General advice needed.

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ewl6850
ewl6850 Posts: 158 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So. I have been doing 60 minutes of cardio (stationary bike) daily. However, that is starting to get boring, and I was told the other day that straight cardio, all the time is just "not the way to do it". I want to add more too my routine, but am not sure what to do or how. I would like to alternate days:

Day 1- Cardio, push ups, curls, other lifting (I do the thing where you have the dumbbells, and with a straight arm, go straight out to the side, and straight up/forward (if that makes sense) but I do not know what that is actually called.
Day 2- Cardio, crunches, lunges, squats, legs lifts, planks, etc.

The thing is, if I add lifting and calisthenics, I have to cut back my cardio time, or else I will never have time to do it all, and/or will work myself right into the ground. So, how far back can I cut cardio? Does it matter what order I do things in? Should cardio be done first, or second? Is it a preference thing?

Also, if I don't know what they are called, how do I log the lifting things I do? So much I just do not know. Help, please.

Also, I do all of this from home, so I don's have much beyond the bike, the elliptical (which I do not like) and some dumbbells with adjustable weights.

Replies

  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
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    How many total days per week are you able to work out?

    60 minutes of cardio at one time is not really necessary, for the most part. Research has shown that shorter bouts of intense interval training is just as effective. If doing weights and cardio in the same day, do the lifting first. If you have lots of days available, do lifting 2-3 days, cardio 2-3 days, one day of rest (minimum... 2 is fine also). You can log the strength training under Cardio if you are wanting a calorie allotment (though it's not really accurate).
  • ewl6850
    ewl6850 Posts: 158 Member
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    I generally work out 5-6 days a week. 1 day off, and I might take one day and do just a walk because 60 minutes on the bike is soooo much.

    What is considered "interval training"?
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    You will probably have more aesthetic result from lifting heavy and less scale loss.
    60 minutes of cardio is a lot, and probably not the most effective way of using your time. Interval training is where you go as hard as you can for 30 - 60 seconds, then rest (slower pace not stopped) for a minute or two, then hard again.
    Lift, then do cardio at least three days a week.
  • ewl6850
    ewl6850 Posts: 158 Member
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    What would be the most effective time frame for doing the interval training? 20 minutes? 30?
  • ewl6850
    ewl6850 Posts: 158 Member
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    Thank you both for all of your help too!
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    Usually just 20 - 30 minutes. The point is to go as hard as you can during that time frame, so theoretically you shouldn't be able to do more.
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
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    My workout schedule is similar to yours, except I'm *trying* to fit my 30 minutes of lifting in with my 50-60 minutes of cardio by getting up earlier. I agree with the others that 30 minutes of HIIT is often more beneficial, but it takes a hard toll on your body if you do it 5-6x/week, so try to monitor how your joints are handling it.

    In terms of order, I've generally heard that strength training should come first...but there are several articles on the topic at bodybuilding.com. I use Fitocracy to log my workouts b/c you can save "routines" to return to each week.
  • cldaugherty
    cldaugherty Posts: 28 Member
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    You can build in some carido with your lifting, like kettle bell swings or jump rope. Jump rope for 2minutes then do some lifts and cycle on through. This keeps the heart rate up during the lifting cycle.
    I personally do 30 cardio/30 strength 3 days a week and pure cardio 40-50 2 days a week. The cardio is going to burn the calories faster but your body is going to change composition more with the strength training. It is important that you do both.
    As far as order goes...try mixing it up...10 cardio, 30 lifting, 20 cardio or reverse it. Just my opinions not research based. I know how I have lost 70 pounds.
  • thathockeychick23
    thathockeychick23 Posts: 87
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    Ventral and lateral raises is what you are looking for. Love ventral raises. Usually I do 20 minutes of HIIT cardio when I am hard pressed for time. Only once a week it the HIIT 30 minutes. Trust me, after 20 minutes of that you'll be dead tired. I always do longer cardio or circuit training on days that I have a lot of time. Doing strength before or after is a personal preference. I tend to do mine after cardio or add it in later in the day. P.S. There are some great websites online tailor made for those of us who workout online. FitnessBlender.com is probably my favorite. They have a ton of different exercises, including HIIT, as well as strength routines. Youtube has a channel called BeFit that is great too. Those two have a lot of options for you if you get bored of a workout or want to switch it up.

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