advice on lifting schedule

Florida_Superstar

Quick question. My goal is to shed a little body fat. I'm about 20% and 118 lbs right now. I recently started eating a lot more protein and increasing weight training. Still doing 3 heavy cardio sessions a week.

The only days I can lift are Wed, Thurs, and Fri. Since the days are consecutive I can't do a full body routine on each day. Am I better off doing full body on Wed and Fri or doing some kind of split across all 3 days? I've been trying a split so far and I love exhausting each muscle group this way...but then I only touch each muscle group once a week. Just not sure if it's better to go less intense 2x a week or more intense 1x a week for each muscle group. Thanks for your input.

heybales

If you do a hard workout on Wed, are you truly recovered and not sore by Fri to push it just as hard to get max benefit from it?

Because the increased volume would normally be better, but not if the 2nd half of volume has to be made lighter because of lack of recovery.

Also, are the muscles used on Wed tired from a heavy cardio session on Tue?
That would effect their ability to truly push as hard as they can.
Is Sat a heavy cardio session using same muscles worked on Fri, that are trying to recover on Sat?

Perhaps 3 day split, legs/push/pull, with just lots of volume, would be better, especially if heavy cardio is Tue & Fri and you can arrange the days better.

Florida_Superstar

Great questions. I never recover, and my open days for working out are driven by when I'm not teaching classes as well as when the best classes are offered at my gym. Here it is...what would you do?

M - I teach a hard spin class. No option to lift.
T - I teach a full body cardio circuit class (push ups, squat thrusts, light weights with high reps.
W - Really I should rest, but this is a day when there is a great spin class. I definitely should not lift since we just lifted in the Tuesday class I teach. But I have been lifting...
Th - Truly an open day when I could probably give 100% to lifting.
F - Truly an open day when I could probably give 100% to lifting.
Sat - The best spin class I can take. I could lift after spin but would prefer not to.
Sun - Rest day (not an option for lifting--family time, etc.)

heybales

So why taking the optional hard cardio classes you don't teach?
Bike racing goals, endurance goals, ect?

Looks like upper lifts on Thu, lower on Fri, which will have impaired recovery because of Sat, so partially wasted workout.
So depends on how much effort you want to put in to something that likely won't get full repair.

Usually lifting is done to get stronger and eventually build more muscle, that only happens if you do enough damage, and the body can repair it stronger.
Lack of recovery and too much diet can easily prevent that from happening.
In which case, what did the lifting really accomplish. Perhaps maintenance level lifting is enough though, maintain what you got.
That's a useful goal too if priority is actually the hard spin classes for whatever that goal is.

Florida_Superstar

All good points and good reminders of the basics. Thanks for the feedback.
I'm definitely not dieting to lose weight and would be happy maintaining my weight or even gaining if I could lose some fat. Mostly interested in recomposition--just a slight adjustment for less fat/more muscle. Hence eating more protein and trying to increase weight training. The cardio is because I'm a woman and I think we're conditioned to hang onto that idea. Plus I just love really pushing myself in a tough class. I guess I could try cutting out the Saturday spin class and lifting heavy on Thurs and Sat.

_benjammin

I would consider skipping spin on Wed. Hit glutes hard/heavy and a handful of squat sets in the 8-12 rep range. Go heavy upper push and pull Thurs. A lot of heavy squats (5-8 rep range) with glute and/or deadlift accessories on Fri.
Sounds like you enjoy the classes, teaching and taking. For losing weight and trying to preserve muscle I think you'd be better off hitting the biggest/most muscle twice a week. If you get to where you want to recomp/gain your upper body with similar schedule restraints, push/pull upper on Wed & Fri, lower Thurs.

Florida_Superstar

Benjamin, thanks--I'm inclined toward something like what you suggested, but Heybales made some good points about recovery. I can't see a way to do everything I want and still allow rest. I like your plan, but then my legs won't be recovered before spin on Saturday. I think this is a case where there is no perfect solution and I just need to go with the best option. I don't know how much the lack of recovery will hurt my progress vs. the lack of lifting. Thanks a lot for your idea and response.

Florida_Superstar

Regarding the comments in the thread about rest, is the problem that my cardio is a leg intensive spin class? For example, if I did the elliptical machine on a light resistance the day after legs, would that be more appropriate to allow better leg recovery? I would restructure my workouts to meet my goal... if I knew what to do. The only days I cannot alter are Monday and Tuesday.

MrGonzo05

xtrain321 wrote: »

Regarding the comments in the thread about rest, is the problem that my cardio is a leg intensive spin class? For example, if I did the elliptical machine on a light resistance the day after legs, would that be more appropriate to allow better leg recovery? I would restructure my workouts to meet my goal... if I knew what to do. The only days I cannot alter are Monday and Tuesday.

Spin class isn't doing anything to help your strength training, but it may not be that detrimental either. Spin class will involve intervals, but they need not be high intensity, since intensity is up to you. True HIIT will certainly require recovery, and beyond a certain intensity you may find you don't perform as well on, e.g., a squat workout the next day. You obviously enjoy spin class, so I would just find a way to pace yourself and balance spin class with your strength training.

heybales

I feel the same way about my bike rides. It's not even worth it to me to attempt an easy ride or too short, sometimes I manage when really needed and really want to ride.
But usually I plan a leg rest day prior and easy cardio day after - so I can hit a ride as hard and lengthy as I desire.

Because I don't feel like wasting the recovery of lifting the day before, and that would impact the ride anyway if lower body, I'll only schedule swimming or lifting upper.

There is one other night for a hard group ride, and that is scheduled around too.

That means my running is usually recovery level, and I only get 1 leg lifting a week.

But I know attempting to hit it all hard would lead to all being mediocre in very short order, and effecting sleep and life.

If you want to do cardio with legs, day before or after lifting with legs, I'd suggest using the HR zone to confirm the muscles aren't being used that intense.
It's been called the Active Recovery HR zone for a long time, but recently was given the fad name fat-burning zone.
Yes, myth for what people usually reference it for, but totally a valid HR zone for it's intended purpose - Active Recovery.

And while it may make the cardio slower, pick some you don't mind doing slower. I figure on my running I'm just training the fat-burning system better for endurance, which it does.

www.calculatenow.biz/sport/heart.php?

That Wed - Fri routine Benjamin mentioned may not start out realistic, like still sore on Fri from Wed, but eventually, and especially eating at maintenance, it could start working.
It's just getting to that point with only 1 x weekly that makes it hard.
You could start out light enough weights that Wed soreness is gone by Fri. And once body seems to be doing well with recovery, increasing the weight.
Then upper body on some other day where you do cardio - if you have the time.

There are ways to tweak a schedule decently depending on available time.
Except my leg lifting 1x weekly during bike season. Short intense ride Thu night, long intense ride Sat, or shorter on Sun if rained out. Mon or Tue are only days for legs. So compromises are made.

Florida_Superstar

Okay, thanks a lot for the feedback. I'm definitely "all in" when I do cardio--anaerobic almost the whole session--and lowering the intensity never occurred to me. Duh! Ironically, it will be more work (mental) for me to restrain myself during class than it would be to go 100%, but I'm excited to try it. Getting ready now to make a plan considering all your comments. I appreciate everyone's input.