Work Out Schedule...

EquestrianLark135

I've never worked out regularly so i know pretty much nothing about what kind of work outs to do, how often I should work out, how long each work out should be, etc. I need your help as to what you think I should do for my work out schedule. I'm planning on joining our town gym, but if I don't do that ( not sure I can- it's a bit pricey to work out there) I will just be working out at home...so I'll be a bit limited. I have a treadmill, weights to lift, and some work out videos. Our school also has a weight lifting room, so I can work out there for free.

A bit about me- if you don't already know- I'm 18, 5'8" and 175lbs. I'm wanting to lose 40-45lbs. so I can get down to about 130-135lbs. I have huge thunder thighs, a "wonderful" muffin top belly, two not-so-pretty flabby arms, and a double chin. :ohwell:

SO...suggested work out schedule??

Oh, by the way, I have school everyday (except weekends, of course) from 8:10-3:15....so I have to work with that. My friend and I will be going jogging around 5-5:30 every day. But I can work out right after school or on the days we don't go jogging, I can work out. But I'd like to make a schedule so i know which days I'm doing what.

angel79202

My trainer says that you need to do at least 2.5 hours a week of cardio and 1 hour of strength training a week in 2 sessions.
Make sure you take a day off to rest the muscles.
When I started i did 5 days a week of cardio at 30 minutes a day and 2 strength training for 30 minutes each.
I now do 1-2 hours a day between strength and cardio
Classes are fun, if your gym has Zumba definitely check it out.
The elliptical is a great machine to start out with.
If you need a buddy feel free to send a request :-)

EquestrianLark135

Yeah...our "gym" is basically a small-ish room with a few different work out machines...lol. Barely anyone goes there, so I may be better off working out at home and at the weight room.

AAGGH, I feel dumb. :embarassed: I kinda do, kinda don't know what cardio is...could you explain it to meee...??? pleeaasse. :ohwell:
And I'm assuming strength training would be like lifting weight and stuff.

maximusfitness

I go three days a week for a hour and on saturday a hour and half, for cardio I would do 20minutes of walking and run combine

angel79202

Cardio is any non strength activity- such as walking doing the elliptical, riding the stationary bike, running, etc..

Strength training is weight lifting, using bands, etc. If your gym has an orientation, I'd suggest checking it out to make sure you don't hurt yourself with the weights. If not you could google strength training or if you can afford it even one session with a trainer to get a routine down. Some of the things we do are dead lifts, bicep curls, leg presses, planks, roman chair..sounds painful but it helps with the results. :-)

SusieB01

To someone like me who has Rheumatoid Arthritis, moving-even a little bit--is an accomplishment. If you haven't been working out at all, I suggest taking it slow to start with. Even at your young age, doing too much all at once can have all kinds of consequences.Yes, you do want to eventually be able to workout at a schedule comparable to what the others mentioned. But if you haven't worked out at all lately, walking 30 min. every other day is a big accomplishment.Don't give yourself too long to be lazy, though. There are all kinds of good books out there with experts who give you advice on starting to work out and 'body build'. Most of them say to take it slow at first if you haven't been working out.

If you have any health problems at all, talk to your doctor first. Does your gym have anyone who can help you get started? If not, maybe you know, or know of a professional-preferably a professional trainer or an exercise physiologist who can help you. Such a person can take your age, weight, and general health into consideration.!

As a parting thought, a friend of mine used to say, "Don't do anything to lose weight that you're not prepared to continue to do in order to keep it off!" Wish I had listened.

Finally, GOOD LUCK.!

EquestrianLark135

Thanks so much everyone! I'm actually considering doing a combination of Jillian Michaels videos and jogging. I know some people hate her and think she's annoying, but I think you can really get results from her videos (if you actually try and push yourself). Her videos have a mix of cardio, strength, and abs work. I chose 3 videos that I want to do, that I heard good things about on here and through reviews (30 Day Shred, 6 Week 6 Pack, and Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism) and I'm just going to start off slow with a day break in between each work out for now. Eventually I'll be working out every day (except for one day off for the week, of course). What I mean by doing a combination of them is I will be doing a part of each video each workout....

This is the schedule I had in mind...

