Twofers

cyndit1

I'm thinking of adding a second workout a few days a week to boost my fitness/weight loss over the next 30 days. Anyone do a second workout and what 2 workouts do you do.

Cbean08

I sometimes do this. When I have extra time between clients or have a break in my day, I might add another workout. These are usual combos.

strength, running
bike ride, pilates apparatus
strength, pilates apparatus
bike, swim
run, pilates apparatus
strength, bike

steveko89

If you want to try to lose weight faster you're better off making sure your logging is locked down and eat at a larger deficit.

quiksylver296

steveko89 wrote: »

If you want to try to lose weight faster you're better off making sure your logging is locked down and eat at a larger deficit.

Truth^^

I do two-a-days, but it's only because I can't complete my entire powerlifting training in the morning and have to return to the gym after work to finish up.

AnnPT77

Whether this is going to be helpful for weight loss depends in part on your fitness level. Whether it's going to be helpful for fitness depends in part on recovery (and fitness level).

Sometimes, when beginner-to-intermediate exercisers want to lose weight, they overdo exercise to the point that they're fatigued in daily life, so less energetic through the rest of the day, maybe even resting/sleeping more, and less able to achieve intensity in each workout. All of those fatigue effects reduce NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and can greatly reduce or even wipe out any calorie advantage from the added workout. These effects can be subtle and gradual, so harder to notice than you might think. Calorie-wise, it can be more effective to increase exercise more gradually, and focus some attention on increasing NEAT.

In fitness terms, recovery is important. If you don't give your body time to build back what the exercise broke down, you don't get the gains you might expect, though you may still get gains. So, depending on your fitness level and the nature of the workouts, you may be fatiguing yourself in various ways, but not recovering, which is not going to give you the best fitness return on effort invested. The fitter you are, typically the more you can do without causing problems, as long as you're thoughtful about what you do when, and how often.

I've done two workouts a day sometimes, but I'd been pretty active before starting this, and I didn't/don't do it every day. I've done spin/kettlebell, rowing machine/spin (not a great idea, but there were reasons), rowing (machine or water)/weights, row/yoga+stretch, spin/weights, and probably some I'm forgetting. If I'm in a season where I'm hitting rowing really hard, I don't do a lot of leg strength work, because it's too much for me. If I'm doing row/weights during a season when I'm rowing with intensity regularly, I give thought to what upper body weights I do, too. All of this paragraph is just me and what I've learned about my body, though. If I were 20 y/oinstead of 62, I'd have more recovery capability, but the same general thought process applies at most any age, I would think.

Just my opinion.

apullum

Add a second workout only if your current level of physical fitness allows, it helps you progress toward your fitness goals, AND you want to eat more. A second workout should not cause you to lose weight faster because you should be eating back your exercise calories. Your deficit should therefore not be any larger than it currently is if you add a second workout; you will just get to eat more and possibly get fitness benefits.

Additionally, what do you plan to do after those 30 days? There is no reason why you have to lose weight within 30 days unless a medical professional has told you that you need to lose within that time frame (such as for a medical procedure you are having). And if you are not planning to continue this workout routine longer than a month, then at the end of that month you will have to re-adjust your calorie intake back down. It doesn’t make sense to me to begin a workout routine that you have no intention of continuing.

DoubleUbea

Should we call them twoofers?

cwolfman13

cyndit1 wrote: »

I'm thinking of adding a second workout a few days a week to boost my fitness/weight loss over the next 30 days. Anyone do a second workout and what 2 workouts do you do.

What is your current level of fitness? More isn't always better, particularly if you're just starting out. More exercise can lead to injury, particularly if your body isn't accustomed to moving in the first place. Another potential issue to think about is fatigue...more exercise may make you more fatigued throughout the day in which case you may have less general movement, involuntary fidgeting, etc which results in fewer calories burned in your daily which can and often does offset any additional energy expenditure from exercise.

My two-a-days typically consist of cycling in the AM and lifting in the PM. That would happen twice during the workweek and then I often cycle to the gym to lift on Saturday and cycle back home, but I keep that pretty mellow and it's more of a recovery ride at a pretty leisurely pace.

I currently do not have time in my schedule to do much with two-a-days except for my Saturday ride and gym session...but even that is getting a little hairy given that my boys have their soccer games on Saturdays.

Note that I did not start doing two-a-days until I was probably at least 6 months into my fitness.

lporter229

I agree with what has already been said regarding current fitness level and more not always being better. I sometimes do two workouts in a day (running in the AM and lifting in the evening), but I do this so that I can have easy recovery days where I do a very light workout or complete rest. Recovery is extremely important, and I notice this more and more as I get older. I do my lifting on my hardest running days for that reason. Hard days hard. Easy days easy.

cyndit1

Hi thanks for the comments all. My current level of fitness is very fit. I'm an endurance runner and have been for 10 years. I take spin classes 3x per week and lift 3x per week as well as run 4x (1 recovery run, 1 easy run, 1 tempo/speed run, 1 long run). The I am an early morning work out person so I was considering adding something at night...a short spin class preferably and maybe some additional core. I think I will do it when I can fit it in but not regularly. I really don't need to open myself to injury in this race season (my big race is in 30 days which is why i posted the 30 day thing). Again thanks for the insights.

DancingMoosie

I've been doing 2 a days for several years now. I do a cardio DVD/video every day before work, then lift weights after work 2-3xweekly. Another evening could be a jog, Friday nights I don't work out. Weekends are usually another DVD and/or a run.

aokoye

cyndit1 wrote: »

Hi thanks for the comments all. My current level of fitness is very fit. I'm an endurance runner and have been for 10 years. I take spin classes 3x per week and lift 3x per week as well as run 4x (1 recovery run, 1 easy run, 1 tempo/speed run, 1 long run). The I am an early morning work out person so I was considering adding something at night...a short spin class preferably and maybe some additional core. I think I will do it when I can fit it in but not regularly. I really don't need to open myself to injury in this race season (my big race is in 30 days which is why i posted the 30 day thing). Again thanks for the insights.

It sounds like what you're potentially wanting to do is the exact opposite of tapering.

NorthCascades

I go to the gym 3x per week, on my lunch break. Spend my time there lifting, some very heavy, a few endurance lifts too.

I rode a road bike most days if it isn't raining.