exercise plan

chamaeleonsky

I could use some help making up a gym routine. Right now I go to the gym three times a week and use the elliptical for 30 minutes. I do strength training but I'm not challenging myself enough, I'm never sore afterwards. My gym has free weights, benches and a wire cable machine, not much else. Do you have any favorite routines?

If it helps: female, 30 yo, 170# trying to get down to 120 or 130 with good muscle tone. history of back problems but not in pain right now, my back starts to get tired before I truly work out my abs. need to be careful of my hips as that where the back pain causes tightness. I have bad posture, my shoulders and neck are usually tight/sore.

ana3067

Soreness doesn't mean challenging. I can easily go weeks or months without muscle soreness unless I try a new exercise or greatly increase the weight.

Look up full body strength routines for beginners, cardio if desired, eat ~0.8g of protein per lb of weight as a generic starting point, eat enough calories (ideally no more than 1lb/week weight loss nad eat back at least half of your exercise calories). go to a masseuse and/or physiotherapist if there are underlying issues to be resolved.

atypicalsmith

Try walking. Do you only use the elliptical for 30 minutes a week? You say you aren't challenging yourself enough. Why not? Three miles a day on the treadmill and a couple of hours a week doing cardio while eating less will surely do the trick.

markjacobs1987

If you aren't sore after lifting weights you should increase how much weight you lift. As for a routine just try to do a good mix of lifting/strength and cardio and alternate between the two (ex: 3 lifting days, 3 cardio days, 1 rest day)

jayson3g

What's your height?

chamaeleonsky

I'm 5'5. To clarify, I do 30 minutes on the elliptical 3 times a week. Just looking for suggestions of good routines that people like since there are a million out there and I don't know which I'll like.

Liftng4Lis

Stronglifts 5x5's. (Soreness is irrelevant).

redsoxmj

New Rules of Lifting for Women is a good starting program for trying to get a program in the weight room. Starts out very slow, and builds up over time.