Does Weight Training for a 1/2 Hour Work?
Sylkwyrm
Posts: 75 Member
I get an hour lunch at work and that is just long enough to run to the gym and get a half hour of cardio in. I've lost about 20 lbs doing this. I want to start building muscle to stay healthy. I've started weight lifting twice a week at lunch for a 1/2 hour. Is that enough to actually build muscle mass (slowly over time) or am I wasting my time?
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Replies
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It is enough to build, just not at the fastest rate possible. This would also be assuming you make the most of the time with your exercise selection i.e. one day of squat, bench press, barbell rows, and the other day being deadlift, overhead press, assisted chinups. Eventually you may get to lifting enough weight that your rest periods increase to a point wehre you take longer than 30 minutes.0
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If I were in your situation, I would start by doing 30minute circuits that have both strength training and cardio involved. For example, doing two strength moves back to back followed by 2 minutes of cardio (ie. lunges and deadlifts then sprinting on the treadmill). This way you are getting your heart pumping and building up muscle strength/toning.0
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If I were in your situation, I would start by doing 30minute circuits that have both strength training and cardio involved. For example, doing two strength moves back to back followed by 2 minutes of cardio (ie. lunges and deadlifts then sprinting on the treadmill). This way you are getting your heart pumping and building up muscle strength/toning.
As I understand, the the heart needs to be at an increased rate for at least 20 minutes to work that muscle. My dad had heart disease so I want to make sure my heart stays healthy. I don't think switching back and forth between weights and cardio would be very beneficial to my heart....?0 -
every little bit counts.0
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super sets....
ETA: you could get three good full body exercises in ( with a 5 x 5 format ) if you didn't want to super set
look up strong lifts or starting strength, and then modify to the time you have.0 -
It sure does !! I do the Chalean extreme strength program on dvd and they are half hour long, I can sure notice the difference! I do it 3 days a week , plus the program has 1 interval day and 1 cardio day.0
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Absolutely! I do 30 minutes with my trainer twice a week. I can do full pushups now, I can see muscle definition, I can do pullups. I can benchpress 75 pounds. Are these HUGE things? No. But it is FAR more than I was able to do before I started strength training. It's slow, but it's steady.0
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I think it can work if you do those 30 minutes on one specific set of muscles. One day of upper back and biceps one day chest and triceps. This way the given part gets a good if abbreviated workout. Best of luck.0
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If you get to a point where you are lifting a good amount of weight with core compound barbell lifts and in particular olympic style lifts, your heart will get a bit of work, like enough to be normal healthy, not enough to really build endurance.
Basically circuit training is a way to get part of the training effect of weights and cardio without maximizing the effect of either. I personally feel like someone would be better served by doing regular lifting followed by moderate cardio or by doing moderate cardio on off days from lifting or both. The weight training should be priority one though for body composition\appearance. If you feel you need some cardio for insurance against genetic heart problems, then have at it. I would probably get any testing there is available for it also\first.0 -
Absolutely! I do 30 minutes with my trainer twice a week. I can do full pushups now, I can see muscle definition, I can do pullups. I can benchpress 75 pounds. Are these HUGE things? No. But it is FAR more than I was able to do before I started strength training. It's slow, but it's steady.
Actually a woman being able to do one dead hang pullup is pretty good and is in fact more than most people can do. The national avg in the US across both genders is between 0 and 1.0 -
Ever little bit helps. Keep at it and from what my trainer at the gym said u don't have to lift heavy. U do have to have the right tech0
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I'm doing stage 1 of NROLFW and both workouts take me about 30 mins or less. Sometimes a little longer depending on how much talking goes on in the weight room. I can tell a big difference from when I started.0
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I'm doing stage 1 of NROLFW and both workouts take me about 30 mins or less. Sometimes a little longer depending on how much talking goes on in the weight room. I can tell a big difference from when I started.
^^ This. Get the New Rules of Lifting for Women. I can do these work outs in about 30 min, and you're working multiple muscle groups in each workout.0 -
If I only had half an hour I would just do
Deadlift
Clean and press
Chin ups
Then leave.0 -
sure! check out Stronglifts.com
The 5 x 5 program can be done in 1/2 hour easily (assuming you can get the cage . . . ). I usually work with a partner and we finish our session in 20-40 min.0 -
If I only had half an hour I would just do
Deadlift
Clean and press
Chin ups
Then leave.
ALWAYS DO SQUATS. ALWAYS.0 -
You cannot complete NROL4W beyond stage 1 in 30 min. Starting in Stage 2, they throw in all those frou-frou extra non-compound exercises that really drag out the time requirement (and they stop the squats!!! aack!).
Stronglifts 5 x 5 is much more effective and efficient:
Squats every session:
A
Squats 5 x 5 (increase 5# each session until failure)
Pendlay rows 5 x 5 (increase 5# each session until failure)
Bench press 5 x 5 (increase 5# each session until failure)
B
Squats 5 x 5 (increase 5# each session until failure)
Deadlifts - ONLY 1 X 5 (increase 10# each session until failure)
Overhead press 5 x 5 (increase 5# each session until failure)
1st failure - use same weight next time
2nd failure - use same weight next time
3rd failure - deload and work back up until next failure
Helpful to buy fractional weights too, bc at some point you won't be able to make 5# increases with your presses.0 -
If I only had half an hour I would just do
Deadlift
Clean and press
Chin ups
Then leave.
ALWAYS DO SQUATS. ALWAYS.
The Bottom position of a clean and press is a front squat.
Posterior chain already been worked with the Deadlift0 -
Yes you can. I lift 3-4 days with an upper body/lower body split routine and I lift heavy for me and it takes me no more than 30-35 mins. I concentrate on compound lifts and do sets of 3-4 with 6-8 reps; with no more than 60 second rest periods. I throw in some supersets and do anywhere from 2 sometimes 3 depending on the split, exercises per body part. Despite what some believe you don't need to be doing 5-7 things a body part, lifting 60+ mins a day to acheive results.0
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If I only had half an hour I would just do
Deadlift
Clean and press
Chin ups
Then leave.
ALWAYS DO SQUATS. ALWAYS.
The Bottom position of a clean and press is a front squat.
Posterior chain already been worked with the Deadlift
No, clean and press on its own does not include a squat. Even a "squat clean and press" is vastly different than standard squats. It is hard to argue with any serious lifter that Olympic squats (back squats) should ever be skipped. Deadlifts are awesome, but they ain't squats.0 -
Guess I'm not a 'serious lifter' then.
Lulz0 -
I did forty minutes 2-3 times a week for a while and I was able to gain strength and muscle, so yes, it can be enough. Just make sure the time you do spend there is intense.0
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Absolutely! I do 30 minutes with my trainer twice a week. I can do full pushups now, I can see muscle definition, I can do pullups. I can benchpress 75 pounds. Are these HUGE things? No. But it is FAR more than I was able to do before I started strength training. It's slow, but it's steady.
Honey, those ARE huge things!! Congrats!!! :drinker:0 -
I think so. I mean, not if you want to body build or lift competitively I guess....but for my goals, it works well. I don't alternate upper/lower body. I do an all over workout every time I strength train and combine free weights, machines, and core. I also do mine after cardio. I have tried doing the interval thing (cardio for so long, stop, do strength) and I just don't really care for it. I think it just comes down to what works for your goals.0
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Thanks everyone! It's good to hear that a 1/2 hour of weight training has benefited others. I've gotten some excellent tips and I should keep in mind I don't have to limit my strength training to the gym!0
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