Exercise Plan?

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cindylc
cindylc Posts: 14
in Fitness and Exercise
I recently started going to a gym. What should my exercise plan look like (how much cardio, how many sets of various strengthening exercises, how often, etc)?

I'm currently doing this routine 6 days a week:
15-25 min treadmill (5-6mph @ #2 incline)
20 min ellipitcal (level 4)
10 sets of 10 abdominal crunches (20 lbs weight)
5 sets of 10 seated biceps curl (20lbs)
3-5 sets of 10 leg press (20lbs)
3-5 sets of 10 shoulder press (10 lbs)

I'm 32yrs old, fairly active and my goal is to lose 25-30lbs and tone up (but not bulk up).

Any advice is appreciated!
Cindy

Replies

  • fab50G
    fab50G Posts: 384 Member
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    If you really like the weight training, I would suggest Oxygen magazine. It's got excellent information on fitness routines, eating right, etc. It's my favorite.

    Good Luck!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    You should not work the same muscle groups day after day. You need to rest your muscles. So if you do your biceps on Monday the earliest you should do them again would be Wednesday. If you are going 6 days/week and doing resistance training each day you should break it up so that you only work each muscle twice/week.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
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    Why does the 30 Day shred video have you doing the exact workout for 10 days in a row? I
  • dnndavie
    dnndavie Posts: 26 Member
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    This is something anyone doing 30 day shred should be asking. And the reason I don't encourage anyone to do 30 day shred for strength gain.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Why does the 30 Day shred video have you doing the exact workout for 10 days in a row? I

    Maybe it is lower weight/more focus on Cardio?? Are you supposed to do the 30DS same routine 10 days in a row. Doesn't sound very effective to me, if it is done this way. Same cardio is okay everyday but your muscles need rest to recover and get stronger. The rest is when muscles grow and strengthen.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    First of all, don't do the same weight routine 6 days a week. Weights cause cellular damage to the muscles that has to have time to repair and rebuild to make the muscle stronger and firmer. I'd recommend alternating muscle groups so that you do weights daily, but don't work the same muscles two days in a row. I'll attach some workout cards with different daily weight workouts at the end of this post that you can alternate through. Also, to get more fat burning from your cardio, do your weight work first. I recommend warming up for 5-10 minutes of total body movement (like on the treadmill but swinging the arms) followed by weights (going as heavy as you can within your set rep range, up to 15 reps for less bulk and more endurance training) then finish up with the longer cardio session and cool down and stretch at the end. At least once a week, mix it up so that you are doing more of a circuit type training where you use lighter weights and alternate between a weight station and a cardio station for 1 to 2 minutes each. That type of training works different metabolic systems and hits the muscles differently then standard weight training and cardio so that your workouts are more well rounded. Here are those workout cards I mentioned. Be sure to replace any exercises you aren't comfortable with. Several of these can be subbed out with machines at the gym. Don't do the same workout card two days in a row. You should be able to just right click and save as to save the image to your computer to be able to print them, but if not, PM me and I can email you the original files.

    Shouldersxps1.jpg

    Legsxps1.jpg

    Corexps1.jpg

    Chestxps1.jpg

    Backxps1.jpg

    Armsxps1.jpg
  • dnndavie
    dnndavie Posts: 26 Member
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    Oxygen Magazine is really good for women who want strength gains. You said you don't want to bulk up but unless you're either genetically gifted or taking testasterone supplements, you won't.

    If you like Oxygen Magazine try Lou Schuler's book The New Rules of Lifting for Women. He has an entire plan laid out for anyone and can take you into next year if you want it to. It's a solid book that tells you not only what to do but why and how to develop further, beyond the scope of the book. It's not patronizing or Barbie-ish, which is how I find most information about strength training geared toward women.

    Or look at Stumptuous.com. Krista has some plans on there for anything from beginners to advanced as well as how to write your own programs.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Why does the 30 Day shred video have you doing the exact workout for 10 days in a row? I

    Because Jillian Michaels only has a basic personal training certification and doesn't really know how the body works. She got her job on the Biggest Loser because she was a casting agent in LA at the time, not because she's got a degree in fitness, exercise science, nutrition, etc.

    Any trainer who has been taught the ins and outs of the human body will tell you to never work the same muscle group two days in a row.
  • pkgirrl
    pkgirrl Posts: 587
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    Not arguing with anyone here, but I kinda loved 30DS. lol
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Not arguing with anyone here, but I kinda loved 30DS. lol

    I didn't say it wasn't a good workout. Just that it shouldn't be done daily. ;)
  • cindylc
    cindylc Posts: 14
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    Thanks so much for the advice! Now I don't feel like I'm "flying blind."

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