I've decided I'm tired of being too many pounds away from my "fighting weight".  So I'm doing something about it.

I'm 53, height six feet nothing,  weight 235 pounds.   Goal weight range is 190 to 200.

I'm fairly muscular with 16.5" biceps but my six pack is hidden beneath more belly fat than my self image will tolerate.

So, I'm back in the gym.  I'm developing a workout routine that fits me.  It's very much a work in progress and I'm sure it's going to change a lot.

I have dual goals of re-establishing my peak strength and dropping fat.  Trying to bulk up is not a primary goal but if it happens I'm good with that.

At this time I'm not doing free weights.  Currently it's all machines.  That'll change in time.  I want to get acclimated to a workout program before I hit
the squat rack, and maybe I'll find a workout buddy so I can do more free weight exercises that need a spotter.

I'm also figuring out which machines and lifts should be part of my program.  (Probably all of them, I think is the right answer.)

What I want to know is,  give me recommendations for a workout schedule.

At the moment I'm planning to alternate cardio days and strength days.  A sample would be:

Monday, cardio day.  Rowing machine or elliptical trainer.  (Due to a varicose vein issue that only pops up if I run for a few days, I don't run.  Hate running anyway.)
Tuesday, upper body workout.  Everything from rib cage on up.
Wednesday, cardio day.  Same as Monday.
Thursday, abs, torso, back workout.  Between waist and ribs.
Friday, leg day. (I don't skip it.)
Saturday, cardio day again.
Sunday, goof off.

I've increased my protein intake and take a lot after a workout.   I'm getting something over 1g/kilo, most of it in the first hour after the workout.

If you have any recommendations as to changes I might be well advised to make,  please feel free to do so.

I'm not having any issues with muscle soreness after a workout.  I attribute that change to my increased protein intake and the fact that I mix in some
time on the rowing machine with every workout in order to get the circulation cranking.  Just 10 minutes on the rowing machine seems to do it.

My goal is to workout 6-days a week, knowing that life gets in the way sometimes.  So I aim for 6, but am okay with 5 if things are busy or if I feel like I'm not fully recovered.

My split is chest/triceps/shoulders on odd days, back/legs/biceps on even days.  I try to do some sort of ab work each day  I'm primarily focused on resistance training, but add in HIIT rowing, sprints or kettlebell swings after weights.

I don't always make it 6 days straight.  I pay attention to how I'm feeling.  If I feel good, then I keep going, if not I take a recovery day.

Saturday or Sunday Morning: 5K run
Monday: 5K run or 1 mile sprint
Tuesday Morning: Strength and Conditioning class at YMCA (basic weight lifting and body weight exercises)
Tuesday Evening: HiiTs (High Intensity Interval training) High impact cardio class

Wednesday: 5K run
Thursday:  Strength and Conditioning class at YMCA (basic weight lifting and body weight exercises)
Thursday Evening: HiiTs (High Intensity Interval training) High impact cardio class
Friday: Rest

I'm 59 and slightly overweight.

I worked out once.

80% diet

15% workout

5% supplements/drugs etc

Op your goal should be around 150ish.

In the winter 2 days on, one day off doing an Upper/Lower

In the summer, 1 day whenever I can, who knows how many days between.

That's dam near anorexic

Diet will dictate most anything aesthetic related.

That being said

Mon lift, light conditioning
Tues same
Weds hard conditioning
Thurs lift, light conditioning
Fri same
Saturday hard conditioning
Sun light conditioning, mobility

Food for thought: you don’t need to hit ‘every machine’ in the gym. You’d be better off picking a few money making exercises and hammering them. Don’t forget to identify weak points and hammer them too.

6'2" - 195lbs

Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Shoulders or Chest or Back
Wednesday: Shoulders or Chest or Back
Thursday: Shoulders or Chest or Back
Friday: Arms - Spinning Class
Friday night: Ice Hockey
Saturday: Chest and Back

Abs and Running sprinkled in whenever I feel like it. Also, add in a LOT of gawking at the cute chicks.

I could probably drink less and eat better, but fuck that.

