Gym routine tips?

Zampa13

So I've been going to the gym since early December but I'm not sure my 'routine' is achieving much. I go between 1-3 times a week depending on how busy work has been.

Generally I do
10-15mins on cross trainer.
10 mins on treadmill mixture of running and walking at an incline.
10-15mins on the bike.
A 5 min all out on rowing machine.

Then move onto weights which I use almost all equipment in the gym.

I usually average 40mins cardio.

Am I doing something wrong?
The only difference I have noticed is that my triceps have increased in size, but my arms have alway been quite big from playing rugby.

As a woman should I be concentrating more on a certain type of exercise for fat burn?

LKArgh

What is it you are trying to achieve?

Zampa13

Weightless initially and then work on fitness after getting and staying in the normal weight category.

tillerstouch

For weight loss the most important thing is being in a calorie deficit. So the cardio should help with that because you're burning more calories. I would assume if you aren't seeing weight loss you must not be in a deficit.

As for lifting you should probably find a routine. To make sure youre working each muscle group properly. If you're working on weight loss your focus for lifting should be maintaining as much muscle as possible while losing fat.

Asianbutterflies

Zampa13 wrote: »

So I've been going to the gym since early December but I'm not sure my 'routine' is achieving much. I go between 1-3 times a week depending on how busy work has been.

Generally I do
10-15mins on cross trainer.
10 mins on treadmill mixture of running and walking at an incline.
10-15mins on the bike.
A 5 min all out on rowing machine.

Then move onto weights which I use almost all equipment in the gym.

I usually average 40mins cardio.

Am I doing something wrong?
The only difference I have noticed is that my triceps have increased in size, but my arms have alway been quite big from playing rugby.

As a woman should I be concentrating more on a certain type of exercise for fat burn?

I am both weightloss and some fitness (tone areas that need it I'm not hard core on having ripping abs and muscles). However weightloss is primary for me. And I'm straight cardio bc you burn the most calories. I enjoy the group classes bc for me the treadmill and elliptical and bike are boring. To me time goes waaaay too slow. Not sure what kind of classes your gym offers but I believe majority of cardio classes are high impact and intensity. I do zumba and cardio taiboxing 2-4x a week and lift at least 2x a week.

The cardio you do is it high impact/low impact and how often? That can make a difference in your weight loss. Having a calorie deficit is the other piece to the puzzle. Eating normal and working out will take longer to lose weight and its more more maintenance. Food for thought as theses were my experiences. Hope it was helpful and good luck in your goals.

ChristinaOrr65

I was just reading a cool article today that has some tips for getting the most out of your workouts. Maybe it will help: https://www.myliporidex.com/blog/how_to_get_more_from_each_workout/

whmscll

I would add free weights, if you're not already. From your description it sounds like you are doing machines for strength training, which won't give you the same results as free weight. Hire a trainer for a few sessions if you don't know how to use them. Alternate between lifting and cardio. Lifting will help you retain muscle while you're eating at a deficit, and muscle is more efficient at burning calories than fat is.

holothuroidea

If your goal is weight loss then your priority should be eating a calorie deficit.

Firstly, on a positive note, the great thing about your gym routine is that you have one. That is a great accomplishment!

It sounds to me like your gym experience is kind of... all over the place. Have you tried doing any of the cardio machines for 35 minutes straight (not the rower, though, that'd be intense! lol)? I bet you'd get a better work out than breaking it up and switching around. If you like them all, you can still rotate them. Make monday run/walk day, wednesday cycling day, etc.

This is certainly true for weight lifting. You will get the better results by doing 2 complex movements like squats or kettle bell swings than doing 8 isolated movements like leg presses or bicep curls. The other key with weight lifting is intensity. If you want to get stronger you need to lift something heavy enough that you can only comfortably do 3-5 repetitions at a time.

Isolated movements and higher rep schemes have their place, but they should be accessory to your program and not the foundation.

