Gym work getting stale

I've been hitting the gym fairly regularly for about 5 months now and while I've managed to lose a fair amount of weight so far, every additional kilo seems to be getting harder to shift. I've still got a lot to go so really want to kick start things.

My gym work is 30 mins of cardio (usually cross trainer - running is out due to knee problems) followed by another 30 minutes of resistance. The resistance will usually consist of mid-intensity work on machines (legs, chest arms etc) or body weight with either a swiss ball or using the TRX. While this has seemed to work so far I feel I'm not getting the most out of my time in the gym and could do much more. I'd also like to incorporate some other exercises / equipment like kettlebells or medicine ball to mix things up. The trouble is that I don't really know where to start with these!

Does anyone have any advice or resources for how to mix things up a bit and ensure I get the most out of my workout?

Thanks!

Try changing up your workout routine and use more free weights and less machines. Also try doing your weights fist then cardio, that way you are burning more fat during cardio as you would have already used up some of your glycogen stores.

It is recommended to change up your routine every 4-6 weeks to keep your body guessing.

How about doing your resistance training before your cardio? That will let you be fresh for the weights. Kettlebells are great. But either get a trainer to show you the proper form or at a minimum study some videos. You can definitely hurt yourself with them if you do things wrong. Dragon Door and Art of Strength are both good sources for kettlebells, books, and videos. Art of Strength even has a lot of free videos right on their website. I personally like to work out to their "Providence" DVD.

I have the same problem. I started doing cardio from home or outdoors a couple of days a week. Then I would try other machines I hadn't tried before until I built up cardio stamina with those.

Change the music on your IPOD if you haven't done it yet. That makes a huge difference.

Try doing free weight versions of the exercises that you're doing on the machines. Using barbells, dumbbells and kettle balls will use more muscles (and thus burn more calories) than using strictly machines. I would also do your strength training before the cardio so that you have more energy to put into your workouts. Also, try changing up the intensity of your workouts with heavier weight/fewer reps days and lighter weight/more reps days.

It is recommended to change up your routine every 4-6 weeks to keep your body guessing.

Sorry @erickirb, I generally agree with much of the advice that you give on here but this part is complete nonsense and prevents people from understanding quality programming. If you have a good strength routine/program that uses some type of progression and is at a high enough intensity you don’t need to change your program at all for some time. By progression I mean a systematic method of increasing the resistance (5lbs every time you perform the lift, every week etc…) and by intensity I mean a high percentage of your maximum capacity (80% of your 1RM for example). Having a scheduled method of increasing your strength and achieving new PRs will keep a program from getting boring. I definitely don’t get bored with squatting more weight every week.

Changing up your routine isnt complete nonsense. You typically change up your routine until you find one that works for you. You stick with that routine until you stop seeing results. Your progression method is grest for those interested in maximizing there lifts, but not everyone is interested in powerlifting or bodybuilding type programs. Crossfit routines are a good example of this as you rarely do the same routine over and over yet you achieve maximum results based on your effort. This is done sometimes with primarily bodyweight exercises, they also incorporate olympic style lifts and yes there are routines where you push your weights to maximum effort. Remember that not everyone is interested in 300 lb bench presses or 400 pound squats. They want routines to trim the fat and burn the calories and maybe show some definition.

It is recommended to change up your routine every 4-6 weeks to keep your body guessing.

Sorry @erickirb, I generally agree with much of the advice that you give on here but this part is complete nonsense and prevents people from understanding quality programming. If you have a good strength routine/program that uses some type of progression and is at a high enough intensity you don’t need to change your program at all for some time. By progression I mean a systematic method of increasing the resistance (5lbs every time you perform the lift, every week etc…) and by intensity I mean a high percentage of your maximum capacity (80% of your 1RM for example). Having a scheduled method of increasing your strength and achieving new PRs will keep a program from getting boring. I definitely don’t get bored with squatting more weight every week.