Mon 5x5 squat and bench, 4 sets of chins, 3x8-12 cable rows
Wed 1x5 deadlift, 3x8-10 bar rows, 3x5 dumbell OHP, 3-12 pulldowns
Fri 1-3x5 squat and bench, 4 sets of chins, 3x8 cable rows

1K rowing warmup prior.  Been doing 3-5K after lifting, but phasing that out

Tues/Thurs 3-3.5 mile run, 1 mile warmup then alternate .25 miles hard/easy
Sat/Sun 4-6 miles easy run

As the Wx warms, I add SUP to the mix, 3 miles or more as often as I can.  In summer, the Wed lift may go away to allow more time to paddle.  Paddle and run on the weekends.

M-F i lift.  I may go in on the weekends too and do a little bit of light cardio or a quick, full body "pump" thing, but that's pretty much it.

I work out five days a week if im not traveling for work. Right now im training for half marathon so the running will dominate for the next eight weeks. But typically I run 3 to 5 miles then spend another 30 to 45 min on weights. That is a mix of free weights and machines with a steady increase in amounts weekly. I also do not stand around and gawk and play on my phone like 90% of the people "working out".

As was said above diet is a huge thing that many people overlook or minimize. Eat healthy with high proteins and control the amounts of sugars and preservatives that go in. Alcohol is also a killer , I reserve one day a week for a few drinks out though. Can't be crazy all the time!

Yikes!   Not a chance!

Pretty much that's what I'd be if I weighed 150. Comatose anorexic.

At the age of 33 I was very slender and weighed 163 pounds.    I estimate my bicep circumference back then would have been 12 or 13 inches and my chest size would have been in the mid 30s at a guess.  Right now I'm rocking a 47 inch chest and an 18 1/2" neck with 16 1/2" biceps.   I'd be DESSICATED if I got my weight down to 150 pounds and would have already died of kidney failure if not multiple organ failure.

I inherited my "blacksmith's build" from my father's side of the family.  And there were actually blacksmiths in my ancestry down that line.  It came to me more or less naturally in my mid 30s.  Silverback phase, you might call it.

There are some people with an ectomorphic body type who could get away with 150 pounds at six feet height.  But I'm no twig.  I'm solidly a midrange mesomorphic type with above average natural musculature for my age.   Now if I can just get my fat percentage down to a low range I'd be thrilled.  I think I'd have quite a nice physique with 10% body fat.  I'm probably 25+ right now.

4 days a week. Usually MWFS, sometimes throw a 5th day if schedule allows. Even if it’s 20mins on a bag.

Not yet two weeks into the program and I'm seeing results. Not much weight loss, but I've firmed up and regained a heck of a lot of my strength already.

It is surprising how quickly strength comes back.  At least when you're healthy. Now if only fat would go away as fast as strength returns....

I'm thinking that my six day schedule is going to work out well for me.   Lift three days, aerobic/cardio three days.   On lift days, it's all supersets.  Take one day off, repeat.

My workout method is subject to change.  Right now I'm doing high weights and low reps, but to failure, three sets each. Sets 2 and 3 are to failure.

I have always had trouble finding the patience to do extended sets at medium or light weights.

I'd try to lift 3 or 4 days per week and do cardio like bicycling, walking or hiking 3-4 days per week. Take a day off when you need to then resume. A 40 minute walk at a brisk pace is an adequate amount of daily cardio.

I hate trying to have something planned for an individual day or operate on a schedule because if you miss a day or feel like complete crap your 'routine' is thrown off. Instead I just plan on training every day and if I'm too busy or feel fatigued I take a day off. The key is don't allow yourself to take too many days off in a 7 day period.

Also over the years I've found powering through a crappy workout is just that. A crappy workout. I'd rather take that day off to rest and just go for a walk then the next day set myself up for a good session.

You never really know how workout is going to go until you start it though, that's why sticking to some kind of schedule is a good thing.

I've had days where I've felt like shit, and thought I was going to end up cutting a workout short before I even started, and ended up feeling pretty good and having a decent workout. The opposite has also happened.

I think that's why it's important to have both some kind of schedule, and make sure your work is tiered a bit so you can scale it based on how you are feeling once you get started. If you feel like shit and it's not getting better, get through your main work and call it a day, go recover a bit. If you kill your first and second portions of a workout, it's good to have an optional third portion that you hit on days when you feel good.

