Breaking up workouts?

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art3mislecter
art3mislecter Posts: 57 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Say I'm aiming for 45 minutes a day. If I go running for twenty minutes in the morning, and work out again for 25 minutes after dinner that night, am I still getting an effective workout as opposed to doing all of it at once?

Replies

  • FlyeredUp
    FlyeredUp Posts: 663 Member
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    I have never tried to break up my workouts and mine take between 50-70 minutes per day but the important thing is that you implement a workout schedule/program that you can stick to for the long haul. If breaking up your workouts fits better into your daily life then don't worry about if they would be more effective if you did them all at once or not. Just try to set a workout schedule that you can stick to day in and day out, thats the most important thing. Good Luck.
  • justdoit_steph
    justdoit_steph Posts: 112
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    Bump - I'm also curious.
  • ESRocks
    ESRocks Posts: 6 Member
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    I would like to know the answer to that one too.
  • PShep17
    PShep17 Posts: 221 Member
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    I do this sometimes and imagine it still works. Burning calories is burning calories to me. I just don't count my warm up when logging!
  • DavidOfOz
    DavidOfOz Posts: 225
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    Interesting.! I was expecting to read that you had broken up with your partner and were going to tear it up at the gym! They have been some of my best workouts!!
  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Yes, it is fine according to the CDC guidelines: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html
  • jdploki70
    jdploki70 Posts: 343
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    I don't know if it's ineffective, but I do know what my doctors have told me in the past. The point of cardio is to get your heart rate up and maintain that heart rate for an extended period of time. This means that if you are breaking up your workouts, and you are a normal person, some of that initial time both times is spent getting your heart rate up to a burning level. You can break them up, but I doubt it will be more or as effective.
  • kgprice11
    kgprice11 Posts: 750 Member
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    Yes because if you are running then lifting those are two totally different workouts, strength training you do not burn calories you just build muscle whereas cadio is where you burn fat calories :)
  • kgprice11
    kgprice11 Posts: 750 Member
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    IF your running both in the morning and in the evening then it could work either way it could benefit you or hurt you you will have to try and see. :)
  • Lwillis1234
    Lwillis1234 Posts: 990 Member
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    Interesting.! I was expecting to read that you had broken up with your partner and were going to tear it up at the gym! They have been some of my best workouts!!

    I thought it was too!!
  • Newfifer
    Newfifer Posts: 7
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    Interesting.! I was expecting to read that you had broken up with your partner and were going to tear it up at the gym! They have been some of my best workouts!!

    lol, same here:-)
  • coraliethomas
    coraliethomas Posts: 336 Member
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    Interesting.! I was expecting to read that you had broken up with your partner and were going to tear it up at the gym! They have been some of my best workouts!!

    I thought it was too!!

    Ditto... my inner Jerry Springer addict was hoping for some juicy story :(
  • jesusHchris
    jesusHchris Posts: 1,405 Member
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    Interesting.! I was expecting to read that you had broken up with your partner and were going to tear it up at the gym! They have been some of my best workouts!!

    I thought it was too!!

    Me three! I had a couple of suggestions:

    - Shadow boxing with your wall
    - Running from new boyfriend's house after he calls the police
    - Sweating over the fire you made from clothes she left at your place
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    I'm don't really buy this idea, but some trainers claim that you burn more calories throughout the day if you do one 60 minute workout instead of 6 ten minute workouts. They attribute the difference to something they call "afterburn." I've never read anything that conclusively supports it. I'm a big fan of the idea that getting active in general is more important than what you actually do (as long as you are challenging yourself and changing it up). If two twenty minute workouts is what you can fit in, it should be fine
  • tdm2592
    tdm2592 Posts: 30
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    I wouldn't think you get nearly the same impact if you break it up. A single session should burn more calories because you maintain an elevated heart rate for a longer period of time. If you stop and then start again, you have less time spent within your target range (60% - 70% of maximum).
  • Shakila87
    Shakila87 Posts: 70
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    I read that as long as you workout for 60 minutes a day it is totally okay to split it up. I saw on Dr. Oz or The Doctor's (I don't always agree with them) but he said that working out twice a day will boost your metablolism so I could see that being beneficial. I do strength in the AM and Cardio in the PM I switch it up throughout the week. Good luck to you!
  • art3mislecter
    art3mislecter Posts: 57 Member
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    Interesting.! I was expecting to read that you had broken up with your partner and were going to tear it up at the gym! They have been some of my best workouts!!

    LOL. Sorry for the confusion! Thank you guys for replying =) I just find it easier to fit in... maybe I'll try it both ways and see which seems to work better.
  • MsMargie1116
    MsMargie1116 Posts: 323 Member
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    Say I'm aiming for 45 minutes a day. If I go running for twenty minutes in the morning, and work out again for 25 minutes after dinner that night, am I still getting an effective workout as opposed to doing all of it at once?

    Yep, just as effective. I've seen this info from many trainers.

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