Scientifically Proven Fitness Program for men

I am 51 years old. I weigh 178 pounds. And I’m 71 inches tall. 

I started lifting weights on my father’s Joe Weider weight set, when I was 13 years old. And I have tried nearly every exercise program imaginable. I've struggled to find a program that built muscle and cardio strength without injury.

Until now. 

In 2025, I experimented with a fitness program that I love. I gained muscle mass. My cardio is killer-good. I feel mentally sharp. My physical strength is solid, too. 

Before I share my routine with you, please check with your health provider before you start ANY fitness program. It is your responsibility to care for yourself.

With that said, here’s my fitness routine:

I. YOGA

I do 20 to 45 minutes of yoga, first thing in the morning, 5 to 7 days a week. I do videos from either Yoga With Kassandra or Jess Yoga on YouTube. 

Yoga keeps me limber and injury free. It also massages my central nervous system to help me stay calm and grounded. (I sure do need to stay calm since I struggle with that!)

I can’t stress enough how much yoga has improved my life. I once believed yoga was a waste of time. I was wrong. 

II. MUSCLE BUIDLING PROGRAM

I am a Mike Mentzer devotee. If you haven’t heard about Mentzer, I encourage you to read his book, High Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way. I also encourage you to watch his YouTube videos on the channel Heavy Duty College. 

The Mentzer program that I follow includes four workouts. I do one workout every 4 days. My lifts are between 25 and 40 minutes. 

My first set of an exercise is a warmup at around 50% of my 6 to 10 rep max. I do this set for 6 to 8 reps. 

My second set is 70% of my 6 to 10 rep max. 

My third set is the most weight I can lift for 6 to 10 reps for upper body and 8 to 20 reps for lower body. This is the set that helps me grow. So it is hella intense. Remember, a core philosophy of Mentzer’s is that more is not better. You want to do just enough to trigger maximum muscle growth. And then leave the gym. 

Here’s my resistance workout:

Day 1: Chest & Back

1. Pec Deck 6-10 reps

Superset

2. Incline Press closer grip 1-3 reps

3. Close grip palm up pulldown 6-10 reps

4. Deadlift 5-8 reps

Day 2: Legs (performed 4 days after the Day 1 routine)

1. Leg Ext 8-15 reps

Superset

2. Leg Press 8-15 reps

3. Standing calf raise 12-20 reps

Day 3: Delts & Arms (performed 4 days after the Day 2 routine)

1. Dumb Lateral 6-10 reps

2. Reverse Pec Deck 6-10 reps

3. Barbell Curls 6-10 reps

4. Tricep Pressdown 6-10 reps

Superset

5. Dips 3-5 reps

Day 4: Legs (performed 4 days after the Day 3 routine)

1. Leg Ext 

Use approx. 30 pounds more than previous leg extension. Hold statically for 10-25 seconds. Superset with…

2. Squat 8-15 reps

3. Calf raise 12-20 reps

III. CARDIO

I’m a walk-and-talk, mental health therapist. So I walk 4 and 8 miles per day, four days a week. My pace with a client is 21 to 25 minutes per mile. Each session is around 2.25 miles.

So if I see two clients a day, I walk 4.5 miles. Three clients = 6.75 miles. Four clients equals 9 miles. My heart rate hovers around 85 BPM to 105 BPM per session. 

I may run once during the week, at a 10 minute mile, for 4 miles. Or I will do an interval run where I warmup for 5 minutes with a walk and light jog. I will then sprint for 30 seconds and run very slow for 60 second — until I get to 2 or 3 miles. 

That’s my fitness routine. I started it in 2025. And I am happy with my results. 

Here are my labs for the past 4 years:

2022

Total Cholesterol = 196

Triglycerides = 93

HDL = 43

LDL= 136

VLDL = 17

LDL to HDL Ratio = 3.2

2023

Total Cholesterol = 189

Triglycerides = 145

HDL = 44

LDL = 119

LDL to HDL Ratio = 2.7

2024

Total Cholesterol = 193

Triglycerides = 101

HDL = 40

VLDL = 18

LDL = 135

LDL to HDL Ratio = 3.4

2025

Total Cholesterol = 179

Triglycerides = 124

HDL = 49

VLDL = 22

LDL = 108

LDL to HDL Ratio = 2.2

I am in no way super strong. But I can lift a decent amount of weight to keep muscle mass and maintain functional fitness. Here are my latest lifts: 

My leg extension is 210 pounds for 10 reps. 

My leg press is 580 pounds for 8 reps. 

My leg curl is 175 pounds for 10 reps.

My calf raise is 175 pounds for 10 reps.

I can do 15 pounds for 25 reps on the incline sit up station. 

I can lift 175 pounds on the pec deck for 8 reps. 

I can lift 185 pounds on the Hammer Incline press for 2 reps. 

I can lift 215 pounds on the close grip pulldown machine for 8 reps. 

I deadlift 205 pounds for 6 reps.