Anyone work out twice a day?

I currently work out for about 40-45 minutes each morning, a mix of strength and cardio. I'm thinking of adding a 20 minute cardio session in the afternoon.

Anyone else do this, and has it helped boost your weight loss? I have 2 kids to take care of at night so I don't want to be exhausted either.

Right now I'm losing about 3/4 lb a week. I'd like to double that.
«1

Replies

  • cmbauer99
    cmbauer99 Posts: 184 Member
    I usually run 4 miles in the morning an then do a T25 workout at night. usually burn around 1000 calories between the two. I say go for it.

    Obviously Calories in versus calories out is your key to weight loss.
    Obviously More Cardio will increase your fitness.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    I break down my exercises into walking at lunch to burn about 100 calories then hit the elliptical after work at the gym for another 200 calories or more.
  • Ervie317
    Ervie317 Posts: 179 Member
    I like to do the intervals on the stairmill in the AM for about 30-45mins and then i usually lift for about 45mins-1hour depending on what body part I am working in the PM. I find that splitting it ups makes me work harder at both and I think that helps in my weight loss.
  • Broderick50
    Broderick50 Posts: 842 Member
    I only do it when I hit a plateau the longest I've been able to sustain it was 3 weeks after that my body just gives out. Good luck with it though it will help.
  • JGonzo82
    JGonzo82 Posts: 167 Member
    Yup I typically work out 1st thing in the mornings (3-4 mornings/week run, 1-2 mornings/week lift) & then again over my lunch break (almost always lifting).
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    You are only losing 3 quarters of a pound a week? Or 3 or 4 lbs a week?

    Anyway I don't know if this counts or not but I will sometimes do two 10-minute jump rope sessions a day. Closest I'll come.
  • BigMech
    BigMech Posts: 472 Member
    I've been doing it for 3 years now. I lift 5 mornings a week at the gym (Mon,Tue,Wed,Fri,Sat), and then I will usually run or bike at work 3-4 times a week, and once more on the weekend. It will definitely burn more calories and as long as you get enough sleep, and eat enough to keep your energy level up, you will be good.
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
    Hey, 3/4 lb a week is awesome. I wouldn't double up your workout unless your talking about one session of lifting and then a seperate session of cardio. Your body also needs to rest and working out too much could cause you to hurt yourself and stall your progress. I'd stick with the 3/4 lb week loss and just be patient.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    that would give you a total of 60 minutes which is fine...

    Ultimately you have to be careful not to overtrain, but two-a -day sessions that result in a total of 60 - 90 minutes isn't really going to be a big deal. If I were you, I'd focus each session...cardio session and a resistance training session. More bang for your buck and it's likely that your strength/cardio sessions are more cardio heavy. Resistance training is actually going to give you the body you're after (or the one most people are after)...not cardio upon cardio upon more cardio.

    I think you're fine..just maybe balance out your fitness regimen a big more. If it were me I'd spend about 45 minutes just working on resistance training and core work and then another 30 - 45 minutes of cardio completely separate. Also, you shouldn't be doing resistance training on consecutive days unless you're working different muscles/groups of muscles..which is pretty inefficient for a novice. You'd be better off with a full body routine a few times per week. I'd suggest looking into New Rules of Lifting for Women (I like the entire series and am currently doing New Rules Super Charged); my wife really enjoyed NROL4W...or Strong Curves seems pretty good too which is what my wife is currently doing.

    I think you're going to get the best results following tried and true programming where it comes to your strength/resistance work. You could do something like:

    Monday - Heavy Cardio 45 - 60 minutes
    Tuesday - Resistance Training 45 AM. 30 - 45 minutes lighter cardio afternoon
    Wed - Same as Mon
    Thurs - Same as Tuesday
    Fri - Same as Mon/Wed (or Rest)
    Sat - Same as Tues/Thurs
    Sun - Rest
  • Menix8
    Menix8 Posts: 210 Member
    I used to. I got burnt out after six months. Took two weeks off, and then started going five days a week, once a day. Much more reasonable for me and my schedule.

