30 Minutes 3 times a week????

Life_is_Good
Life_is_Good Posts: 361 Member
edited September 18 in Fitness and Exercise
I was a member of Curves about 4 years ago (nice low impact program by the way)... They taught/recommended 30 minute workouts 3 times a week for optimal results. (skipping a day in between workouts)

My husband & I joined a different health club about a month ago & I have been following this 30 minute rule.

I see other postings - more time working out - working out daily, etc..

My question is:
What is the best workout schedule for the better results?

Replies

  • Life_is_Good
    Life_is_Good Posts: 361 Member
    I was a member of Curves about 4 years ago (nice low impact program by the way)... They taught/recommended 30 minute workouts 3 times a week for optimal results. (skipping a day in between workouts)

    My husband & I joined a different health club about a month ago & I have been following this 30 minute rule.

    I see other postings - more time working out - working out daily, etc..

    My question is:
    What is the best workout schedule for the better results?
  • auntkaren
    auntkaren Posts: 1,490 Member
    I'm not sure what is the best, but my exercise program has me for 3 times 30 minutes, but I usually do some walking everyday because I can do the 30 minutes but it also requires me to burn 300 calories which walking only burns about 125 so I think it averages out by me doing it everyday. Not sure how to figure it all yet. I am going over on the minutes and probably coming close to the calories I am suppose to burn. Doubt this was any help, but this is how I do.
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    I'm working out 6 days a week, taking wednesdays off. But I am still at fairly low impact....... I'm working my way up, I do all that my body can handle! I don't really know what's best..... If you were told 3 times a week at curves, then maybe that is whats best for you, maybe it varies based on gender, age bracket, weight etc. I'm not sure, I just try to push myself to do all that I can handle.
  • poubre
    poubre Posts: 32
    Definitely the more you can workout, the better and more efficiently you'll lose weight. However, I assume that most people have other things to do besides workout :). So, the important thing is to judge how much time you can and WILL commit to working out and stick to that. If you get home early from work one day and decide, "Hey, let's go for a jog!" Then go do it! There is such a thing as overtraining, but that's for people that run a lot and do weightlifting. Your body will tell you in its ever so miraculous way when it doesn't want to work out. Always listen to your body (except when it says I'm hungry, haha).

    For me, I've been dieting for almost a year now. I started out jogging 3 times a week. I was living on a Caribbean island at the time, so it was brutally hot and mountainous. Needless to say, when I started, I ran for 5 minutes and crawled back to my apartment. I slowly worked my way up adding a few extra minutes each week. The recommended increase is no more than 15% per week.

    Now (not to toot my horn but just to give an example of what YOU can do, too), I run 4-5 times per week. 3 times a week I do 6 mile runs, and in between those 3 runs, I do very slow 3 mile runs. On my slow run days, I also go lift weights to help burn calories as well. I can do this right now because my schedule allows for it and my body is becoming in tune to endurance. Does it mean you have to do it? Nope. I'm just giving you an example of what you can become. I've been a fatty all my life, so I'm no different :).

    Hope this helps and wasn't too cocky.

    Philip
  • mzrobbie
    mzrobbie Posts: 33
    What I've learned after YEARS of resarch: 30min of cardio 3x/wk is the minimum you need for cardiovascular health. Obviously, any exercise is better than no exercise! But if you really want to lose weight, you should strive for 5-6x/wk, 45-60 min of cardio. Optimally, you should add in 30min 3x/wk of weightlifting for muscle strength, bone strength, and beautiful definition! By the way, there is no reason to limit your cardio to every-other-day. That's only for weightlifting because when you lift weights, you are actually tearing down the muscle fibers. It is during the 24 hours of rest in between that the fibers recover and actually get stronger.

    Personally, I can't always keep up with what's optimal. I usually do 45-60 min of cardio 3x/week (Tues, Thurs and one weekend day). For Mon, Wed and Fri, I do an hour of weightlifting and pilates (I work out with a trainer) and about 30 min of cardio. When I'm desperate to drop a few lbs, I notice that upping my cardio to 60min 6x/wk makes a HUGE difference (but that kills my knees, so I only save that kind of schedule for upcoming beach vacations, formal events, etc!).

    Hope that helps!:flowerforyou:
  • emtink
    emtink Posts: 387 Member
    i was a curves member too, and i think they recommend 30 min, 3 times a week because they don't want people to injure themselves. since they cater to women of all fitness levels, they need to careful of people over-exerting themselves. i was frequently told at curves that i was pushing too hard! that got a little frustrating, as most days i didn't even break a sweat during my "workout". so, i quit curves and started focusing on dancing. has anyone else this experience with curves, or am i the weirdo?

    i say do what feels best for you, as long you are doing a minimum of 30x 3 each week. the important thing is to do something:flowerforyou:
  • annhjk
    annhjk Posts: 794 Member
    I think the thought behind Curves 30 min, every other day philosophy is that they are basically strength training, which I've been told need a day in between to recover. If you want to do more cardio - without weights - then you can do it as often as you feel up to because it's not tearing/building muscle (some people do 2x a day or more :noway: )

    I hope that makes sense.
  • RKJR925
    RKJR925 Posts: 254
    4 times a week for at leat 20 minutes non-stop.

