Hi guys (and gals). A little about myself. At 55 yo I'm working hard to get back in some kind of shape after having bi-lateral total hip replacement surgery. The inevitable result of many years of arthritic deterioration. I'm 5'2" and after the surgery (Feb 2010) was a whopping 134 lbs of atrophy. I was released by the doc for light activity by June 2010 after months of therapy and began a membership at my local gym the following September. I simply walked EVERY day during the interim. Well, here I am now. Still short but now a pretty solid 155 lbs. Biceps went from 11 1/4" to a current measurement of 15 1/2". Waist was 34" and is 29 1/2" now. Wish that I had taken alot more measurements back when I started but the truth is I was simply elated to be exercising at all. Not sure what by bodyfat % is but the casual observer can see hints of a six pack now. At my age and with my limitations I resist the temptation to "test my ego" by maxing out on lifts of any sort. The way I figure it, if I could not do 1 chinup when I started and can now do sets of 10...well then, that's just fine for me. Since I am advised against squating with additional weight, I do leg curls/extensions, seated calf raises and body weight only squats for my leg days. Still not seeing the level of improvement I have seen in my upper body, but I feel absolutely great for what I now can do since I was unable to walk at all for a full year before the surgery. I spent the first year in the gym doing a M-W-F total body routine each workout day. I knew I had significant hurdles to get over and figured the best way to get there was slow and steady in lieu of some expensive supplement driven 90 day wonder workout. Once my strength and stamina outgrew the total body machine routine, I began using free weights for my upper body on a split routine. Nothing fancy...chest/back...bi/tris/shoulders...with some abs each day. I've been lurking around sites such as this trying to glean enough solid information to maximize my time in the gym...simply don't have the time to waste...and have alot of time lost to make up. Hope I've settled in the right place...