    Some people love it, other people don't. You go through phases of super-hard-core fitness, and just enough to get by, and that's fine. Don't be afraid to switch up your schedule. Consistency is most important.
  • ccrawshaw
    ccrawshaw Posts: 166 Member
    I walk at lunch with a gal I work with for about 30-35 minutes (good for about 200 calories) and three times a week, I'll run 3-5 miles (400-600 calories) once I get home after work. Plus I run stairs to the top of the building on my morning and afternoon breaks (I don't track calories for these).
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    I train early in the morning. I may do some HIIT cardio after work.
  • I like to do 2 Vinyasa yoga classes back to back. It doesn't effect my energy level (I also have two kids) and it is SERIOUSLY effective!! The weight is dropping off! Maybe look for a yoga studio near you so that you can do your normal exercise in the morning and yoga in the evening?
  • domane1
    domane1 Posts: 26 Member
    Always two workouts per day. Cardio usually in the morning, weights in the afternoon/evening. Works for me. Good luck!
  • Congratulations on your weight loss! Your progress chart looks awesome!
  • gardnerkennedy
    gardnerkennedy Posts: 69 Member
    [sorry, duplicate post!]
  • gardnerkennedy
    gardnerkennedy Posts: 69 Member
    I ride my bike to work most days, so that's 45 in the morning and 55 in the afternoon (slightly uphill going home). I can't do five days in a row, but M-T, Th-F works pretty well. I love it. The morning ride wakes me up and sets up the day; the afternoon ride is hard and works out workplace frustrations, stresses, etc. I'm thinking about supplementing the morning ride with a short weight routine before hand, or doing weights on the off days.

    It has helped with weight loss a lot and leaves me feeling fantastic. I am very tired when I get home, but never so much that it prevents me from doing household chores or other activities.

    I encourage you to go for it. It's pretty hard for the first couple of weeks but your body adjusts and you will start to feel great, and start hitting goals that might have once seemed out of reach.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Cycle for 1 hour in the morning, 1 hour of lifting at lunch, and 1-2 hours of cycling in the evening.
  • defauIt
    defauIt Posts: 118 Member
    I work out twice... a week. My workouts are very rigorous and my body needs the time to properly heal and recover. Occasionally I increase to three times a week just before I'm about to jump up to significantly heavier weights.

    Can't imagine doing any sort of serious workout twice a day, but it all depends on your workout intensity.
  • frankfighter
    frankfighter Posts: 25 Member
    From January - April i was doing 1 cardio session a week and lifting with it, wasn't seeing the best results. I switched in May to doing a cardio session of a hour on its own (basketball or running) and a 30min-45 min lifting session in the afternoon 4-5 days a week. I seen significant weight loss 185lbs to 177lb in just the month of May. Cardio can only go so far, make sure weight training is part of your two aday.
  • TiberiusClaudis
    TiberiusClaudis Posts: 423 Member
    Hit the weights in the morning for about an hr, usually burn around 450 calories. 3 days on, 1 day off. Split body parts

    Then 4 nights a week, do cardio. Again for about an hr, burn anywhere from 660 to 800 calories.

    Variety is key. Something for muscle gain or maintain, something for fat loss/healthy heart.

    So sometimes I work out twice a day, some days one, and some days the stars are align like today and it's totally off. But I'll still take an hr walk in the park and watch the sunrise.

    Your body is an incredible machine. It WILL respond to what ever orders you give it. The orders are in ways of food intake, exercise and rest.

    You are doing super..keep it up.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I used to. I got burnt out after six months. Took two weeks off, and then started going five days a week, once a day. Much more reasonable for me and my schedule.

    Some people love it, other people don't. You go through phases of super-hard-core fitness, and just enough to get by, and that's fine. Don't be afraid to switch up your schedule. Consistency is most important.

    This ^^

    I have seen people in group kinda "motivating each other" to push more than they can take, just because they feel the competition...I don't know if it's a good thing for long run...Again you know your body and nobody else does.
  • nedtoloseme
    nedtoloseme Posts: 98 Member
    Congratulations on your weight loss. I have to ask everyone a question - not trying to put a damper on things, but just want to know. Is everyone doing this for weight loss or just because you love working out? The reason I ask is that I used to do workouts twice a day (sometimes I still do), but I do it every once in a while because I like working out. I guess what I'm trying to say is this something you can sustain throughout your life? What happens when you reach a bump in the road? I've stalled out and did two workouts - sometimes it worked sometime it didn't. I just think you're asking alot of your body to do something like this all the time. Don't get me wrong - to those who can sustain it go for it. But don't push because you want to lose weight. If you don't learn good eating habits the weight will come back regardless of if you work out 1 or 4 times a day. All in love folks! :heart:
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Congratulations on your weight loss. I have to ask everyone a question - not trying to put a damper on things, but just want to know. Is everyone doing this for weight loss or just because you love working out? The reason I ask is that I used to do workouts twice a day (sometimes I still do), but I do it every once in a while because I like working out. I guess what I'm trying to say is this something you can sustain throughout your life? What happens when you reach a bump in the road? I've stalled out and did two workouts - sometimes it worked sometime it didn't. I just think you're asking alot of your body to do something like this all the time. Don't get me wrong - to those who can sustain it go for it. But don't push because you want to lose weight. If you don't learn good eating habits the weight will come back regardless of if you work out 1 or 4 times a day. All in love folks! :heart:

