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Need help with my routine

GreekByMarriage
GreekByMarriage Posts: 320 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Currently I am doing 5 morning in the gym for 45-60 minutes:

Monday - Back/Biceps (4 exercises each area)
Tuesday - Abs (5 exercises)
Wednesday - Chest/Triceps (4 exercises each area)
Thursday - Legs (I am trying to narrow it down from 9 different exercises)
Friday - Shoulders (6 exercises right now)

But I feel like I am seriously slacking in cardio (lucky to get in 10-15 miutes a day). Do you think it might be more benficial to change to the following:

Monday - Back/Biceps/Legs (3 different exercises for each area)
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Cardio (abs on any of the cardio days)
Thursday - Chest/Triceps/Shoulders (3 different exercises for each area)
Friday - Cardio

Thanks!

Replies

  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    you could do your suggestion or do your workouts circuit style, so do a set of an exercise then do 2 minutes of cardio (jogging, jump rope) then do the next set....
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Currently I am doing 5 morning in the gym for 45-60 minutes:

    Monday - Back/Biceps (4 exercises each area)
    Tuesday - Abs (5 exercises)
    Wednesday - Chest/Triceps (4 exercises each area)
    Thursday - Legs (I am trying to narrow it down from 9 different exercises)
    Friday - Shoulders (6 exercises right now)

    But I feel like I am seriously slacking in cardio (lucky to get in 10-15 miutes a day). Do you think it might be more benficial to change to the following:

    Monday - Back/Biceps/Legs (3 different exercises for each area)
    Tuesday - Cardio
    Wednesday - Cardio (abs on any of the cardio days)
    Thursday - Chest/Triceps/Shoulders (3 different exercises for each area)
    Friday - Cardio

    Thanks!

    What's your weight lifting experience at this point, how long have you been strength training for?
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    Yes, I think your second routine is better based on your desired weight loss goal. The goal of each workout (lifting or cardio) is to gradually improve. For strength, lift heavier weights. For cardio, improvement comes in many forms. You can increase your intensity, speed, distance, or a combination of these.

    Cardio will help you shed the fat while lifting will help minimize muscle loss while eating at a calorie deficit. Congratulations on being smart and doing both!
  • GreekByMarriage
    GreekByMarriage Posts: 320 Member
    I started strength training and counting calories in January but slacked off for about a month recently so I am trying to get back into it now. I see much better results when I include weights!
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    I started strength training and counting calories in January but slacked off for about a month recently so I am trying to get back into it now. I see much better results when I include weights!

    So is that the weight lifting routine recommended in Starting Strength? Seems different from what I've seen.
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
    What about

    Monday: Chest, shoulders tri's
    Tues: cardio (abs)
    Wed: legs, back, bi's
    thursday: cardio (abs)
    Friday: full body weights (just a couple sets of one exercise for each muscle group)
    Sat: Rest
    Sun: Rest
  • GreekByMarriage
    GreekByMarriage Posts: 320 Member
    That sounds like a good idea as well... Maybe I can do Moday/Wednesday/ weights... Tuesday/Thursday Cardio with a quick Weight session and cardion on Friday... that might work!
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    I always do my cardio on separate days from my weight lifting days. I do about 2-3 cardio days and 3 weight lifting days.

    Some people do their cardio after weight lifting..but I personally can't... I'm so tired from lifting weights that I don't even want to look at a treadmill.
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
    I'm a big fan of StrongLifts 5x5. Here's the website if you're interested, www.stronglifts.com

    Workouts would look something like:

    Mon: Squats, Bench Press, Barbell Rows
    Tues: Cardio
    Wed: Squats, Overhead Press, Deadlifts
    Thurs: Cardio
    Fri: Squats, Bench Press, Barbell Rows

    All are compound lifts that engage multiple muscle groups. No need for the isolation exercises.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    That sounds like a good idea as well... Maybe I can do Moday/Wednesday/ weights... Tuesday/Thursday Cardio with a quick Weight session and cardion on Friday... that might work!

    Unless you're doing complete Upper and Lower body splits I'd say Chest & Shoulders and Back and Legs is too much, doesn't really compliment each other. If you wanted that kind of split you'd look more like

    Mon: Upper Body *if time, cardio*
    Tue: Lower Body
    Wed: Cardio only
    Thu: Upper Body *if time, cardio*
    Fri: Lower Body
    Sat/Sun: Cardio only *if time allows*

    If you're short on-time and you've been lifting a while, I'd actually recommend trying something called 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler. The lifting routines are very short and effective and allow for cardio time. It might look something like,

    Mon: Bench day (Bench Press, Chin-Ups, Rows, Abs's, Cardio - easily done in an hour)
    Tue: Squat (Squat, Lunges, Romanian Deadlifts, Ab's, Cardio)
    Wed: Off or cardio
    Thu: Shoulder Press (Shoulder Press, Dips, Chin-ups, Cardio)
    Fri: Deadlift (Deadlift, Good Mornings, Lunges, Cardio)
    Sat/Sun - *Cardio*

    The splits and exercises may look odd but if you get the book you'll understand. :)
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