    This creates what is called "Oxygen Debt" and your metabolism must pick up the pace to continue to supply your cells with Oxygen.

    That comes from Dr. Michael Giourard an MD specializing in bariatric medicine
  • poubre
    poubre Posts: 32
    4 times a week for at leat 20 minutes non-stop.

    This creates what is called "Oxygen Debt" and your metabolism must pick up the pace to continue to supply your cells with Oxygen.

    That comes from Dr. Michael Giourard an MD specializing in bariatric medicine

    I agree with you, but I have to add an air of caution. This "oxygen debt" you speak of is where you start feeling the "burn." While working hard enough to feel some "burn" is good, the "burn" is also what stops you from working out. So, the best exercise will be the one that raises your heart rate, causes you to sweat, but doesn't make you stop because it "burns."

    Burning the most amount of calories comes from constant elevation of heart rate. The higher the heart rate, the more you burn. Moreover, the longer you keep an elevated heart rate, the more you burn. So, what's easier to do? Sprint 5 minutes or jog for 30? Jogging for 30 minutes is peaceful and burns a lot more calories than if you just did a 5 minute sprint (and sprinting hurts a LOT more).

    On the flip side, if you're just casually walking and not even raising your heart rate, you might as well just sit down. Make sense? :)

    Philip
  • peej76
    peej76 Posts: 1,250 Member
    From what I have read, 60 min 5x's a week is for weight loss, and 3x's a week for weight maintenance. I think I got it out of Shape or Fitness mags. I think you should be your own judge, is 30 min 3x's a week working for you? If so, I would stick with that plan, if not, maybe start trying 30 min 5x's a week, and if that doesn't work go to the 60 min 5x's. Good luck!!
  • Life_is_Good
    Life_is_Good Posts: 361 Member
    Thanks to everyone... lots of good info / advice.

    I am going to bump my workout time & days per week. At first 3 days / 30 minutes was enough, but now it's time to crank things up a bit.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    It actually depends on your training level. For me, 30 minutes 3 times a week would be just enough to maintain my current strength levels, but it would be difficult to maintain fat loss and in the end trying to fit everything I need to do into such a small timeframe would lead to detraining. I've been lifting for about 3 years now, so 6 days a week (5 lifting, 6 cardio) is acceptable and pretty much the norm.

    If you're a beginner with no training experience, two days of resistance training is all you need, with enough time to perform 1-2 sets of 10-15 repetitions for each major muscle group.

    After about 3 months of training at that level, you can increase resistance sessions to 3 times per week.
    After 6 months of training, 4 times.
    After 9 months, 5 times.
    At a year's worth of training, you can safely lift 6 times per week.

    Cardio increases in a similar fashion. You can start at 20 min., 3 times per week, and increase it as it becomes easier. You can increase the time, intensity, and/or frequency of your cardio sessions along with your lifting sessions.

    The BEST way to train is in a way that is APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR TRAINING LEVEL. There is no maintenance or improvement stage that is uniform for everyone. As you become more trained, you'll have to work harder to improve.


    And just as a side note re: "The Burn"
    The 'burn' is the build up of lactic acid, which occurs when you are performing an activity without oxygen, or anaerobically (like a sprint or lifting). You're still breathing, but you can't transport the oxygen fast enough. Training this way won't actually increase your mitochondrion; it'll make you better at anaerobic work. If you want to improve your aerobic performance and increase mitochondrion, you have to perform aerobic work. It's the simplest principle for training...if you want to get better at something, do it often.
  • icandoit
    icandoit Posts: 4,163 Member
    It actually depends on your training level. For me, 30 minutes 3 times a week would be just enough to maintain my current strength levels, but it would be difficult to maintain fat loss and in the end trying to fit everything I need to do into such a small timeframe would lead to detraining. I've been lifting for about 3 years now, so 6 days a week (5 lifting, 6 cardio) is acceptable and pretty much the norm.

    If you're a beginner with no training experience, two days of resistance training is all you need, with enough time to perform 1-2 sets of 10-15 repetitions for each major muscle group.

    After about 3 months of training at that level, you can increase resistance sessions to 3 times per week.
    After 6 months of training, 4 times.
    After 9 months, 5 times.
    At a year's worth of training, you can safely lift 6 times per week.

    Cardio increases in a similar fashion. You can start at 20 min., 3 times per week, and increase it as it becomes easier. You can increase the time, intensity, and/or frequency of your cardio sessions along with your lifting sessions.

    The BEST way to train is in a way that is APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR TRAINING LEVEL. There is no maintenance or improvement stage that is uniform for everyone. As you become more trained, you'll have to work harder to improve.


