Cardio & weights in 30

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goalie35
goalie35 Posts: 245 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Whats the best ratio? I only get a half hour for lunch and want to make the most of it. Today I did 20 min of elliptical followed by 10 min of weights, no breaks. Is this a good ratio for the little time I have on break?

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  • fridayjustleft04
    fridayjustleft04 Posts: 851 Member
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    I read an article recently about workouts being more effective if you do weights and then cardio. Specifically 30 minutes of each. But if you only have 30 minutes, maybe break it in half and do 15 of each.
  • nhhartmann
    nhhartmann Posts: 30 Member
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    Try circuit training and use the weights and reps to get your heart rate up so you do both for the 30 minutes. We have a 45 minute cardio sculpt class that I do that combines it - you do each body part and in between you jump rope, lunges, etc. for 2 minutes in between.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    What about setting up circuits? Moving from upper body to lower body quickly, doing some jump rope or jacks in between keeping your heart rate up. You get cardio and strength together, a great efficient way to workout. Doing some longer days when you can.
  • edleim
    edleim Posts: 81 Member
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    I would say do 30 minutes of weights and other strengthening exercises one day and cardio the next. Strenght training builds muscle so you burn fat all day and I think it is just as important as cardio. I don't think you can really get your heartrate up and burn those calories in under 30 minutes.
  • parvati
    parvati Posts: 432 Member
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    In your case with limited time) a good way to get both effective cardio & weight workouts would be to do them separately. Do your cardio one day & your weights the next.
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
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    I had alot of clients who only had 30 mins.

    What you can do in this case...is give yourself a 5-10 min warmup on whatever piece of equipment you prefer, then blast through a circuit of strength training, going from one exercise to another with little/no rest between sets.

    By Supersettting opposing muscle groups Chest/Back, Quads, Hamstrings, Bicep/Tricep, Abs/Low Back, you can go from one exercise to the next without stopping, plus you'll be sustaining the elevated heart rate throughout the entire progression.

    Remember, it's not how long you're at the gym for...but what you do With the time you're there. :-)
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    Try circuit training and use the weights and reps to get your heart rate up so you do both for the 30 minutes. We have a 45 minute cardio sculpt class that I do that combines it - you do each body part and in between you jump rope, lunges, etc. for 2 minutes in between.

    Great minds think alike! I posted the same reply just as you posted yours. This is actually my fave way to get both in! Major calorie scorcher!
  • parvati
    parvati Posts: 432 Member
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    I read an article recently about workouts being more effective if you do weights and then cardio. Specifically 30 minutes of each. But if you only have 30 minutes, maybe break it in half and do 15 of each.

    Doing 15 minutes of each would not be effective!
    There are actually arguements on both sides about whether you should do cardio first or weights first but ultimately what it comes down to is what your weight loss & fitness goals are. It will be different for different people & also could change for an individual as their fitness needs change.

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