Monday:30 Day Shred
Tuesday:Jogging
Wednesday: 6 Wk 6 Pk
Thursday:Jogging
Friday: Ban. Fat Boost Met.
Saturday: Day Off
Sunday:30 Day Shred
Monday:6 Wk 6 Pk
Tuesday: Jogging
Wednesday: Ban. Fat. Boost Met.

And so on... I'm only doing jogging Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will probably do that outside and on the treadmill. Of course I won't START with this ^^ schedule...I will take it slow. I will give myself a days rest in between to start, then eventually move up to this schedule.

What do you guys think????

TrainingWithTonya

Thanks so much everyone! I'm actually considering doing a combination of Jillian Michaels videos and jogging. I know some people hate her and think she's annoying, but I think you can really get results from her videos (if you actually try and push yourself). Her videos have a mix of cardio, strength, and abs work. I chose 3 videos that I want to do, that I heard good things about on here and through reviews (30 Day Shred, 6 Week 6 Pack, and Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism) and I'm just going to start off slow with a day break in between each work out for now. Eventually I'll be working out every day (except for one day off for the week, of course). What I mean by doing a combination of them is I will be doing a part of each video each workout....

This is the schedule I had in mind...

Monday:30 Day Shred
Tuesday:Jogging
Wednesday: 6 Wk 6 Pk
Thursday:Jogging
Friday: Ban. Fat Boost Met.
Saturday: Day Off
Sunday:30 Day Shred
Monday:6 Wk 6 Pk
Tuesday: Jogging
Wednesday: Ban. Fat. Boost Met.

And so on... I'm only doing jogging Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will probably do that outside and on the treadmill. Of course I won't START with this ^^ schedule...I will take it slow. I will give myself a days rest in between to start, then eventually move up to this schedule.

What do you guys think????

As someone who has not exercised before, you need to cut this back and build up to it. You'll burn out quickly if you try to add too much when you first start. Resistance Training should only be 2-3 days a week for a beginner. Cardio should be 3-5 days a week for a beginner. Rest should be at least 2 days a week for a beginner. I would suggest doing the following start and build up to the schedule you came up with in a few months:

Monday: 30 Day Shred
Tuesday: Jogging
Wednesday: 6 Week 5 Pack
Thursday: Jogging
Friday: Banish Fat Boost Metabolism
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest

Also, if you are using a lot of Jillian Michaels stuff, go to a gym with a trainer for one session to learn proper form. Check out that gym you first talked about and see if they have a week free pass because a lot of gyms do that. If nothing else that free week can help you learn proper form. Jillian is great for making personal training and fitness household words and getting people motivated to start a new program, but her form is terrible. Just off the top of my head from what I remember of the videos I did of hers before selling them, her squats are wrong. She mentions not letting your knees go past your toes but then she lets her knees go past her toes. And her kettlebell form is downright unsafe. So, just be careful that you learn proper form first and then do the workouts correctly. Correctly, they can be great workouts. Incorrect form, however, can risk an injury and we definitely don't want you to do that. And feel free to PM me if you can't get a free session at a gym to learn proper form. I'll be glad to go over anything you have questions on.

ohohraptor

We're the same height and about the same starting weight and goal weight. I've found the best cardio is running. I hated it at first, but now(two years later) it feels weird if I don't run! I switch up my workout often so I don't get bored, but right now I'm running 4 times a week(30-70 mins), doing strength training 3 times a week(60 mins each) and doing yoga twice a week(an hour). I can send you a pdf of my schedule with all the info about the running program if you're interested!

EquestrianLark135

As someone who has not exercised before, you need to cut this back and build up to it. You'll burn out quickly if you try to add too much when you first start. Resistance Training should only be 2-3 days a week for a beginner. Cardio should be 3-5 days a week for a beginner. Rest should be at least 2 days a week for a beginner. I would suggest doing the following start and build up to the schedule you came up with in a few months:

Monday: 30 Day Shred
Tuesday: Jogging
Wednesday: 6 Week 5 Pack
Thursday: Jogging
Friday: Banish Fat Boost Metabolism
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest

Also, if you are using a lot of Jillian Michaels stuff, go to a gym with a trainer for one session to learn proper form. Check out that gym you first talked about and see if they have a week free pass because a lot of gyms do that. If nothing else that free week can help you learn proper form. Jillian is great for making personal training and fitness household words and getting people motivated to start a new program, but her form is terrible. Just off the top of my head from what I remember of the videos I did of hers before selling them, her squats are wrong. She mentions not letting your knees go past your toes but then she lets her knees go past her toes. And her kettlebell form is downright unsafe. So, just be careful that you learn proper form first and then do the workouts correctly. Correctly, they can be great workouts. Incorrect form, however, can risk an injury and we definitely don't want you to do that. And feel free to PM me if you can't get a free session at a gym to learn proper form. I'll be glad to go over anything you have questions on.

Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of...taking it too hard...or not doing enough. I just have no clue when it comes to exercise.:frown: I'll definitely have to talk to you some more because I see you know a TON about proper fitness.:happy: I don't want to do Jillian Michaels videos if there's a possibility of injuring myself because of improper form. I checked at the gym...they don't do the free first week...dang. If I were to totally nix the Jillian Michaels idea, what would you recommend I do in place of those videos...specifically...? I'll probably just PM you, because, like I said in the OP, I don't know what kind of exercises to do, how often to do them, how long each work out should be, how much cardio I should do per week, how much strength training I should do per week, how long I should jog (or how long I CAN jog...lol), etc. I need a lot of help to get started.:ohwell:

EquestrianLark135

We're the same height and about the same starting weight and goal weight. I've found the best cardio is running. I hated it at first, but now(two years later) it feels weird if I don't run! I switch up my workout often so I don't get bored, but right now I'm running 4 times a week(30-70 mins), doing strength training 3 times a week(60 mins each) and doing yoga twice a week(an hour). I can send you a pdf of my schedule with all the info about the running program if you're interested!

I would love if you could send that to me! I'll go off of what you have in your schedule and what TrainingWithTonya suggests to make my schedule. Thanks!
Are you sending it via e-mail??? If so, here is my address-- emmakl@mchsi.com

missfittin_missy

I know most younger people arent into the Curves workouts but if you're new to it that may be a good idea for you until you can a better bearing on what you are doing so you dont hurt yourself. Curves isn't hard at all and now in a lot of places they incorporate some Zumba into it. I know as a student I got a GREAT discount on membership fee. Im not very good at working out at home I tend to cuss the video I am using and stop after flying it the bird! I dont know what all you have in your area but anything that can give you a little supervision and some pointers might be great for you!

tlaker

To someone like me who has Rheumatoid Arthritis, moving-even a little bit--is an accomplishment. If you haven't been working out at all, I suggest taking it slow to start with. Even at your young age, doing too much all at once can have all kinds of consequences.Yes, you do want to eventually be able to workout at a schedule comparable to what the others mentioned. But if you haven't worked out at all lately, walking 30 min. every other day is a big accomplishment.Don't give yourself too long to be lazy, though. There are all kinds of good books out there with experts who give you advice on starting to work out and 'body build'. Most of them say to take it slow at first if you haven't been working out.

If you have any health problems at all, talk to your doctor first. Does your gym have anyone who can help you get started? If not, maybe you know, or know of a professional-preferably a professional trainer or an exercise physiologist who can help you. Such a person can take your age, weight, and general health into consideration.!

As a parting thought, a friend of mine used to say, "Don't do anything to lose weight that you're not prepared to continue to do in order to keep it off!" Wish I had listened.

Finally, GOOD LUCK.!

I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis it is no fun....and now i am medicated so i'm feeling normal usually for the most part but still prolly have more problems standing at long periods than most people would (especially in heels, which before medication i couldnt even bend my feet enough to get in them!!) but i wanted to let you know that before i was medicated i took yoga for a college course just once a week and it really helped the flexibility in my toes (where most the pain is). I highly recommend taking a yoga class...you might hate it at first because if your like me- some of the stretches were in my sore arthritis areas but after about 2-3 classes you really loosen those areas up and you will notice the strength and flexibility in other daily activities as well

EquestrianLark135

Another problem I have with this is school. I've heard it's a lot better to work out in the morning than it is at night. Well, I can't work out in the morning because I won't have enough time. I had planned on working out after school, but I don't want to do that if I'm not going to see good results from that.:frown:

I get out of school May 18th! Graduation is the 22nd. I'm counting down the days...

ohohraptor

I would love if you could send that to me! I'll go off of what you have in your schedule and what TrainingWithTonya suggests to make my schedule. Thanks!
Are you sending it via e-mail??? If so, here is my address-- emmakl@mchsi.com

You've got mail!

ohohraptor

Another problem I have with this is school. I've heard it's a lot better to work out in the morning than it is at night. Well, I can't work out in the morning because I won't have enough time. I had planned on working out after school, but I don't want to do that if I'm not going to see good results from that.:frown:

I get out of school May 18th! Graduation is the 22nd. I'm counting down the days...

