Different kind of challenge

[superclock]

I've noticed that a lot of the posts are very open ended questions, like "How should I workout?" This question, or challenge, has a strict set of parameters:

I have a Vectra On-Line 1270. I need help designing a workout based solely around this machine. Here is a link to the datasheet for the product. I also have an elliptical machine.

I will not join a gym, I will not purchase any more equipment. I have included pics of me before and after (so far), as well as pictures of my specific 1270 and the accessories I have for it.

Current stats - 38yrs old, 6'2", 217lbs, bf 17% (according to handheld monitor). Just about to finish week six of my first ever cycle of Cyclotren (8 weeks), Havoc (4 weeks), Dermacrine (4 weeks). PCT on hand is PP Test Stack, LiquiNolva.

My goal is to look great. I care WAY more about looking great then I do about strength

Before pic.
After pic 1.
After pic 2.
After pic 3.
Vectra On-Line 1270 pic 1.
Vectra On-Line 1270 pic 2.
Vectra On-Line 1270 accessories.

 

[Big_BK]

Nice transformation bro, props on that. However, why do you refuse to sign up at a gym? You could do so much more, get better results in a shorter amount of time with proper equipment.

 

[superclock]

Nice transformation bro, props on that. However, why do you refuse to sign up at a gym? You could do so much more, get better results in a shorter amount of time with proper equipment.

I've been a member of several gyms and I simply hate gyms. I work out at 4:30 am and if I had to leave the house to go to a gym I would lose my motivation, especially during the winter here in Minnesota. Right now I can go down to my basement, jam the tunes and workout. Isn't resistance still resistance?

 

[Big A]

free weights are better then a machine any day, and there is much more you can do at a gym. I don't think you will get the results you want unless you go to a real gym or build an adequate one in your basement. If you really dont want to go to a gym you can definately find some decent equipment that wont burn to much of a hole in your pocket.

 

[Big A]

And Btw i dont see how you could do deads or squats on that machine, you really need to incorporate theses two lifts into your routine.

 

[superclock]

And Btw i dont see how you could do deads or squats on that machine, you really need to incorporate theses two lifts into your routine.

Actually, I do both on the machine. I'd just like to optimize what I have. I simply cannot afford to buy anything else, so I wouldn't mind some help on getting the most of the current setup.

 

[superclock]

free weights are better then a machine any day, and there is much more you can do at a gym. I don't think you will get the results you want unless you go to a real gym or build an adequate one in your basement. If you really dont want to go to a gym you can definately find some decent equipment that wont burn to much of a hole in your pocket.

I have made the current changes to my body with this machine. Granted, I don't look like a model, but I look way better than I did two months ago.

 

[ceo]

you've only got 210 lbs on that machine to work with. That's going to be tough. What happens when you max out on that? That will happen sooner than you think. I also do not see where you would do squats. Deads, maybe (from the floor pulley with one of your handles), but 210 lbs. deadlift is beginner weight and will feel a lot lighter on a pulley system than a barbell.

Definitely do deads if you can, bench, lat pulls, use the pec deck to do pec deck presses (push pads with hands rather than with your forearms), do the leg exercises (again, if you've come up witha way to do squats, do em)...basically do everything you can on it to get the most out of it until you outgrow it. I predict you will outgrow it within 4-6 months easily.

As for routine, I would work with this machine 3 days a week with some cardio on 2 or 3 of the off days. I am assuming you are still wanting to lose weight (fat) and build some muscle, but you are not trying to be the next Mr. Olympia?? I would either do a whole body routine 3 times a week (M-W-F) or do a push/pull style or upper body/lower body style routine 3 days a week. The push/pull, or upper/lower will get you hitting each body part twice in 8 days.

Pay attention to your diet as well. That will be the biggest factor in reaching your goals. What are your goals anyway? What about yrou diet...what's that like?

