Two-a-days

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mommabenefield
mommabenefield Posts: 1,329 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone in MFPl-and do two-a-days (two workouts a day)?

Can you offer any helpful info or tips for someone who is considering taking up two-a-days?

Nutrition? Workouts? Setup? etc...?

I've done some googling but I also like to get first hand experiences... I get bored reading long winded articles geared towards the masses.

TYIA!!
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Replies

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    What is your end goal? What are you trying to accomplish by incorporating 2 a days?
  • mommabenefield
    mommabenefield Posts: 1,329 Member
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    rybo wrote: »
    What is your end goal? What are you trying to accomplish by incorporating 2 a days?

    Well I still have about 20 lbs to lose before I'm really happy with my weight. My end goal is to be overall physically fit. However, I am really trying to understand how they are useful, are they for the average person trying to lose weight and get fit or are they more for the competitors?
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    I often do two a day because it fits my schedule better. I try to get in a lot of exercise and it's hard to find 1+ hour chunks.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Unless you are super crunched for time or need to do extensive amounts of training for a triathlon, 2 a days aren't necessary for just general weight loss. Some people who like to run or bike and who like to lift weights will often times split sessions out of convenience.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    mommabenefield wrote: »
    rybo wrote: »
    What is your end goal? What are you trying to accomplish by incorporating 2 a days?

    Well I still have about 20 lbs to lose before I'm really happy with my weight. My end goal is to be overall physically fit. However, I am really trying to understand how they are useful, are they for the average person trying to lose weight and get fit or are they more for the competitors?

    Most people who do two-a-days are training with a specific purpose in mind that goes beyond needing to lose some weight...like when I did my two-a-days, I was training for a triathlon and trained for multiple events in a single day.

    I guess I still technically do two-a-days 2-3x per week in that on Monday and Wednesday I usually ride in the morning and I lift in the evening and on Saturday I usually ride to the gym to lift and then ride home...though that particular ride is more of a warm up and cool down kind of ride.
  • MegsChristine
    MegsChristine Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm a little late to the party here, but I agree with the post about 2-a-days being geared toward a specific training goal rather than just weight loss. That said, make one! When I signed up for my first half marathon, I suddenly found easy justification for 2-a-days: get a short run in (~3 miles) to maintain endurance plus maybe later do some yoga if I'm sore, or HIIT if I'm not. I find the best thing to do when I plateau is mix up my routine so I lose the muscle memory advantage that causes us all to get stuck sometimes. Good luck!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I do two-a-days because I enjoy them. I like exercising in the AM before work because it ensures I will get it done and I love starting the day with exercise. But a few times a week, I also feel like taking a short run in the late afternoon or evening, so I'll do that do.

    I didn't really change anything about my nutrition. On average, it's only an extra hour or so of running per week. I pay attention to how I feel and I never do it unless I feel like I really want it (that is, I feel energetic and recovered from the AM workout).
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    I heard about it from this guy. But don't ask him why he said it, because he already forgot.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqrcHXuqZ-U
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    Two a days can be good or bad depending on what you're trying to achieve. Most people that do two a days are training for some particular purpose. I did two a days for a long while becuase I didn't feel like I could get a good enough workout during my morning workout (due to time restraints) and split it into two separate workouts (run& weights in the morning and another short run in the evening). One of the good things about doing two a days is that it does burn more calories in a day but the downside is you'll likely lose more muscle over time because of the increased cardio load and eating at a deficit for weight loss. Additionally, you have to be really careful about overtraining, which leads to injuries that will put you out of the game for recovery. You have to make sure you give your body an opportunity to recover from the stress your placing on it. Listen to your body and let it be your guide. Some people do two a days for their strength training, light weights in the morning and heavy in the evening (different body parts) just to fit in as much of the program in a week as possible. I can't do a 3/4 split because my body is just tuned to working out harder and more often.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    Due to some medical issues I do an hour of mobility/rehab type work in the morning and lift/run after work.

    Time issue can't get it all done in the morning and want to have the hour free at night
  • shank35l
    shank35l Posts: 102 Member
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    Doing two a days presently, but it's more of a split really. This isn't counting work related stuff which requires a lot of shooting and moving around throughout the day.


