04-20-2016 09:21
04-20-2016 09:21
Okay, so...I feel a little lost. So far in my fitness journey, I have really only been doing cardio. I just recently finished the couch to 5k program (for like the third time because I keep falling off the bandwagon) and so far my workouts have pretty much consisted of running three times a week on the treadmill. Well now that the weather is warming up, I am going to start moving my runs outside, at least on the weekend. I've been wanting to add weight training into my fitness regime, but I don't know where I should add it in or what it should look like. Right now my schedule is:
Monday: ?
Tuesday: Run on treadmill 30 min (early morning workout before work)
Wednesday: ?
Thursday: Run on treadmill 30 min (early morning workout before work)
Friday: ?
Saturday: Run outside or crosstrain (ride bike, play tennis, etc)
Sunday: Off
So I was thinking about adding in weight training on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. But would that be too much? Should I add it in after my cardio instead? What would be the most opitmal? My fitness goal is to lose 10lbs, maintain, and improve my overall health. I'm not looking to bulk up or anything, just maintain a healthy lifestyle 🙂 Suggestions appreciated!
04-20-2016 09:57
04-20-2016 09:57
@sketchdoll wrote:Okay, so...I feel a little lost. So far in my fitness journey, I have really only been doing cardio. I just recently finished the couch to 5k program (for like the third time because I keep falling off the bandwagon) and so far my workouts have pretty much consisted of running three times a week on the treadmill. Well now that the weather is warming up, I am going to start moving my runs outside, at least on the weekend. I've been wanting to add weight training into my fitness regime, but I don't know where I should add it in or what it should look like. Right now my schedule is:
Monday: ?
Tuesday: Run on treadmill 30 min (early morning workout before work)
Wednesday: ?
Thursday: Run on treadmill 30 min (early morning workout before work)
Friday: ?
Saturday: Run outside or crosstrain (ride bike, play tennis, etc)
Sunday: Off
So I was thinking about adding in weight training on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. But would that be too much? Should I add it in after my cardio instead? What would be the most opitmal? My fitness goal is to lose 10lbs, maintain, and improve my overall health. I'm not looking to bulk up or anything, just maintain a healthy lifestyle 🙂 Suggestions appreciated!
If you're planning to do weight training at a gym pick an off peak time and day. That way you won't waste time waiting for weights.Weight training 2-3 days is fine. You can work biceps and back one day. Chest and shoulders another day. Also, since you'e only running 30 minutes on treadmill you should switch up your routine and walk for 1 hour to help build your endurance . Once you build your endurance you can start running for 1 hour.
04-20-2016 10:20
04-20-2016 10:20
Here's something to look at/try...good luck!
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/4-week-weight-training-plan-women
04-20-2016 10:50
04-20-2016 10:50
Thanks for the suggestions! I don't have access to a gym (sorry, should have mentioned that). I do have several sets of hand weights at home though and it's on my shopping list to someday get a kettle bell. Since I am running and working my lower body out during the process, should I include a day of lower body strength training? If so, should I place it inbetween running days? I didn't want to completely wear out my leg muscles and not be able to complete my runs. I do like the idea of throwing in an hour walk though. It's my goal to use my workout times on the treadmill to increase my pace and endurance. I would love to run outside all the time, but I wake up at 5am and it's pitch black out 😞
04-20-2016 11:34
04-20-2016 11:34
Regarding you "not looking to bulk up": as a woman (especially when eating at a deficit), it’s almost impossible to "bulk up", even if you wanted to. Don’t be afraid of lifting heavy things and don’t listen to the BS of Tracy Anderson and the like. Follow a program based on progressive overload. You can work out at home with minimum equipment. Kettlebells are fine, so are dumbbells (as long as they are heavier than Tracy’s). Try to focus on compound movements that work several muscle groups at the same time.
Dominique | Finland
Ionic, Aria, Flyer, TrendWeight | Windows 7, OS X 10.13.5 | Motorola Moto G6 (Android 9), iPad Air (iOS 12.4.4)
Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.
04-21-2016 02:15
04-21-2016 02:15
One more thing: in addition to following a program (which makes sure you know exactly what to do every day), also log your workouts. That includes the exercises you are doing, the number of sets for each exercise, the number of reps in each set and the rest time between sets. This will allow you to monitor your progress (the fundamental principle in resistance training is progressive overload). There are probably lots of fancy apps that let you do this, but I personally prefer using an old fashion notebook. For timing rest times, I use an app called Hybrid Stopwatch and Timer on my Android smartphone (it’s free, but I paid a few euros to get rid of the ads).