 

[superclock]

you've only got 210 lbs on that machine to work with. That's going to be tough. What happens when you max out on that? That will happen sooner than you think. I also do not see where you would do squats. Deads, maybe (from the floor pulley with one of your handles), but 210 lbs. deadlift is beginner weight and will feel a lot lighter on a pulley system than a barbell.

Definitely do deads if you can, bench, lat pulls, use the pec deck to do pec deck presses (push pads with hands rather than with your forearms), do the leg exercises (again, if you've come up witha way to do squats, do em)...basically do everything you can on it to get the most out of it until you outgrow it. I predict you will outgrow it within 4-6 months easily.

As for routine, I would work with this machine 3 days a week with some cardio on 2 or 3 of the off days. I am assuming you are still wanting to lose weight (fat) and build some muscle, but you are not trying to be the next Mr. Olympia?? I would either do a whole body routine 3 times a week (M-W-F) or do a push/pull style or upper body/lower body style routine 3 days a week. The push/pull, or upper/lower will get you hitting each body part twice in 8 days.

Pay attention to your diet as well. That will be the biggest factor in reaching your goals. What are your goals anyway? What about yrou diet...what's that like?

Cool, thanks. This is what I was hoping to get. Squats are done with the belt from the lower pulley. Not elegant, but it's what I've got. You're right about the deads being very easy. I've been lengthening the time on negatives and less time between sets to get more of a workout.

Never thought about pushing the pec dec with hands instead of forearms, will try it.

I definitely want to lose more fat and get more of a ripped look, so I'll go with the 3 day a week lifting and 3 days cardio. I'm already a sort of bigger person, so I have never really wanted to be huge. No Mr Olympia for me, at least in this lifetime The goal is to be really comfortable with my shirt off, a nice balanced physique.

Can you give me more specific information about the full body workout, and the push/pull split? How many sets, how many reps, which exercises, etc? I'd like to know how each one would look so I can set up a spreadsheet to keep track.

Diet has been 200-250 grams of protein per day with a mixture of shakes (Isopure) and meat of all varieties. I love meat so this isn't really a problem. I eat fruit, some veggies (probably not enough), almonds, whole wheat bread, psyllium husk fiber supps. I give myself one day a week to eat anything I want for the entire day.

I know I will outgrow this machine. I inherited it when I got married. BUT, the wife wants new floors and I have promised that as a priority. If this thing lasts me six months that will be enough time to get the new floors and start lobbying for a new setup. I think she paid way too much for the thing when she bought it and is a little unrealistic about its market value today. That's OK. New floors heal all wounds.

 

[keasbey]

i dont know what free weights run but i thought this setup looked good
Parabody Smith Machine (Like new) plus bench and free weights

 

[lockdownd7]

You can buy a 300 lb. weight set brand new for $100. A couple of saw horses can serve as a cheap power rack. You could sell that machine and get enough to invest in free weights and would accomplish 10x more. HOWEVER, if you are for whatever reason completely unwilling to go that route, I still don't think that machine is your best route. There are plenty of great exercises that require no equipment. Work on planches, front levers, l-sits, pistols, glute ham raises, etc. These are all tremendous exercises that will give you a lot of bang for your buck and require no equipment. Free weights are a better choice if aesthetics are your only concern, but proper bodyweight training is still better than a machine.

Edit - You've got the money for a "6 week cycle" but refuse to invest in free weights? Uh......I'm not even going to comment on how illogical and ass-backwards that is. Common sense, please get some.

 

[ceo]

Cool, thanks. This is what I was hoping to get. Squats are done with the belt from the lower pulley. Not elegant, but it's what I've got. You're right about the deads being very easy. I've been lengthening the time on negatives and less time between sets to get more of a workout.

Never thought about pushing the pec dec with hands instead of forearms, will try it.

I definitely want to lose more fat and get more of a ripped look, so I'll go with the 3 day a week lifting and 3 days cardio. I'm already a sort of bigger person, so I have never really wanted to be huge. No Mr Olympia for me, at least in this lifetime The goal is to be really comfortable with my shirt off, a nice balanced physique.