    Monday
    AM - Heavy Upper Body Workout
    PM - Ruck March/Run @ minimum 4.0 mph pace and 45 lb load

    Teusday
    AM - Heavy leg workout
    PM - HIIT

    Wednesday
    AM -Combatives and core workout
    PM - Ruck March/Run @ 4.0 minimum mph pace and 45 lb load

    Thursday
    AM - Heavy Upper Body Workout
    PM - HIIT

    Friday
    AM - Heavy leg workout
    PM - Yoga

    I take weekends off for full recovery generally. Yes, I am doing this for a specific, work related, purpose.





  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 650 Member
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    I do 2 a day sometimes. My goal is weight loss and hoping to build/retain muscle. But, that said, I do 2 because it's easier to fit weight lifting in. Like today for example, I went to do weights for upper body during my lunch hour and then I went back over after work to do my lower half. On other 2 a day, I'm lifting in the morning and cardio in the afternoon. It just works better with my schedule.
  • cecsav1
    cecsav1 Posts: 714 Member
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    Eh. Probably not necessary unless you're intending to do your cardio separate from your lifting, ie am cardio, pm lifting. OR if you're just super pressed for time and only have a 15 - 30 min block a couple times a day.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    mommabenefield wrote: »
    Does anyone in MFPl-and do two-a-days (two workouts a day)?

    Can you offer any helpful info or tips for someone who is considering taking up two-a-days?

    Nutrition? Workouts? Setup? etc...?

    I've done some googling but I also like to get first hand experiences... I get bored reading long winded articles geared towards the masses.

    TYIA!!

    I run 7 days a week but rarely do two a days. I used to sometimes lift in the morning and run at night (or vise versa). Now I generally do both exercises together (on lift days). Just accept suboptimal results from your second form of exercise if done back to back.

    If you can spare the time of an extra shower and trip to the gym there is nothing wrong with two a days. Make your choice...
  • nikkxjohnson
    nikkxjohnson Posts: 70 Member
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    I go to the gym 2-3 times a day 5 days a week. But... I work right next door to my gym. I tend do a 3 mile walk before work and then on my lunch breaks I will do some cardio, like running or cycling for about 45 minutes, and after work I will do some strength training and sometimes cardio. Exercise is my antidepressant lol
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    Not lifting, no. I do love days I can run in the morning and do yoga in the evening. That was my workout pattern a couple of years ago and I'm trying to get back to it. Weekends were one long run then rest, but if I can get up to 4-5 days running I will probably switch that to make Saturday a weightlifting day.

    Right now I do
    Monday yoga in morning only
    Tuesday run in morning power yoga evening
    Wednesday yoga in morning only
    Thursday run in morning, power yoga evening
    Friday run or walk in morning, inversion yoga class evening

    Saturday long walk or rest
    Sunday rest

    I have a sit down job so there isn't a lot of movement in my workday, though. So gentle workouts twice a day isn't excessive. If you are lifting it's my understanding that muscles grow during rest and that takes more than a day.
  • PBWaffleCakes
    PBWaffleCakes Posts: 900 Member
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    I always done two a days, then went down to one a days but not I am back to two a days because it feels so much better.
    I do early morning and then evening/night. I should be weight lifting but I'm too scared to learn it myself and too cheap to get a trainer. So, AM is at home work out, it's a DVD, station bike, strength yoga, something I can roll out of bed and do (seriously I roll out of bed and go straight to the workout) then PM is either my run, long walk, bike ride, split cardio at the gym. Besides on Saturdays. Saturdays I do one 10 to 26.2 mile walk/jog or bike ride.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I do 2-a-days a lot because of triathlon training and getting in the workouts. Rather than worrying about adding in nutrition I tend to work around my meals. For example, coffee and maybe a banana in the morning and then run or swim followed by breakfast. Run or bike after work followed by dinner. I'd usually have some kind of late afternoon snack a reasonable time before the evening workout. My post workout meals with have a good amount of starchy carbs, usually. (My normal dinners do anyway, my breakfasts that aren't post workout are normally pretty low carb, since I tend to like eggs+vegetables for breakfast.)
  • Sassie_Lassie
    Sassie_Lassie Posts: 140 Member
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    I do because I lift at the gym then come home and do my cardio.
  • BadAssAries
    BadAssAries Posts: 66 Member
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    Some days I do a 20 minute Pilates DVD prior to a walk. I don't think this is particularly difficult & I do the Pilates mainly to get a good stretch prior to walking. Not sure if you were thinking something more aggressive but I think this is good to usher me back into good health

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