Yi5hedr3

You're doing it backwards. Pumping iron should always be the priority, and should be done first. Cardio should be done last, if time permits, or on a separate day. Doing cardio first burns up all your Glycogen that you need for lifting the weights. If you lift weights first, you can use up your Glycogen, and by the time you get to cardio, the Glycogen is burned up and you'll begin to burn fat, which is great for cardio!

callsitlikeiseeit

i do strength training (3x/ week) then 45-60 minutes of cardio (5-6 times/week). with the cardio i almost always use the same machine for the duration. i prefer the arc trainer, but ill mix it up sometimes and do the bike or elliptical (never the treadmill cause ugh)

i also jog most nights anywhere from 1.5-3 miles, depending on how im feeling, how much my dog is annoying me, the weather, etc... lolol its just an extra thing for me so how long or even if i do it isnt really important to me lol

Zampa13

My last trip to the gym I changed things up a bit...

I intentionally used the elliptical for 30mins to try to increase stamina and get through the giving up point.
Then treadmill my usual mix up for 10 mins
Plus weights after.

It's difficult to know what to concentrate on for a good routine especially as I'm in the obese category. Solid cardio for a set period of time or short fast spurts and sprints of exercise to get to peak heart rate.





Is it better to go for longer periods on the same machine?

I find my heart rate hovers around 165-175bpm while in a steady session.
180bpm at peak or high intensity workout. Baring in mind my resting heart rate is 52-56bpm
Is this sounding pretty average for fat burn etc?

holothuroidea

Zampa13 wrote: »

My last trip to the gym I changed things up a bit...

I intentionally used the elliptical for 30mins to try to increase stamina and get through the giving up point.
Then treadmill my usual mix up for 10 mins
Plus weights after.

It's difficult to know what to concentrate on for a good routine especially as I'm in the obese category. Solid cardio for a set period of time or short fast spurts and sprints of exercise to get to peak heart rate.

Is it better to go for longer periods on the same machine?

I find my heart rate hovers around 165-175bpm while in a steady session.
180bpm at peak or high intensity workout. Baring in mind my resting heart rate is 52-56bpm
Is this sounding pretty average for fat burn etc?

Both of types of exercise have merit and will improve your cardiovascular fitness, it depends on what you like to do. The HR you describe is definitely in the high intensity interval range. If you like to work out that way then that's great! Just make sure to get adequate rest between intervals. I would do it all on the same machine, though, instead of hopping between them. I don't know what the conventional wisdom is on this subject, but these exercises require more than just cardiovascular conditioning. They all utilize different neuromuscular patterns and activate your various muscle groups differently. If you want to get good at any of them, you need to do them for an extended period of time regardless of whether your preferred method is intervals or continuous effort.

If your main purpose is fat burning, you need to eat a caloric deficit. The type of exercise you do will not change that, but you should be doing a solid weight training routine to retain as much muscle mass as possible so that you're burning just fat and not fat+muscle.

smis92103

ChristinaOrr65 wrote: »

I was just reading a cool article today that has some tips for getting the most out of your workouts. Maybe it will help: https://www.myliporidex.com/blog/how_to_get_more_from_each_workout/

That's a nice blog, thanks.

mandykent111

Have you ever tried HIIT exercises? Sounds like something that may help you reach your goals faster.

MikeSanchez2323

holothuroidea wrote: »

If your goal is weight loss then your priority should be eating a calorie deficit.

Firstly, on a positive note, the great thing about your gym routine is that you have one. That is a great accomplishment!

It sounds to me like your gym experience is kind of... all over the place. Have you tried doing any of the cardio machines for 35 minutes straight (not the rower, though, that'd be intense! lol)? I bet you'd get a better work out than breaking it up and switching around. If you like them all, you can still rotate them. Make monday run/walk day, wednesday cycling day, etc.

This is certainly true for weight lifting. You will get the better results by doing 2 complex movements like squats or kettle bell swings than doing 8 isolated movements like leg presses or bicep curls. The other key with weight lifting is intensity. If you want to get stronger you need to lift something heavy enough that you can only comfortably do 3-5 repetitions at a time.

Isolated movements and higher rep schemes have their place, but they should be accessory to your program and not the foundation.

I think this is great advice!