Favourite Form of Exercise

[Hazyhead]

I like exercise but I find that I have to enjoy it so much that I want to form it into a habit, otherwise it just becomes a chore. I've been long-distance running now for a number of years but due to knee issues I'd like to give it up and try something new. Ideally I'd like something that is going to maintain my tone. I do go to the gym, and I enjoy it, but would quite like to try some new classes. Any recommendations?

[RobM]

For me it's tennis and biking. I have force myself to exercise, like run or lift. But tennis and biking are mostly fun and the exercise part of it is just a bonus.

 

If you have knee problems, try a class like spinning, that's great cardio and it's easy on your knees.

 

Also try yoga, some classes are really a good workout and it's very low stress on your joints.

[Hazyhead]

For me it's tennis and biking. I have force myself to exercise, like run or lift. But tennis and biking are mostly fun and the exercise part of it is just a bonus.

 

If you have knee problems, try a class like spinning, that's great cardio and it's easy on your knees.

 

Also try yoga, some classes are really a good workout and it's very low stress on your joints.

 

Thanks Rob, I'm rubbish at tennis as have no hand eye coordination but I do like biking. In fact, last weekend I dragged my bike from the back of the shed and de-rusted it and fixed it up. All on my own! So, I should definitely get out and make the most of that and the sunshine.

 

I did try spinning, quite some time ago and it was intense! But, I guess if I'm looking for something that going to keep my shape up then it should be something like that. An then maybe the yoga to wind down

[RobM]

The best way to keep your shape is lift weights, either just free weights, machines, or classes that involve lifting. You either have to enjoy it or just force yourself to do it.

 

As for cardio, burning calories, general heart health, find something you enjoy and do it, tennis, biking, rock climbing, basketball, volleyball, running, swimming, racquet ball, you just gotta find something you like that's fun that you don't have to force yourself to do. If you make yourself do it, it's hard to keep up in the long run, it needs to part of your lifestyle.

[Hazyhead]

I don't enjoy lifting weights but I'll do it if it's worth it. About that, would you recommend heavier weights with fewer reps or more reps of lighter?

 

I enjoy most forms of cardio, just really like getting stuck into something and burning some energy. I agree completely that you have to enjoy it to keep it up otherwise it's so easy to let life get in the way.

[USMCHokie]

I don't enjoy lifting weights but I'll do it if it's worth it. About that, would you recommend heavier weights with fewer reps or more reps of lighter?

 

I enjoy most forms of cardio, just really like getting stuck into something and burning some energy. I agree completely that you have to enjoy it to keep it up otherwise it's so easy to let life get in the way.

 

 

That ^. I find little to no use for lifting light weights. Generally, you want to lift as heavy a weight as possible for the number of reps you are trying to do.

[Hazyhead]

That ^. I find little to no use for lifting light weights. Generally, you want to lift as heavy a weight as possible for the number of reps you are trying to do.

 

Urgh, I was afraid of that. Suppose that was the answer in itself!

 

Thanks

[RobM]

From everything I've read the general opinion is

 

heavier weights and lower reps to build muscle

lower weights and more reps to tone

 

but.. the important part is you have enough weight and reps to breakdown the muscle, after you break it down it grows during the rest period, you shouldn't train the same muscle two days in a row.

 

if you want to do say 10 reps at a given weight, you need enough weight that you barely make the last rep and can't do another one with clean form, that's what we mean by enough weight, it has to be hard to be useful, you have to basically push the muscle to it's limit to force your body to rebuild it stronger

[Hazyhead]

From everything I've read the general opinion is

 

heavier weights and lower reps to build muscle

lower weights and more reps to tone

 

but.. the important part is you have enough weight and reps to breakdown the muscle, after you break it down it grows during the rest period, you shouldn't train the same muscle two days in a row.

 

if you want to do say 10 reps at a given weight, you need enough weight that you barely make the last rep and can't do another one with clean form, that's what we mean by enough weight, it has to be hard to be useful, you have to basically push the muscle to it's limit to force your body to rebuild it stronger

 

I want tone so I'll go with that one. But I got it - just the right amount. I am worried about the muscle that I've developed from running will turn into fat if not exercised correctly; that's part of the reason I'm so keen to find something else that physically pushes, but that I can enjoy.

[Lindsey]

I do cardio kickboxing and resistance bands 5-6 days a week. As a girl, I never liked weights but love the way resistance bands work. Don't have to do any heavy lifting but still get to tone my muscle.

[Rorschach]

5 mile bike to the gym, 30 minutes on a stepper, 30 minutes on weights, 30 minutes cooldown on treadmill, 5 mile bike home

 

Takes about 2 hours total probably, maybe a little more

 

I like the stepper best because I'm in it to burn calories and that thing delivers, I burn 700-800 calories in the half hour I use it.

