Is this a good workout?

EHolstrom · January 2014

I just recently got a PF membership and the two days i've gone i've spent 15m on treadmill then another 15 on elliptical then switching to weights and strength and then at the end add in more cardio such as bike or going back to the treadmill or elliptical. I feel good after working out. tired and a bit sore but overall good. But i've been hearing that the first 15mins of a workout isnt even burning fat. I' confused now as to whether or not i even burned calories and worked towards losing weight those days.

Ideally I'd be doing longer cardio but seeing as i'm just starting I wanted to start slow and work my way up. Any advice welcome.

chrisrc131 · January 2014

All I can imagine you heard about the first 15 minutes not burning fat would have to do with depleting glycogen stores, but to the arguable extent it matters at all, you really don't have to worry about it, especially as a beginner. *

You aren't doing cardio to 'burn fat' directly. You're doing it to improve your conditioning and to consume calories, aiding in building a deficit that will allow you to lose weight. That failure to give your body the calories it needs to maintain your current weight over time is what will make you lose weight.

*Actually, depleting your glycogen stores before lifting weights has definite downsides. Not for burning fat directly, but for your performance while lifting weights. I'd recommend a quick 5 minute or so warm up on those cardio machines, then lift, then do your cardio workout. There are more reasons for this: http://www.builtlean.com/2011/11/07/cardio-before-or-after-weights/

urban_ninja · January 2014

All I can imagine you heard about the first 15 minutes not burning fat would have to do with depleting glycogen stores, but to the arguable extent it matters at all, you really don't have to worry about it, especially as a beginner. *

You aren't doing cardio to 'burn fat' directly. You're doing it to improve your conditioning and to consume calories, aiding in building a deficit that will allow you to lose weight. That failure to give your body the calories it needs to maintain your current weight over time is what will make you lose weight.

*Actually, depleting your glycogen stores before lifting weights has definite downsides. Not for burning fat directly, but for your performance while lifting weights. I'd recommend a quick 5 minute or so warm up on those cardio machines, then lift, then do your cardio workout. There are more reasons for this: http://www.builtlean.com/2011/11/07/cardio-before-or-after-weights/

thanks for this

hearthemelody · January 2014

All I can imagine you heard about the first 15 minutes not burning fat would have to do with depleting glycogen stores, but to the arguable extent it matters at all, you really don't have to worry about it, especially as a beginner. *

You aren't doing cardio to 'burn fat' directly. You're doing it to improve your conditioning and to consume calories, aiding in building a deficit that will allow you to lose weight. That failure to give your body the calories it needs to maintain your current weight over time is what will make you lose weight.

*Actually, depleting your glycogen stores before lifting weights has definite downsides. Not for burning fat directly, but for your performance while lifting weights. I'd recommend a quick 5 minute or so warm up on those cardio machines, then lift, then do your cardio workout. There are more reasons for this: http://www.builtlean.com/2011/11/07/cardio-before-or-after-weights/

+1

EHolstrom · January 2014

All I can imagine you heard about the first 15 minutes not burning fat would have to do with depleting glycogen stores, but to the arguable extent it matters at all, you really don't have to worry about it, especially as a beginner. *

You aren't doing cardio to 'burn fat' directly. You're doing it to improve your conditioning and to consume calories, aiding in building a deficit that will allow you to lose weight. That failure to give your body the calories it needs to maintain your current weight over time is what will make you lose weight.

*Actually, depleting your glycogen stores before lifting weights has definite downsides. Not for burning fat directly, but for your performance while lifting weights. I'd recommend a quick 5 minute or so warm up on those cardio machines, then lift, then do your cardio workout. There are more reasons for this: http://www.builtlean.com/2011/11/07/cardio-before-or-after-weights/

Thank you! And I'll try weights first tonight.