Depending on how busy I am during a part of the year I usually run a 4 day 5/3/1 template or one of it's many bastard offspring. If I'm busier I'll do a 3 day full body workout so either:

Day 1 - Upper
Day 2 - Lower
Day 3 - Conditioning/core
Day 4 - Upper
Day 5 - Lower
Day 6 -Conditioning/core/arms
Day 7 - Rest
I'll throw in light conditioning on lifting days as time allows and the schedule isn't too strict, I'll take out or add an off day depending on how work is.

Otherwise I do a 3 day full body program and just lift every other day so sometimes I'm lifting 3 days and other weeks it's 4 days and I just show up and bang out some core and arm work with some conditioning on whichever days I can make it depending how work is. I usually try to stick to 5/3/1 or similar sorts of programs where I'll plan out a few core lifts, usually variations of overhead, squat, deads, and bench and I'll plug in some assistance lifts opposite of the main lift that day. So if I'm benching heavy I'll throw in lighter overhead work and just try to work in a few more sets of back work than my pressing on my upper body days (8 sets of pressing gets 12 or sets of pulling). I'll finish off upper body days with some curls and tricep work and light delt/upper back work. Lower body days I'll do a deadlift variation after heavy squats and vice versa, throw some extra quad/hamstring work in with some abs at the end. That's about it for the 4 day stuff, conditioning whenever i have time.

If I'm doing the 3 day stuff it's when work is super hectic and honestly programming goes out the window since I'll be super short on time, so usually those looks like; Press-Pull-Squat and I'll work a different variation at a different intensity each day. So it'd look like:

Day1
Bench - Heavy
Back squat - Moderate
RDL - Light

Day 2
overhead - Moderate
Sumo/Conventional deads - Heavy
Split squats/lunges/etc - Light

Day 3
Dips - Light
SLDL/Deficit Deads/etc - Light
Front Squat -Heavy

Pretty rough outline, heavy days are usually 3-5 reps for 3-6 sets, moderate would be 5-10 reps for 3-5 sets, light is usually anywhere from 8-15 and 4-6 depending on the lift. Sprinkle in some arm and core work when time allows and some HIIT for cardio or even just supersetting as much shit as possible for conditioning but that's mainly if I'm at work more often than at home and just need to get a workout in.

It's working out well for me but I'm a bit flexible about my workout schedule.  If I absolutely blitzkrieg myself on a workout day, I reserve the right to skip cardio the next day.  I'll do it the following day instead.

Strength is returning far more rapidly than I might have expected.

On the cardio side, all news is good.  My cardiovascular system responds like that of someone quite a few years younger than I am,  I can easily hit BEYOND 100 percent recommended heartrate without feeling overworked, and my heartrate returns to normal very quickly when I back down.

I can already see a difference.  It's subtle but it's there.  There's already a measurable increase in bicep size.  It's just 1/8" circumference, but given how long I've been on this program I'm more than happy with the results.   And I've started to drop fat pounds.

I've found that I can combine arms/chest/shoulders day with leg day with no problem.   Then the next workout is  abs, lower back, crunches, stuff for the midsection.

I've encountered a minor problem but it's a nice problem to have.

Ideally for a given exercise I'll do drop sets to failure.  First set should be at a weight that allows me to do 12 reps for warmup, but not much more than that.  On the second set, I plan to fail the 12th rep.

I generally try to achieve failure between reps 8 and 12.  Next set I drop some weight and repeat.  Three sets is sufficient, if I'm feeling frisky I'll go to a fourth set or even a fifth.

The problem is that some of the exercises I do are machine only exercises. There's no safe and practical way to duplicate them using the free weights and racks that are available at the gym I'm currently using.   But I'm too strong for the idea of a 12 rep set to failure to work.  Not when my failure point is literally so high that I've never actually reached it.

I cite the back extension machine as an example.
This thing:



Its max selectable weight is 260 pounds.

By stacking magnetic weights on it I've managed to get it up to 300 pounds.

And at 300 pounds my first set is 100 reps.   I've done 200 reps in two sets of 100 each
and even then never actually got to failure.

How in the bloody blue hell am I going to achieve lift to failure when there's no way for me to pile enouigh weight on the damned thing to get to that
point in any reasonable number of reps?

I realize, what I'm pushing on this machine is INSANE.  I've never personally seen anybody who's even come close to pushing what I do on this thing.
You'd probably have to look in a gym where power lifters hang out to find someone who would.
But it's because I've been focused on keeping my core strength up above all else.  It probably has something to do with the fact that I'm the only person
in my family that has no back problems.   Well, that's because my spine is wrapped in a thick layer of muscle that keeps everything aligned.

