Strength training question

J_Ley

I take group fitness classes 5 days a week, typically Sunday-Thursday. These include Tabata 1-2 times a week (light dumbbells and bodyweight workout with cardio), Barre (body weight and light dumbbells), and another class that involves mostly bodyweight exercises. I want to add in 1-2 days where I am lifting heavy. Would it be a good idea to add heavy lifting or machines to my current schedule? I also do a spin class 1-2 times a week for cardio, if it helps to know that.

Cherimoose

If you follow a good strength program using freeweights, the other dumbbell and bodyweight exercises will be unnecessary and probably should be dropped. You can replace them with cardio if you wish. New Rules of Lifting is popular strength program here, as is Stronglifts. Or hire a trainer and get a customized program. A few machines are fine but i would use mostly freeweights or cable machines.

canadianlbs

J_Ley wrote: »

I want to add in 1-2 days where I am lifting heavy. Would it be a good idea to add heavy lifting or machines to my current schedule?

i keep re-parsing your question and finding different ways of interpreting it. idk if you're asking 'should i even lift?' or 'i'm going to lift, but should i do machines or free weights?' you could even be saying 'i'm going to lift, but should i do machines [non-heavy] or free weights [heavy]'

for the first one, it depends what you want and where you're heading towards, i guess. strong is usually a great thing, but i don't know how strong you want to actually get.

if it's the second one, i like free weights, personally. but people's preferences do vary.

if it's the third one, the idea that you can either go heavy OR use machines is a bit of a false dichotomy. you can get hella heavy with cable machines

cgvet37

Cherimoose wrote: »

If you follow a good strength program using freeweights, the other dumbbell and bodyweight exercises will be unnecessary and probably should be dropped. You can replace them with cardio if you wish. New Rules of Lifting is popular strength program here, as is Stronglifts. Or hire a trainer and get a customized program. A few machines are fine but i would use mostly freeweights or cable machines.

Machines have their place, just as free weights and cables.

sijomial

J_Ley wrote: »

I want to add in 1-2 days where I am lifting heavy. Would it be a good idea to add heavy lifting or machines to my current schedule?

Yes - either or both, they don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Tonight I used barbell (bench), cable machine (row), plate loaded machine (shoulder press), traditional machine (lat pull down), bodyweight exercises (core), dumbbells (core and accessory lifts).

You can lift heavy with machines so it's not really "or".

Really it depends on your goals, preferences, what equipment you have, what you enjoy.....

DancingMoosie

I feel like all of your other workouts that include body weight and/or light dumbbells will hinder your progress and recovery if you begin a progressive lifting program. I think doing a lifting program is a great idea, preferably with free weights.

Tiny_Tompkins

I've only been dieting and lifting for about a year. Heavy 85+% effort lifting in compound movements beats cardio + light weight Dumbbells 10:1 as far as body sculpting. If you just have a little fat to drop cardio can help but high rep and endurance cardio shouldn't be your go to for building muscle and burning fat

J_Ley

Thanks for the responses. Canadianlbs, I can see how you would be confused by the way I worded that. I meant to ask if I should do away with my classes that involve a lot of bodyweight exercises if I add free weights and machines to my routine.

sijomial

J_Ley wrote: »

Thanks for the responses. Canadianlbs, I can see how you would be confused by the way I worded that. I meant to ask if I should do away with my classes that involve a lot of bodyweight exercises if I add free weights and machines to my routine.

You will get more training and recovery interference if you start to lift heavy but how you tolerate that is very personal. Also depends on your fitness level and how intense your training is.
My guess would be that you would need to drop some of the bodyweight / light weights routines. So rather than add in as per your first post, substitute.

gojaqs

If you like working out by yourself in the gym, sure. Replace a class.

JoRocka

You seem to be taking a fair amount of classes- I'd start finding a priority and or shuffle classes (one week it's spin- one week it's kettlebells)

but if you want to lift twice a week AND take 4-5 days of classes you might have recovery issues or not see strength gains- you don't NEED to train 5 days a week.
So 2 or 3 classes and 2 sessions of lifting is MORE than adequate.

Signed that girl that rarely does dedicated cardio at all
jo