As long as you work out consistently and eat right you will still get great results, don't let that change your mind!

EquestrianLark135

I would love if you could send that to me! I'll go off of what you have in your schedule and what TrainingWithTonya suggests to make my schedule. Thanks!
Are you sending it via e-mail??? If so, here is my address-- emmakl@mchsi.com

You've got mail!

Just read it! Thankyou!! Oh, you've got mail too...not a big reply...but it's there...

EquestrianLark135

Another problem I have with this is school. I've heard it's a lot better to work out in the morning than it is at night. Well, I can't work out in the morning because I won't have enough time. I had planned on working out after school, but I don't want to do that if I'm not going to see good results from that.:frown:

I get out of school May 18th! Graduation is the 22nd. I'm counting down the days...

As long as you work out consistently and eat right you will still get great results, don't let that change your mind!

yeah, true. I just keep reading how you burn more calories working out in the morning than working out later in the day....so this kinda stinks.

TrainingWithTonya

Another problem I have with this is school. I've heard it's a lot better to work out in the morning than it is at night. Well, I can't work out in the morning because I won't have enough time. I had planned on working out after school, but I don't want to do that if I'm not going to see good results from that.:frown:

I get out of school May 18th! Graduation is the 22nd. I'm counting down the days...

That's a myth. You burn the same amount of calories regardless of the time of day you workout. Some people think you burn more fat if you workout before you eat, but that is also a myth. You have to burn glycogen before you can burn fat. If you don't eat first, then your body has to breakdown muscle to convert the protein to glycogen/glucose to burn before fat can be burned. They believe it is better because they lose more weight, but that is from the loss of muscle and not just a loss of fat. You're actually better off for maintaining muscle mass if you eat something before you workout to replenish the glycogen you use overnight so that you can still burn fat without the muscle breakdown.

TrainingWithTonya

I got your messages and am working on your workouts. Give me a couple of days on those. In the meantime, go ahead and start your jogging. Jog for as long as you can and walk when you need to. Try to get at least 30-45 minutes in when you do it. Also, since you are wanting to build muscle, you do need to get some heavier weights. I'd recommend going to pick them out and try them while standing in the aisle at the store. Do 10 reps of a basic bicep curl (where you keep your elbows at your sides and bend your arms up as if you are going to touch your shoulders) and the weight you pick should be hard to get that last 2 up to your shoulders. If you can't get them right now for $ reasons, go ahead and start with the weights you have and get them when you can. Just know that you will have to do more repetitions with lighter weights and you will build muscle endurance but not strength from that.

neyes67

I'm not sure how early you normally get up to get prepared to go to school but looking at your tag line on your ticker you mention something about doing what it takes to get what you want ... Well ask yourself, how early am I willing to get up to get in that workout before heading to school? ...is it worth giving up 1-2 hours of sleep and turning in 1-2 hours early each night to do so? ...Just a thought ...sometimes we have to sacrifice to get the results we want. There are quite a few posts where I've seen myfitnesspal members share that they get up as early as 4am before they get their children ready for school, before the rest of the family wake up, before heading off to work for the day just to get that workout in and they are very committed and energized all day. Plus they don't have to worry about it all day because it's done. May want to consider trying it for a few days rising an hour or so earlier, plan the night before so you would go straight into your workout and even get your clothes out for school the night before so you have nothing that will make you late for school. Good Luck on your new journey ...make it a lifetime lifestyle:flowerforyou:

EquestrianLark135

Another problem I have with this is school. I've heard it's a lot better to work out in the morning than it is at night. Well, I can't work out in the morning because I won't have enough time. I had planned on working out after school, but I don't want to do that if I'm not going to see good results from that.:frown:

I get out of school May 18th! Graduation is the 22nd. I'm counting down the days...

