My Exercise Routine- critiques welcome!

M

missjeep

New member
Hello all,

I joined a gym about a week and a half ago and have been every day since (except one day I recall) so 9/10 days in a row. I got some advice from my cousin who had taken a few weights and training classes at her college and she gave me a basic outline for what I should be doing. My routine is as follows


Day One:

10 mins low intensity cardio

10 mins high intensity cardio (both generally on some kind of stride machine)

30 mins of about 7 different LEG work out machines

5 mins on core machine

15- 20 min jogging (treadmill)


Day 2:

everything from day one except doing about 30 mins of chest and arm machines instead of legs.


I don't do very much stretching as I am never very sore the fallowing day. I am not trying to gain a ton of muscle, mostly just lose weight and get in shape. Should I add some free weight stuff? Do most people do a chunk of crunches and pushups and the like as well?


What do you guys think? does it need some revising or is it a good routine for trying to lose 20 lbs or so in a few months? I plan to go 6 days a week.

Thanks!
 
Your workout seems very long to be doing 6 times a week. I hope you are eating right to accommodate for your routine. Make sure you are eating protein with every meal and enough complex carbs to sustain your cardio workouts.

I would say that intensity is the key. If you are HIIT training for the cardio sections of your workout you will get a lot more benefit. There is a great break down of HIIT training in this section of the forum if you want more details.

I would also say that you should be feeling some muscle soreness after working out. When people say they want to tone up, it really means they want to build some lean muscle tissue. In order to do this you need to use a weight that is challenging enough to increase the size of your muscle fibers. Perhaps instead of alternating upper and lower body do a 4 day split where you do back and biceps on day, shoulders and triceps another day, chest and legs the third day and core the last day. That way you can work each muscle group intensely with slightly heavier weights and still have enough recovery time till it comes time to work the same muscle group again. Don't worry about bulking up, women don't really have enough testosterone to bulk up without steroids! I use pretty heavy weights and find that my muscles get more defined and denser rather than bulky.
 
If you've got the time and want to spend an hour and a half in the gym 6 days a week, then you've got a workout that suits.


If your goals include entering some endurance event (10km fun run, half marathon, marathon etc) then yes you'll need to put time in on the cardio machines, but if your goal is just to lose weight, there are better alternatives that can be done in far shorter periods of workout time.


Here's a suggested way of training


Day One:

5-10 mins low intensity cardio (warm up)

20 minutes full body workout. Format - upper body exercise/lower body exercise/upper body exercise/lower body exercise/core exercise no break between the exercises until you finish the core exercise, then have a short rest (1-2 minutes drink break). Repeat the cycle again 3-4 times. Choose a weight that allows you to do about 10-15 reps (not easily)

5-10 min low intensity cardio (cool down)

5 min stretch


Day Two

Do intervals on the cardio machines or have some fun - rollerblade, play tag with friends, dance to your favourite music (interval type training) but give the weights a miss.


Day Three

Get stuck back into it again and repeat Day 1.


You may not feel the need to stretch now, but trust me, as you get older, it does become an issue. Here's what happens when you train. When you exert yourself, your muscles receive small tears (all a natural process of muscle growth) and with these tears comes some swelling. This swelling blocks the body’s natural flow of oxygenated and nutrient rich blood to the area. This is where stretching comes in.


By stretching you keep the muscles and joints flexible and supple, and in turn the circulatory and lymphatic system can continue to work at their optimum levels moving oxygenated and nutrient rich blood around the body, and removing toxins and waste products that build up during training.


You've got this body for life. Love it and it will love you back.


Hope this helps.


x Nikki
 
P.S. Crunches are for people who want to walk stooped over (think about the action!). Not a good look! Stick to bracing core exercises such as The Plank - this replicates what the core is supposed to do, brace and support your back :)
 
It might be good idea to have few easy recovery days between your effective training days because your training loud is so high. Even elite endurance athletes have one or two easy days in their weekly schedule.


Your training program looks like monotone. You are exercising only at the gym. Why don't just go to long walk or to jog outside.


Do a longer walk or walk/jog-combination at Saturday or Sunday. At your level, it can be as long as >90 minutes. Longer trainings will teach your body to use fat as energy source. Your muscle cells are filled by carbohydrate. Your muscles will burn this carbohydrate first. After 60-90 minutes your body is turned to use more fat. This will stat your fat metabolism to act more actively. The activation of fat metabolism is a very slow process. You must empty your carbohydrate storage first to activate your fat metabolism properly. When starting this kind of weekly long trainings, you might feel yourself tired, but after 3-4 weeks your body will accustomed to it. You will be surprised how your body starts to use fat as energy source. Now your daily gym workouts does not activate this metabolism properly.


I guess you have some parks or outdoors at your hometown where you can do these weekend trainings. Time will fly while walking or jogging in the woods. Select soft grounds (tracks or gravel roads). Avoid tarmac.


You should have a easy recovery day at day after this kind of long exercise.
 
Take Niikijlove's advice!




I've trained MMA fighters, rugby players, footballers and too many-to-count mums and women who want to lose fat fast, and I will tell you that Nikki speaks the truth!



All the best!!
 
Yes stretching, warm up and cool down are important part of a work out. Each has different benefits for your body.


You need to include strength training to your routine to lose weight, to tone muscle and maintain the weight lost. You certainly don't like to look thin but flabby.


All of these are essential components of a good exercise routine: aerobic, strength training & stretching.


Combine all of this with healthy eating and in no time you will successfully achieve your fitness goals.
 
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