Good Way To Get A Complete Body Workout With The Least Number Of Activities
OldAssDude
Posts: 1,436 Member
I was looking for ways to work all the muscle groups and cardio with the least number of activities and no more than 1 to 2 hours per day.
I have to get my 10,000 steps a day in so I walk every day. most days I walk at my lunch hour for 3 miles at a 3.5 to 4 mph pace which puts me in the cardio zone for about 45 minutes.
I got a bicycle for cardio, legs, hip flexors, and a little bit of abs, and try to ride 3 times a week for a half an hour to an hour.
I was trying to think of something that would work cardio and all the muscles in my upper body with a single activity, and that could be done in an hour or less.
I was thinking a kayak would do the trick based on the movement of pulling and pushing at the same time and using the abs to stabilize the alternating motion.
So I went out and got a kayak, and let me tell you, it works. I could feel all my pulling and pushing muscles working at the same time, and alternating back and forth with each stroke. Chest, back, lats, biceps, triceps, shoulders (front and back), and abs (inner and outer). And it gets my heart rate into the cardio zone if I do it fast enough.
I have done it twice so far and went about 1.5 miles both times. It is a great way to work the complete upper body in an hour or less, plus it is very fun to do.
So now my projected schedule will be...
Walking 30 minutes to an hour every day.
Bike riding 30 minutes to an hour 3 times a week.
Kayaking 30 minutes to an hour 3 times a week.
This will leave 1 day a week that I only have to walk. That will be my lazy day...:)
I can eat pretty much anything I want and am still losing weight because I am burning a lot of calories, and increasing my fitness level. I usually have between 500 to 800 calories left over at the end of the day now, and am not even hungry.
I have to get my 10,000 steps a day in so I walk every day. most days I walk at my lunch hour for 3 miles at a 3.5 to 4 mph pace which puts me in the cardio zone for about 45 minutes.
I got a bicycle for cardio, legs, hip flexors, and a little bit of abs, and try to ride 3 times a week for a half an hour to an hour.
I was trying to think of something that would work cardio and all the muscles in my upper body with a single activity, and that could be done in an hour or less.
I was thinking a kayak would do the trick based on the movement of pulling and pushing at the same time and using the abs to stabilize the alternating motion.
So I went out and got a kayak, and let me tell you, it works. I could feel all my pulling and pushing muscles working at the same time, and alternating back and forth with each stroke. Chest, back, lats, biceps, triceps, shoulders (front and back), and abs (inner and outer). And it gets my heart rate into the cardio zone if I do it fast enough.
I have done it twice so far and went about 1.5 miles both times. It is a great way to work the complete upper body in an hour or less, plus it is very fun to do.
So now my projected schedule will be...
Walking 30 minutes to an hour every day.
Bike riding 30 minutes to an hour 3 times a week.
Kayaking 30 minutes to an hour 3 times a week.
This will leave 1 day a week that I only have to walk. That will be my lazy day...:)
I can eat pretty much anything I want and am still losing weight because I am burning a lot of calories, and increasing my fitness level. I usually have between 500 to 800 calories left over at the end of the day now, and am not even hungry.
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Replies
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The type of cardio you talk about is steady state, low impact/intensity.. ie. eats up a lot of time.. I would highly recommend changing that up to HIIT. High intensity full body workouts can be done in 20 minutes and have been shown to burn more calories and are much better by far for burning fat and preserving Lean body mass.. the long steady state cardio ( when done in a fasted state) will tend to burn up LBM. Look up interval training, or HIIT0
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The type of cardio you talk about is steady state, low impact/intensity.. ie. eats up a lot of time.. I would highly recommend changing that up to HIIT. High intensity full body workouts can be done in 20 minutes and have been shown to burn more calories and are much better by far for burning fat and preserving Lean body mass.. the long steady state cardio ( when done in a fasted state) will tend to burn up LBM. Look up interval training, or HIIT
20 minutes of cardio will only give a minimum training effect, because it is the minimum amount of time required to keep your heart at a certain rate to achieve a training effect. It sounds to be way more intense, but still the minimum amount of time.
