Looking to get started at the gym again, and trying to see where I could find any kind of workouts online to take to the gym with me.

I do absolutely horribly at the gym if I go in without a plan, so I'm looking for something I could take in on paper or on my phone to follow.

For example, if I know I want to go in for chest, shoulder, etc day I would like to take in a list of lifts with reps to take in with me.

Any places to find something like this ?

I bought the Fitbod app and have been happy.

Kurt Gowdy said:

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I bought the Fitbod app and have been happy.

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This is what I use and I highly recommend it. Works well whether you're working out at home or at a gym. The initial setup takes time but it takes all the guesswork out. It tells you what exercises to use, what weight, how many sets, reps, even rest periods. It's so much easier than designing and tracking your own workouts. It's also easy to substitute lifts if there's some you don't enjoy doing, can also completely eliminate those from future workouts should you wish them to be excluded. It's an awesome app.

Depends on what you are really looking for. Are you wanting a specific routine that tells you mostly what to do (like starting strength or 531 for example)? In that case, what exactly are your goals?

For myself, I've predominantly used starting strength for a number of years now. I have a spreadsheet where I can just plug in numbers and it tells me the weights for each warmup and work set. I just write it all down in a small notebook that I take back and forth to the gym with me. I'm sure there is some kind of app I could use to replace the notebook, but just haven't gotten around to it.

Or, as others have said, there are aps that will spit out a workout and tell you everything. My son uses one and so does his mom. Never really messed with those, though.

Lots of good apps and programs. My ole reliable is stronglifts. Over the years they've improved the app enough to program a little as well as just the basic 5x5.

The biggest question for you is what is your end goal: Strength or Hypertrophy (growth)?

Most people want a combination of both, and you'll develop strength when you increase in size, and the inverse is true as well.

Many programs available online will focus on both, but will favor one over the other.

Figure out which one you truly want to focus on, and find a program that fits it better.

Agree. I used the free version for the past 8 months, finally sprung for the paid because I wanted to have an easy convenient way to start doing Madcow as I'm close to stalling on 5x5.

The workouts couldn't be more simple and they absolutely work. Down 30 pounds and am close to hitting "intermediate" numbers on my lifts for my weight.

I did strong lifts pretty consistently and was at the peak of my strength without going hardcore.

Again, to reiterate what has been said already, what are your specific goals? Strength? Size? A little of both etc.

My advice is to figure out what you really want to get out of training first. Then find a program that allows you to track you progress and is intelligently designed. B/c you don't want to just do a bunch of random chest and shoulder exercises wk 1 and then switch the combo up to different chest and shoulder exercises each week with no way to measure progress and track results. A good program will usually have 2-3 days of press movements that are the same for those days respectively (Monday bench, Wednesday flyes, Friday incline DB etc) for a period of time to be done until they get stale, which generally doesn't happen until one is more advanced anyway. The old "muscle confusion" thing that was sold to us in P90X back in the day misused that idea so badly that a lot of trainees still think you have to change an exercise routine up every time or week and almost never repeat the same exercises when it's actually the opposite to ensure goal specificity and track for progressive overload. Face it, the best training programs might get mentally boring but most trainees aren't at a high enough level to appropriately use muscle confusion concepts yet. And even then, it means doing the same cable flyes for 6-8 months THEN changing to DB flyes.
This is why I love things like Starting Strength for novices (you're a novice and that's ok. Embrace that b/c it's the most fun time in any weight training lifetime. Results happen so often and with such regularity that it's great. Intermediate and advanced level trainees have to deal with incremental strength and or size gains that can take years to achieve. Novices can have things happen in a few weeks!). It teaches the basic compounds, gets your strength up and if you switch to hypertrophy (bodybuilding) training phases, your mind muscle connection will just be flat out better. Even cable flyes for chest which in a pure strength phase isn't in the exercise routine for beginners. But, another place to look is Renaissance Periodization. Dr Mike and Jared Feather have fantastic tips. Jeff Nippard is great, Mind Pump TV, Layne Norton etc. all great follows and each also sell programs.
But regardless, a focused program for your goals, that follows the principles of specificity (trains you for what your specific goal is) and progressive overload (to actually track progress). Good luck!

Thanks for all the suggestions!

To clarify and be more specific, I just turned 50 so my goals are really primarily weight loss and adding lean muscle. My "power" days are over, so honestly looking to just get on the weights enough to add some strength and lean muscle.

So more a long the lines of lighter weights/more reps I'm imagining.

Capitol Ag said:

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Again, to reiterate what has been said already, what are your specific goals? Strength? Size? A little of both etc.