That's a myth. You burn the same amount of calories regardless of the time of day you workout. Some people think you burn more fat if you workout before you eat, but that is also a myth. You have to burn glycogen before you can burn fat. If you don't eat first, then your body has to breakdown muscle to convert the protein to glycogen/glucose to burn before fat can be burned. They believe it is better because they lose more weight, but that is from the loss of muscle and not just a loss of fat. You're actually better off for maintaining muscle mass if you eat something before you workout to replenish the glycogen you use overnight so that you can still burn fat without the muscle breakdown.

Oh awesome, thanks for clarifying that for me.

EquestrianLark135

I got your messages and am working on your workouts. Give me a couple of days on those. In the meantime, go ahead and start your jogging. Jog for as long as you can and walk when you need to. Try to get at least 30-45 minutes in when you do it. Also, since you are wanting to build muscle, you do need to get some heavier weights. I'd recommend going to pick them out and try them while standing in the aisle at the store. Do 10 reps of a basic bicep curl (where you keep your elbows at your sides and bend your arms up as if you are going to touch your shoulders) and the weight you pick should be hard to get that last 2 up to your shoulders. If you can't get them right now for $ reasons, go ahead and start with the weights you have and get them when you can. Just know that you will have to do more repetitions with lighter weights and you will build muscle endurance but not strength from that.

That's fine, thanks so much! I'm going to "officially" start eating 100% healthier and start working out on April 2nd. So no worries on time.
I'll definitely start jogging this week, though. It helps that it's suppose to be really nice out this week! Money isn't issue with the weights. I'll go try some out today when we go grocery shopping (I have a HUGE grocery list filled with healthy foods).

I can't thank you enough...you have no idea how much you're helping me here. :ohwell:

EquestrianLark135

I'm not sure how early you normally get up to get prepared to go to school but looking at your tag line on your ticker you mention something about doing what it takes to get what you want ... Well ask yourself, how early am I willing to get up to get in that workout before heading to school? ...is it worth giving up 1-2 hours of sleep and turning in 1-2 hours early each night to do so? ...Just a thought ...sometimes we have to sacrifice to get the results we want. There are quite a few posts where I've seen myfitnesspal members share that they get up as early as 4am before they get their children ready for school, before the rest of the family wake up, before heading off to work for the day just to get that workout in and they are very committed and energized all day. Plus they don't have to worry about it all day because it's done. May want to consider trying it for a few days rising an hour or so earlier, plan the night before so you would go straight into your workout and even get your clothes out for school the night before so you have nothing that will make you late for school. Good Luck on your new journey ...make it a lifetime lifestyle:flowerforyou:

Very true... I need to practice what I preach. lol

Thanks so much! I plan on this being a lifetime lifestyle. :happy: I can't wait to feel healthier and have more energy!

dyiaane

I suggest 4 days of cardio 2 days of weights at first. You want to drop some of the pounds and then tone up. You can totally do it but need to be dedicated. A huge part of it is the eating so get that under control and you should be fine. You are so young so you might as well get in shape now. Good luck

JenBrown0210

Depending on how well you can run/jog. I recommend doing the couch to 5k program c25k. If you have a smarty phone they have an app or you can go to their website www.c25k.com. It is really helping me be abl to run. I'm on week 3. I also do 30 day shred and a few different yoga and pilates dvds that are my netflix.

EquestrianLark135

I suggest 4 days of cardio 2 days of weights at first. You want to drop some of the pounds and then tone up. You can totally do it but need to be dedicated. A huge part of it is the eating so get that under control and you should be fine. You are so young so you might as well get in shape now. Good luck

Yeah, I need to keep my eating and exercising under control...because I know if I exercise, but don't eat right (or vice versa), it will be pretty pointless. Yeah, I'm hoping I can get in shape now and keep it that way for the rest of my life. Thanks!

EquestrianLark135

Depending on how well you can run/jog. I recommend doing the couch to 5k program c25k. If you have a smarty phone they have an app or you can go to their website www.c25k.com. It is really helping me be abl to run. I'm on week 3. I also do 30 day shred and a few different yoga and pilates dvds that are my netflix.

I've had c25k and 30 Day shred recommended to me. They sound pretty great! Tonya (Training WithTonya) is helping me out with a schedule right now. I'm going to see what she comes up with first. Thanks!