Advice on freetrainers.com

fitforlife34

So when searching posts, I ran into one where another MFP member mentioned www.freetrainers.com. I checked it out and I ABSOLUTELY love it! After spending a frustrating hour looking for a good cardio and strength training routine, I finally found the site i was looking for. I am VERY good with routine, it helps me to stick to a workout plan. aND i love how they give you choices with each workout that you can pick, and have many exercises for any body part, you just click on it.

However, it doesn't tell you the amount of weight you should lift, and it informs you to do about 15-20 reps with 3 sets, which is more reps than I have ever done before. And also, is 20 minutes cardio 4 times a week, as it says to do, enough? For someone who is looking to lose 50lbs? It says to add 5 minutes on to cardio workouts every 1-2 weeks. What do you guys think of this (or any add on/changes suggestions) before I jump whole heart and soul into this???

THIS IS ONE OF THE SAMPLE DAYS THEY CAME UP WITH FOR ME:

Training day: core, chest, triceps
You can begin the training day with a quick cardio warm-up (treadmill, stationary bike, jump rope, etc.), followed by the following core and stability exercises.

abs
Choose one or more
Leaning Back Ab Stretch
Leaning Oblique Stretch
Choose one Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Ab Roller Crunch
Crunches
Incline Bench Crunches
15 reps
15 reps
15 reps
Choose one Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Twisting Crunches
Seated Twists
Machine Crunches
15 reps
15 reps
15 reps
Choose one Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Hanging Leg Raises
Leg Raises
Lying Front Kicks
15 reps
15 reps
15 reps
Next, we start with the individual muscles for today's workout.

chest
Start the chest workout with the recommended stretches to ensure the muscles are properly warmed up and ready for training. Then you can perform all of the required exercises.

Chest Stretch
Choose one Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Smith Machine Incline Presses
Machine Incline Presses
Barbell Incline Bench Presses
20 reps
16 reps
14 reps
Choose one Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Machine Flat Bench Presses
Machine Parallel Bar Dips
Barbell Flat Bench Presses
20 reps
16 reps
14 reps
Choose one Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Standing Cable Crossovers
Seated Machine Fly
Flat Bench Dumbbell Fly
20 reps
16 reps
14 reps
triceps
Start the triceps workout with the recommended stretches to ensure the muscles are properly warmed up and ready for training. Then you can perform all of the required exercises.

Tricep Stretch
Choose one Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Machine Tricep Extentions
Triceps Cable Pushdowns
Triceps Cable Pushdowns with Rope
20 reps
16 reps
14 reps
Choose one Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
Dumbbell Kickbacks
Dips Behind the Back
Reverse Grip Triceps Cable Pushdowns
20 reps
16 reps
14 reps
Choose one Set 1 Set 2 Set 3
One Arm Cable Reverse Pushdowns
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
Lying Triceps Dumbbell Extensions
20 reps
16 reps
14 reps
Activities from workout: Cardio workout program

Warm-up
You should begin every cardio day with a 5 minute warm-up, with a cardio-vascular exercise of your choice. Warm-ups should be performed at 50-60% THR (target heart rate), or 88 - 105 BPM.

The main cardio training
Duration 20 minutes in the first week.
Progression Aim to increase duration by 5 minutes every 1-2 weeks, up to a maximum of 60 minutes. If you feel that it's too easy, you can move up to the next level.
Target heart rate 105 - 123 BPM
Choose one Set 1
Running
Bicycling
Treadmill running
Elliptical Training
Other cardio

CipherZero

However, [www.freetrainers.com] doesn't tell you the amount of weight you should lift, and it informs you to do about 15-20 reps with 3 sets, which is more reps than I have ever done before. And also, is 20 minutes cardio 4 times a week, as it says to do, enough? For someone who is looking to lose 50lbs? It says to add 5 minutes on to cardio workouts every 1-2 weeks. What do you guys think of this (or any add on/changes suggestions) before I jump whole heart and soul into this???

I would suggest you read (and do the program) for Starting Strength or Stronglifts. 15-20 rep ranges are ridiculous for building strength, especially as a new lifter.

What they have you doing is a lot of isolation exercises and a silly complexity for suboptimal results.

TR0berts

That routine/program/whatever is, no doubt, one of the worst I've ever seen. Seriously.

I don't know why, exactly, you find the gym boring. That said, you sound like you might do well with New Rules of Lifting for Women. I find it needlessly complicated, but you might enjoy the variety. It doesn't tell you to start out with x lbs on any lift, but it gives you guidelines on how to proceed. You can either buy it online, or I'm sure you could find a download of the book somewhere.

Also, losing 50 lbs has nothing to do with going to the gym. It's all about consuming less than you burn. The gym is simply a tool to help a) burn more Calories and b) so that you like what you see in the mirror and feel good/better when/while you lose the weight.

ninerbuff

Unfortunately, the belief that doing 15-20 reps is great for "shaping" and "toning" is a myth. That high a range of reps is for muscular endurance and does little to "harden" the muscle underneath the fat. Better off with a program that's full body with at least one exercise per body part and keep the reps between 8-12.
As for weight, you use weight that you can do with good form for each exercise. There is no "perfect" program since everyone's bodies responds a little differently to them. I will say that you should always start with the largest muscles first and work your way backward for energy use reasons.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

fitforlife34

Well now I am frustrated. What should I do then? If I dn't get a routine soon I will keep procrastinating and I'm on this site to find supportive people.

fitforlife34

Another MFP member recommended this site. (she looked rather fit too.) I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a trainer or crossfit gym, so I need a strict routine I can follow which varies it up. What advice does anyone have??? I am desparate. IF I don't get started soon I'm going to be on the same lame path I am on now.

Also, I do make sure I don't overeat (although it happens at times) and I follow caloric intake here. However, I think every body is different. My body is the like Oprah, diet alone will NOT shape me up. I have to be exercising (and hard) to see results. I can lose like 10lbs yet if I am working out I am toned and feeling better and more self esteem. FYI

liznotyet

Another good one to try might be Sean Foy's 4-3-2-1 program, which basically encourages you to mix and match cardio on your lifting and toning days, followed by straight cardio on your non-lifting days. It is like a recipe book of exercises from basic to advanced. If you have time and energy you can extend the time spent in each phase or just repeat the whole cycle for a 30 minute or 45 minute workout. I made playlists on the ipod to help cue the changes.

Also try and get to a class or a coach to get advice on form, or have a friend take pictures of you while you are working out so you can compare them to the pictures in the book.

Bottom line: sweat and strength building without injury so you can come back and do it again the next time.

SnuggleSmacks

Strong Lifts can get pretty boring, actually. Strong Curves is pretty great. It has beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. For each level, there are 3 different workouts that you alternate for 4 weeks, and then it changes to another 3 workouts for 4 weeks, and then another 3 for the final 4 weeks. That means if you lift 3 times a week, you're only ever going to do the exact same routine 4 times, and it's enough to keep you going for 36 weeks. Plus, the results can be pretty amazing.

The book is around $20 on Amazon new, although there's frequently used books available cheaper, and it's $10 if you have an e-book reader like Kindle. My butt looks amazing already and I just switched to Strong Curves a couple of weeks ago.