Workout routine

[easyguy]

Well, after many months of being lazy and unmotivated, I'm starting to go back to the gym once again.

 

Long ago, before I went on any diet and before I did any exercising, I weight around 250-ish. Very unhealthy indeed. Of course I wasn't too aware of it at the time. Then as time I went on I hopped on the diet bandwagon and shed quite a few pounds (in addition to working out by almost all weights). By the following summer, I was down to 190 lbs (I'm 5' 9''). I felt better than ever! Holy cow.

 

Then the holidays came, and then you knew what happened. I must have put on 15-20 lbs. Fastforward to now, I cut down my weight from 210 lbs to 205 lbs over the past couple of weeks. And I've gotten into the habbit of working out and exercising more.

 

But I have a couple questions-

 

1) Is it more beneficial to do cardio one session and weights during another, or both in the same session split up? I've never been cardioholic until recently. I'm actually getting myself on the tredmill and jogging for a while, and then fast walking for a while. I did a mile the other day, and did a half mile day.

 

2) I read somewhere a while back that you should always be pushing yourself with how much weight you use. For instance, if you can do 15 reps easily of dumbell curls, it's recommended that you up the weight so you can adapt, and thus eventually being able to do 15 of that weight. But then recently I read that people recommend that you use less weight and do more reps. Which is it? Or is there a definative answer? I'm not interested in looking like a body builder. I'm mainly aiming for that fit, healthy body, not bulky and overloaded with muscle.

 

Thanks! (And if anyone has any tips for a beneficial workout, please to post them!)

[Jax]

1) I run about 5 miles 4 times a week. Takes me about an hour or so. Start off at a slow jogging speed. Don't try to run fast because you'll tire yourself out and do less work in the end. It is recommended that you don't do cardio and heavy weight training on the same day, because cardio takes so much energy from your body and you need that to grow muscles. I would suggest doing cardio one day and weights the next. Make a schedule each month and write on it what you will do every day of the week. like for instance:

 

Monday: Cardio(running/swimming), situps or pushups

Tuesday: Chest(Bench press),Biceps(dumbells)

Wednesday: Cardio(running/swimming), situps or pushups

Thursday: Workout legs, back(dead lifts), pullups

Friday: Cardio, situps or pushups

Saturday: Forearms, shoulders, triceps

Sunday: Rest

 

Ofcourse you can make your schedule fit to your workout program, just giving you an example.

 

2) You shouldn't do a really heavy amount of weight. You should be able to lift the weights atleast 10 reps three or four times. It does no good to carry a heavy weight for about 1 or 2 times because you won't gain anything from it. A good thing to do is start off on a weight that only allows you to do 10 or so reps at max. Then when your body gets too tired to lift that weight anymore, then take some weight off and keep doing that until you've basically taken off all the weight. That method works the best for weight lifting, and it also helps to define your muscles. Because lifting heavy weights helps your body grow muscle mass while lifting smaller weights builds definition.

[RayKay]

1) This depends ultimately on your goals. If you want to lift to your maximum, you should do cardio AFTER lifting because cardio will deplete some of your energy to do so. Then you can save cardio for afterwards.

 

HOWEVER!.......

 

If you want to develop your cardio and further develop your aerobic fitness, I would actually do cardio on separate days than you do lifting. For example, I run 1-1.5 hours two-three times a week and ride 2-3+ hours two times a week. Since those take a lot of energy, I reserve my weight lifting for other days. I will do light warmups before workouts, but only for 5-10 minutes. I'll do some yoga on the days I do cardio.

 

2) Well, there are different goals. If you lift with lighter weights and do more reps, you are aiming more for endurance strength. If you are lifting heavier with shorter reps, it is more for bulk and power. I actually cycle my workouts to keep it fresh, and keep the muscles working. I am female so don't worry about bulking up, but do want the power for my athletic endeavours. So, for a month I will do endurance lifting (ie 3 sets of 10-15 reps of a lighter weight and up the weight as I go along) then I will switch to power lifting (2-3 sets of 8-12 reps of a weight that will max me out) for another four or so. This will have you stronger over the long run, but you shouldn't become bulky unless you really are maxing out and going for higher and higher weight.

 

I would maybe suggest adding plyometrics too - or "functional strength". If you can get your hands on a copy of the June 2006 Outside Magazine there is a pretty good basic article on this kind of training.

 

And definitely DO things that are "functional strength" builders as well like running, climbing, cycling, etc. These will give you more overall fitness and health then just lifting. For this same reason you should work on upping your cardio over time too, for more health benefits and to boost that metabolism too! I would vary your cardio, and do intervals 1-2 times a week (you can google running intervals or fartleks for some good training plans).

[hazlcha]

I'll just add what I call "freebies." Things like taking the stairs, walking to the store, and so forth. They really add up - it's about changing your activity level on a constant basis.

[ocrob]

Wow, you got some great advice. I recommend doing some research on the internet. So many people have different philosophies. If you have the time, then I would recommend working out three days a week and doing cardio the other three days a week. That is a huge chore so I would recommend doing cardio after you work out. It sounds like you are looking to lose weight and not bulk up. They say that it is not good to work out too much because you will burn fat, but also burn muscle. When I was young, I used to work out like crazy. I would do five sets and 8-10 reps of every exercise. I have learned through research that you should not do more than 3 or 4 exercised per muscle group. I personally agree with what I read. You should struggle to do 10 reps. If the weight is too light, then you are not benefiting. I am very knowledeable about working out, but I am 15 pounds overweight. It seems that when I work out, my body gets good, but I seem to stray. I suggest doing two body parts a day and only working out three times a week and finishing with 30 minutes of cardio. There are so many routines out there and it depends how much time you want to be at the gym. Make sure you have a small snack before working out and make sure you eat some protein with in 45 minutes of your work out. I wish that I could follow my advice, but I seem to either get sick or hurt and stop working out. If you could find someone to work out with, then that would be the best. You have to push your body. Let me know how it goes because I am starting again on monday. I always feel awesome when I work out.