I know there are programs like that, but progress will slow down tremendously after the first few months, and even plateau. I use to workout like this and would have shoulder issues from it as well. You can still get results that way, but this is mainly for increasing strength, overall fitness results come much faster if you change things up.

I don't mean that you will increase your bench or squat weights by switching, I mean overall calorie burn and fitness level will be increased. If you take time away from bench then go back to it you will actually lose some strength, but you will get back to where you were pretty quickly.

I still have to disagree based upon the fact the “fitness level” is difficult to actually measure and is typically just used as a buzz word. I would define fitness level (this is my own definition) as the combination of strength, speed, power, agility, and endurance; all of which, when measured independently will combine to give you your overall fitness. So based upon your example, if my strength decreases so does my overall fitness level. Now, I recognize that you cannot train for everything at one time and that you need specificity to training so you will have to train in a cycled fashion to achieve conflicting goals. For example, It is difficult to train for both speed and endurance in anyone other than an absolute beginner. That being said, you do not need to lose one to focus on another, that would be very poor programming.

My overall point is that you need to be focused on something and not have the every 4-6 week training ADD that so many people have. Most people here are on caloric deficit so I will tailor the following example to that scenario. You can train for strength until you can no longer progress as a result of your caloric deficit. Then you can put strength training on maintenance where you will still lift at about 80% of your 1RMs and transfer your primary focus to endurance training. This will provide little to no strength loss and will increase your overall fitness level as per my definition above.

I am actually currently using this very method. I took my squat from 185lbs to 325lbs in 7 months increasing my work weight 5lbs every time I performed the lift. Realizing I reached my maximum strength while on a caloric deficit I have put strength training on maintenance where I slightly reduced my work weight and am building back up in weekly increments of 2.5lbs while simultaneously training for a Warrior Dash and Spartan Race.

It really all comes down to an understanding of programming and how your body responds to stress.

Changing up your routine isnt complete nonsense. You typically change up your routine until you find one that works for you. You stick with that routine until you stop seeing results. Your progression method is grest for those interested in maximizing there lifts, but not everyone is interested in powerlifting or bodybuilding type programs. Crossfit routines are a good example of this as you rarely do the same routine over and over yet you achieve maximum results based on your effort. This is done sometimes with primarily bodyweight exercises, they also incorporate olympic style lifts and yes there are routines where you push your weights to maximum effort. Remember that not everyone is interested in 300 lb bench presses or 400 pound squats. They want routines to trim the fat and burn the calories and maybe show some definition.

Crossfit does not train to “achieve maximum results”. Crossfit takes the approach of throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Like I said in another post, to maximize results you need training specificity, period. This is understood by anyone that has done any significant research in programming. Will you improve your fitness level (based upon my definition in the previous post) using Crossfit? Yes, but only to a certain point. To continue training in that manner will produce mediocre results. There is no Swiss army knife for overall fitness; to get stronger you need to strength train, to get more endurance you need to train specifically for it.

I love all the answers so far. What I did recently was get a trainer (forked out the extra $ and cut back on some other non-essentials) that came referred by someone that has been working out for awhile.

Good luck and hang in there!

Wow, loads to take in there guys, thanks! The free weights definitely sound like a good plan, and i hadn't really thought about putting the weights before the cardio, so will give that a go too. I think a couple of PT sessions might be in order to get the techniques sorted too!

Doing weight training before your Cardio burns any sugar in your system. Anything else after that hit your fat storage.

lan918 :Can't show definition of non-existent muscles....
Were your muscles not carrying you around when you began your journey at 316 lbs?

In my experience with Crossfit routines, like any exercise program, you get you of it what you put into it. If you put forth your maximum effort, you should receive maximum results. That goes with any exercise routine you decide to do. I dont have to research programming to understand that the harder I work, the more I will achieve. Do I need to change my routine if I am not seeing results, sure I do. If I fail on my Bench max effort because I cant push the bar up after the halfway point, I need to change my routine to incorporate more tricep work since they are failing me, or maybe go lighter and do some speed work with the bar to push through my sticking point or maybe do some floor presses.
I dont think that anyone that can complete the crossfit workout murph :
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run
would be considered to have mediocre results in their strength or endurance capabilities.