I'm just an old guy trying to increase my fitness level and have some fun. At my age, I get in the cardio zone just walking fast. I would much rather do that for an hour and get a better training effect and have fun doing it, rather than kill myself for 20 minutes and get the minimum training effect.
Just looking for fun things that can be done in a half hour to an hour to get a decent training effect without having to go to the hospital afterwards.0 -
Not very open to new ideas considering you posted asking for ideas....
http://stronglifts.com/cardio-fat-loss-hiit-vs-long-duratio-cardio/
http://www.worktrainfight.com/high-intensity-interval-training-vs-low-intensity-cardio/
No comparison..0 -
I have to agree. HIIT gives much better results in every area of fitness over steady state cardio. If you lift weights 3-5x per week and do 2x 20 minute HIIT sessions you'd be nearly overtraining. And that's less than 6 hours dedicated per week.0
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You'll get the best long term results with something you like and can stick with. Of course, I am not an exercise, weight loss or dieting expert. I'm just a person trying to lose a few pounds and make a lifestyle change. At my age, 50 years, I want the whole process to be as pleasant and sustainable as possible. Kayaking sounds like fun.0
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I'd vote for a 20 mins cardio warm-up/Interval training followed by a programme like starting strength of stronglifts5x5 three times a week personally
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Not very open to new ideas considering you posted asking for ideas....
http://stronglifts.com/cardio-fat-loss-hiit-vs-long-duratio-cardio/
http://www.worktrainfight.com/high-intensity-interval-training-vs-low-intensity-cardio/
No comparison..
Asking for ideas?
I'm not asking for ideas. Just trying to share an idea that I had.0 -
galgenstrick wrote: »I have to agree. HIIT gives much better results in every area of fitness over steady state cardio. If you lift weights 3-5x per week and do 2x 20 minute HIIT sessions you'd be nearly overtraining. And that's less than 6 hours dedicated per week.
20 minutes of cardio * 3 times a week = minimum training effect
30 minutes of cardio * 3 times a week = better training effect
30 minutes of cardio * 5 times a week = even better training effect
You cant just increase intensity, cut time to minimum, and expect to achieve more than the minimum. Not to mention the increase risk of injuries (especially for old people like me).
Plus I hate lifting weights....
change the weights... do 3 sets of this movement...
change the weights... do 3 sets of this movement...
and on... and on... and on...
seems like a lot of time is wasted just changing weights around.
I can jump in my kayak and work every muscle group & get some cardio in 1 alternating movement and have fun at the same time.
I'm not trying to build muscle or trying to become an athlete. I'm just an old guy trying to improve my fitness level.0 -
I loathe hiit and choose steady state cardio over it. There's nothing wrong with wanting to row as opposed to hiit or intervals.
Good job finding something you enjoy, OP.0 -
You'll get the best long term results with something you like and can stick with. Of course, I am not an exercise, weight loss or dieting expert. I'm just a person trying to lose a few pounds and make a lifestyle change. At my age, 50 years, I want the whole process to be as pleasant and sustainable as possible. Kayaking sounds like fun.
I'll be 58 next week.
You're right, and it is fun. I can easily see myself kayaking at least 3 times a week for half an hour to an hour.0 -
galgenstrick wrote: »I have to agree. HIIT gives much better results in every area of fitness over steady state cardio. If you lift weights 3-5x per week and do 2x 20 minute HIIT sessions you'd be nearly overtraining. And that's less than 6 hours dedicated per week.
Hit may be better for fat loss but steady state cardio at 60% of max heart rate, or far below the anaerobic threshold for at over 20 minutes is a better training effect for cardiovascular health. It also translates better to any sport that is not a sprint. I bet that the chronic walkers would out hike the hiit physique competitors. Even Usain Bolt does the majority of his cardio work at a lower heart rate. He trains sprints sure, but he does a lot of distance to improve his muscular mitochondrial content and lactate shuttle.