Dominique | Finland
Ionic, Aria, Flyer, TrendWeight | Windows 7, OS X 10.13.5 | Motorola Moto G6 (Android 9), iPad Air (iOS 12.4.4)
Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.
04-21-2016 05:32
04-21-2016 05:32
@sketchdoll wrote:Since I am running and working my lower body out during the process, should I include a day of lower body strength training? If so, should I place it inbetween running days? I didn't want to completely wear out my leg muscles and not be able to complete my runs.
Personally, I cardio every day of the week and do strength training every other (after my cardio). Based on your schedule, you can do the leg work on your off days if you so choose. Keep it to 2-3 days a week or every other day at most.
04-21-2016 07:56
04-21-2016 07:56
If you're not looking to bulk up, relax. The only way to bulk is to eat more calories than you burn - and they have to be the right calories - i.e. protein. Since it's impossible to gain muscle without gaining at least some fat, weight training can be a great boost to weight-loss, but you have to stay at a caloric deficit.
The problem is this: As you increase the time your muscles are under tension from the weight, those muscles break down, causing some (or a lot if you over-do it) lactic acid build-up resulting in DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. There are a few other issues, too. For starters, fitbit doesn't really know how many calories you've burned doing a set of bench presses. Or ten sets. or a hundred sets. You could be sweating so badly from doing Bill Philips' 5X25 upper body routine, and fitbit gives you credit for 10 steps at most. And - the only reference to caloric burn is a stand-by value of 11 calories a minute. I'm sure that's inaccurate for most. No way to really tell without electrodes monitoring your blood and lungs. That would make working out kind of tough. And, when you're done, you'll be a little weak in the legs, and you might need to eat something like a protein bar or a shake - or a steak/burger/fish filet.
Something with protein. But, you have to be careful and time your meals - your normal caloric intake for the day, divide it by 5 or 6, and eat that amount every couple of hours. Same amount of food, just a lot more eating sessions. This supposedly gives your digestive system more work to do, resulting in a thermic effect. My guess is, the work is the same and it's negligible. But - that's what "they" say, so I guess "they" know what they're talking about. It does have the effect of reducing the size of your stomach organ. Do the multi-meal, smaller portion size for a month, and when you try to cheat and eat a whole pizza, you'll make yourself sick trying!
If you do it right, your nervous system, your immune system, your muscular system and possibly your cardiovascular system can get quite a shock from working out with weights. I think at first, 3 days of weight training with cardio on the off days may be a bit much. Make sure you get plenty of rest, because you'll be more susceptible to getting sick. (Some say that's a myth, and the real reason is because gymnasiums are nasty, germ-laden places. The guy before you on the bench press may not have washed his hands and recently picked his nose before he handled the same bar. They may wipe their sweat off the seat, but they rarely wipe the bar. Yeah, gross!)
I don't know your age, but if you're over 40, I'd start with one weight training session per week and add more as you think you can handle it.
If you're under 30, go crazy. You're invincible, just be sure not to let your ego get the best of you on compound lifts like the bench press. If you don't know how to lift safely - read below.
And - I hate to refer to another site, but even if you don't want to get big, your best bet is to consult those who do lift on a regular basis. Most of the folks here are not gym-rats and will probably guide you down the wrong path, but with the best of intentions. There's a lot anecdotal evidence about weight training that is complete nonsense. The truth is, there's still a ton we don't know about our bodies and how they work, because we're all slightly different on a genetic level. Go to bodybuilding.com and peruse the forums there. They have exercise programs that will include cardio, and they'll be based on your goals. And it's free. They also have a helpful community who can answer questions with a little more authority than here when it comes to weight-lifting. They even have videos with some perfect speciment showing great form for each exercise. (You may have trouble with some exercises, because most gyms won't have the equipment to do those exercises. You'll have to look for alternatives, which the site can refer you to. I suggest Lee Labrada's workouts. Worked for me. )
Oh - don't buy any protein powder until you determine that you actually need it as a supplement. It's expensive - and to be frank - many of them have so much sugar in them, you'd gain a lot of fat by just looking at them. And - check out Best Price Nutrition on YouTube for information on which powders are quality and which are junk should you feel the need to supplement. (The only supplement that's been scientifically proven to be any good is Creatine, FYI)
Whew, that's a lot. I have to learn to be more concise.
