Training plan

Hi,

In the next weeks, I plan to change my trainiing program. Because of work and family, I dont have the time to workout as much as before. My objective is to maintain my weight and tone but I dont mind if I gain a few pounds (I am quite skinny: 71kg for 1m93).

I am used to do 2 sessions of weight lifting per week but I think I am going to give up and replace with one session of cardio. Here is my training program:

Monday: Run (50 minutes), Cycles (30 minutes), Stepper (15 minutes)
Tuesday: Rowing (1h30)
Wednesday: Rest day
Thursday: Run (50 minutes), Elliptical machine (30 minutes), Stepper (15 minutes)
Friday: Rowing (1h30)
Saturday: Run (50 minutes), Stepper (30 minutes)
Sunday: Rest day

I dont plan to change my diet. Do you think I am going to gain/lose or maintain my weight with this training program?

Thanks for your response,
Jamal
«1

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    That's all cardio... To 'tone' you need to reduce your bodyfat while maintaining muscle. Resistance/strength training are best for this.

    You will only gain weight if you eat in a surplus.
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    I like cardio.... Rowing is an aerobic and anaerobic exercise so it will strength my muscles, no?
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    Are you saying gain weight depends on your diet only? My training program will not impact my weight gain or lost.
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    What they're saying is you won't get very much 'muscle tone' from doing this. To build muscles you need to do strength/resistance training.

    And gaining weight is entirely down to your diet. If you eat more calories than you burn, it doesn't matter how much you work out, you will gain weight.
  • Unless you start eating more, if you're adding all that cardio you are going to lose weight.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    What do you actually mean by "tone"?
    Do you mean build bigger muscles, or reduce body fat?

    If you want to build bigger muscles then dropping weight training is the worst thing you can do!
    The program you are proposing will get you great aerobic fitness (if you can sustain and fuel properly that volume of work) but don't expect strength or muscle gains.

    Whilst rowing is probably the "best" cardio for conditioning as it's just about full body workout if you are rowing for 90 mins then no, that's not anaerobic - possibly the last few minutes if you push to complete exhaustion.

    Whether you gain or lose weight is down to your calorie balance.
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    I dont have the time to exercise as much as before.... so I will have to reduce sports.

    I am quite happy with my body at the moment but I dont want to loose weight and keep my muscle mass. I just went to the gym and did one hour session of rowing, I can still feel it in my biceps.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I dont have the time to exercise as much as before.... so I will have to reduce sports.

    I am quite happy with my body at the moment but I dont want to loose weight and keep my muscle mass. I just went to the gym and did one hour session of rowing, I can still feel it in my biceps.

    So eat to your TDEE and you won't lose any more weight?
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    Regarding my diet. Here is my typical diet

    Breakfast: two toasts with peanut butter, one coffee (with sugar and milk), one tea (with sugar and milk)
    Lunch: one baguette/wrap with chicken/tuna or eggs + some lettuce + dressing (Caesar salad, mayo or coronation) + diet coke + one coffee (with sugar and milk) + a treat (one spoon of peanut butter or one chocolate)
    Dinner: a can of tuna or two eggs, a lot veg (around 100g of salads, or green beans or brussels roots) + dressing (caesar salad, vinaigrette, salad cream) + one hot chocolate and time to time a treat (one spoon of peanut butter or one chocolate).

    When I go out with my flatmate, I dont really count and it turns into a bing drinking (beers, beers, beers....)

    What do you think of this diet?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Regarding my diet. Here is my typical diet

    Breakfast: two toasts with peanut butter, one coffee (with sugar and milk), one tea (with sugar and milk)
    Lunch: one baguette/wrap with chicken/tuna or eggs + some lettuce + dressing (Caesar salad, mayo or coronation) + diet coke + one coffee (with sugar and milk) + a treat (one spoon of peanut butter or one chocolate)
    Dinner: a can of tuna or two eggs, a lot veg (around 100g of salads, or green beans or brussels roots) + dressing (caesar salad, vinaigrette, salad cream) + one hot chocolate and time to time a treat (one spoon of peanut butter or one chocolate).

    When I go out with my flatmate, I dont really count and it turns into a bing drinking (beers, beers, beers....)

    What do you think of this diet?

    How many calories is it?
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    I think, it's approxiamtely 1380kcal. You also have to consider that I have some binge drinking with my flatmates (let's say once a week).

    Breakfast: two toasts with peanut butter (200kcal), one coffee (with sugar and milk): 40 kcal, one tea (with sugar and milk): 40 kcal

    Lunch: one baguette/wrap with chicken/tuna or eggs + some lettuce + dressing (Caesar salad, mayo or coronation): 600kcal + diet coke: 0 kcal + one coffee (with sugar and milk): 40kcal + a treat (one spoon of peanut butter or one chocolate): 30 kcal.

    Dinner: a can of tuna or two eggs: 150 kcal, a lot veg (around 100g of salads, or green beans or brussels roots): 90kcal + dressing (caesar salad, vinaigrette, salad cream): 90kcal + one hot chocolate and time to time a treat (one spoon of peanut butter or one chocolate): 90kcal
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Are you saying gain weight depends on your diet only? My training program will not impact my weight gain or lost.
    What effects weight loss or weight gain is the amount of calorie surplus or deficit. You can control this by either your food intake or the amount of exercise you do. You do though need to have an accurate account of your food intake to do this
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    It amazes me how even a skinny person doesn't get basic nutrition and fitness principles. Usually it is overweight out of shape people who don't connect the dots and can't understand why they are the way they are.

