Needing help with an exercise schedule!

_lyndseybrooke_
_lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been going to a gym for about two months and have been lifting light weights for 3 sets of 15-20. I am now transitioning to heavier weights with less reps. I've been doing mostly machines at a higher weight for 3 sets of 10-12. I'm thinking about doing even heavier weights at 8-10 reps.

Eventually, I will move to free weights. I'm a beginner and I feel like I need to build a bit of a foundation before moving to the harder stuff. I go to the gym Wednesday-Saturday. Before, I was doing my full-body strength training for 30 minutes on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with 30 minutes of cardio and I spent 60 minutes on Saturdays on just cardio. Since I'm now lifting heavy weights, I'm wondering how I should schedule my workouts.

Option 1: Continue doing full-body workouts three days in a row. (Con: No time for my muscles to rest)
Option 2: Split up muscle groups each day. (Con: I hear full-body workouts are best, especially for women looking to lose weight)
Option 3: Lift only two days and do cardio the rest of the time (Con: Not sure if that's enough lifting to make a difference)

I'm just not sure what would be best for me. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • aggiehaylea13
    aggiehaylea13 Posts: 5
    I'm not an expert on lifting or anything, but most of the amazing looking women I know of would go with option two. That way you can give your muscle sets time to recover and maintain your lifting schedule. And keep going with the heavy weights! That's the best way to change your body and you will see results faster. :)
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Why do you only go Wed-Sat? I like to workout everyday, or have only 1 rest day a week, but split the days between cardio focus and strength focus. If you can only get to the gym those days, I would suggest weights Wed, cardio Thurs, weights Fri, cardio Sat, and keep the weights to full body workouts. But you should really try to get some kind of workout in the other days of the week, even if you don't go to the gym. I do workouts dvds at home, take walks, run, and rebound.
  • 0OneTwo3
    0OneTwo3 Posts: 149 Member
    so you are making your own program? i think it would be better to just pick a beginners program and stick with its schedule.

    strength training, especially at lower rep ranges is used to maintain lean body mass during a diet. there is some caloric burn but not nearly as much as with cardio. you should basically do it to maintain the muscle you have since loosing it will cause you to weight less but get "saggier" for lack of a better term.

    my favorite programs to recommend to beginners are "starting strength" (getting the book by mark rippetoe greatly helps with everything training related) and "stronglifts 5x5" but those go for 5 reps which would do the job but you seem to prefer higher reps.

    so maybe someone else has got a suitable program. maybe "new rules of lifting for women"...
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Why do you only go Wed-Sat? I like to workout everyday, or have only 1 rest day a week, but split the days between cardio focus and strength focus. If you can only get to the gym those days, I would suggest weights Wed, cardio Thurs, weights Fri, cardio Sat, and keep the weights to full body workouts. But you should really try to get some kind of workout in the other days of the week, even if you don't go to the gym. I do workouts dvds at home, take walks, run, and rebound.

    I only go those days because it's the only days I have an hour available all at once. On Mondays and Tuesdays I do 30 minutes on the recumbent bike, mostly just to break a sweat and get my body moving. I also try to take a walk on these days. Sunday is the only day I actually rest and get no exercise.
  • PrimalGirl
    PrimalGirl Posts: 148 Member
    Hi

    What about combining weihts with cardio, i.e. HIIT (high intensity interval training)? Pick some lighter weights - free weights - and perform high intensity sets with little rest in between. You're then learning to lift free weights, getting a full body workout and doing cardio.

    I do HIIT with a 10kg barbell, doing lunges, clean and jerks and deadlifts, among other exercises. My average calorie burn is 390 calories for 40 minutes, and my heart rate peaks at around 174, so I'm definitely getting multiple benefits.

    That way you could do slow and heavy Wednesday, HIIT Thursday, slow and heavy Friday and easy cardio recovery on Saturday.

    And there's lots more you can do in 30 minutes than just the bike - experiment. Why not a core workout or some bodyweight resistance moves - push ups, sit ups, planks, squats, pull ups. Perform them explosively and they'll build muscle and give you a great cardio workout too.
  • 0OneTwo3
    0OneTwo3 Posts: 149 Member
    one other thing: progression should be free weights -> machines. this is because machines isolate and train your prime movers while neglecting the small stabilizing musculature. doing free weight later on with weak stabilizers and stronger movers will most likely lead to injury.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    30 minutes is long enough to do a full body workout - look at NROL4W... 3x full body, and a couple of HIIT workouts if you want some cardio.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I say go for option 2. I do one muscle group a day and abs and legs every other day. If wed-Sat are the only days you have an hour then this would fit in best. An example of what my workout next week will look like is:

    M - 30 min cardio; chest/legs
    T - 30 min cardio; back/abs
    W - 30 min cardio; shoulders/legs
    Th - 30 min cardio; tri's abs
    Fri - 30 min cardio; bi's/legs
    Sat/Sun - Typically Rest (Unless I decide to go for a run or get ambitious and hit the gym In that case the workout starts from chest again).

    I actually just made myself and my husband a 3 week program with different exercises mainly because I was getting bored with what we were doing and when I get bored I don't want to work out.
  • jesscoff320
    jesscoff320 Posts: 50 Member
    I've only recently joined a gym. I am working with a trainer. He wants me to do strength training 3 days a week with a day of rest in between to allow muscles to recoup. He encourages cardio as often as I want. But he says it is important to rest muscles for 36-48 hours before working them out again (with weight). Right now he has me doing circuit training which is full body with cardio 3 days a week, with rest days and the other days I can choose what to do of cardio. He wants me to do back extensions each time I am there because I have a lot of back issues nd need to strengthen it, but I am using less weight and less range of motion right now.
    I also asked about strength training daily if I alternate between upper and lower body. He said rhat is fine, just don't work the same muscle groups in consecutive days.
    I hope you find your perfect fit.

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