    I can't speak for all but for me it started out with a goal of losing weight, but 2 years later, I didn't lose weight but fell in love with working out. Just do something everyday makes me happy. :)
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    I used to. I got burnt out after six months. Took two weeks off, and then started going five days a week, once a day. Much more reasonable for me and my schedule.

    Some people love it, other people don't. You go through phases of super-hard-core fitness, and just enough to get by, and that's fine. Don't be afraid to switch up your schedule. Consistency is most important.

    This ^^

    I have seen people in group kinda "motivating each other" to push more than they can take, just because they feel the competition...I don't know if it's a good thing for long run...Again you know your body and nobody else does.

    ^speaking from personal experience if you have a deadline of when your trying to get to a certain weight or body fat percentage then sure... but it will make you start to resent working out so I'd be... wary of that.


    on another note - if you are going to work out twice, what I do is strength training first, then the cardio. - I used to do the cardio first, and by cardio I'm not talking about some little 7min mile run, I mean real cardio.. but if you do real cardio first your not ganna be able to put up as much weight and then your not getting the ideal results.

    speaking for myself, and in my opinion from what I observed from my body - strength train 1st, and if you are working out again make it cardio.

    just my .02
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I used to. I got burnt out after six months. Took two weeks off, and then started going five days a week, once a day. Much more reasonable for me and my schedule.

    Some people love it, other people don't. You go through phases of super-hard-core fitness, and just enough to get by, and that's fine. Don't be afraid to switch up your schedule. Consistency is most important.

    This ^^

    I have seen people in group kinda "motivating each other" to push more than they can take, just because they feel the competition...I don't know if it's a good thing for long run...Again you know your body and nobody else does.

    ^speaking from personal experience if you have a deadline of when your trying to get to a certain weight or body fat percentage then sure... but it will make you start to resent working out so I'd be... wary of that.


    on another note - if you are going to work out twice, what I do is strength training first, then the cardio. - I used to do the cardio first, and by cardio I'm not talking about some little 7min mile run, I mean real cardio.. but if you do real cardio first your not ganna be able to put up as much weight and then your not getting the ideal results.

    speaking for myself, and in my opinion from what I observed from my body - strength train 1st, and if you are working out again make it cardio.

    just my .02

    agreed. when I did P90x double, I did cardio x in the afternoon...but after one month, I was virtually dead. "resent working out" is such a true statement in my case. :)
  • xRedRockerx
    xRedRockerx Posts: 54 Member
    I do a weight loss video every day, which ranges anywhere between 30-90 minutes, and then either a 40 minute run or a 60 minute Zumba class in the evening. I don't want to overwork myself, but honestly I see working out as more of a hobby and I don't really want to take a session away. Plus, it makes rest days so much better :D
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    Depends on how you define "work out"

    I do my "serious" work out over the noon hour at the gym.

    But after work most evenings I'm taking my dogs on a walk; going for a leisurely bike ride; working in my yard, etc.

    No I don't generally consider the latter "workouts" - but they do burn more calories than just sitting in front of the computer on MFP forums :)
  • dewsmom78
    dewsmom78 Posts: 498 Member
    Thank you all for the suggestions! Right now I am doing 30 minutes per day of Jillian's 90 day program which is a mix of strength and cardio, and then when that is done I hop on the elliptical for another 10-15 minutes. I do this 5 days a week.

    I would much rather do straight strength training 3 days per week and some cardio on the other days. It also fits my schedule better to work out at home.

    Can I still do the New Rules of Lifting for Women at home, I'm guessing I would have to invest in more weights than my current stash of dumbells ranging from 5-20lbs.

    And yes I am losing .75 lb a week on average. I'm happy with it - but I'm not happy being fat and want it gone quicker, lol.
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    Depends on how you define "work out"

    I do my "serious" work out over the noon hour at the gym.

    But after work most evenings I'm taking my dogs on a walk; going for a leisurely bike ride; working in my yard, etc.

    No I don't generally consider the latter "workouts" - but they do burn more calories than just sitting in front of the computer on MFP forums :)

    ^love this, and love that - being active is being healthy.