Workout routine to maintain

hml_rachel

I'm not sure if I'm exercising too much or if I should be exercising more. I don't want to lose more weight but just work on toning my body a bit more but I don't want to exercise too much because I can't afford to eat a ton of food(healthy food that is). Right now I'm doing 2x a week total body strength training and 2x a week a hiit routine and 1x a week a moderate cardio workout. On my rest days I might also choose to do some light cardio. Each workout is about 30- 40 minutes long.

What do you do for exercise, have you cut back now that you are maintaining your weight?

nxd10

You are much more active than I. But I have upped my exercise in maintenance. I bought a fitbit, hit my numbers, and have also been more religious about exercising just to exercise.

It has also become apparent to me that some serious lifting would make me look much better.

I also got a pilates ball chair, which has improved both my posture and also my ab and back muscles. They work!

catfive1

I'm not sure if I'm exercising too much or if I should be exercising more. I don't want to lose more weight but just work on toning my body a bit more but I don't want to exercise too much because I can't afford to eat a ton of food(healthy food that is). Right now I'm doing 2x a week total body strength training and 2x a week a hiit routine and 1x a week a moderate cardio workout. On my rest days I might also choose to do some light cardio. Each workout is about 30- 40 minutes long.

What do you do for exercise, have you cut back now that you are maintaining your weight?

A rest day should be just that. Give your muscles a break.

TavistockToad

I'm not sure if I'm exercising too much or if I should be exercising more. I don't want to lose more weight but just work on toning my body a bit more but I don't want to exercise too much because I can't afford to eat a ton of food(healthy food that is). Right now I'm doing 2x a week total body strength training and 2x a week a hiit routine and 1x a week a moderate cardio workout. On my rest days I might also choose to do some light cardio. Each workout is about 30- 40 minutes long.

What do you do for exercise, have you cut back now that you are maintaining your weight?

that doesnt sound too much or too little to me, though you dont need to do any exercise on rest days, rest is as important as the exercise itself.

you want to 'tone' (lose bodyfat) so a small deficit will do that.

i dont do any less exercise since i started maintaining - in fact i started insanity so i actually do more!

gregpack

You don't have to do that much to maintain a level of fitness. Your body in a large part should be your guide to how much you need. I would definitely drop the rest day "light cardio" unless it's something you really want to do. I would bet you could drop the other cardio if you don't enjoy it as long as you stick with HIIT and weights.

Marks daily apple has a free ebook "primal blueprint fitness" which details a simple plan for maintaining a level of health. One of his arguments is excess cardio is detrimental and leads to consumption of extra food to make up for it. He participates in 1-2 resistance sessions a week, 1 HIIT a week, and then plays on many other days in enjoyable activities. It's definitely contradicts the mainstream practice of chronic cardio, but he makes some compelling arguments to why you'll actually be healthier in the long run of you cut back on it. Cortisol levels may stay elevated and be counterproductive. One look at the all chubby people on the treadmills at my place indicate he may be onto something there. Dr. Doug McGuffs work, "body by science" and speeches on this topic are also good. He advocates one intense HIIT weight training session per week as being adequate if done properly.

EdTheGinge

Keep workout the same just eat more

sijomial

Are you physically or mentally tired from your current routine?
If not then you aren't training too much.
Getting to maintenance is a good time to reassess your routine, maybe with a change of focus towards a new fitness/strength target or just pure enjoyment?

By the way I'm training longer/harder at maintenance than before because I enjoy it and love a challenge.

Agree with the other comments about rest days - if you are doing much more than walking or a gentle swim it's not really a rest day.

Don't quite get your argument about "eating a ton of food" - a few extra portions of carbs are entirely appropriate for someone exercising and are generally inexpensive and calorie dense.

theycallyoumister

Seems similar to mine. I do strength training 3x per week; mild cardio 2x per week, and usually 1 more intense cardio per week