Strength Training Help

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Nlongenecker
Nlongenecker Posts: 765
in Fitness and Exercise
OK, so I have done various videos, but nothing consistent yet. I know you're supposed to do strength training at least 3 times a week, if not more. If I was going to do 30 min of strength training, should I do 30 min of a total body workout or one day do lower body, the next do upper body and the next do core? What's a good starting point?

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  • sherip22
    sherip22 Posts: 81 Member
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    Good question! I'm curious to see the responses. Right now, I do one day legs, one day arms and one day abs, but I'm wondering if I should be a total body workout each time.
  • PokenStick
    PokenStick Posts: 204
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    Muscle is gained not during the workout, but while it's recovering. If you workout all of your muscles every day or even every other day or so, they won't have enough time to recover and grow. Pick a target muscle group and then give that group 5-7 days to recover before you work it again.

    There is a lot of controversy about this topic, and each (full body / isolation) will help you gain muscle. Personally, isolation, which I recommended above, helps me make sure I hit every single group as hard as I want and I get the burn I'm looking for. With full body, I find it much harder to get the workout I want in the time I have allotted.

    Also, full body does help reduce injury because you're working out all of the small muscles simultaneously and not over doing it on one muscle. If you choose isolation, start with a small amount of weight with high rep count. Only increase the weight gradually.
  • aweigh2go
    aweigh2go Posts: 164 Member
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    If you're just starting out, I'd suggest doing a full body routine 3X per week for about a month before progressing into a body part specific routine. Pick up a copy of Muscle & Fitness Hers or Women's Health or Abs Diet for good ideas of full body workouts.
  • sdsmart
    sdsmart Posts: 25 Member
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    Hi! A good place to start with strength training is to do each workout as a total body workout. You start out that way to make sure that the big muscle groups in the body (legs, butt, chest, back, abs) are developed first and can provide a strong base of support so that you don't get any injuries. Keep up with the total body for at least 3 months if you are a beginner. You only need to go to a split program if you want to as a total body program is a great for all fitness levels!

    Just make sure that your strength training is on non-consecutive days to give your muscles a chance to recover.

    Hope this helps!
  • thomasmarnold
    thomasmarnold Posts: 64
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    My Trainer has me doing a total body workout 3 times a week, legs, abs, and upper body. I do weights, and bosu ball and all the stuff. I was initially doing it to lose the weight but now I am doing it to put on the muscle. It is working, I have added inches to my arms, legs and chest, and shrunk my stomach. My kind of workout doesn't work for everyone. You will have the "meathead" hard core work out guys telling you that you have to work out different parts of your body on different days, but my work out works for me, and my results are in my muscles. I also do at least 90 - 100 minutes of hard core cardio 3 days a week. I do elliptical 40 minutes on intervals (2 minutes walking speed, 3 minutes running as fast as I can go, for the full 40 minutes) and I do 40 minutes of treadmill, (trying to run the full 40 minutes at 5.5-5.9 mph) and then I do 10-20 minutes of bike . I also walk 30 -40 minutes at 4.0 mph on my weight training days. I don't know if you have access to a gym, but if you don't you can still get a great workout using just body weight exercise. If you want to know more about this, please message me, as I have taken up too much of your time as it is. Good luck in all that you do and God Bless.

    Tom
  • triben
    triben Posts: 64 Member
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    I would also suggest doing full body three days a week as a beginner. your body also only needs 2 days to repair. there r different strategies for just getting tone and trying to "bulk up". three days a week will get your muscles and tendons use to the new routine while toning and building strength.

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