Please help me plan my exercise

[E7]

I'm new to exercising with a fitbit, but not new to exercise.  After using my fitbit for a week, I've learned some things about what exercise actually gets my heart rate up and what doesn't, so I think I have to reassess what I do in an average week.  If the goal is toning rather than weight loss (and perhaps a secondary goal is flexibility), how is this?

Day 1: Running (45 minutes)

Day 2: Some kind of strength-training class, like boot camp or HIIT (30-60 minutes depending on what's available)

Day 3: Rowing (45 minutes)

Day 4: Another strength-training class or a barre class (30-60 minutes) 

Day 5: Cycling (45 minutes)

Day 6: Either yoga or a rest day, or possibly a barre class

Day 7: Ballet (90 minutes)

Do you think barre counts as strength training?  It's certainly not cardio.  But I wonder whether it's as valuable as a HIIT class.  

And what do you think about 3x cardio, 2x strength, 1 ballet, and 1 rest or yoga day per week?  Is this a reasonable balance?  (Ballet is pretty low intensity and not that valuable in an exercise regime, I think, but I enjoy it, so I'd like to keep doing it.  I could count the ballet day as a rest day maybe.)

Feedback would be very welcome.  Thanks!

[emili]

in my opinion, if your goal is to tone and not lose weight, you have too much cardio happening. You should use cardio as a warm up to strength training, ballet, lifting, etc. Not as the exercise.

If you have time check out http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/.. he isn't for everyone but he explains exactly what you are asking really well. Good luck!

[E7]

Helpful input.  Thank you!

[SunsetRunner]

Need more info to be helpful.

1) Current status/assessment? -- are you looking to lean up? Build muscle? increase endurance? Or all the above?

2) Barre, yoga, tai chi:  All can count as strength training depending on the intesity/focus.  There is going through the motions for any of the above, and increasing flexibilty or capability, or effing working at it and sweating and being wasted at the end.  Intent and intensity matter.

3) Gotta go back to the basics: What is your goal/objective?

If, as you wrote, the goal/objective is toning (leaning up?) and flexibilty...you can do this. Building as a side-effect mreo strength is a reachable thing too....

[E7]

Thanks, VeganBadass.  In response:

1)/3)  I am looking to gain more muscle definition.  Wouldn't mind losing a few (say 5) lbs in the process, but it's not the main objective.  I'm female, 5'3", 112 lbs.

2) Good points.  Barre can be very intense, but it's not the kind of intensity you get with cardio.  It typically involves some high-rep-low-weight dumbell work and a lot of body-weight-based exercises (squats while standing on your toes and bent forward, that kind of thing).  On the last few reps of each exercise everything hurts, but at the same time it's not the kind of exercise that makes me sweat a lot.  (Compared to cardio.)  So as an inexperienced strength trainer, I find it hard to judge how it compares to, e.g., weight lifting.  Are they equally valuable as part of an exercise regime?  Is weight training better?  Is it better to mix it up and do both?

[Dominique]

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@E7 wrote:

I am looking to gain more muscle definition.  Wouldn't mind losing a few (say 5) lbs in the process, but it's not the main objective.  I'm female, 5'3", 112 lbs.

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5'3" / 112 lbs translates into a BMI of 19.8, so you must be pretty thin already.

"More muscle definition" (or "more toned") = less subcutaneous body fat so that your muscles will show better (assuming there’s something to show).

[SunsetRunner]

Body weight work is good.  Doing light weights, higher reps helps with toning.  Doing the cardio combined with some food changes will help you drop your % body fat, making those lean muscles pop!  🙂

Variety can be good to both avoid boredom and to mitigate injury from doing same exercises repetitively. 

[Kosnick]

Great answers you've gotten so far @E7!

I would only add that, TONING = Lowering Fat % and increasing muscle. Therefore, i would balance between cardio, strength(weights) and resting. Looking at your current regiment, it looks like hardly rest. Some workouts require longer recovery periods than others.

Hope this helps.