines I can try that might be ‘better’ or whatever, but it’s just what my trainer had me do and I got used to. They’re all old school stuff but effective and everything seems to be working and I’m getting the results I’m looking for. It’s been two years now but remember, results take time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, you’re not going to wake up with the perfect body overnight. Changes are gradual and small but over time, you’ll definitely see it. It’s the same thing with weight gain. I didn’t see how bad I was spiraling right away. It took a year or two until I finally really looked at myself and woke up and realized I wasn’t fitting right in my clothes anymore.

I don’t do everything on each list every time, but I try to get as many done in a session as time allows and I try to make sure I do the heaviest/hardest ones to make my workout count. Like for legs, I’ll make sure I do the leg press and squats definitely. I don’t worry about the leg extension/leg curl/hip adduction/hip abduction machines as much if I can’t get to them. I try to aim for about 1-2 hours lifting and 30 min-1 hour cardio.

An example of a weekly schedule:

  1. Monday - Legs & Cardio

  2. Tuesday - Back & Cardio

  3. Wednesday - Chest & Shoulders & Cardio

  4. Thursday - Arms & Cardio

  5. Friday - Legs & Cardio

  6. Saturday - Back & Cardio

  7. Sunday - Stretching & Cardio - 10k run

I’ll alternate and substitute based on how my body is feeling and how much time I have to expend for the gym that day. If one part is still sore and needs more recovery time, I’ll work on something else. This is also why I personally don’t do full body workouts and try to focus on one body part at a time. While one body part rests, I can work out a different part that day. If my whole body is sore, I’ll be more discouraged to not work out at all and take an extra day or two to rest and then fall off the wagon because it’s that quick to fall off. And yes I know rest days are important. I do have rest days sometimes, but I usually put them on days when I have plans where I’m going to be out or in the city or something so I can’t fit a workout in. But for the most part I try to work out every day. I try to get at least 10-20k steps in a day and at least 1 hour of active time logged into my Samsung health via walking or running. If I’m working that day, I try to workout every morning before I have to be at work. If weather doesn’t permit me to get to the gym or whatever, I’ll pop in my Insanity videos and get a HIIT workout in at home. I don’t find HIIT workouts to be as enjoyable as lifting though, personally, which is why I stopped doing Insanity. But they’re good every once in a while when I get strapped for time or can’t get somewhere. You can get a lot done working out for just 20-40 minutes in your own home.

I’m going to stress here to take pictures as much as you can and as often as you can because if you’re anything like me and a slave to the numbers on the scale, these photos help A LOT when I’m feeling defeated. The numbers on the scale are only a small snapshot and don’t accurately reflect everything. What I mean is, it’ll say you weigh X amount of pounds or kilograms, but it doesn’t tell you what that’s comprised of in terms of body fat percentage, bone density, water weight, muscle, etc. If you look up weightlifting vs cardio, you can find a lot of photos of people who are the same weight but their body composition is different (see pic below, it’s not a pic of me just an example I googled). The scales will not show you this and thus leave you feeling discouraged. My goal for 2020 is to reshape how I view myself through the scales and no longer be a slave to the scales. I want to eventually stop weighing myself as often as I do. Realistically I’ll never stop weighing myself because I’m a person who always goes by measurable statistics, but the goal is to be less harsh on myself if I’m not X lbs. I want to reprogram my head into being okay with what I see on the scale because I should trust what I am doing on a daily basis in terms of working out, eating right and showing up for myself. This is the next step in my fitness journey, I feel.

And I know this sounds a little backwards but along with weighing myself less, at one point, I also want to get rid of my current scale and replace it with a body analyzer scale. I know they’re not the most accurate, but it’ll provide a ballpark snapshot/rough estimate of where my body is water weight, muscle and fat percentage-wise. I’m hoping it’ll give me better peace of mind but who knows, watch it make me even crazier. It’s funny because I’ve been using my dinky drugstore scale for the past 5 years when I really should’ve gotten the body analyzer scale instead but I’ve been too cheap to dish out for one.

Here’s to the next step in this journey!