WORKING with WEIGHTS

AM or PM doens't matter really - the important thing is to do it!

way way way too many people just cardio their brains out and never end up getting the results they want. Cardio a couple times a week is great, weights is greater! You'll get far more results using resistance than you will with tons of cardio.

The biggest key is to do weights in a circuit type routine - it can just be bodyweight for that matter really - but don't fall in to the trap of doing a set, then waiting for a while, then another set, then talk to a friend... etc.

I use a timer for all my weights now, using a gymboss interval timer, I have it set for 50 sec and 10 sec. Every minute, I'm doing a new move. A simple example:

Push-Up
Lat Pull-Down
Dumbbell Fly
Back Row
-repeat-

In 8 minutes you've worked super hard - take a minute break and do 4 more sets (repeat) - minute break and 4 new sets with a repeat. I have a plan on KnightFit.com that I just did a couple days ago like that, it was amazing.

Lemme see here....

http://knightfit.blogspot.com/2010/08/31-sets-in-34-minutes.html

That's just shoulders and arms, which I'll be doing again tomorrow actually - I'll video some of it and put it on my blog to show some of the moves.

Grats on deciding to use the weights, it makes all the difference in the world!

Steve
knightfit.com

I've been doing a lot of interval training lately, and even combining my weights with my cardio. I've been taking step and zumba classes at my Y, and both lately have been incorporating weights. In the step class, after a stretch of cardio, we'll do sets of lunges and squats holding dumbells or medicine balls. In the zumba class we held dumbells while doing some of the dance and kick movements. This added resistance to moves we were already doing thus intensifying the cardio and including some strength training. The one thing my step teacher always says to us is "even when you're in your recovery times between intense cardio, keep moving". Keep marching in place even while taking a drink of water or trying to catch your breath.

It does not matter when, the important thing is doing them. When you are short on time you should do half cardio and half weights. Do not fall into the trap that cardio is better because it burns more calories. Weight tones and defines your muscles and muscles burn fat in the end so it balances each other out.

Weights are just as important as some cardio. You may only lose 10 pounds in six weeks doing 30 min of cardio 4 to 5 days a week. If you add weight training you may lose 5 to 6 pounds in six weeks but lose a dress/pant size because on inches lost even though you lost less weight.

Hope this helps.

Does anyone know when is it a good time to to workout w/ weights? AM or PM?......I would like to incorporate weights with my cardio exercise that I do 2x a day.........your info iz greatly appriciated and valuable.................TANKS & HAVE A GREAT ONE!!!!!!!

I would eliminate a cardio session unless you're training for something specific, and add some sort of resistance training whenever you'll do it. Doesn't matter much when.