Also....I've been walking 15 mins at 3mph and its starting to see a bit to comfortable and i'd like to step it up. Should i up the time or the speed or both at the same time?

chrisrc131 · January 2014

If you're just now getting comfortable with walking for 15 minutes straight, I'd definitely up the intensity but do it gradually. Try walking for a couple minutes then jog for 30 seconds then go back to walking until you catch your breath. Once you can, jog for another 30 seconds then back to walking.

Gradually you'll be able to do more and more jogging mixed with your walking. When you manage to get up to all 15 minutes of jogging, you'll be using twice the calories in the same amount of time and getting a much better cardio workout.

At some point your choices get a little more complicated, (and fun? Maybe?). I mean you could aim at the C25K program as a goal pretty much right from the start. Even if you have no desire to run in a 5k race, it's a great way to give you a program to follow in progressing and will certainly burn a lot of calories and improve your conditioning.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/30-couch-to-5k-running-program-c25k
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

DavPul · January 2014

How can we judge based on this information? There's no workout listed; just a bunch of proposed activities, occasionally listed with a duration.

EHolstrom · January 2014

How can we judge based on this information? There's no workout listed; just a bunch of proposed activities, occasionally listed with a duration.

What sort of information would be more helpful to give?

DavPul · January 2014

for starters, why are you switching cardio machines every 15 mins? and then when you do "weights and strength" what does that entail? are you following a known program or just making stuff up everyday? how often per week are you hitting each muscle group? ARE you hitting each muscle group or just doing curls and adductor machines and leaving everything else out? sets and reps?

EHolstrom · January 2014

I see where youre coming from with the switching cardio machines. I guess i never really thought about it. I like the treadmill and i like the elliptical and wanted to do both so i did. And I could have titled the thread better. I was more concerned that because i started at 15mins I wasnt working towards losing weight. I am not following any sort of program but have no objections to starting one. So in your terms yes i am "making stuff up". I work on both the machines and do free weights.

DavPul · January 2014

Then in all likelihood, 'this' is not a good workout. While I don't believe that everyone has to use some canned workout, most people don't know how to properly plan or progress a decent full body workout. Read up on either StrongLifts or Not or equivalent and you'll most likely get much more bang for your buck

stephv38 · January 2014

All I can imagine you heard about the first 15 minutes not burning fat would have to do with depleting glycogen stores, but to the arguable extent it matters at all, you really don't have to worry about it, especially as a beginner. *

You aren't doing cardio to 'burn fat' directly. You're doing it to improve your conditioning and to consume calories, aiding in building a deficit that will allow you to lose weight. That failure to give your body the calories it needs to maintain your current weight over time is what will make you lose weight.

*Actually, depleting your glycogen stores before lifting weights has definite downsides. Not for burning fat directly, but for your performance while lifting weights. I'd recommend a quick 5 minute or so warm up on those cardio machines, then lift, then do your cardio workout. There are more reasons for this: http://www.builtlean.com/2011/11/07/cardio-before-or-after-weights/

Nicely put

frood · January 2014

15 minutes treadmill + 15 minutes elliptical = 30 minutes. You don't have to do the same thing for 30 minutes, you just have to do SOME things that keeps your heart rate up. Heartrate is what matters here.

My cardiologist's advice to me was to not let my heartrate drop below 110 during my rest intervals. I have a heart condition, however, so your numbers may vary. I think there are tables for healthy people based on age/weight.

Most importantly, have fun. :flowerforyou:

EHolstrom · January 2014

Then in all likelihood, 'this' is not a good workout. While I don't believe that everyone has to use some canned workout, most people don't know how to properly plan or progress a decent full body workout. Read up on either StrongLifts or Not or equivalent and you'll most likely get much more bang for your buck

Thank you I'll look into that. I agree I more than likely do not know how to properly plan or progress especially with cardio. I'm going off what i did in my high school weight training class and often feel like after cardio i'm more less moving from thing to thing with no real plan just what i want to do. Dont get me wrong i do feel my muscles working and giving me a burn but i' sure It could be better with the right workout plan.

Is this a good workout?

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