[Hazyhead]

I do cardio kickboxing and resistance bands 5-6 days a week. As a girl, I never liked weights but love the way resistance bands work. Don't have to do any heavy lifting but still get to tone my muscle.

 

I haven't tried resistance bands, but I'll check them out. Y'know, I like the look of the combat/cardio classes; they do have a few at my gym and froim outside the window they look fun

[CleverName]

I mix it up at the gym: for calorie burn I do zumba class, for calorie burn and toning I do the cross-training classes that combine step and free weights and whatever the instructor wants to throw in. They are also introducing the Flirty Girl Booty Beat class. Sounds dubious, it is stripper-based, but I will try anything to have fun and burn the calories. For real muscle tone I do yoga. My muscle tone has never been better since I got serious about yoga. It is so much more than 'winding down' but a person has to pursue it seriously to discover that, 'gym yoga' is designed for the masses. I tried the yoga classes at my gym and decided that the expense of my favorite yoga teacher is just worth it.

[Hazyhead]

I mix it up at the gym: for calorie burn I do zumba class, for calorie burn and toning I do the cross-training classes that combine step and free weights and whatever the instructor wants to throw in. They are also introducing the Flirty Girl Booty Beat class. Sounds dubious, it is stripper-based, but I will try anything to have fun and burn the calories. For real muscle tone I do yoga. My muscle tone has never been better since I got serious about yoga. It is so much more than 'winding down' but a person has to pursue it seriously to discover that, 'gym yoga' is designed for the masses. I tried the yoga classes at my gym and decided that the expense of my favorite yoga teacher is just worth it.

 

That class sounds hilarious; I'd definitely go for that! It's funny, I hear it said about yoga a lot that there's nothing like it for muscle tone once you have it right. There's plenty of them at the gym, I'm sure. It's one I'm seriously considering.

[cuppa]

That ^. I find little to no use for lifting light weights. Generally, you want to lift as heavy a weight as possible for the number of reps you are trying to do.

 

I actually agree with this. High reps - low weights cause me more injuries and pains than low reps - high weights.

 

In regards to the myth that high reps tone muscles. You can't exactly tone a muscle right? It either shrinks or grows, depending on your level of exercises.

[tman666]

What are we defining as "light" and "heavy" weights? Singles? Doubles? The old standard, vanilla, "do 3 sets of 10 reps at a slow, controlled, non-offensive tempo on everything ever" protocol? There needs to be some way people quantify this in their training.

 

Everyone listen to Cuppa and USMCHokie. "Toning" is a farce. The end.

[Rorschach]

The old standard, vanilla, "do 3 sets of 10 reps at a slow, controlled, non-offensive tempo on everything ever" protocol?

 

I do this, is there something wrong with that? I never really took the time to learn alot about weight lifting, but I have a routine of maybe 10 different excersizes (and 3 routines depending on what muscles I'm working that day) where I do 3 sets of 10 reps. I'm working on losing weight mostly but I also wanted to be generally stronger and perhaps more defined (not that I have any idea how to achieve that).

 

Generally I try to find a weight that by the end of the second set I'm tired, and by the 5th rep on the 3rd set I'm really struggling to do it. This gives me that wonderfully pleasant burning sensation the next day which is what I find myself chasing. Is there a better way to do it?

[USMCHokie]

"Toning" is a farce. The end.

 

Quoted for truth.

 

 

"Toning" = bigger muscle + less fat.

 

Lifting heavy weights = Bigger muscle

 

High intensity cardiovascular training + lifting heavy weights = Less fat

 

 

Therefore:

 

Toning = 2 x lifting heavy weights + High intensity cardio training.

 

 

The key to "toning" is the less fat part. Most people who buy into the myth of "high reps low weight" equating to toning do so because they believe that if they are moving in a "cardio pace" with light weight, their heart rates will increase, and they will be accomplishing the fat burn part commonly associated with cardio workouts. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I'll do a 5 rep set of squats to failure and my heart rate will go SKY HIGH compared to almost any other lifting movement...

 

Challenging your body and your muscles is what gets results. Doing a sh*t ton of reps on an easy weight isn't going to get your heart pumping more oxygen to your muscles...however, doing a sh*t ton of reps on a heavy weight will...

[tman666]

I do this, is there something wrong with that? I never really took the time to learn alot about weight lifting, but I have a routine of maybe 10 different excersizes (and 3 routines depending on what muscles I'm working that day) where I do 3 sets of 10 reps. I'm working on losing weight mostly but I also wanted to be generally stronger and perhaps more defined (not that I have any idea how to achieve that).