Can you give me more specific information about the full body workout, and the push/pull split? How many sets, how many reps, which exercises, etc? I'd like to know how each one would look so I can set up a spreadsheet to keep track.

Diet has been 200-250 grams of protein per day with a mixture of shakes (Isopure) and meat of all varieties. I love meat so this isn't really a problem. I eat fruit, some veggies (probably not enough), almonds, whole wheat bread, psyllium husk fiber supps. I give myself one day a week to eat anything I want for the entire day.

I know I will outgrow this machine. I inherited it when I got married. BUT, the wife wants new floors and I have promised that as a priority. If this thing lasts me six months that will be enough time to get the new floors and start lobbying for a new setup. I think she paid way too much for the thing when she bought it and is a little unrealistic about its market value today. That's OK. New floors heal all wounds.

For a full body routine, I'd follow along the lines of an HST style plan (you can google that, it's HST - hypertrophy specific training). They have it all laid out on their site.

I actually think that with what you have and the way HST is laid out, that might be a good way to go as HST isn't really using very heavy weights, especially at the higher rep ranges. Even at the 5 rep sets, you work your way up to your 5 rep max, which you may already be at or past due to the limited weights. If you are able to do 5 or more reps with the whole stack on your machine, then either stick to the 15 and 10 rep sets, and change the 5 to 8 maybe.

Another type of routine I would recommend would be like:

Mon - Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Wed - Biceps, Back Width, Back Thickness
Fri - Calves, Hams, Quads

Again, with the limited weight range of yoru machine, you will probably be working in higher rep ranges, like anywhere from 8-15. Do a couple of lighter warmup sets, then probably 2 heavier working sets within your target rep range.

I'm doing my best here given the limits of the equipment and not knowing where you are already strength-wise. But, you can fill in the blanks for now.

This is all just temporary anyway until the wife gets her floors and you can save up some money for some other equipment. Another poster had a good idea about searching craigslist for used equipment. You can find good stuff out there pretty cheap a lot of times. Good luck!

 

[superclock]

Edit - You've got the money for a "6 week cycle" but refuse to invest in free weights? Uh......I'm not even going to comment on how illogical and ass-backwards that is. Common sense, please get some.

I guess I should have been more clear when I used the word "afford"...a six week cycle isn't a conspicuous purchase to the wife. Selling her beloved machine for which she overpaid, and buying new equipment, however, is. You don't need to flame me. If you didn't like the post, then you could have moved on. EF is about helping people out, not telling them how stupid they are. She wants floors, I pay for floors, I save up money, I get new stuff, in that order. I'm going to bet that you're not married

 

[superclock]

For a full body routine, I'd follow along the lines of an HST style plan (you can google that, it's HST - hypertrophy specific training). They have it all laid out on their site.

I actually think that with what you have and the way HST is laid out, that might be a good way to go as HST isn't really using very heavy weights, especially at the higher rep ranges. Even at the 5 rep sets, you work your way up to your 5 rep max, which you may already be at or past due to the limited weights. If you are able to do 5 or more reps with the whole stack on your machine, then either stick to the 15 and 10 rep sets, and change the 5 to 8 maybe.

Another type of routine I would recommend would be like:

Mon - Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Wed - Biceps, Back Width, Back Thickness
Fri - Calves, Hams, Quads

Again, with the limited weight range of yoru machine, you will probably be working in higher rep ranges, like anywhere from 8-15. Do a couple of lighter warmup sets, then probably 2 heavier working sets within your target rep range.

I'm doing my best here given the limits of the equipment and not knowing where you are already strength-wise. But, you can fill in the blanks for now.

This is all just temporary anyway until the wife gets her floors and you can save up some money for some other equipment. Another poster had a good idea about searching craigslist for used equipment. You can find good stuff out there pretty cheap a lot of times. Good luck!

CEO, I can't thank you enough for being so helpful. I have looked into the HST stuff and will definitely give that routine a shot. Soon I will have new floors AND new workout equipment. Once again, thanks for the great help