A Happier Mans Weight Training Routine

I wanted to share my happier mans weight training routine that I currently use.

By using this routine, I have developed enormous strength where I am stronger in my late 50's than at any time in my life.  Even more than in my mid-20's when I was very serious about lifting.

The issue I had in my 20's was continually over-training, foolishly trying to build a bodybuilder physique without steroids.  I was usually extremely sore, exhausted, nursing injuries and either sick or on the verge of getting sick.

Looking back I was just doing too much volume.

With this new found knowledge, I look better than I have in years. Not as good as in my 20's, but much better than my 30's and early 40's when I was not weight training, eating enormous amounts of carbs, sleeping poorly and just generally being pushed around by a verbally abusive wife until I left her.

And I feel great which is why I think I have something to offer you.

In general, I am a firm believer in weight training, lifting heavy weights with modest to low volume to build strength, feel better, look better, avoid injuries and avoid over training.

The hip, low back, neck, shoulders, wrists and elbow injuries I have suffered under are healed and I hope to continue feeling good.

Some of My Recent Numbers to Show You What's Possible

Bench Press

300 pounds for 2 reps.  This is the most I've ever benched in my life.

I have had to scale back from 300 pounds after my 2 week vacation to de-load,

Here is video of me talking (bragging) about my 300 pound bench.

Squat

365 pounds for 3 reps.  This is the most I've ever squatted too.

These are full range of motion, slightly below parallel Starting Strength style squats.

You'll find with this type of squatting that you don't need to bother with other leg exercises.  All your leg muscles, including your calves are worked.

Deadlift

375 pounds for 3 reps.  I have deadlifted more than this in the past, but feel good now with this weight.  I feel like I can go heavier.

I do use straps on my work set unless I have done a significant de load.  Don't let your hand strength limit your back strength.  Unless you have very large hands and you have some type of job where you are constantly working your hands, your hand strength has no chance of keeping up with your back strength.

Standing Overhead Press.

175 pounds for 3 reps.

1000 Pound Total for Bench, Squat and Deadlift

1,000 pound total for the 3 lifts 2 times in 2022.

Here is the video I did after I made the 1,000 pound the first time.

A Happier Mans Weight Training Routine Scheduling Thoughts

I generally try to weight train 2 times a week.  My optimum days to train are Tuesday after work in the late afternoon and Friday after work in the early afternoon.

Mondays are a tough day to train for me.  I usually work longer on Mondays, the gym is usually busiest on Mondays and I have some standing meetings on Monday evenings.

Friday afternoons are ideal for me.  I work a 4 hour day on Fridays because I work longer days the rest of the week.  This schedule gives me much more of the free time I crave.  I can get to the gym in the early afternoon, train and be home by late afternoon and recover enough to go out on Friday nights if I want to. 

I will work out on the weekends if I miss during the week.  But I generally prefer to leave the weekends open for fun.

I do need at least 2 days to recover from my training days, so working out on Tuesdays, gives me Wednesday and Thursday to recover.

I may get in 3 workouts a week, but rarely.  I find 3 workouts a week extremely draining, with a much larger potential for injury and it reduces my happiness because I am dragging and exhausted.

My thoughts are to keep training year round and forever, rather than trying to maximize short term gains.

I have been taking some significant vacations, so don't work out during that time.  I find it takes a few weeks after a vacation to get back into the swing of training.

In order to keep the length of the workout to a reasonable time period, I do not do that many exercises.

I break up the 2 workouts into a Routine A and Routine B.

Happier Mans Weight Training Routine A

  • Warmup
  • Standing Overhead Press
  • Squat
  • Dumbbell curl

My warmup is brief and easy.  My research and my experience has shown that excessive warmup time is not necessary and counterproductive if you get tired while warming up.  I do some leg bounces, usaully 10 reps of standing and then bending my knees, then kicking out each leg to the side, 10 reps each side, then kicking out each leg backwards, 10 reps each leg.  Then I do some non-weighted shrugs, bent over rows, curls, triceps kickbacks, presses and standing bench presses.  I end my warmup with bent over shoulder rolls/swings with a very light dumbbell, clockwise and counterclockwise for 10 reps and finally shoulder sawing for 10 reps.

This entire warmup takes a bit over 5 minutes and I do it by the rack area I am going to my first exercise by so I can secure the rack and start training immediately after the warmup.

Each exercise is done to a full range of motion and has it's own warmup sets progression.  With the full range of motion, I find no need to do a formalized stretching routine.

Standing Overhead Press

I do these in the Starting Strength Style method.

Recent press workout:

  • 5 reps with the bar.  Very slow and gentle
  • 5 reps with the bar.  A little faster.
  • 5 reps with 65 pounds.  More my normal speed.
  • 2 reps with 95 pounds.  Normal speed.  Wearing my weight training belt.  Note that I use very low reps on a heavier warmup.  There is no need to get tired during a warmup.  You just want to be sure you feel good enough on this warmup to go ahead with your work set and dial in your form.
  • 5 reps with 130 pounds.  1st work set.  Belt, right elbow sleeve and wrist wraps.  I have done up to 175 pounds for 3 reps with these, but I did hurt my shoulder last March with too much volume on extra exercises that I should not have done and am building up my strength again
  • 5 reps with 130 pounds.  2nd work set.  If the weight was lighter, I probably would do a 3rd work set. 

