contingencyplan Member

To be honest if intensity is what you're looking for, cardio alone isn't the answer. Beyond a certain point, the only thing you can do to make cardio "harder" is to do it for longer. The only way to change that is to add a resistance/strength training element to it, such as circuit training.

Generally speaking, pre-fab programs weren't designed with the idea in mind that you're going to be stacking them with additional forms of exercise. And unless you're an elite athlete, doing so will usually hinder performance in both workouts. The only exception I can think of is Rushfit, a circuit training based DVD…

If you have questions about how to "create" a strength training workout, your best bet is not to try to. Use an established program created by experts, such as Starting Strength, Stronglifts, or New Rules of Lifting for Women. You may have to drop some (but not all!) of the cardio you're doing due to the increased emphasis…

Where do you get your strength training from? Just curious

Fasted workouts are fine. But it's not for everyone. Many people have a hard time performing immediately upon waking and need time to collect themselves. Others don't perform well on an empty stomach. I know that I have to really scale back the intensity of my workouts when I work out in the AM because I don't perform well…

P90 is a very beginner focused workout program. If you have the capacity within you to do more, or to stack it with additional exercise, it's not the program for you. You'd be better off with something tailored to your fitness level and do only that. That being said, over 110 lbs weight loss in 6 months is difficult.

Regardless of your goals, if you are a relative beginner you should focus on full body workouts that don't really place any emphasis on one body part over another.

This depends on what you do for exercise. High intensity workouts typically involve having to wear clothes that allow for much better breathability, have moisture wicking properties, and don't hinder range of motion in the way jeans do. Would you attempt to go through a full on yoga session in jeans? Would you attempt to…

I have high functioning autism and I stim. I don't factor it into my TDEE.

This was my experience too. A while back I experimented with paleo. Everything was cooked from fresh meats and produce and I stopped putting salt on anything or cooking with it. I stopped being able to go out to eat because EVERYTHING after a while tasted too salty.

The reason you didn't get any better than them is because 30DS has you doing high rep sets, which does not train strength but endurance. Seeing actual strength gains means using enough resistance to ensure you can only manage a single digit number of reps. Pacing yourself so that you can go for timed sets is cardio, not…

Actual strength training workouts are rarely ever presented in a follow-along format on a DVD. Unless you have access to a wide selection of weights in order to employ linear progression, your best bet is to follow a 100% bodyweight based program such as the ones named by rock_po above me.

I have this problem as well which is why I do them from my fists or using pushup stands. Better quality workout and no wrist pressure.

Jump rope.

Splitting the workout up into segments like that to do at various parts throughout the day is not good when the workouts are high intensity in nature, especially as a beginner. When you finish your workout your muscles enter into a state of repair/recovery, and trying to do more work later on before they've completed this…

And why are you recommending stronglifts to someone who just said they can't go to a gym?

Gaining muscle is all about eating at a calorie surplus while following a linear progression based program. If you are not knowledgeable enough to understand what exactly you should be doing, then your best bet is not to ask these questions you asked, but rather "what program should I be following?" If you are training at…

Inconsistency can be a sign that the methods you're trying to use are too extreme to be sustainable. If you're willing to accept that results will come more slowly than you may want, you can try something more gradual.

Regardless of your goal, dumbbells are a worthwhile investment. If you can afford to, get adjustable ones like Powerblocks because you never really outgrow them. If you can't afford that and can only afford to get one single pair of dumbbells for the time being, use the shoulder press to be your guide. Using circuit…

When it comes to fat loss, generally speaking, supplements play a very very very small part. The impact they have is so minimal that it could be argued it is, in many cases, just placebo effect. For the price of 3-4 months worth of those supplements you could buy a set of Powerblock adjustable dumbbells that go up to 50…

If you bothered to read the booklet that comes with the program you'll see it tells you to take measurements only monthly, not weekly. You will see fluctuations if you measure more frequently than that which will drive you crazy. You need to cut back to your weigh-ins and measurements monthly, not weekly. If you can't do…

That depends on the format. When you're doing full body on your workouts, generally yes as your muscles need a rest day. The only people who can strength train more frequently than every other day are people splitting their workouts into different muscle groups on different days, similar to what Body Beast or P90X does.

A hybrid of 3 programs is a bit excessive. That being said, with ChaLEAN extreme, the 3x a week strength training workouts are a must. You can sub out the other 2 days a week of cardio/recovery work for other forms of cardio, but that's about it. Piyo is essentially cardio with yoga/pilates elements added in. It trains…

If your trainer is recommending walking as your only form of exercise in between your 2x a week training sessions, it's probably because they aren't confident enough yet in your ability to safely do more high intensity work in between your 2 sessions a week. Probably trying to ease you back into it safely. Trust the…

Being at a gym generally means getting more "bang for your buck" in terms of time spent exercising vs. calories burned/muscles worked, mainly due to what you can do with the sheer amount of equipment you will have access to. It means being able to get more actual "work" done with far fewer movements. When working out at…

No, it's just cardio. Strength training involves working with much higher weight loads so that you can only manage a relatively low amount of reps.

Currently breastfeeding AND doing Insanity? 1200 is not enough. Not nearly enough. You have needs here that aren't being met. Have you even read the Insanity Nutrition Guide? It tells you nobody following this program should be eating less than 1500. At your height/weight? More like 1800. Breastfeeding? Add a bit more.

My gym is in my bedroom. I've tried going to gyms in the past but none were close by. I had to travel a good 20+ minutes to get to the nearest one, and when you have to travel THAT far to get to the gym, it's very difficult to stay motivated. A 45 minute workout can turn into 2 and a half hours of your evening counting the…

You can't lose weight and build muscle at the same time, no. Whether muscle or fat the rules are the same. Adding to your body requires a surplus, subtracting from it requires a deficit. Additionally, I hope you have access to a LOT of weights. It's probably the most equipment intensive home workout program out there. You…

Never found any gym class I enjoyed.