Weight Training

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smashleymcgee
smashleymcgee Posts: 135 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Since starting MFP I mainly concentrated on doing cardio and almost no weight training. I know that you are supposed to get a combo of both in, but I just felt like I get more bang for my buck when I run for an hour. My weight loss has slowed down tremendously to half a pound a week for the past 6 weeks (which I still really grateful for), but I was going to start adding in weight training as a result. How much time should I spend doing weight training in order to really get the benefit? If I do 45 minutes weights/30 minutes cardio for 3 or 4 days a week will that be good enough or should I do more? I play softball 2 nights a week, so I can't really do much more than that.

Replies

  • Dani_Scott
    Dani_Scott Posts: 21
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    I don't know about how much weight training you do but I go to body pump which is amazing! It is a combo of bar weights and free weights and it like an aerobics class, reaqlly motivating and toning!

    I do the weight training as I wanted to strengthen/build some muscles in order to perform better and burn fat faster (which this apparently does) and I do find the bodypump classes do make you feel like you have worked out (and hard) and it covers every muscles group xxx
  • Larius
    Larius Posts: 507 Member
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    It sounds like a good plan to me!
  • RagtimeLady
    RagtimeLady Posts: 172 Member
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    @smashleymcgee ... I think you're looking at weight training the wrong way. Let me explain. Cardio burns calories, yes... and if you're truly in the cardio zone, your body is burning more carbs than fat. If you're in the fat burn zone, your body is burning more fat than carbs. When you stop exercising, your body stops burning those extra calories.

    You do weight training to build muscle mass. Fat on your body doesn't burn anything - it 's storing energy. Muscle tissue, however, burns energy 24/7. Yes, if you do cardio first, then while your heart rate is high you rush over and do your weights, you can keep that heart rate up and get some cardio benefits from it (that's what I do), but the main reason to do weights is to build muscle mass to increase your metabolic rate.

    I've been doing 30 min interval training, then 2 sets of either upper or lower body weights (alternating daily), then back to 30 minutes cardio, right at the point between fat burn and cardio. I haven't been at it long enough to see the benefits and I have the metabolism of a SLUG, so don't think the program won't work based upon my results.

    You might enjoy circuit training, which combines cardio with weights.
  • faylenechung
    faylenechung Posts: 107 Member
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    My doctor said to do atleast 30 mins or more of cardio a day. So I do that and weights 4 to 6 times a week for 45 mins.
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
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    Sounds good. I do 45-60 minutes cardio (treadmill, elliptical, bike) 5 days a week, machine weights 2x per week, and freeweights once. I try to take two days completely off and put a day between weights.

    My weight training lasts about 30 minutes. I pick three machines or exercises, do a set 8-15 reps on one, move to the next machine, then the next, then back to the beginning and go through three times. Then, I pick three different machines and do the same sort of cycle.

    Generally, my first three machines work several muscles, such as lat pulldown, incline bench press, leg press, squat, seated rows, and sometimes the second three machines are more focused, freeweight biceps, triceps, or maybe core like planks and such.

    So, a week might be M, T, W, H, Sa I do 45-60 minutes cardio, and M, W, Sa I additionally do 30 minutes of weight training. Hope this helps.

    Sean

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