Need some advice.

F

Fuzzy

0
After doing some reading on the forum I realized my exercise program was not what I needed it to be. I have been doing cardio 5 days a week, but now I realize I need to incorporate some strength training if I want to keep weight off and look good. I've come up with a body weight regime for strength training I think I like(although opinions on that wouldn't hurt either), but my problem is when to schedule what exercises. Do I do cardio 3 days and strength 2 or the other way around? Can I do cardio 5 days including my strength days? Can I do core 5 days a week? Here's my plan for body weight strength training:

pushups
squats
dive bombs
lunges
dips
side leg lifts
crunches
regular leg lifts

3 sets of all of them in order resting in between for maximum reps.

As you can see I'm trying to work whole body instead of target different areas on different days. Sat and Sun are my rest days. Any help would be appreciated.
 
What is your goal??? You want to keep the weight off and look good???If that's the case,then you should do strength 4 days and cardio 1 day.If you do too much cardio you will not see any results and you will not look good.I will suggest you to try and see if you will like that for a few months
Monday:
Chest+biceps
Tuesday:
Legs
Wednesday:
Shoulders+Abs
Thursday:
Back+triceps
Friday:
Cardio
Find some exercises,that will work for you,put them together the way I already showed you above,add 30g. of whey protein 30min. before workout and first thing in the morning in your off days,and enjoy the results.
 
Oops. I misspoke. Let me clarify. I want to get my weight off rather than keep it off. I want to incorporate strength training; so that, once I get weight off I don't immediately start gaining again because I lost all my muscle by doing only cardio. Basically I need to combat the 25% or so of lean mass lost out of every lost pound of weight. Hope this helps. :p
 
OK,I got it now.Stick to what I suggest in the previous post.Four days of strength exercises and 1 day cardio.This way you will lose weight and in the same time keep your muscle mass and even gain some extra,which soon will give you the lean body you are going after.My advice to all that is-
separate the muscle groups in different days.Do more reps. with less weight (intense workout) for no more then hour,hour and a half.
Example:
Monday:
Chest+biceps-start with bench press.Do 4 sets,12-18reps per set.If the max. weight you can push is 45lb.,do your sets with 25-35lb..Always play with the weight during the sets.Go first set for 25lb.,then second 30lb. and then back to 25!Plus after you do a set of bench press,do a set of barbell curl for biceps,then rest for a minute and repeat.
Your diet is realy important.Don't forget it!!!Advice-don't eat anything 6 hours before going to sleep and add whey protein-30g. a day,perfect for your goal.
Sat. and Sun. are your rest days!?Play your favorite sport in one of those days.
Example:
I play soccer with friends every Sunday and tennis every Saturday.
Sport is the best known way to lose weight and build muscle without feeling it while having fun!!!You are motivated to play and win and will not feel,that you burn 1000 calories.
Eat smart,work out smart,be consistent,watch out for injures and most important have fun.Results will come.Take my word,I know it by experience!
 
I'm not generally the type to disagree with folks on here, but as a weight loss trainer I have to speak up on this issue. I train my clients on a combination of strength and cardio each workout. 5 days of strength, and 3 days of those 5 include what I call a cardio blast (in training terms: interval training) at the end of the workout. So here's what I would personally adjust in what ALF said in his/her posts:

1. Each day - 2 upper body exercises, 2 lower body exercises, 1 core
2. 3 of 5 days (alternating) - Add 20 minutes of run or ride interval training to the end of the workout
3. Non cardio days - Add 2 elements of resistance core building (sled pushing, hill sprints, etc.).
4. Timing of your eating habits should not be around your sleep schedule, but based on when you work out. If you're working out in the morning, it is extremely unrealistic to not eat within 6 hours of sleep. You need to have eaten some form of good fat and low amounts of carbs within about an 8-12 hour window of every workout.
5. ALF is absolutely right about team sports and actual diet. Play sports in place of cardio when you can, but don't play much less than 40-60 minutes of a sport if you're going to skip cardio. Look into organic foods, and do some research on the good fats to have: fish (oil), almond oil, almond milk, etc. Diet is more than 75% of what will lose you weight.
6. To address your rest days. I like weekends as much as the next guy, but schedule a workout on one of those days. Take a Wednesday or Thursday off instead. Giving your body 2 days of consecutive rest is very counter-productive to your metabolism and will slow it down going into Monday-Tuesday. The purpose of the cardio workouts is to force your metabolism through the roof, and the schedule needs to match the efforts.

Realistically, you should probably consult a weight loss trainer. I could write you a book based on your specific needs, but those are 6 points I came up with in a few minutes. I'm sure ALF has plenty of knowledge and personal experience with being fit, but losing weight is a different animal than staying fit when you have none to lose. Hope this helps.
 
Also, more reps with less weight is actually a misconception. It's all about controlled reps. Any downward motion should take 2-4 seconds depending on the exercise. As a cyclist, more reps with less weight is something I use to maintain muscular endurance, but it won't help you lose the weight. A sample of what I'm saying:

Push ups - It should take 3 seconds for you to reach the bottom of your push-up, and 1 second to return to starting position. No more than 12 reps of controlled movement like that. Your form will most likely begin to break down between 8 and 10 reps when you start this style anyways, so go until 12 max, but stick to 10 if you can't get there.
 
Nwheel,I agree with all you said but also think that it doesn't have anything to do with what Fuzzy wants.Fuzzy goal is,as long as I understand,to turn the fat into muscle(lose SOME weight and build muscles).You are talking about how to lose weight and how to do it fast.First,I hate when people are trying to lose weight fast.It is 100 times better to lose 50 pounds for 2 years than for 2 months.Second,if Fuzzy decide to go your way he/she will need a turtle different program(muscle building program) once he/she got his weight loss goal reached.
 
I can see the validity of what both of you are saying. That being said, not having to go to the gym for free weights fits my lifestyle best. While traditionally I love pumping iron because I gain mass fairly easily, I agree more with nwheel here. I don't want to gain muscle mass just yet, but I don't want to lose any either. Once I do hit my weight loss goal though, I will be building muscle to reach the look I want. Personally I have found that I benefit from positive feedback and seeing my progress. This just seems like the best way I can watch my progress.
 
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