    And just as a side note re: "The Burn"
    The 'burn' is the build up of lactic acid, which occurs when you are performing an activity without oxygen, or anaerobically (like a sprint or lifting). You're still breathing, but you can't transport the oxygen fast enough. Training this way won't actually increase your mitochondrion; it'll make you better at anaerobic work. If you want to improve your aerobic performance and increase mitochondrion, you have to perform aerobic work. It's the simplest principle for training...if you want to get better at something, do it often.

    Nice to see you songbyrdsweet!!
  • Life_is_Good
    Life_is_Good Posts: 361 Member
    The "burn"

    Aerobic - I generally feel this right away, but it goes away in 5-10 min.

    Weights - I feel this when I get into 2nd or 3rd set of reps

    Normal? or should I be pushing harder
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    Hi everyone,

    My trainer has advised me to do max 3 weight training and min 3 cardio sessions per week. I try and do these on the same days and sometimes I add in extra 1 or 2 cardio workouts. I think working a regular workout routine into your schedule is really important whether ot be 7 days a week or 3.
  • poubre
    poubre Posts: 32
    The "burn"

    Aerobic - I generally feel this right away, but it goes away in 5-10 min.

    Weights - I feel this when I get into 2nd or 3rd set of reps

    Normal? or should I be pushing harder

    Excellent description of the burn by Songbyrdsweet :).

    As for this quoted test, it sounds like you're doing it right! Looks like you're pushing the right amount. Only you can be the real judge though :). You should feel the "burn" at the end of a workout, but it shouldn't be the reason you quit.

    Philip
  • lk14040
    lk14040 Posts: 90
    I read in a mens health book, that resting days in between your workouts gives your body a rest and also thats when your muscle actually grows, when your not working it. So I try to do my workout videos/ abs/ and arms 3 days a week, and on my rest days I try to get in a walk or jog, or something small.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    The "burn"

    Aerobic - I generally feel this right away, but it goes away in 5-10 min.

    Weights - I feel this when I get into 2nd or 3rd set of reps

    Normal? or should I be pushing harder

    It will take upwards of 15-60 seconds of activity before you use the energy system that causes lactic acid buildup. It can happen at the beginning of aerobic activity if you start off a bit too fast and surpass your lactic acid threshold, or the point at which you begin anaerobic activity; this can cause premature fatigue in runners. It's best to warm up for about 5 minutes, gradually increasing your heart rate, rather than starting off at the same level you'll be using for work.

    Not all weightlifting will promote lactic acid buildup. If your reps are very low, <6, you won't get any. If you are using a weight that isn't challenging enough, you won't get any. If you are taking long rests (over a minute) you won't get much, if any. Lactic acid buildup occurs the most in sets that greatly increase heart rate, last more than 15 seconds to complete, and are followed by short rests (30-45 sec).

    That said, lactic acid buildup isn't necessary for strength gains. It is a key in increasing muscular size, however, so if that's a goal, you do want to try to get and maintain a pump/burn.
  • Spartan112
    Spartan112 Posts: 3
    You can actually lift on successive days but if you do you should be working different muscle groups, ie chest and triceps one day and biceps and back/shoulders the next.

    I generally do an hour+ of cardio daily and lift 4 days a week.
  • charlie's girl
    charlie's girl Posts: 30
    I was a member of Curves for almost a year as well. I didn't lose a pound! I need MORE exercise and intensity. You are still young and not that overweight, so if you are in good health then I think you should try 5-6 times per week of cardio for at least 45 minutes each. It should make you sweat! I would STRONGLY suggest buying a heart rate monitor. It has truly been a God send for me. This is the MOST motivated I have ever been to exercise in 20 years. I have been a regular exerciser my entire life, but just 2 weeks ago I started wogging (walk for a while until my heart rate monitor beeps at me, and then jog until it beeps at me again to slow down). I have wogged for 3 miles EVERY day except one for the past 12 days!! It's awesome and you burn a ton of calories. The first 3/4 mile is rough, but then you seem to get a second wind and it is such a wonderful feeling!! Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

    Good luck!!:smile:
  • Helawat
    Helawat Posts: 605 Member
    I do 45-60 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. If I did it for 30 minutes 3x per week I would see a decline in my performance and weight loss speed.

    I've been losing 1 pound a week now and it's great so far. I'm at a healthy BMI and I have a feeling that if I did less, I wouldn't be losing as much weight as I have been.
  • Life_is_Good
    Life_is_Good Posts: 361 Member
    songbyrdsweet-
    Thank you for your advice ... my 18 year old son has been slowly getting me into the weightlifting to tone up (very foreign to me). I do trust him as my "trainer", I just don't think he always understands the difference between a middle-aged out of shape woman vs. an athletic 18 year old.

    Maybe I can impress him a little with my new knowledge :happy:
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