So, that begs the question:  Is significant muscle growth still going to happen if you can't achieve failure despite massive amounts of exercise?  Or is that
massive amount of exercise going to still stimulate muscle growth?

Now the question some people are going to ask is, if my back is that ridiculous already, why am I even trying to make it still MORE absurd?

And that's a darned good question!   Let's just say I don't want to LOSE any strength in my back.  So I'm exercising to maintain it if nothing else.

The back machine is not the only machine I max out that has no free weight equivalent in my gym.  It's just the most extreme example.

I jump on my rowing machine for around 20min every day after work. Even a short workout like that does wonders for my energy levels. That's about all the working out I can deal with.

Stop wasting your time on that back extension machine.

I've never seen any serious lifters use one .... mostly old people with flexibility/mobility issues. And doing 100's of reps will create endurance, but not the hypertrophy needed for size/strength gains.

Do back exercises where you are moving weight towards you such as pull-ups, rowing type motions (barbell or machines), Lat pull downs etc.

Monday: walk 2.5 miles, shoulders and triceps, short core workout
Tuesday: run 4 miles, arms and legs, full core workout
Wednesday: walk 2.5 miles, chest and back, short core workout
Thursday: run 4 miles, shoulders and triceps, full core workout
Friday: 2.5 mile walk, arms and legs, short core workout
Saturday: 6 mile run, chest and back, short core workout
Sunday: 6 mile run, full core workout

Lol, that's pure insanity

We don't agree a lot, but goddamn if you didn't nail this one. 150 is fucking crazy at 6'.

IMO it's time to move away from machines and use a barbell. Focus around the big lifts (see H46Drivers suggestion) and use machines for accessory if you must.

You can’t be serious?

I didn't really catch that before.

Just lol.

Start deadlifting dude. Do good mornings. Do glute ham raises.

GHD back extensions with plates.  I promise you're not going to max out with 45 lb plates

lol

his goal should be 235 and 15% body fat

I don't know that most people who are just beginning really benefit from a split routine.

People get a RIDICULOUS idea of how strong they are when all they use are machines. I'd love to see OP do 100 GH Raises without any added extra weight.

I wager he's not as strong as he thinks he is.

them: "I can squat 700 lbs on the leg press machine!!! What do you think that translates into for a barbell back squat?"

me: ummm... nothing? Like zero? Maybe you should just try back squats?

them: muh knees/back/gout/flat feet/plantar fasciitis/beetus

Muay Thai Monday & Wednesday combined with lifting afterword and then rest of the week to recover

If you are serious about dropping fat then you need to take a serious look at your diet.  It's as simple as calories in versus calories out.  Google/YouTube Intermittent Fasting.....It will change your life.

Oh, I understand caloric math.  No worries there.  I know what my enemies are and I'm not eating much of them.

I've moved into doing bench press, squats, dips, chin-ups, and am adding more free weight exercises all the time.

I still will continue the back extension machine along with the ab crunches to balance things out, because I know that's keeping my back muscles strong (erector spinae, etc) and maybe that's the reason why I'm the only one in my family who DOESN'T have any back problems.   It works for me and besides, the way I hammer at it, it's good cardio!

I'm transitioning away from machines and moving more toward more free weights but I'm not doing it all at once.

As for whether or not machines are as effective as free weights,  your muscle doesn't know the difference.  Resistance is resistance, but I don't necessarily believe that 100 pounds on the bicep curl machine is the same thing as curling 100 pounds free weight.  Even if the raw force required is the same, the way it involves various muscles is not.

I will be very curious to see how much I can gain in strength on the bench press and squats between now and the end of the year.  I started out easy but I can bench my body weight (235) for a couple of reps if I just warm up and hit it.  I won't get that far after a few progressively heavy sets, though.

Is it unrealistic for me to hope for a 300 pound bench press by the end of the year?  I don't know.  I can say that it might be possible given how quickly my ab strength ramped up when I added ab work to my routine.

Well, I guess you can say, "Watch here and find out.".

So, hopefully, my goals are to add a little over an inch to my biceps, taking me up to 18" circumference, and bench 300 pounds, by the end of the year. I'll be happy just to get close to either goal.

