Too much? weightlifting and cardio

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AigreDoux
AigreDoux Posts: 594 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am 36 years old female, currently ~162-163 pounds, 5'5", trying to get to a goal weight of about 130 ish.

I started doing the workouts in the book "Strong" (sequel to NROLFW) at the beginning of January, about halfway through Stage 2, seems like it's going well. Definitely gaining strength, though no visible changes, due to too much fat on top of muscles. I do the HIIT as prescribed in the book at the end of each workout, about 10-15 minutes, but that's the only cardio I've been doing. I've lost about 5 pounds in that time period through a calorie deficit, which is good.

I started wondering if I could/should start C25K on my days off from weightlifting. I've done that program in the past and I like it. I have a treadmill in my home with a TV so it would be easy to incorporate. I would burn a few more calories, maybe increase my deficit a bit, and improve my cardiovascular fitness as well. So I would do 3 days of lifting, 3 days of C25k, and 1 day of total rest per week.

Or is this too much on top of the lifting and HIIT in Strong? I don't want to get injured or burned out.

Replies

  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
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    I think you know your limits better than us and as long as you are fueling your body for the workloads - I say do what you'd like on your non lifting days if you want to do more. I lift every other day and dont do much cardio. I enjoy getting an hour of power walking everyday though- just to get me moving. If I had desire to do cardio I would do it on my off days. But, I hate it, so I wont. I might start riding my bike on a few off days though but nothing HIIT. Just dont wear yourself out that you dont have the energy for lift days. :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    as long as you're fueling your workouts properly you should be fine.

    5 lbs in 6 weeks is a really good rate of lose though given your stats.
  • runsonrabbitfood
    runsonrabbitfood Posts: 89 Member
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    Honestly, just try it and be real with yourself about how you feel. Over the course of a few years, I've increased workout intensity/time/mileage/etc at several points and always start to just feel exhausted if I'm doing too much. You'll notice it just going about daily life - being tired, needing a few extra cups of coffee lol.
    C25K starts slow and ramps up gradually which is perfect for trial. If you start to feel tired, just back off a bit. As cliche as it sounds - listen to your body. :]
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    OP it sounds like you have a great strategy. Best laid plans come with knowing your own limits and staying safe and preventing injury.
  • mean_and_lean
    mean_and_lean Posts: 164 Member
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    Try it and see what happens. If it seems like it's too much then cut back a bit. It really is all about trial and error and finding what works for you.

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