 

Generally I try to find a weight that by the end of the second set I'm tired, and by the 5th rep on the 3rd set I'm really struggling to do it. This gives me that wonderfully pleasant burning sensation the next day which is what I find myself chasing. Is there a better way to do it?

 

Think about it this way. If you're trying to build muscle (which can be very useful in dropping fat as well, because muscle burns calories, i.e., keeps your metabolism higher), the faster a muscle contracts, the more damage you are doing to it. Weight training is about causing muscular trauma. Not to the extent of injuring the muscle of course, but you want to be providing enough stimulation (damage) to force the muscle to grow.

 

Most people who are strong will tell you that you need to be lifting as fast and explosively as possible on the concentric phase of the lift (for example, the pull on the deadlift, or the standing up portion of a squat). This doesn't necessarily mean locking out your joints, and if definitely doesn't mean that form can be sacrificed. The lifter will control the weight more slowly during the eccentric phase, and then explode with intensity (using good form) on the concentric phase. This may not even look fast to the outside observer, but it's about forcing your muscles to contract as quickly, and by default, as forcefully as possible.

 

Some strength and conditioning coaches (as in Chad Waterbury's Huge in a Hurry) advocate moving the weight as quickly as possible on both the concentric and eccentric phase of the movement. This does, in theory, make sense for building the most muscle, however, I've personally found that in practice, this is harder on the joints and it is more difficult (not impossible) to perform a lift with good form.

 

As far as rep and set schemes, I've had a lot of success with ABBH 1 by Chad Waterbury, as well as 5-3-1 by Jim Wendler. The ABBH 1 approach is a bit higher volume than 5-3-1 and you progress both by adding volume at a constant load, and by adding load at a constant volume. In 5-3-1, you progress using a sort of ramping approach, culminating in an all out set at the end of each lift to achieve a rep max (not weight max).

 

A good basic rep scheme for adding strength would be something like 5x5. Check out the download-able 5x5 spreadsheet from Stronglifts.com. It's very, very basic, but it's a solid way to become accustomed to proper strength training. The programs I mentioned above are also pretty easy to understand. Do yourself a favor and don't try and over complicate things. Lift heavy, lift explosively, and lift often. Don't forget about doing cardio too. I would recommend performing soft tissue work (like stretches and foam rolling) after your cardio, and would I would do my cardio after lifting. You can also hit the cardio on your non-lifting days exclusively, especially if you are performing high intensity interval training (HIIT) type conditioning. Play around with a bunch of different programs, philosophies, and diet variations. See which combination works best for you.

[BlueeyedJonesy]

I'm pretty much just cardio and free weights...when I'm feeling tense I do Yoga at home because for some reason I don't get the same out of the classes as I do at home. I've also recently tried kickboxing..and I'm becoming addicted.

[Star Gazer]

I don't enjoy lifting weights but I'll do it if it's worth it. About that, would you recommend heavier weights with fewer reps or more reps of lighter?

 

It TOTALLY depends on what your goal is. If you want to increase muscle size and strength, then it's heavier/fewer. If you want to tone and increase muscle endurance, then it's lighter/more.

 

Most women and distance runners of either gender are encouraged to do the latter.

[Star Gazer]

What are we defining as "light" and "heavy" weights?

 

Heavy is maxing out at 6-8 reps. Light is maxing out at 12-15 reps. The last 3 reps, regardless of the weight used, should be difficult to finish.

[Hazyhead]

Thanks guys; I so don't need that personal trainer at the gym now! He's gonna wonder how I know all that! Keep 'em coming; I'm so open to any form and really appreciate all this training advice. I actually can't wait to get to the gym tomorrow and no longer feel bad about having to leave my running behind.

 

Maybe I'll report back with how knackered I am after trying as much as I possibly can

[cuppa]

Heavy is maxing out at 6-8 reps. Light is maxing out at 12-15 reps. The last 3 reps, regardless of the weight used, should be difficult to finish.

 

Ah see...with this definition, this means 128 lbs deadlift for me. To me, that's heavy. Light to me means 100 reps of 15 or 10 lbs dumbbell (or sometimes 5#). This used to mess up my backs when I first did it (starting with Jillian Michaels ).

 

I might be wrong but I assume for many people when they say light, heavy reps, I think they might refer 5 - 15 lbs dumbbell movements.

[Star Gazer]

Ah see...with this definition, this means 128 lbs deadlift for me.

 

I don't think it really matters if it's a deadlift, a leg press, a squat (all with significant weight), or a bicep curl with a 15lb dumbell... 12-15 reps is the "light" weight. If you're doing an exercise with weights and can do it 100 times straight, you're not working hard enough.