04-21-2016 08:39
04-21-2016 08:39
@Ukase, wow very informative! Thank you for taking the time to respond 🙂
I'm glad I won't have to worry about "bulking up". And since I don't have access to a gym, I won't worry too much about making myself sick. Though I do know our immune system is comprimsed when we put our body through stress, so I'm definitely going to start slow. It may sound pathetic, but I really can't handle much over 5# dumbells. I'll probably start with those and my resistance bands and try to get good form down. I would love to invest in a kettlebell and maybe even a medicine ball eventually. In the meantime, I gotta start somewhere!
As for age, I just turned 30 in March, so I guess I could pretend I'm invincible? I'll definitely start slow though, I don't want to injure myself. How often do you suggest increasing weight? I am assuming I just listen to my own body and once the sets start to feel too easy I should increase? I've always struggled with knowing how much is too much and how much is not enough when it comes to weight lifting.
Oh and I don't plan on adding in protein powder to my diet. I wouldn't even know where to begin with that stuff. Right now I add collagen hydrosolate geletin to my coffee every morning for added protein. It gives me 13g with no added sugar and it's good for my joints, skin, hair, nails, and gut 🙂
Thanks again for your very informative post!
04-21-2016 08:46
04-21-2016 08:46
This is a great program for lower body workouts that only requires a purchase of a jump rope.
http://www.basketballforcoaches.com/vertical-jump/
Not only is it a great strength program, the built in cardio is killer.
04-21-2016 09:04
04-21-2016 09:04
I love it! I do have a jump rope. I'll have to try this workout. Thanks for sharing! Maybe afterwards I could finally dunk in our basketball goal. Ha, jk, I'm 5'4", I can barely reach the top shelves in the kitchen 🙂
04-21-2016 09:13
04-21-2016 09:13
5 pound dumbbells? Surely you're underestimating your strength.
But, regardless, the amount of weight does not matter. It comes down to the amount of time you have the muscle under tension. I can press 250 easily enough; but, I can still stimulate the muscle by lifting 50 pounds and keeping the weight up for a much longer time than the typical "lift off bar, come down to chest, press up to arm's length and repeat." I just lift it up and keep it up until muscle failure. (as an example)
Since you're not after growth, you really don't even need to lift until failure, just go for a few sets here and there until you're sweating heavily.
04-21-2016 09:21
04-21-2016 09:21
@Ukase wrote:5 pound dumbbells? Surely you're underestimating your strength.
It's true. When I go bowling, I throw the kids ball because I can't grip anything heavier and throw it comfortably. That and I have tiny hands. Of course that doesn't stop me from picking up 40# bags of dog food and carrying it around, but I certainly couldn't lift it over my head! I pretty much have little to no upper body strength. I suppose I could pick up some heavier weights and try those, but I'm afraid I won't be able to do as many reps right now.
04-23-2016 14:52
04-23-2016 14:52
I use weigth training on the days I use my ellipital and stationary bike, but not my rower. I alternate between each peice of equipment 5 days a week. I do my weight training after my aerobic exericise because during my cardio I reach peak heart rate but dring my 30 minutes of weight training my heart rate goes down to the cardio range which is also the range that weight loss occurs. Also after my 45 minutes of aerobic exercise, my body is warmed up, joints are lubricated, lessening the chances of injuies when I lift weight. It's also a good cool down activity.
04-28-2016 09:03
04-28-2016 09:03
Losing 10lbs should be fairly easy. I weight train 4x a week and do crossfit 6x a week. If i feel sore or way tired from overtraining, i skip crossfit but never skip on weight training.
Dont be afraid to do more. Listen to your body. Rest as needed. If your losing more than 2lbs a week, i suggest you bump up the calories.
Good Luck
04-28-2016 11:41
04-28-2016 11:41
@sketchdoll wrote:
@Ukase wrote:5 pound dumbbells? Surely you're underestimating your strength.
It's true. When I go bowling, I throw the kids ball because I can't grip anything heavier and throw it comfortably. That and I have tiny hands. Of course that doesn't stop me from picking up 40# bags of dog food and carrying it around, but I certainly couldn't lift it over my head! I pretty much have little to no upper body strength. I suppose I could pick up some heavier weights and try those, but I'm afraid I won't be able to do as many reps right now.
Keep in mind that with bowling, you basically only have a 3-fingered grip on a weighted ball that you have to hold onto as you swing it behind you. It's more to do with grip strength than lifting strength.
Having a full-handed grip on a dumbell that you just need to lift/push in various ways is much different.
04-28-2016 13:33
04-28-2016 13:33
I started with this one from NerdFitness (a fun blog to read, though very wordy at times!). You don't need any special equipment, so no problem about not having a gym!
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
-Jenna 🙂