Cardio doesn't have to leave you half dead to be effective. I am getting great results with respect to resting heart rate and power output in zones 1 and 2 just by slowing cycling to work everyday. I wear a hr monitor and get 45 minutes of training stimulus a day that leaves me with lots of energy for lifting and sports. My running times have improved and when hiking I can leave my husband in the dust.0 -
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galgenstrick wrote: »I have to agree. HIIT gives much better results in every area of fitness over steady state cardio. If you lift weights 3-5x per week and do 2x 20 minute HIIT sessions you'd be nearly overtraining. And that's less than 6 hours dedicated per week.
Hit may be better for fat loss but steady state cardio at 60% of max heart rate, or far below the anaerobic threshold for at over 20 minutes is a better training effect for cardiovascular health. It also translates better to any sport that is not a sprint. I bet that the chronic walkers would out hike the hiit physique competitors. Even Usain Bolt does the majority of his cardio work at a lower heart rate. He trains sprints sure, but he does a lot of distance to improve his muscular mitochondrial content and lactate shuttle.
Cardio doesn't have to leave you half dead to be effective. I am getting great results with respect to resting heart rate and power output in zones 1 and 2 just by slowing cycling to work everyday. I wear a hr monitor and get 45 minutes of training stimulus a day that leaves me with lots of energy for lifting and sports. My running times have improved and when hiking I can leave my husband in the dust.
Agree. Good points.0 -
The type of cardio you talk about is steady state, low impact/intensity.. ie. eats up a lot of time.. I would highly recommend changing that up to HIIT. High intensity full body workouts can be done in 20 minutes and have been shown to burn more calories and are much better by far for burning fat and preserving Lean body mass.. the long steady state cardio ( when done in a fasted state) will tend to burn up LBM. Look up interval training, or HIIT
Hiit has some benefits and they are mostly VO2 fitness.
Ofc a 20 min hiit workout is going to burn more calories than 20 mins steady state because you are working harder as well as there being some epoc effect.
Care to back that up about preserving LBM? its resistance training that does that.
The problem with hiit when compared to steady state is recovery time. You will burn more calories doing steady state if you have the time because you can do it longer and you can recover more quickly. I do both as they have different benefits. Start with food moderation first though.0 -
While I'm also a fan of HIIT, I do that because I get bored doing anything for more than half an hour. There is nothing wrong with steady state cardio, especially if it's fun.
Weight training is also great for endurance, weight loss and strength of course, but it does take proper equipment that not everybody has, or every gym offers. I did stronglifts for a while and although it worked, once the weights got too high I had to stop because we didn't have the proper safety equipment, and no other gym in the region did either.
So, me? I take a half hour HIIT class on thursday nights and saturday mornings.. and I go swimming for half an hour on tuesday night because I enjoy it, and it works all my muscles, and relaxes me.
I totally vote that everybody should exercise how they like. After all, if you want to lose weight, it's mostly diet.. and if you want to be fit and active, it does not matter that much how you move, as long as you move. Each activity has its own advantages and disadvantages..0 -
Another "old" "mature" guy chiming in here. I have an elliptical and walk daily. Anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes of elliptical. When I walk it might be 15 minutes up to a bit over an hour. I watch TV or listen to music and enjoy the activity. Golfing is great when I carry my bag too.
I've wanted to get a rowing machine for home to use a few times a week. It seems like it'd be a great total body workout that could be as intense as you'd like to make it.
As far as the HIIT suggestions go, I think some people's goals are a bit different. Here's a link to a TED talk about running.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6U728AZnV0
Basically the speaker is saying he's a life long runner that has found he's been running too much and training too hard. To the point that it can damage your heart and end up shortening your lifespan. It isn't very long and is a pretty good talk.0 -
I get a complete body exercise with cardio doing 3x 5x5 weight lifting (45-75 minutes depending on how fast/slow we go) and 90-120 minutes of Ultimate Frisbee per week. That is 3.75-5.75 hours/week. It works for me.