    But I'd rather be like this guy and who errs on the other side of things.

    I suggest the poster start reading about basic calories and fitness principles.
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    What do you mean? Are you saying I dont eat enough or do too much exercises?

    I forgot to mention I am used to be overweight/obese and I really suffer from that.... This is probably the reason why I am so cautious about nutrition and fitness.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    What do you mean? Are you saying I dont eat enough or do too much exercises?

    Both actually
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    For the diet, I am used to eat a bit more: I am used to eat more carbs in the evening. But my flatmate made rude comments about my diet. And since then, I eat less in the evening. It's never nice to hear unpleasant comment about your diet, especially when you are used to be overweight.

    For the training program, what do you recommend? I really like cardio and it will very hard for me to give up on it. Dont forget my goal is maintain my weight, I am not interested in bodybuilding....
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    For the diet, I am used to eat a bit more: I am used to eat more carbs in the evening. But my flatmate made rude comments about my diet. And since then, I eat less in the evening. It's never nice to hear unpleasant comment about your diet, especially when you are used to be overweight.

    For the training program, what do you recommend? I really like cardio and it will very hard for me to give up on it. Dont forget my goal is maintain my weight, I am not interested in bodybuilding....

    If you want to maintain your weight you need to eat more, simple as.
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    Dont forget I have some binge drinking (once a week), this can compensate the fact I dont eat enough, no?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Dont forget I have some binge drinking (once a week), this can compensate the fact I dont eat enough, no?

    Sounds healthy....
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    Well if you dont enjoy drinking with your flatmates time to time, what is the point of living....? Stop restricting yourself, and dont forget we have only one life
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    What do you think of this training program? Basically replace rowing with light weight lifting?

    Monday: Run (50 minutes), Cycles (30 minutes), Stepper (15 minutes)
    Tuesday: Light weight lifting (1h30)
    Wednesday: Rest day
    Thursday: Run (50 minutes), Elliptical machine (30 minutes), Stepper (15 minutes)
    Friday: Light weight lifting (1h30)
    Saturday: Run (50 minutes), Stepper (30 minutes)
    Sunday: Rest day
  • Predat0r1502
    Predat0r1502 Posts: 45 Member
    You're doing excessive cardio and binge drinking.

    That's not exactly my definition of 'living life to the fullest'.

    You're just doing what every other 18 year old child does when they first leave home.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Well if you dont enjoy drinking with your flatmates time to time, what is the point of living....? Stop restricting yourself, and dont forget we have only one life

    Really? :huh:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    What do you think of this training program? Basically replace rowing with light weight lifting?

    Monday: Run (50 minutes), Cycles (30 minutes), Stepper (15 minutes)
    Tuesday: Light weight lifting (1h30)
    Wednesday: Rest day
    Thursday: Run (50 minutes), Elliptical machine (30 minutes), Stepper (15 minutes)
    Friday: Light weight lifting (1h30)
    Saturday: Run (50 minutes), Stepper (30 minutes)
    Sunday: Rest day

    Light weigh lifting is pretty much pointless...

    But what would I know I don't binge drink or restrict my calories excessively or do a ridiculous amount of cardio so I'm obviously not living my life to its fullest.....
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    You are saying I am doing too much cardio but what do you think of people who cycle every day to commute to work? Dont they do too much cardio too?

    What about people who train for an Ironman or Triathlon? I am sure they do over 10 hours (swimming, running and cycling) of cardio per week.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You are saying I am doing too much cardio but what do you think of people who cycle every day to commute to work? Dont they do too much cardio too?

    What about people who train for an Ironman or Triathlon? I am sure they do over 10 hours (swimming, running and cycling) of cardio per week.

    I don't think you could find a single triathlete or iron man who eats 1300 cals...
  • bc2ct
    bc2ct Posts: 222 Member
    I like cardio.... Rowing is an aerobic and anaerobic exercise so it will strength my muscles, no?

    Rowing is only an anaerobic exercise if you are working at a pretty hard pace. Unless you have trained as a rower I would guess that you are not hitting that threshold.
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
    Hi bc2ct,

    What do you think of my training program? My goal is to be a completed athlete, a bit like a triathlete. Do you think there is enough diversity? Do you think I will overtrain? People say there is too much cardio in this program. What do you think?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    What do you think of my training program? My goal is to be a completed athlete, a bit like a triathlete. Do you think there is enough diversity? Do you think I will overtrain? People say there is too much cardio in this program. What do you think?
    There isn't enough diversity, 5 cardio sessions isn't giving you any balance at all.
    Spending hours and hours doing the same/similar thing will only bring marginal gains. If you aim to be a cardio endurance athlete (only) then carry on.
    You would get a lot more benefit from your training time by swapping a couple of your sessions for weights/strength/resistance.

    Not sure what you mean by a "completed athlete" - a triathlete is an endurance cardio specialist.


    (By the way from your earlier post - the feeling in your biceps after rowing for an hour is fatigue, nothing more than that. It also probably indicates your technique isn't very good. Concept2 website has some good tips and tutorial for proper technique.)