Any fitness trainers in here?

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ladybugz_247
ladybugz_247 Posts: 120
in Health and Weight Loss
I am wondering about my workout routine, I want to 1st of all lose weight so I'm doing a ton of cardio but I also try and do some light weights. I know our body gets use to the exercise so muscle confusion is key.
Right now I do the elliptical every other day and then walk for 30 min.. then on the days I don't do the elliptical I do the stair master for 45 min and walk for 45 min.. I also do about 30 min of light weight training.. just the arms.
I want to switch it up but not sure what else to do.. I am top heavy so I wanna do my arms and I do have to do some ab workouts I'm just not sure which ones. I workout 5 to 6 days a week for no less than 90 min.. sometimes I do more..
I was thinking this..
Monday -Elliptical 90 min and walk 30 min
Tuesday Cycle machine 30 min and arm weights 30 min
Wednesday Stair Master 45 min and walk 45 min
Thursday Elliptical 90 min and walk 30 min
Friday Cycle 30 min and arm weights 30 min

I will do the abs at home.. Jillian Michaels will help me with that one =)

** I hope there's a trainer on here somewhere =)

Replies

  • brittaney10811
    brittaney10811 Posts: 588 Member
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    i have a friend on my friends list called Coach Karen, look her up!! she'll help you!
  • ladybugz_247
    ladybugz_247 Posts: 120
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    Ok thank you =)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I am wondering about my workout routine, I want to 1st of all lose weight so I'm doing a ton of cardio but I also try and do some light weights. I know our body gets use to the exercise so muscle confusion is key.
    Right now I do the elliptical every other day and then walk for 30 min.. then on the days I don't do the elliptical I do the stair master for 45 min and walk for 45 min.. I also do about 30 min of light weight training.. just the arms.
    I want to switch it up but not sure what else to do.. I am top heavy so I wanna do my arms and I do have to do some ab workouts I'm just not sure which ones. I workout 5 to 6 days a week for no less than 90 min.. sometimes I do more..
    I was thinking this..
    Monday -Elliptical 90 min and walk 30 min
    Tuesday Cycle machine 30 min and arm weights 30 min
    Wednesday Stair Master 45 min and walk 45 min
    Thursday Elliptical 90 min and walk 30 min
    Friday Cycle 30 min and arm weights 30 min

    I will do the abs at home.. Jillian Michaels will help me with that one =)

    ** I hope there's a trainer on here somewhere =)

    You seem to be missing strength training, which is important regardless of your goals.

    edited to say sorry I missed that you do some weights. I think you may be working out too much.
  • ladybugz_247
    ladybugz_247 Posts: 120
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    what exercises are good for strength training? see I am new to this whole gym, and working out thing,.. =)

    I am wondering about my workout routine, I want to 1st of all lose weight so I'm doing a ton of cardio but I also try and do some light weights. I know our body gets use to the exercise so muscle confusion is key.
    Right now I do the elliptical every other day and then walk for 30 min.. then on the days I don't do the elliptical I do the stair master for 45 min and walk for 45 min.. I also do about 30 min of light weight training.. just the arms.
    I want to switch it up but not sure what else to do.. I am top heavy so I wanna do my arms and I do have to do some ab workouts I'm just not sure which ones. I workout 5 to 6 days a week for no less than 90 min.. sometimes I do more..
    I was thinking this..
    Monday -Elliptical 90 min and walk 30 min
    Tuesday Cycle machine 30 min and arm weights 30 min
    Wednesday Stair Master 45 min and walk 45 min
    Thursday Elliptical 90 min and walk 30 min
    Friday Cycle 30 min and arm weights 30 min

    I will do the abs at home.. Jillian Michaels will help me with that one =)

    ** I hope there's a trainer on here somewhere =)

    You seem to be missing strength training, which is important regardless of your goals.
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
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    Please read this.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/265072-just-do-the-opposite

    Also, your routine is very unbalanced. I would actually recommend more strength training than cardio. No real need for more than 3-4 days a week either. I would recommend finding a strength routine and a running routine that are already tried and true rather than trying to piece together your own.

    Many women on here have found success with the New Rules of Lifting program which focus a lot on compound muscle movements. Also the Couch to 5K program is a good way to get in cardio while also having an alternative goal.
  • amandavictoria80
    amandavictoria80 Posts: 734 Member
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    You do 90 minutes on the elliptical? At a slow pace right? Cause I do 60 minutes at a running pace and there is no way in hell I would ever be able to do 90 minutes. What's your secret? Have you discovered a fountain with a magic energy potion? lol
  • amandavictoria80
    amandavictoria80 Posts: 734 Member
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    I am wondering about my workout routine, I want to 1st of all lose weight so I'm doing a ton of cardio but I also try and do some light weights. I know our body gets use to the exercise so muscle confusion is key.
    Right now I do the elliptical every other day and then walk for 30 min.. then on the days I don't do the elliptical I do the stair master for 45 min and walk for 45 min.. I also do about 30 min of light weight training.. just the arms.
    I want to switch it up but not sure what else to do.. I am top heavy so I wanna do my arms and I do have to do some ab workouts I'm just not sure which ones. I workout 5 to 6 days a week for no less than 90 min.. sometimes I do more..
    I was thinking this..
    Monday -Elliptical 90 min and walk 30 min
    Tuesday Cycle machine 30 min and arm weights 30 min
    Wednesday Stair Master 45 min and walk 45 min
    Thursday Elliptical 90 min and walk 30 min
    Friday Cycle 30 min and arm weights 30 min

    I will do the abs at home.. Jillian Michaels will help me with that one =)

    ** I hope there's a trainer on here somewhere =)

    You seem to be missing strength training, which is important regardless of your goals.

    edited to say sorry I missed that you do some weights. I think you may be working out too much.