I'm a little confused why you don't just bike and kayak longer and forget the walking. If the goal is to get the most exercise with the least activities, walking is completely redundant as you get all the leg exercising you need from a hard bike ride, and you get better cardio with biking or kayaking. If the only reason you are walking is to make your fitness tracker happy, then it seems like a good reason to toss the fitness tracker.bcalvanese wrote: »Plus I hate lifting weights....
change the weights... do 3 sets of this movement...
change the weights... do 3 sets of this movement...
and on... and on... and on...
seems like a lot of time is wasted just changing weights around.
The fun in lifting weights is pushing yourself. If you are just lifting and not pushing towards a goal, it is pretty boring. I love when I get to say I put another 5lb on the bar and completed a set, especially when you hit magical numbers like 1x your body weight or 200lb, or something like that.
As for wasted time changing weights, it isn't wasted, you lifted a weight. I actually change the weights for everyone else when I lift with others, which means lifting a lot of extra weight for me. For a beginner program, you only need to do 3 movements (squats, bench, row, or squat, overhead, deadlift) and you are done. If you want to add more, weight changes aren't required depending on what you add (you may just be able to grab some dumbbells).0 -
Another "old" "mature" guy chiming in here. I have an elliptical and walk daily. Anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes of elliptical. When I walk it might be 15 minutes up to a bit over an hour. I watch TV or listen to music and enjoy the activity. Golfing is great when I carry my bag too.
I've wanted to get a rowing machine for home to use a few times a week. It seems like it'd be a great total body workout that could be as intense as you'd like to make it.
As far as the HIIT suggestions go, I think some people's goals are a bit different. Here's a link to a TED talk about running.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6U728AZnV0
Basically the speaker is saying he's a life long runner that has found he's been running too much and training too hard. To the point that it can damage your heart and end up shortening your lifespan. It isn't very long and is a pretty good talk.
Thanks for sharing this.
Sounds like I'm on the right track...:)0 -
Swimming. Easy as pie..0
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nordlead2005 wrote: »I get a complete body exercise with cardio doing 3x 5x5 weight lifting (45-75 minutes depending on how fast/slow we go) and 90-120 minutes of Ultimate Frisbee per week. That is 3.75-5.75 hours/week. It works for me.
I'm a little confused why you don't just bike and kayak longer and forget the walking. If the goal is to get the most exercise with the least activities, walking is completely redundant as you get all the leg exercising you need from a hard bike ride, and you get better cardio with biking or kayaking. If the only reason you are walking is to make your fitness tracker happy, then it seems like a good reason to toss the fitness tracker.bcalvanese wrote: »Plus I hate lifting weights....
change the weights... do 3 sets of this movement...
change the weights... do 3 sets of this movement...
and on... and on... and on...
seems like a lot of time is wasted just changing weights around.
The fun in lifting weights is pushing yourself. If you are just lifting and not pushing towards a goal, it is pretty boring. I love when I get to say I put another 5lb on the bar and completed a set, especially when you hit magical numbers like 1x your body weight or 200lb, or something like that.
As for wasted time changing weights, it isn't wasted, you lifted a weight. I actually change the weights for everyone else when I lift with others, which means lifting a lot of extra weight for me. For a beginner program, you only need to do 3 movements (squats, bench, row, or squat, overhead, deadlift) and you are done. If you want to add more, weight changes aren't required depending on what you add (you may just be able to grab some dumbbells).
Just never got into weights. My fat body is more than enough weight for me to work with...:)
I walk to get my 10,000 steps in each day, and the impact is good for the joints (something you don't get biking).
My main point is that I can get a complete endurance workout with 3 activities, and make it fun to do.0 -
ThomasWright1997 wrote: »Swimming. Easy as pie..
Agreed. Swimming works everything with a single activity, but I would get bored after a while. Plus, I don't really have a place to swim.0
This discussion has been closed.
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