My advice is to figure out what you really want to get out of training first. Then find a program that allows you to track you progress and is intelligently designed. B/c you don't want to just do a bunch of random chest and shoulder exercises wk 1 and then switch the combo up to different chest and shoulder exercises each week with no way to measure progress and track results. A good program will usually have 2-3 days of press movements that are the same for those days respectively (Monday bench, Wednesday flyes, Friday incline DB etc) for a period of time to be done until they get stale, which generally doesn't happen until one is more advanced anyway. The old "muscle confusion" thing that was sold to us in P90X back in the day misused that idea so badly that a lot of trainees still think you have to change an exercise routine up every time or week and almost never repeat the same exercises when it's actually the opposite to ensure goal specificity and track for progressive overload. Face it, the best training programs might get mentally boring but most trainees aren't at a high enough level to appropriately use muscle confusion concepts yet. And even then, it means doing the same cable flyes for 6-8 months THEN changing to DB flyes.
This is why I love things like Starting Strength for novices (you're a novice and that's ok. Embrace that b/c it's the most fun time in any weight training lifetime. Results happen so often and with such regularity that it's great. Intermediate and advanced level trainees have to deal with incremental strength and or size gains that can take years to achieve. Novices can have things happen in a few weeks!). It teaches the basic compounds, gets your strength up and if you switch to hypertrophy (bodybuilding) training phases, your mind muscle connection will just be flat out better. Even cable flyes for chest which in a pure strength phase isn't in the exercise routine for beginners. But, another place to look is Renaissance Periodization. Dr Mike and Jared Feather have fantastic tips. Jeff Nippard is great, Mind Pump TV, Layne Norton etc. all great follows and each also sell programs.
But regardless, a focused program for your goals, that follows the principles of specificity (trains you for what your specific goal is) and progressive overload (to actually track progress). Good luck!

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Totally agree- and these are also some of my most trusted social media fitness/nutrition folks

RP has some really great hypertrophy programs, which sounds about what you're looking for. You can definitely train for hypertrophy while losing fat

Player To Be Named Later said:

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Thanks for all the suggestions!

To clarify and be more specific, I just turned 50 so my goals are really primarily weight loss and adding lean muscle. My "power" days are over, so honestly looking to just get on the weights enough to add some strength and lean muscle.

So more a long the lines of lighter weights/more reps I'm imagining.

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There is nothing about being 50 that means that heavy strength training isn't your best bet for those goals. Proper eating and heavy resistance will be the best way to accomplish your stated goal.

Well, not a total novice.... Just been awhile since I was active in a gym. I used to live for lifting. Offensive tackle in the day, power lifting, rugby, and lacrosse in HS. Spent a ton of time in the gym.

I just suck at going to the gym without a "plan" because I just find myself spending more time wandering around than actually working out.

As long as I can walk in with a workout either on my phone or on paper, I get a LOT more out of my time.

The free version worked for me for almost a year. I only paid because now I'm ready for the new phase. OP, download it, start with just the bar like the program says, and I promise you will be amazed by the results.

Give it two months and if it's not for you, you can always try something else.

ETA: I hear you on the light weight/higher reps. The nice thing about Stronglifts is it gets you to see solid results with progressive overload.

Once you hit a level you're happy with doing 5x5, you can easily just change the workout to keeping the same weight, but going for 8 reps, then 10, then 12 as your progressive overload.

Completely agree with starting with just the bar. It might feel ridiculous at first but it will get heavy again soon enough. If you are patient and follow the automated progression it will get heavier, you will get stronger and build muscle, and you won't get very sore. The healthy diet part will be the biggest key to losing weight but you can definitely do it while building strength and muscle on this program.

bam02 said:

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Download StrongLifts 5x5 app. Do it for 12 weeks. I promise you will be impressed with yourself.

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Great info on here.

Curious, is there a way to customize some things based on various body/muscle issues or pain with this app? I have a bad back and I try to avoid some exercises. Like squat, I try to use the squat machine vs bar with the hopes or minimizing pressure on my back and herniated disc.

The paid version allows you to create your own workouts using the same template/set up as the free version.

DL the free version and see if you like the interface. If you do, you can easily recreate the SL style program but replace traditional deadlift with Romanian, or front squats for squats, or whatever you feel comfortable with.

ETA: You can even get down to changing the week to week progression, i.e. changing it from the preset of going up 5 lbs/workout to 2.5 with the free version.

This is useful if you're going to be tracking progressive overload on machines that maybe you don't want to/can't jump at preset 5 lb intervals.

Honestly, if you keep the free one and are just replacing squats with a machine squat and deadlifts with a different variation, as long as you plan to keep doing it 5x5 and stick to the progressive overload of the plan, you can probably get by with the free version for awihle.

Interesting app.
I got it downloaded and noticed squats on both workout A and workout b. Says to do squats everyday for my 5 day workout. That sound right? Weight increase each day, which I get. Just surprised to see it listed as my first daily workout.

No. You should be doing this workout every other day at most, probably more like 3x a week.

Workout A and B alternate, you do it three days a week. So week 1 is A/B/A, week 2 is B/A/B, and so on.

You have one day off in between each workout, then 2 days off. So it's A, rest, B, rest, A, rest rest, B, rest, A, rest, B, rest rest, repeat.

FYI for anyone interested in LOTS of info on StrongLifts…

https://texags.com/forums/48/topics/2254214