Yes, you guessed it.  I've been messing around with my resistance training routine again.  After evaluating results and exercises, I decided to change some of the routine and the schedule.

I'm still putting extra effort into my chest development for now, so I'm doing a supplemental chest routine in the middle of my regular schedule.  I'll continue to focus extra effort in that area until I'm satisfied I've made enough progress.

I've stopped doing a Monday through Friday routine with weekends off.  I ultimately realized that I was not getting the results I wanted in part because I was pushing my arms too much and not giving them sufficient rest.  For that reason, I'm now working out every other day.  This applies to all but my leg routine since it doesn't involve my upper body at all.  The schedule is to do chest, take a day off, do back, do legs, do shoulders & traps, take a day off, do arms, take a day off, then start the routine over.  All of this means I'm now working out 4-5 times per week.

Since I moved to an every-other-day schedule, I put abs and obliques into each workout except legs.  That means I'm now doing hitting those every other day.

I changed some of the exercises in each routine and decreased the repetition range in order to push the weight higher more quickly and to ensure I was pushing myself as hard as possible.  Keeping a shorter range to hit ensures that I'm maxed out all the time (well, it works out that way in my mind, but who really knows).

I've expanded my cardio routine slightly by continuing the hour-long walks and adding cardio rowing on days when the weather is not cooperative or I'm not feeling like dealing with all the Texas bugs.  I'm still planning to replace my bike at some point so I can start riding again as well (I miss that quite a bit).

I stretch for 30 minutes prior to each workout.  I focus on the muscle groups that I'll be working that day but include a general full-body stretch routine as well.

I've updated the workout routine to exclude repetition numbers for exercises where the repetitions increase without limit (such as crunches, push-ups, etc.).  For these exercises, the x in the repetition columns simply indicates that I don't have a limited or target range.  I simply force myself to failure by increasing the repetitions each time I perform that particular exercise.

Chest, Abs, Obliques
	Set 1 Reps Set 2 Reps Set 3 Reps Crunch Twist/Leg Lift x x x Double Crunch x x x Bench Press 8-10 8-10 8-10 Chest Fly 8-10 8-10 8-10 Incline Bench Press 8-10 8-10 8-10 Decline Bench Press 8-10 8-10 8-10 Decline Push-up x x x Incline Push-up x x x Push-up* x x x
Back, Lats, Abs, Obliques
	Set 1 Reps Set 2 Reps Set 3 Reps Double Crunch x x x Oblique Crunch x x x Hip Raise x x x Front Pulldown 8-10 8-10 8-10 Back Extension 8-10 8-10 8-10 Close Grip Pulldown 8-10 8-10 8-10 Underhand Pulldown 8-10 8-10 8-10 Seated Row 8-10 8-10 8-10 Rear Pulldown 8-10 8-10 8-10
Legs, Lower Back
	Set 1 Reps Set 2 Reps Set 3 Reps Squat 8-10 8-10 8-10 Calf Raise 8-10 8-10 8-10 Dead Lift 8-10 8-10 8-10 Leg Press 8-10 8-10 8-10 Stiff-Leg Dead Lift 8-10 8-10 8-10 Leg Extension 8-10 8-10 8-10 Lying Leg Curl 8-10 8-10 8-10
Shoulders, Traps, Chest, Abs, Obliques
	Set 1 Reps Set 2 Reps Set 3 Reps Crunch Twist/Leg Lift x x x Double Crunch x x x Military Press 8-10 8-10 8-10 Rear Lateral Raise 8-10 8-10 8-10 Shoulder Press 8-10 8-10 8-10 Haney Shrug 8-10 8-10 8-10 Upright Row 8-10 8-10 8-10 Shoulder Row 8-10 8-10 8-10 Lateral Raise 8-10 8-10 8-10 Shoulder Shrug 8-10 8-10 8-10 Bench Press 8-10 8-10 8-10 Chest Fly 8-10 8-10 8-10 Incline Bench Press 8-10 8-10 8-10 Decline Bench Press 8-10 8-10 8-10
Arms, Abs, Obliques
	Set 1 Reps Set 2 Reps Set 3 Reps Crunch x x x Hip Raise x x x Oblique Crunch x x x Barbell Curl 8-10 8-10 8-10 Pushdown 8-10 8-10 8-10 Dumbbell Curl 8-10 8-10 8-10 Triceps Extension 8-10 8-10 8-10 Concentration Curl 8-10 8-10 8-10 Kickback 8-10 8-10 8-10 Hammer Curl 8-10 8-10 8-10 Wrist Curl 8-10 8-10 8-10 Reverse Wrist Curl 8-10 8-10 8-10

* I normally follow the last set of push-ups with an immediate drop-set.  That is, once I fail on the last set, I immediately put my knees on the ground and do a set that way.  I know — sissy push-ups.  All I have to say is try it once after you've done three sets to failure on the last set.  You'll understand.