45 minutes at the gym...what is the most efficient?

SBerrio
SBerrio Posts: 37 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone.
I try my very best to go to the gym during my lunch hour 5 days/wk. I have 45 minutes that I need to learn to use efficiently.
I take classes 3 days/week. I am on a journey to lose 30 lbs and tone my whole body.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

I've also read that strength training BEFORE getting on the treadmill/elliptical/cardio in general is beneficial because it will have you burning fat longer throughout the day. Any truth to this?

Replies

  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    45 minutes.

    30 minutes cardio, 15 minutes weights (kettlebells)

    30 minutes Power Yoga (body weight training), 15 minutes stretching and aps

    15 minutes arc trainer, 15 minutes kettle bells, 15 minute abs
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member

    I've also read that strength training BEFORE getting on the treadmill/elliptical/cardio in general is beneficial because it will have you burning fat longer throughout the day. Any truth to this?

    No, my Dad is working to become a personal trainer for next year when he retires (yep, got offered a job in his retirement). He warms up for 10 minutes on the elliptical BEFORE doing weights. He spends 60-90 minutes per day in the gym and alternates muscle groups from one day to the next.
  • SBerrio
    SBerrio Posts: 37 Member
    Ive heard conflicting opinions on this topic.
    By the way thats EXCELLENT for your dad.
    Thanks for your help!
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    There's tons of options but what I love doing is warming up on my treadmill for about 10-15 minutes get my heart rate up then do strength training circuits lifting as heavy as I can working 3 different muscles, 8-10 reps, back to back, keeping my heart rate up. Then hop back on treadmill for 10 minutes either putting incline way up or running, again keeping my HR up. Then go back to the weights, I do each set 3 times before moving onto 3 different lifting exercises. I usually end up doing 3 sets of 2 or 3 different moves for each of the muscles I'm working that day. I do this for 60-90 minutes depending on how much time I have. I have had great success, I get high calorie burns, I'm conditioning my muscle and losing fat. Good luck with what you decide!
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    5 minutes - general warm-up. This could include a brisk lap or 2 around the track, 10 squats, 10 side lunges, 10 reverse lunges, 10 jumping jacks, 10 windmills, 10 kicks to opposite hand, 10 burpees, 10 body twists with feet planted, 10 hamstring curls. All of this can be done in 5 minutes.

    25 minutes - strength training with free weights
    Edit: do compound exercises, not isolation exercises.

    10 minutes - HIIT (high intensity interval training) on one of the cardio machines (treadmill, elliptical, bike, rowing machine). One minute all out 100% effort followed by 1-2 minutes on the lowest speed/tension, repeat.

    5 minutes - stretching (don't skip this!)

    You are correct, do strength training before cardio.
  • SBerrio
    SBerrio Posts: 37 Member
    This sounds great! i will def. try this today when I get to them gym.
    thanks so much for your help!
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Ive heard conflicting opinions on this topic.
    By the way thats EXCELLENT for your dad.
    Thanks for your help!

    I've read the same conflicting info. My opinion is do whatever works for you. Either way you're still getting both in. Maybe there is a fat burning benefit by doing strength first but I don't think it would be all that much more of a benefit to make a huge a difference as long as you're getting it in. No matter what you need to do a warm up of some sort before lifting whether it be some cardio or dynamic exercises.
  • johnnsmith803
    johnnsmith803 Posts: 11
    Why is it important to strength train before cardio? I always do the opposite.
  • Iamkim73
    Iamkim73 Posts: 924 Member
    Bump
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
    Yep, I've been told time and time again, cardio after strength is awesome for more fat burning.

    so 45minutes, I can do a 5minutes warm-up in the treadmill, some strength training, pick what you like, sometimes I do

    machines

    or free weights and body weight moves like planks, plank twists, I do dead-lifts, squats, sissy squats, lunges

    and then another 15minutes on the elliptical at about an 8crossramp, 8resistance, or 10-8, or 10-10.

    cool down/stretch
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Why is it important to strength train before cardio? I always do the opposite.

    From what I've read the main benefit of lifting first is to use your glycogen stores up then when you get to cardio you're burning more of your fat stores. Another benefit is to have more energy by lifting first getting more bang for your buck allowing you to lift heavier and stronger. Someone please correct me if I'm not understanding this correctly.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    No, my Dad is working to become a personal trainer for next year when he retires (yep, got offered a job in his retirement). He warms up for 10 minutes on the elliptical BEFORE doing weights. He spends 60-90 minutes per day in the gym and alternates muscle groups from one day to the next.

    10 minutes on the elliptical is the warm-up. I try to go from things that break down muscle the most down to the least. Weight Lifting/Resistance Exercises > HIIT > Endurance Cardio.

    If you're lifting weights look into circuits or supersets. That's basically setting up a lifting program where you go from one exercise to the next immediately with no rest, and alternate muscle groups on exercises so that you're resting that muscle while others are working. This cuts down on time spent lifting tremendously, and is also a really good cardio workout. It's a useful option for lifting on a compressed schedule.

    Another option is to maximize use of compound exercises over isolation exercises. These are the big movements that work bunches of muscle all at once. StrongLifts 5x5 (google it) is an example of this. It's 3 total exercises each time you lift weights and it's a full body workout. I usually take about an hour to do it, but I have lots of warmup sets. Reducing warmup sets and rest time between sets it would be very easy to get it under 30 minutes.

    In terms of cardio, if time is a factor increasing intensity and reducing time is always an option. Consider HIIT (high intensity interval training), things like Tabata training and the like.

    Good luck!
  • recriger
    recriger Posts: 245 Member
    Why is it important to strength train before cardio? I always do the opposite.

    From what I've read the main benefit of lifting first is to use your glycogen stores up then when you get to cardio you're burning more of your fat stores. Another benefit is to have more energy by lifting first getting more bang for your buck allowing you to lift heavier and stronger. Someone please correct me if I'm not understanding this correctly.

    That is what I've heard as well. Muscle burns more calories than fat at any given time, so over the long term we want to promote the growth. The more you can push the muscle, the more it will grow. If you lift first then you'll have all that energy, plus the Glycogen that is mentioned above. I've heard that the fastest way to make muscle grow is to push it to "failure". If you lift after cardio, that failure point is much lower since you've used a lot of your energy. The 5 minutes of cardio at the begining is for blood flow, you won't be doing it long enough to wear you out or for it to count as a cardio workout.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Why is it important to strength train before cardio? I always do the opposite.

    I'm sure there are scientific reasons that would make one more efficient or whatever, but I look at it from a safety perspective. I lift heavy weights, and risk potential injury if my form is off or I'm not focused or whatever (my torn left oblique is testament to that). If I run before lifting, I believe I'm more prone to injury. I think of running or cycling or whatever as safer than lifting weights.
  • SBerrio
    SBerrio Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks everyone for taking the time out to answer. Good luck to you all : )
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Ive heard conflicting opinions on this topic.
    By the way thats EXCELLENT for your dad.
    Thanks for your help!

    Yep, 65 and starting a new career!!!

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