Except for the fact that all of the exercises you listed are mostly endurance based with much less strength requirements. When you talk pull-ups in Crossfit you are talking about kipping pull-ups, that Is not nearly the same as a strict pull-up. So yes, I would consider that mediocre strength capabilities. And this further adds to my point that you can’t train for everything at once, you need training specificity to achieve maximum results. This is why athletes that have strength and conditioning coaches don’t do WODs, they use programs on cycles designed for specific purposes.

The idea that max effort in equals max results out only applies if your programming is adequate for your goals. It is like the saying “practice makes perfect” when in reality it should be “perfect practice makes perfect” because if you are practicing incorrectly the result will be far from perfect. If you want to maximize strength, Crossfit won’t cut it, just like if you want to maximize endurance, strength training won’t cut it. While one focus will surely help the other, individually they will not get you all the way there.

Don’t get me wrong, I like some elements of Crossfit and think it is decent for general conditioning and endurance, but it is not some superior new concept that everyone like to believe it is. I am also not saying that everyone should train specifically the way I train, I am saying that you should use a similar methodology focused on your specific goals. If endurance is your primary goal and you want to be average at everything else, then by all means do Crossfit; and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. It is simply a fact that you can’t train for greatness in everything at once. Just like I was average and below average in other areas when I was only training for strength. When the time comes that you want to be great in multiple areas, you will need to train specifically for those areas, and if the training styles conflict with one another you will need to train them in cycles and those cycles don’t need to be restricted by an arbitrary 4-6 week period.

You are free to disagree with me, that is your right, but I am just relaying what my experience and research has taught me. Further, my research has been focused on content produced by respected and successful strength and conditioning coaches like Bill Starr, Mark Ripptoe and others and includes books like Starting Strength, Practical Programming, The Strongest Shall Survive, and the official CSCS text book. In my opinion if you pick up and read Starting Strength and Practical Programming alone, you are ahead of most of the trainers out there.

Your right, we will agree to disagree.

Further, my research has been focused on content produced by respected and successful strength and conditioning coaches like Bill Starr, Mark Ripptoe and others

Did you know that Mark Ripptoe, Louie Simmons, and Dave Tate have all contributed their time to teach Olympic lifting techniques for Crossfitters? I hope these guys arent teaching those Crossfitters to attain mediocre results...

Lol… I thought that might come up. Yes, Ripptoe is a huge contributor to Crossfit, but even he has is gripes about its programming. He takes much of the same mentality I do with it and that is at least you are learning some real lifts and not using machines. Like I said, I like some of the elements of Crossfit, it is not all bad. Their programming is mediocre at best and some of the “cheat” maneuvers like kipping pull-ups are much less effective than the strict versions. That being said, to each their own.

Fair enough. I admit that when I was approached about crossfit workouts, coming from a strictly, must bench 300 lb mindset, I didnt put alot of stock in it. We began utilizing alot of the workouts from crossfit at work and then quickly adapted the movements for our specific career field- firefighters. We use the combination of cardio intervals mixed with weight training to condition our bodies and our minds to know that we can push on until the fight is over, or until we run out of air and need a new air bottle! These workouts led the way for us to improve our overall strength and endurance, every workout is a new challenge. For me, doing kipping pullups helped me gain enough strength and endurance to perform more strict pullups. And no I cant do as many strict pull ups as i can Kipping ones. But my back and lats are alot wider and stronger because of them . But not everyone here had a bodybuilding/powerlifting goal. Some just wanted to do cardio, it was easier for them to run than lift weights, others like me hated running and just wanted to lift. Utilizing the crossfit mentality we are all on a equal playing field now, the runners are stronger and the lifters are still strong and now like to run! I used to run three miles in a year, now I run 15-20 miles a week. Basically my point is that the principle behind it is effective and you can adapt it to attain your goals. The workouts are rarely the same which always keeps them from becoming stale and boring.