2-a-days for the week, light activity on Saturday
AM
5x weekly: Cardio in the AM for 35min-1hr depending on the day. I’m about to reintroduce boxing twice weekly.

Lunch time workout. Lately it’s been on the TRX which has done an awesome job bringing my stabilizers back from a pretty l gnarly shoulder injury.

Stop with the bicep measurements, it isn't 1980 and it won't do you any favors worrying about it.  If you need an ego number to obsess over, have it be a major lift or better yet your combined squat/dead lift/bench press.  Cease using machines wherever you can-Ivan Drago even admitted he couldn't squat over 300 pounds when filming Rocky IV.  If they couldn't make the Russian Bear strong, they won't work for mere mortals.  If the gyms in your area don't have barbells, most will have an assortment of kettlebells you can use as dumbells.

Excuse me, it's not your place to tell me to stop with measurements.  I have certain goals and they're mine and mine alone.  If that's not what you'd want, go do it your way.

I want a smaller waist (lower body fat) and I want to increase muscle mass in general and in my upper body in specific.  
I want general strength improvement and that's actually coming along very nicely.  Better than I expected, actually.

I have discovered that a good "pump" from heavy lifting is good for an extra inch around the arms.  But it's temporary.

I'm using more machines than I'd really like to but I am going to a gym that's big on machines and not so big on free weights,  and while I don't really like that all that much,
it's better than nothing, since at least it's conveniently located and it's cheap enough.  There may be competing gyms in the area that offer better equipment but I'll have
to put some time into finding and checking them out.

I'd rather go to a Gold's Gym or World Gym or something similar but there simply isn't one in a half hour's drive from me.

I'm not going to name names but I'm going to a gym that seems to have a love affair with yellow and purple decor.

Well, that's OK, for now, but I'm going to outgrow them soon enough since they seem to discourage heavy lifting
and I'm lifting as heavy as I'm able to.   I'm not there to "tone", I'm there to build muscle and drop fat.

Oh, there's a Crossfit or two that's within a reasonable driving distance but their monthly membership fees are pretty stiff.  150 bucks a month?   Yikes.

Of course I'm looking for other gyms in my area.  I'm sure there's one out there somewhere that isn't too far away and has a better selection of free weight options.

Home gym?

I don't have a home gym and it'd cost a few year's membership dues to buy anything decent.  Pass.

The current gym is adequate for now.  But it won't be long before I'll be maxing out most of the machines they have there.  I'm already maxing out several.

I don't really fit the profile of their usual clientele. I really don't.  I'm not there to tone up with light weights and aerobics.  While weight loss is certainly a goal, I'm lifting hard and heavy.  (Hard and heavy for me, anyway.)

Achieving certain strength goals is my first priority.  Weight loss is mostly accomplished by controlling what I eat.  If I'm strict with myself, I lose weight. If I'm a little bit relaxed about it, I maintain.  If I slack off, I can gain.    It's a mechanism I understand quite well by now.

5 day rotation.
1, 2, 4, and 5 are a 2 mile run and weights. Day 3 is a longer run. Have 3 additional accessory workouts and a bunch of other random stuff I fit in as time allows.

No set days of the week or anything. Schedule is too erratic. Just get the days in when I can. If I need a rest day, I take it, and just pick up where I left off in the rotation.

Home gym makes it possible.

Holy crap OP has a ton of words. TLDR.

To answer the title question... Push. Pull. Legs. Cardio. 5-6 days a week as time allows.

I pay attention to my diet and lift 3-4 days per week.

Squats and squat variations
Deadlifts and deadlift variations
Bench and shoulder press
Pull-ups and dips, usually weighted
Band work such as pull-a-parts

That’s about it. No machines. No bicep curls in front of the mirror.

For “cardio”, I occasionally use our C2 rower and walk 18 holes of golf at least once a week.

Then you need to get under a barbell.

I spent the better part of my 20s in the Army infantry. I was in “great shape.” I didn’t know shit about lifting or diet.

At 37, I’m stronger and leaner than I ever was back then. Ruck marches would’ve been a whole lot easier if I spent time in the squat rack.

As a 37 year old former Marine infantryman, I wholeheartedly agree. Rucking is so much easier now than it was when I was 20 and weak.