I have found that doing this exercise for more than 5 reps is a big mistake.  It is extremely taxing and you will lose your wind quickly.  Tying to do more reps throws off your form and dramatically increases the injury potential.

You cannot argue with the results.  This exercise creates enormous upper body strength and builds up your shoulders, triceps, upper chest and traps.

Squat

I do these in the Starting Strength Style method.

squattingThe Starting Strength Squat is going to look like this at the bottom

Recent squat workout:

  • 5 reps body weight only.  Slow, easy and gentle.  Do some shoulder stretching to get my shoulders into the proper position.
  • 5 reps body weight only.  A little faster.  More shoulder stretching.
  • 5 reps with the 45 pound bar.  More normal speed.
  • 5 reps with 135 pounds.  Normal speed.
  • 3 reps with 225 pounds.  Note the fewer reps on this warmup.
  • 1 rep with 275 pounds.  Wear my weight belt.  Just one rep to verify that I feel good enough to do my work set.
  • 5 reps with 315 pounds.  Work set.  Wear my weight belt.

As the weight goes up in squats, I will tend to do 3 reps rather than 5 reps for the work set.  With heavy weights you will be huffing and puffing like a steam engine after a heavy set of squats.

I have found that it takes so long to get my wind back from one work set of squats at my age, that I just do the ONE set.  I can gear my mind up for this set, but not more.  The potential for injury is much larger if you are winded.  For me the risk is too great with multiple work sets of squats, especially since I severely injured my neck on a second set of squats back in 2017.

Dumbbell Curl

I find the standing dumbbell curl to be easier on my elbows, wrists and shoulders than any barbell movement or seated movement.  It is very difficult to continually add weight to  your curls and even more difficult to micro load a weight increase.  I just use these to get a decent pump and keep my arm size up.

Recent dumbbell curl workout:

  • 8 reps with 20 pounds.  Slow, easy, gently.
  • 9 reps with 40 pounds.  This is my ONE work set of curls.  I give it my all.  I am always trying to get at least 8 reps out of this exercise.  I have done these with 50 pounds, but could not get to 8 reps. 

One of my favorite articles from Starting Strength discusses the Minimum Effective Dose of training that has shaped my happier mans weight training routine training philosophy.

Minimum Effective Dose of Training from Starting Strength

Happier Mans Weight Training Routine B

  • Warmup
  • Bench Press
  • Deadlift
  • Hammer Dumbbell curl

The warmup is the same for routine B as for routine A.

Bench Press

I do these in the Starting Strength Style method.

Recent bench press workout:

  • 5 reps with the bar.  Very slow and gentle
  • 5 reps with the bar.  A little faster.
  • 5 reps with 95 pounds.  More my normal speed.
  • 3 reps with 135 pounds.  Normal speed. 
  • 2 reps with 185 pounds. 
  • 1 rep with 225 pounds
  • 3 reps with 270 pounds.  ONE work set.  Belt, right elbow sleeve and wrist wraps.  I have done 300 pounds for 2 reps.

I have found that like the standing press, doing this exercise for more than 5 reps is a big mistake. 

Deadlift

I do these in the Starting Strength Style method.

deadliftStarting Strength Style Deadlift

Recent deadlift workout:

  • 5 reps with 135 pounds. Slow, easy and gentle.
  • 3 reps with 225 pounds.  More normal speed.
  • 1 rep with 315 pounds.  Wear my weight belt.
  • 3 reps with 335 pounds.  Work set.  Wear my weight belt.  Use straps

As the weight goes up in squats, I will tend to do 3 reps rather than 5 reps.  With heavy weights you will be huffing and puffing like a steam engine after a heavy set of squats.

There does not seem to be any evidence of multiple deadlift work sets being more benefical than just one all out work set. 

Hammer Dumbbell Curl

Similar to regular dumbbel curls, standing hammer dumbbell curls to be easier on my elbows, wrists and shoulders than any barbell movement or seated movement.  Hammer curls are also very difficult to continually add weight or microload a weight increase.  I just use these to get a decent pump and keep my arm size up focusing on the forearms.

Recent hammer curl workout:

  • 8 reps with 20 pounds.  Slow, easy, gently.
  • 10 reps with 40 pounds.  This is my ONE workset of curls.  I give it my all.  I am always trying to get at least 8 reps out of this exercise.  I have done these with 50 pounds, but could not get to 8 reps. 

Happier Mans Weight Training Routine Wrap Up

Give these happier mans weight training routine ideas some thoughts.  The evidence points to weight training as one of the best ways to not only become strong, look better with more masculine muscles, but to stay vital and healthy as you age.

› › Happier Mans Weight Training Routine

The only way I could become the happier man I am today was by leaving my wife.  You might be in the same situation I was in.  I suggest you take a look at my book - Leave Your Wife & Become a Happier Man with the 3 Step System.

Click to go to learn more about the book

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