Help me get functional

So.. there is a wealth of information on this board and I'm looking to tap into your collective brains. I want to get back into better shape. In college I was a crazy powerlifter and now I have shoulder pain, knee pain, and am generally tight all over. So I'm trying to get back into shape. I need some help coming up with different strength routines that will provide me with more balance and functionality as well as increasing my cardiovascular health(I gots assmar.. ) I'm tired of being strong in one exercise but weak in others and want to develop my body as a whole. I want to also work through some of my problems like weak knee stabilizer muscles to get me more pain free.

so.. Here's my current workout, I'm doing it about 2-3 times a week. (I have access to a good gym with all equipment... )

(not really in any order) -1 5-30 minutes of cardio. (interval training on eliptical and/or rowing)

• pullups (assisted)

• body weight rowing with smith machine

• russian twists with med ball

• lying straight leg raises

• maybe dips

• pushups on bosu ball

• walking lunges

• monster walks with rubber band

• Some other variation on lunges with a squat thrown in.. I don't know the name..

So where are some good resources on this stuff? what are your favorite exercises? Box jumps are out due to my knees right now. I also need to keep workouts less than an hour.

hope that made sense. Sorry for the poor grammar. Thanks for the help.

I would suggest a program such as Stronglifts 5 x 5. It's a great routine and it helped me pack on a good bit of muscle and strength. go to stronglifts.com and check it out. All of the information on that website is completely free, also.

Mainly your workout would center on compound lifts, probably one's you already know how to do if you used to powerlift. Squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bent over row's, and bench press comprimise your core lifts. If you start with light weight I think you could get rid of your shoulder and knee pain.

My workout only takes me 30-45 minutes, so it will definitely fit into your time constraints. It's so simple that it's easy for anyone to remember, also.

I did stronglifts a year or two ago. The 5x5 is great, but I've done enough deadlifts in my life for 5 people and more squats than should be legally allowed(hence my busted knees from poor form)....

I bookmarked this a long time ago: http://www.beastskills.com/index.htm

I am trying the P90X workout and I have been having good results (this is not a canoe just what I am trying). Stronglifts is a good site, but I just like having a routine which I can keep up with, as in watching the videos and following the form.

I would suggest that you get out of the gym and into the pool .... your flexibility will be greatly enhanced your cardio will improve by leaps and bounds and you'll slim down with out loosing much if any strength

Asking the disfunctional to aid your question to be functional, are you sure you are on the correct forum

I'm in the same boat with the knee issues;I blew out my left with 405 across my back when I got stuck at the bottom of a squat with no spotter. I don't squat heavy anymore,or much at all for that matter,they're just sometimes thrown in for old time's sake. My legs get enough stimulation these days from pulling my toddlers around in their "car" behind my mountain bike anyway. I have been using a split circuit of sorts in an attempt to achieve the same thing you're after. It seems to work for my endo-mesomorphic self:

-stretching and ab work

-10 minutes of cardio

-narrow grip chins

-leg press

-"Paul Anderson press"=One arm,standing,dumbell,military press.

-flat bar bench press,3RM once per month

-bent over bar rows

-hanging leg raises

-clean and press

Alternated with:

-stretching and ab work

-10 minutes of cardio

-wide grip chins

-stiff leg deadlift

-incline bar bench press

-dips with weight,3RM once per month

-upright rows

-flutter kicks

-bent lateral raise

I keep the weight somewhat moderate(except for the dips and flat bench,everything else is usually in the 10 rep range) and perform the routines as many days per week as I can make it to the gym. The bench and the deadlift are the only lifts I entertain the idea of competing with ever again,no squats.

Search for some of the old school strong men,it is very inspirational. Paul Anderson,for example,while his strengths and physique are nearly the opposite of mine it in no way detracts from my admiration of his accomplishments. With the single arm,standing military press his best ever weight was 380 pounds,equal to his body weight in his prime. He was 5'9"... one arm...380 pounds...in the early 50's. I can press 80 for 10 reps with each arm...that's only 300 frickin' pound less.

I would love to have met him.

I've posted it before, but here's another vote for CrossFit.

You'll feel at home because of it's emphasis on Oly type lifts, but then it will also humble you with it's crazy met-con workouts. Most of the actual workouts can be completed in 20 minutes or less, but in reality you've got to warm up an cool down, so add another 10 minutes on the front and back side.

More importantly though if you have a level II certified trainer they should have some knowledge on pre-hab and perform a Functional Movement Screen on you. See performbetter.com for more details. Core performance by Mark Vertegen is also a good source of info. Seemingly simple movements, but very difficult to accomplish and will really point out your imbalances and where you need to improve.

I've been following the program as time allows over the past 4 months and set 2 PR's this past week. 95# Turkish Get Up on both right and left side and just yesterday I put up a 225# (bodyweight for me) split jerk.

It may come off as a fad to some, but I'm a believer, not necessarily drinking the CrossFit Kool-Aid, because you still need to practice some specificity if you have a clear fitness goal (like training for a 10k or a marathon for instance), but effective nonetheless.

YMMV - but it's been working for me.

-Thor