Cardio/Strength Training

Amanda0926
Amanda0926 Posts: 108 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been doing lots of research lately about cardio vs. strenth training.
I have learned that as of right now I want to do body weight strength training. Push ups, sit ups burpees, squats...
I am very confused about how much of each I should do though! I have been told that 5 -6 days of strength and 2-3 days of cardio is best. My strength training only lasts like 20-30 minutes, so I just feel like that isn't enough for a day.
I posted a couple weeks ago about how long a person should work out every day. The general response was that you should be working out at least an hour. I don't know how to strength train for an hour.
I still have like 10 pounds to lose and I want to be more toned.
Any tips for me?

Replies

  • Amanda0926
    Amanda0926 Posts: 108 Member
    ***bumping
  • Polywood223
    Polywood223 Posts: 42
    Alot of strength training can actually make you gain weight the good kind hope that helps you'll be toned out.:wink:
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I suggest getting a copy of the book "You are your own gym" - it has a well developed bodyweight strength program.

    That said, you do not need to strength train for an hour everyday- that's overkill unless you have serious bodybuilding goals- in which case you wouldn't be doing a home bodyweight program. There's no specific amount of time you "should" be exercising everyday, but if you're set on an hour a day, I would make half of it cardio, at least. And if you strength train everyday, make sure you split your muscle groups so that each group gets a day or (preferably) two between workouts so you don't overtrain any particular group. More is not always better- overtraining is inefficient and leads to burnout and injury.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I do a bodyweight routine and can do a full body workout in about 45 minutes. As a full body routine I don't do it more than three times in a week so I can rest or do cardio (or my yoga classes) in between.

    I second MoreBean's suggestion to obtain a copy of "You are your own gym" - it has descriptions and photos of loads of bodyweight movements and suggested routines for progress at all levels of fitness and experience. Worth buying.

    Bodyweight work is fascinating and a challenge keeping up the resistance as you get stronger, but not impossible.
  • Jamie_Lauren
    Jamie_Lauren Posts: 211 Member
    I have had great success doing a mixture of weight training and HIIT (high intensity interval training)

    I start my routine with 20-30 minutes on the treadmill doing sprint intervals and then I spend the next 30-40 minutes on strength training. You don't need a treadmill or a gym if you don't have one, it's perfectly possible to do sprints on any stretchof ground. I'd suggest looking online for some exercises you can do at home and make your own routine, just make sure that it challenges you.
  • Amanda0926
    Amanda0926 Posts: 108 Member
    Thank you all for the help!
  • Amanda0926
    Amanda0926 Posts: 108 Member
    I just ordered the book on amazon and I downloaded the app on my phone
  • GypsysBloodRose26
    GypsysBloodRose26 Posts: 341 Member
    There is also a great book titled "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" that is amazing. I love it.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    in my opinion, 3-4 days of stretgth training, and 2-3 days of cardio, is an excellent amount of exercising a week.

    your strength training, if you are doing body weight, should be full body routines. your cardio days can be a mixture of long endurance runs, and shorter interval/speed runs.

    if i may throw my two cents in, you should look into getting a jump rope. ten minutes of jumping rope is the equivalent of running an 8 minute mile.
  • Tdk4685
    Tdk4685 Posts: 293 Member
    I do strenght training 3 times a week and cardio 4 times a week. During M-F I only work out 30 min but on the weekend I work out at least an hour sometimes more. It has worked out pretty good for me but it has taken time for results.
  • Amanda0926
    Amanda0926 Posts: 108 Member
    This morning I did a full body tabata routine. It took 30 minutes. I also did a warm up and cool down.
    I can't run often. Maybe once per week. But on my cardio days I was going to do kickboxing one day for an hour. And Plyometrics one day for an hour .
    Will the 30 minute full body routine be enough?


    in my opinion, 3-4 days of stretgth training, and 2-3 days of cardio, is an excellent amount of exercising a week.

    your strength training, if you are doing body weight, should be full body routines. your cardio days can be a mixture of long endurance runs, and shorter interval/speed runs.

    if i may throw my two cents in, you should look into getting a jump rope. ten minutes of jumping rope is the equivalent of running an 8 minute mile.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    This morning I did a full body tabata routine. It took 30 minutes. I also did a warm up and cool down.
    I can't run often. Maybe once per week. But on my cardio days I was going to do kickboxing one day for an hour. And Plyometrics one day for an hour .
    Will the 30 minute full body routine be enough?

    Sounds kickass! People always overestimate how much exercise they need to do. You'll get much more out of a "quality" 30 minute routine than you will on a half-arsed "quantity" routine of an hour.

    Just make sure everything is tight form-wise. Proper core engagement through every exercise. Don't get sloppy - complete every rep as perfectly as the first (including the last!). Run the routine for a few weeks, see how everything feels and when things are no longer challenging, change up exercises for their slightly more challenging cousins and you'll continue to see and feel progression.
  • Amanda0926
    Amanda0926 Posts: 108 Member
    My only question/concern is that when I do this tabata body weight routine it is also kind of like cardio. I can't catch my breath and my heart is pounding. lol
    So is that still considered weight training?
    And can I do it 5 days a week?
    And then I would only do 2 days of actual cardio.

    I have the you are your own gym app.
    I can do a full body workout all 5 days .
    or there is a 10 week plan. day 1 arms, day 2 legs, day 3 core day, 4 full body, and then the 5th day I would do a tabata full body.

    Is one way better than the other?
  • jctillman70
    jctillman70 Posts: 33
    Hey Amanda,

    To your question - which is better? I am not a trainer so I can't speak specifically to that but you should try both ways - listen to your body and see which gives you the results that you are looking for. Remember rest is as important as exercise when training your body. You may be better off working one part of your body each day than working full body.

    I think jimmer's point about quality over quantity is quite valid. I work out of 30 minutes per day (except on Saturday's). I don't sit around or chat. It is 30 minutes of quality. I feel that for me that has excused proofed my workouts. My weight also started coming off a lot more quickly once I started looking out less. I also feel like I can control my calories.

    Don't be afraid to experiment and figure out what works best for you. We can give you advice all day long but your body may not react like ours. Keeping an exercise journal that is more specific may help you figure out what is working for you and what isn't.

    Good luck.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    My only question/concern is that when I do this tabata body weight routine it is also kind of like cardio. I can't catch my breath and my heart is pounding. lol
    So is that still considered weight training?
    And can I do it 5 days a week?
    And then I would only do 2 days of actual cardio.

    I have the you are your own gym app.
    I can do a full body workout all 5 days .
    or there is a 10 week plan. day 1 arms, day 2 legs, day 3 core day, 4 full body, and then the 5th day I would do a tabata full body.

    Is one way better than the other?

    Yeah, sorry I missed that. I thought you meant you were doing Tabata as cardio. I wouldn't class this as strength....

    If you want to do Tabata as the cardio (and the tabata protocol itself is only something like 4 minutes long, btw), then the you are your own gym routine looks pretty good..... as long as it contains enough progression to slowly overload the muscles. Progressive overload is what forces your muscle to grow and adapt over time, so with something like a push-up you get to the stage you can crank out 50+, then they stop being a strength exercise really. Then you have to work on other ways to make them harder like declining them, diamond push-ups, band push-ups, etc. Eventually you will get strong enough that you'll want to invest in a good pair of adjustable dumbbells or a couple of kettlebells - but you can get quite far with an intelligently designed body-weight routine.

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