in need of a cardio/strength routine

cassieohlaa · July 2010

hey everyone, so i am back to mfp after a while and determined to kick my butt this summer and well i need some help of creating a cardio routine. for machines i have access to a treadmill, elliptical, and a bike. any one have a good routine? also what is a good strength routine. thanks a billion!

Ge0rgiana · July 2010

I've been doing a lot of Tae Bo lately. It burns a lot of calories, and I definitely think I'm getting stronger doing it. It's not exactly strength training per se, but some of it really seems to take a lot of muscle strength. Oh, and it burns a LOT of calories!

poustotah · July 2010

I use the machines as a warm up only. I start off doing 20 - 30 minutes on the elliptical or the treadmill (I'm not big on the bike). Then I lift weights 3 times a week and do cardio 3 times a week. When I do cardio, I take a class or I do some circuit training for 45 minutes or so. My weight lifting routine goes like this:

Day 1 - chest/triceps
Day 2 - back/biceps
Day 3 - legs
Day 4 - chest/shoulders
Day 5 - bicep/tricep
Day 6 - legs
Day 7 - back

And then I'll repeat that or some variation thereof. I try to keep it mixed up. When I lift, I lift heavy - as heavy as I can to build muscle. I also lift for 3 - 5 weeks and then I take a full week off and do only cardio. Then I go back to lifting. I mix it up with a set of light weights, lots of reps. For me, I constantly keep it changed up. I constantly change my cardio circuit. I also box sometimes or spar with someone.

LaurenH2010 · July 2010

I will be very honest, I dont really know what I am doing so I alternate a lot which I hear is actually very good anyway that way your body doesn't get use to the same workout. So what I just started doing is challanging myself to run for as long as I can, which isn't very long since I just started only about 13 mins, then I walk for two and run for as long as I can stand it again, and then walk for about two again and keep repeating until I complete 45 mins. I have read a lot about interval training which is what I will work myself into after I accomplish my goal of being able to run for an hour straight at about 6mph without stopping to walk. Intervals are a 2:1 ratio and are great for shorter work out periods. On my days that I am not just concentrating on cardio I will do lunges and squates and then choose different programs on the eleptical. I just have fun with it and switch it up so I don't get bored. I hope this helps in some way. And good luck to you.:happy: