How much time do you dedicate to strengh training?

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TrefG
TrefG Posts: 112 Member
Hi Guys,

Having been doing mainly cardio based exercise for the last few months, I have recently started to incorporate strengh. Normally I have been doing this at the end of some cardio sessions for 10-15 mins but wonder if I need to take it more seriously?

What kind of time do you guys dedicate to strength?

I am normally in the gym 4-5 days a week for 30-60 mins at a time. I'd say 90% of this is normally cardio. Should I be doing more strength and if so, how much time should I be looking to dedicate to it?

Thanks

Trev

Replies

  • Erica002
    Erica002 Posts: 293 Member
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    I would say I do 30 min - 45 min of strength training.
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
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    Depends on your goals, do you want to be a runner? or are you trying to get strong, you've given us too little information.
  • JamesBurkes
    JamesBurkes Posts: 382 Member
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    I normally just do a couple of hours a week, in two sessions.

    Monday I do heavy chest and back exercises, alternating between the two, with maybe 30 - 60 seconds between exercises. I then do some additional shoulder and arm work at the end. Normally around 12 sets for back and chest, and 6 or 7 for shoulders sees me done. This takes about 70 minutes or so.

    On Friday, I do a more metabolic conditioning workout - higher reps, virtually no rest, more dynamic, whole body movements. I've also tried a killer triset routine where I'll do a set of heavy back for 8-12 reps, then go straight to heavy chest for 8 - 12 reps before doing heavy shoulders for 8 - 12 reps. 50 seconds rest then repeat again for a total of 12 trisets. Only takes 40 minutes or so, my heart rate is at spinning levels, and, surprisingly, I can pretty much shift the same weights for the same reps as I do on the Monday workout (it is Hellishly hard, though, so much so that I sometimes can't face it).

    And that's it for weights. Everything else is either mountain biking, spinning, Yoga or Plyometrics / Insanity.

    Then again, that's my weird ol' system.

    You have a variety of choices with weights, though.

    But what you do depends on your goals. Do you want to get bigger or stronger? Or both? Do you want to use weights to get better at a sport/activity or do you want to use weights as an alternative form of cardio?

    Your goals will dictate whether you train the whole body or split it into body parts. Whether you use high reps or low reps, machines, free weights or body weight.

    Without knowing your goals the only sure thing that can be said is make sure you get enough rest between weight workouts - you don't want to be hitting the same bits of the body two days on the trot.
  • TrefG
    TrefG Posts: 112 Member
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    Neither really, or perhaps I should say both. I am trying to lose weight as best as possible but understand the need to tone the muscle as the weight comes to avoid/reduce the problem of loose skin.

    I will never be a "skinny" guy, as even in the days I was playing a ghood level of sport I was always broad, but am eager to have a reasonable body shape.

    Not sure if any of that helps.
  • TrefG
    TrefG Posts: 112 Member
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    I normally just do a couple of hours a week, in two sessions.

    Monday I do heavy chest and back exercises, alternating between the two, with maybe 30 - 60 seconds between exercises. I then do some additional shoulder and arm work at the end. Normally around 12 sets for back and chest, and 6 or 7 for shoulders sees me done. This takes about 70 minutes or so.

    On Friday, I do a more metabolic conditioning workout - higher reps, virtually no rest, more dynamic, whole body movements. I've also tried a killer triset routine where I'll do a set of heavy back for 8-12 reps, then go straight to heavy chest for 8 - 12 reps before doing heavy shoulders for 8 - 12 reps. 50 seconds rest then repeat again for a total of 12 trisets. Only takes 40 minutes or so, my heart rate is at spinning levels, and, surprisingly, I can pretty much shift the same weights for the same reps as I do on the Monday workout (it is Hellishly hard, though, so much so that I sometimes can't face it).

    And that's it for weights. Everything else is either mountain biking, spinning, Yoga or Plyometrics / Insanity.

    Then again, that's my weird ol' system.

    You have a variety of choices with weights, though.

    But what you do depends on your goals. Do you want to get bigger or stronger? Or both? Do you want to use weights to get better at a sport/activity or do you want to use weights as an alternative form of cardio?

    Your goals will dictate whether you train the whole body or split it into body parts. Whether you use high reps or low reps, machines, free weights or body weight.

    Without knowing your goals the only sure thing that can be said is make sure you get enough rest between weight workouts - you don't want to be hitting the same bits of the body two days on the trot.

    Thanks for that, very informative !

    I'm certainly not looking to bulk up, just want to define what I have better. I'm still quite top-heavy so I guess I'm mainly looking to build muscle in the arms and anything that I can do which will help lose the fat and define the chest and tummy areas.
  • sapphirelazuli
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    My tip is to do a small cardio warm up, then strength, then more cardio if you want to. If you do cardio first, you use up more energy and therefore can't lift as heavy as you would be able to before heavy cardio :)
  • JamesBurkes
    JamesBurkes Posts: 382 Member
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    Well, I've always had big legs which is why I commit the gym crime of not training legs (other than with cycling etc). I have the dual goal of getting bigger, but I also want to get in an extra "cardio" workout per week (as I am running a half marathon and doing a 1 mile open swim later in the year) that doesn't work my legs too much . I do so much plyo and cycling etc that my legs are just toast, so getting an extra cardio workout with weights suits me fine.

    So Monday I train traditional bodybuilder-style, although I do keep the rests between sets lowish so I get a bit wheezy.

    But Friday is my "cardio-weight" day. As I say, on Fridays I'll sometimes do a Crossfit Workout of the Day, other times I'll do a DVD (like ASYLUM - "Strength"). Other times I'll do my triset circuit. Nothing gets the blood pumping like a set of chins to failure, then a set of bench press then a set of dumbbell press, before doing it all over again after a short rest....

    If you're not after "bulk" maybe a whole body routine 2 - 3 times a week, with cardio on your off-days?
  • TrefG
    TrefG Posts: 112 Member
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    Thanks James, much appreciated.
  • eayal002
    eayal002 Posts: 186
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    depends what I'm working out but usually 60 to 75 minutes of weight training.
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
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    While on a cycle i train for about 2 hours. off cycle i spend an hour lifting and get out. For cardio i do 20 min met-cons
  • thefuzz1290
    thefuzz1290 Posts: 777 Member
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    ~4 hours a week