Any advice from a personal trainer? (or others)

mnec2010
mnec2010 Posts: 132 Member
edited October 2 in Fitness and Exercise
Happy Saturday everyone!

My question..... I used to work out a bunch, but I recently got a job as a teacher (my very first year teaching, yay!) and I find very little time for the gym now because Im so busy or tired. So I can really only work out at the gym 2-3 days a week for a couple of hours. Right now Im 5'7, 140 lbs. Id like to be toned but I do still have quite a bit of fat on my stomach and thighs. Should I be doing mainly cardio until I can lose a few more lbs? what types of toning exercises should I be doing? I never know how much cardio vs strength I should do, or how many reps, etc.....and my gym is limited in strength equipment.... HELP please !! :(

Replies

  • psb13
    psb13 Posts: 629
    bumping to see the replies
  • editara13
    editara13 Posts: 384 Member
    Thank god these days Google is the best adviser and all my workout routine is based from you tube videos which you can find it there easily and from Google. Have a great weekend :-)

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    Hi!
    If you are really pushed for time, I would do cardio on all 3 of those days, and on 2 of the days set aside 10-20 minutes after your cardio for strength training of large muscle groups and arms. You can pump out a couple of sets on several groups in this time frame if you don't tend to sit around on the machines for long breaks like a lot of people do. You can also do a lot of strength training moves at home with your own body weight or with different items for weights. Some ideas are squats, lunges, push us (I do the knee pushups), etc. I would invest in a couple of 3 and 5 lb handweights :) Good luck!
  • ChrisWag
    ChrisWag Posts: 169
    You need to gain muscle too, cardio is great...but to really "reshape" you need muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat anyhow. Incorporate both cardio and toning into your workouts. I typically do 30 min cardio and then some sort of weight/sculpting workout. Pilates, free weights, or just resistance with my own body weight or bands....
    Hope this helps :)
  • keola64
    keola64 Posts: 207 Member
    Thank god these days Google is the best adviser and all my workout routine is based from you tube videos which you can find it there easily and from Google. Have a great weekend :-)

    3574379.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods


    I agree knowledge is power I learned a lot using Google search, regarding personal needs for your goals to be met
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    First of all, congratulations on getting a job--there are a lot of new grads out there looking with no such luck.

    Good news: you are now gainfully employed in an occupation where you can make a difference in people's lives.

    Bad news: Welcome to working 14 hour days, weekends, and having people tell you you are lazy and overpaid.

    The best thing you have going is that your age and the fact that you are not completely inactive.

    I don't know your current fitness level, but I would recommend that you try to put together a program that consists of higher-intensity, circuit type training. Since you are going to have minimal time to exercise during the school year, you need to maximize your workout time. Personally, I would not think in terms of "couple of hour" workouts. I would focus on building up to 30-40 min workouts that include cardio and strength movements done at a higher-intensity effort level. Shoot for 2-3 workouts/week. IMO, based on what I have seen from many teachers (both at our fitness center and at home), the biggest problem with teachers is that they get overwhelmed and the mental and physical effort required to do a longer workout is just too much so they stop completely. It would be better to stick to a consistent 2-3 days/wk schedule, no matter how minimal the workout.
  • rdunke
    rdunke Posts: 14 Member
    I don't know your current fitness level, but I would recommend that you try to put together a program that consists of higher-intensity, circuit type training. Since you are going to have minimal time to exercise during the school year, you need to maximize your workout time. Personally, I would not think in terms of "couple of hour" workouts. I would focus on building up to 30-40 min workouts that include cardio and strength movements done at a higher-intensity effort level. Shoot for 2-3 workouts/week. IMO, based on what I have seen from many teachers (both at our fitness center and at home), the biggest problem with teachers is that they get overwhelmed and the mental and physical effort required to do a longer workout is just too much so they stop completely. It would be better to stick to a consistent 2-3 days/wk schedule, no matter how minimal the workout.

    ^^ This ^^
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