Posted: 11/28/2006 12:06:50 PM EDT
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I am embaressed that I am asking this, since I consider myself to be somewhat fitness savvy. Here is my question: I lift 4-5 times a week and do 15-20 min cardio after each session. However, I am not seeing the body fat control I would like. I am usually too tired to do much more cardio then that after lifting. However, if I go into the gym with just the intention to do some running, elipitcal, etc I can go for 40-50 min no problem. Assuming proper diet (big assumtion I know!) would i be better off do 2-3 40-50 min cardio sessions a week (while continueing to wieght train) or continue doing 15-20 min sessions 4-5 a week? Thanks in advance |
Keep lifting and doing your cardio. Just cut back the cals and make sure your getting the proper cals also. I dont know what you eat, but you could be not taking in enough and your body is going into fat storing and muscle burning. So if your up to it, for the next week or so keep a food dairy recording what you eat, when and the macro nutrient in each. it will be much easier to diagnose the problem then. ETA do 20 min of intervals after your workout 4-5 days a week. I garantee results. |
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IMO, 15-20 mins of cardio isn't enough. I'd recommend at least 20 mins, maybe 30. Burn more calories, see more results. In my experience, 15 mins of cardio is just enough to break a sweat, not enough to do you much good (though better than none I guess). And do your cardio before your workout on "leg day" (just personal preference... I always hated hitting the tread/stairs/etc. with jello-legs... besides, it is a nice warm up before a good lift). Others have suggested it, but diet modification would probably help too. If I knew as much about cardio as I do now when I was lifting, it wouldn't have been nearly as much work to drop body fat %. I did a lot of stupid shit that made it much harder than it needed to be. |
I personally dont run on leg days. If you run before, you will be taking away from your leg workout, which in my book is a big no no. The leg work out is the most important of the week. What works for me is after a big leg WO I sit on the bike at a slow to a moderate pace for 15-20 min to burn off excess cals. This way I am still burning some cals without having to worry if my legs are going to fail me on the treadmill and fall on my face in a full run. 
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Try breaking up your workout. Lift in the morning and do cardio in the evening, or vice versa. Or go to alternating days. I could never lift five days a week, myself. Not a chance. I'd overtrain like a bitch and I bet you are doing that, if you're hitting the same muscle groups. I would NEVER recommend that anyone lifts more than three times a week at the absolute max. If you're still sore at all, it's too soon to work those muscles again. Sometimes, I work out on Sunday and it's not until Thursday that all the soreness is gone. It always lasts at least two days. CJ |
hmm.. interesting. Anyone have anything to say about this? I agree sometimes I will hit the same muscle group in the same week, with maybe a very slight amount of soreness left. Do you think that would qualify as overtraining? |
IMHO is that you are off. There is nothing wrong with lifting 5 days a week. Just hit one body part a week, ie something dif every day of the week. I would agree with not to hit the same muscle groups more than 2-3 times a week. No offense, if you are over training at three days aweek. you are doing something horribly wrong, and probably not eating enough. |
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I agree with what others have said that you're diet could be off...I'm in the same boat due to the holidays...but here's an example of my workout which i switch up month to month. Currently this is what I'm doing: Early in the A.M: Circuits 3 days/wk (20 min interval cardio (running, stairmaster, bike) before lifting) Cardio 5 days/wk (30 min elliptical machine, 15 min intervals) So far this has worked for me...Now i'm no fitness model or anything but I can see a bit of a difference...Next month I plan to change and workout 1 muscle group per day like Remman stated. |