Help to work muscle groups with available machines/equipment?

KissMeArse

Hi all,

I'm looking for some info regarding a weights plan. For the last few weeks, I've been getting back into a healthy lifestyle (eating well, cutting out junk food, takeaways, sweets and going to the gym every day). My concern is that every day I go to the gym, I seem to be just doing the same routine and I know this isn't good.
I'm basically trying to lose some weight and tone. I'm currently 5'8" and about 81kg. I don't really want to eat piles of food to bulk up, as the last thing I want is to put weight back on after doing well in the last few weeks losing nearly a stone. (Is it possible to be slim but also noticeably toned, if that makes sense? That's where I want to be I suppose.)

There is a small gym and swimming pool in my apartment complex. As I said, I tend to do a similar workout every day and this is mainly because there's not a whole lot in there to work with. What's available is:

Threadmill
Crosstrainer
Exercise bike
Seated peddler (not sure of proper name)

Home gym machine with:
Benchpress
Lat pulldown
Seated row pull
Leg curl
Lying leg curl

Free weights/other:
Barbells with a few weights (barbells only hand held so not that big)
Medicine ball

Not a huge amount to work with but surely enough to do what I need to do. On a typical workout, I tend to start with 15mins on threadmill/crosstrainer and then do various weights (machines and free weights) and core work/work on abs. I'd like to put together a weights/exercise plan something like this so I'm not overworking same muscle groups every day:
Mon: Chest and triceps
Tues: Back, biceps and abs
Weds: Legs, glutes and shoulders
Thurs: Cardio (abs optional)
Fri: Start back at chest and triceps

The help I'm looking for is what exercises can I do that will cover each of these muscle group areas given the above machinery/equipment available in the gym? No point telling me to do, for example, cable flys when there isn't a cable fly machine in the gym!
So when I go into the gym, I'll know exactly what exercises I need to do. If you could post up what exercises to do to workout each area:
E.g. Chest: Do 3 reps of 12 Benchpress, x, y,........
Biceps: Do 3 reps of 12 Curls, x, y..... etc, etc, etc.

I'd be very grateful for any help, as I'm motivated and eager to do this right and start seeing changes in my body over the next few weeks/months. I just want to ensure my workouts and progress are being maximised and I'm not doing myself any harm!

Sorry for the long post and thanks!
KissMeArse

RidleyRider

Have you got a foundation underneath your skin so as when you do cut (lose weight) that you're not just going to look like a skinny bitch? :P If you don't then I'd say bulk up, then cut. Read the stickies on diet/nutrition etc..

Has your gym got a squat rack? If you do then base your programmes around the compounds- squats, deadlifts, OHP and bench pressing. Get yourself on a beginner programme, 5 x 5 or something along those lines.