    I totally agree. That is way too much. I wouldn't have time to eat or sleep if I worked out that much.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    First of all, you can't spot reduce your arms with weights for arms. Second, you are doing too much cardio and will end up losing muscle as well as fat because of it so even after you burn off the fat the muscle will not be well defined.

    I would recommend splitting up your workouts so that you are working every muscle group, not just arms, and following them with cardio. If you want to workout 6 days a week, you can split it up to upper body, lower body, and abs so you aren't working the same muscle group with resistance two days in a row but are getting the most benefit from your workouts. I'd recommend 6-8 different exercises for each body part and weights heavy enough that the last 2 of a set of 12 is tough. Start with 1-2 sets of 12 and build up to 2-3 sets of 12. When that gets easy, increase your weights. As for cardio, no more then an hour after weights to prevent overtraining. And be sure to stretch afterwards for at least 10 minutes. I'd set up a schedule similar to this:

    Day 1--Upper body weights, cardio, stretch
    Day 2--Lower body weights, cardio, stretch
    Day 3--Abs, cardio, stretch
    Day 4--Upper body weights, cardio, stretch
    Day 5--Lower body weights, cardio, stretch
    Day 6--Abs, cardio, stretch
    Day 7--Rest

    ETA: If you do abs as part of your upper body workouts, those other two days could be rest days too. Honestly, the body repairs during rest, so if you are feeling tired, sluggish, or lethargic from your current schedule, I'd recommend taking those extra days of rest and cutting your workouts down to only 4-5 days a week.
  • ladybugz_247
    ladybugz_247 Posts: 120
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    Thanks Grglandr I stopped running about a week ago and moved over to the elliptical (I pulled a muscle) and just today tried a slow jogg but it's still bothering me.. anyway thanks for that link.. I'm gonna go check it out.
  • rachmaree
    rachmaree Posts: 782 Member
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    Not a fitness trainer, but if I were you I would cut way back on the cardio and do more strength training, and not with light weights. Try weights 3 times a week with cardio 3-4 times a week, either after the weight training if you want to do both in one session, or on separate days. Lifting heavy you won't bulk up, it will increase your metabolism and help you lose fat and increase muscle. Check out a book called the New Rules of Lifting for Women.
    Lots of cardio can eat away your muscle, as was mentioned above.
    Make sure you are eating enough protein, around 1gram for each pound of bodyweight. My diary is open, I eat lots, weight train and am not bulky or gaining weight :)
    Good luck!
  • ladybugz_247
    ladybugz_247 Posts: 120
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    Thank you guys so much! you guys are great !
  • FitCoachJen
    FitCoachJen Posts: 139 Member
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    - Do way less cardio, as everyone said. To do it for that long you're probably only in zone 1.
    - Focus on FITT - frequency, intensity, type and time. Your cardio frequency is too high, the intensity is too low, the type is good because you're doing different types of cardio, but the time spent is also pretty high. I'd incorporate more interval training.
    - You can't lose weight just on your arms. When you lose lbs it "peels" off all over, like the layers of an onion. Burn more calories to lose more weight.
    - Incorporate full-body weight training sessions (or split days, if you're comfortable). Weight training still burns calories, especially if you're doing multi-joint movements (like squats w/ an overhead press, or weighted walking lunges).
  • AMSalaz
    AMSalaz Posts: 16
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    Try a dance class! I recommend Hot Hula Fitness (if it's available in your area) or belly dance (it's AMAZING how many muscles you tone and control in this form of dance). But the key is to try something that can incorporate parts of your strength training and cardio together.
  • ladybugz_247
    ladybugz_247 Posts: 120
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    Lol I was running 6 miles daily before I started doing the elliptical (medium pace) and that was easy for me compared to the running.. I actually workout first thing in the morning. I'm at the gym by 6 and home by 8:15. I'm a stay at home mom so I have all day to do it =)
    You do 90 minutes on the elliptical? At a slow pace right? Cause I do 60 minutes at a running pace and there is no way in hell I would ever be able to do 90 minutes. What's your secret? Have you discovered a fountain with a magic energy potion? lol
  • nycegurl74
    nycegurl74 Posts: 26 Member
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    Bump
  • MeganJo
    MeganJo Posts: 69
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    Check out www.liveleanmd.com and check out our facebook page. My friend Danielle and I are both trainers and we have printable workout plans you can do. If you check out our videos section, Danielle made a video about the importance of doing both cardio and strength training so that may help you understand the dynamics a bit =]

    You really don't need to be spending tons of time on just cardio, if you do circuit training (cardio with strength and minimal rest) you'll get just as intense of a workout in a shorter amount of time. Feel free to message me if you have any questions, I am NASM certified and I'd love to help you out!
  • ladybugz_247
    ladybugz_247 Posts: 120
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    Thank you I will check it out and I'm gonna message you in a bit =)
    Check out www.liveleanmd.com and check out our facebook page. My friend Danielle and I are both trainers and we have printable workout plans you can do. If you check out our videos section, Danielle made a video about the importance of doing both cardio and strength training so that may help you understand the dynamics a bit =]

    You really don't need to be spending tons of time on just cardio, if you do circuit training (cardio with strength and minimal rest) you'll get just as intense of a workout in a shorter amount of time. Feel free to message me if you have any questions, I am NASM certified and I'd love to help you out!
  • eejieweejie
    eejieweejie Posts: 49 Member
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    Bump
  • ladybugz_247
    ladybugz_247 Posts: 120
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    @ Megan I just visited your site and facebook page, I gotta say I love the workout calender. Its perfect! but I didn't see the one for June on FB. I love it and wow 30 min of cardio is a breeze compared to what I've been doing.. damn I need to change it up BIGTIME..

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