Working out all at once or breaking it up throughout the day

mjemerson
mjemerson Posts: 141
edited December 16 in Fitness and Exercise
So my question is which is the best way to workout...A. doing your workout all at once or B. breaking up your workout into smaller times throughout the day.
Just as an example: if I wanted to do 30-45 min on the elliptical would breaking it down to 10-15 minute times- morning, afternoon and evening be any better or the same as just doing the full 30-45 minutes all at once.
I guess another option would be doing cardio in the morning and weights in the evening or vice versa...

Replies

  • lmd172
    lmd172 Posts: 172
    i'm curious about this too....
  • NubianSpirit
    NubianSpirit Posts: 101 Member
    in terms of actual benefit, i think that this question might be best answered by a trainer (i'm guessing there are a few out there/here).

    my 2-cents on the matter is, whatever it takes for you to get your workout in is better than not doing it at all:

    1) chances are you are probably busy, do you have a big block of time you can dedicate to being in the gym? if you do, i'm jealous bc i don't. while i'd love to regularly put in an hour+ on my workouts, the responsibilities of being a real-live, grown-up adult type person tend to get in the way (much to my disappointment).

    2) if you push yourself too hard, you could end up with an injury. for example, i recently did a half-marathon which meant that i was spending increasing amounts of time on the weekend running (my mid-week runs were shorter, 30-45 minutes). on the days of my longest runs, i would be out there for 2+ hours. i also integrated some strength training into the mix with the jillian michaels 30 day shred. short run through the neighborhood, then home to get my 30ds on, no problem. on the long run days however, if i got to the 30ds at all it was a few hours later (after a goodly amount of stretching and some chores.)

    3) last thing, i believe that i read somewhere that starting your day with a workout is good bc it gets your metabolism revved for the day. if you think of the body as a machine, then it would stand to reason that breaking up your workout into 3 segments: morning, afternoon, and evening, would result in your metabolism running on high all day bc you are recharging it before it fully comes back down.

    ok, so maybe that's 3-cents ... :wink:
    at any rate, i'm eager to see what kind of info/suggestions others have on the matter too
  • SavCal71
    SavCal71 Posts: 350 Member
    The best option for working out will ALWAYS be the workout you'll actually do. If breaking it up means you'll do it more faithfully and with more gusto, break it up. If doing it all at once means you can schedule it into your day better and thus do it more faithfully, then do it all at once.

    doesn't matter how, when, where ... just do it.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I've heard that it's better to have increased activity throughout the day rather than spending an hour at the gym and sitting at a desk all day. If this is true, smaller amounts of exercise multiple times a day would be better.
  • cbrister07
    cbrister07 Posts: 34 Member
    I'm curious about this also. I try to work out once in the morning and then once in the afternoon. Since I've changed to doing it twice per day I seem to be meeting my exercise goals. I seem to dread going and staying in the gym for an hour or more at one time.
  • lizzzylou
    lizzzylou Posts: 325
    Just my opinion, but by breaking up my workouts into small time frames I don't feel as much of a benefit. At 15 minutes, I'm basically just getting warmed up. If I were to stop there my heart rate does not get going as much and I dont sweat as much. Personal preference, but after I finish my work out I wouldn't want to meet a dashing stranger because I just put 45 minutes into an intense cardio. However, it's understandable if you don't have the time. I've always found it annoying people who make excuses for not working out b/c then didn't have a full 2 hours to do it. A short work out is better than no work out,
  • cannonsky
    cannonsky Posts: 850 Member
    I think that there might be something to doing the whole workout at once. Because then you have you heart rate increased over a longer period of time and will burn more calories, maybe? I use a HRM while I work out and I notice when I'm doing cardio that the longer I'm on the bike the more calories I burn per minute. It could just be me though. I agree with SavCal71 though, the best option is something that you know you can stick to!
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
    It really doesn't matter how you approach it, because you'll respond differently to different workout styles. I like to break up my workouts some days, because it helps me get a break, and attack the individual workouts with more intensity. Other days, I just want to get it all out of the way at once, and that works. I don't have a specific way of approaching it, actually, because I like to keep things loose and flexible, so I don't get bored.
  • Thebestloveieverhad
    Thebestloveieverhad Posts: 4 Member
    I think that it would mostly give you more energy by breaking it up into multiple times which would help you get off your butt more giving you a more active life that will give you more calories burned. I think that this might be better for people starting off and lacking energy but a lot of people lack the time or motivation to go multiple times a day. As far as calories you would probably burn in just the work out time with it would be more in one session but not that big of a difference. I prefer breaking into multiple times a day. I feel better and this helps me with motivation with food intake also.
  • daisyverma
    daisyverma Posts: 234 Member
    I think whatever works for you and your schedule is the best method

    This way you will commit to it.

    From what is out there in terms of research and I have seen on various health shows, its best to work out more times than longer times. i.e rather than spending 3 hrs at the gym on sat and sunday, do 30 min each day, switching from high to low intensity during the work out

    For me I have no time in the morning, so i workout 30 min in the evening, and its an activity of my choice. as long as I am moving and my heart is pumping, i am happy
  • lizzzylou
    lizzzylou Posts: 325
    Also, I think mentally I would hate working out 4 times a day, for example. One a day I only have to psyc myself up to do it once. Plus I don't have to re-get ready again.
  • only2bfit
    only2bfit Posts: 44
    I'm no trainer but I think that it depends how many days a week you work out.. you don't wanna work out in the morning and at night if you're working out 6-7 days a week because you need time for your muscles to recover, especially if its an intense workout.. but on the other hand it might allow you to put more effort into your work outs if they're divided throughout the day. Just my thoughts :)
  • aj_31
    aj_31 Posts: 994 Member
    I have no idea but I try for 2x a day. I usually try and either do cardio or lifting on my lunch and then to opposite at night. Both for about an hour - so 2 hrs total. I've heard that you get better benefits if you lift for at least 20 min before doing any cardio but I think any exercise is better than nothing and sometimes depending on my lifting routine I have to lift at night at my bigger gym.
  • M1chelles5
    M1chelles5 Posts: 107
    If your motivated I say go for it! Your endurance will increase too.
  • mjemerson
    mjemerson Posts: 141
    Thanks everyone for your opinions. I have done it both ways in the past. I found though that I can do much more intense workouts if I know I am only doing 10-15 minutes. I also feel like if you broke it up it would help to keep your metabolism up throughout the whole day. Just my opinion but I really like hearing what you guys all think too.
    Thanks!!!
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