Wanting an effective work out routine!

[RedIvy]

Okay, so I feel kind of stupid, but when i go to the gym, I don't actually use the weights! I don't have a clue as to what routines I need to do. I worked out with a personal trainer 2 years ago and we did weight training 3 days a week and cardio every day. I remember it worked! But I do not remember the routine!! Okay, so... what I'm asking is an exact work out routine I can follow when I go to the gym. I want to get toned and defined. Ps...I'm a woman. Here's what I'd like to do:

 

Day 1 - Chest/triceps/shoulders

 

Day 2 - just cardio

 

Day 3 - back/biceps

 

Day 4 - just cardio

 

Day 5 - Legs

 

Day 6- just cardio

 

Day 7 - Just cardio

 

So, on each work out day, I would LOVE to know what routine you'd recommend. Thanks!!

[Emilia]

First of all, you need rest days, probably about 2 days a week, for your muscles to recover. Overworking and overtraining puts you on a plateau and slows your development. Plus it makes you fed up with working out eventually.

 

Why don't you speak to the trainer guys in the gym? They could put a programme together for you far better than anyone here. They can see you so they can tell how fit you are, how strong you are, what your blood pressure is, etc. I can tell you to chest press 25kgs 3x12 but it's meaningless since I have no idea what you are capable of and how much work you need to get fit and toned.

[RedIvy]

Yeah, that makes sense..only problem is hiring a personal trainer cost way too much :S

[Emilia]

No, just ask the guys that work at the gym to help you. There might be some charge but some give you free advice.

[volkl1996]

Rest is critical...your body needs time to heal and recover. Drink lots and lots of water too.

 

My gf is a peronal trainer...pretty lucky I am!

 

She taught me to use weights as little as possible, and when I do I do not go heavy. I will do 15 reps X 3 of one body part and in between sets do the same for another body part. This gives me a cardio and confuses the muscle groups. So I may do 15 push ups, then do 15 pull ups (or use a lat pulldown machine if you cannot do 15 pull ups, or use a chest press machine if you cannot do 15 push ups). I say machine..weights ARE better than a machine as you have to balance. However, like I said, try to use your own body weight, add weights as this gets easier.

 

Cardio...I love Spinning and the bike. Do a slow, 5-10 minute warm up, than vary your intesnity every 1-2 minutes...30 seconds hard, 30 seconds "less hard"...this will really get your heart rate up.

[Chocolat]

Get yourself a copy of The New Rules of Lifting for Women. There are multiple routines in there. A good routine includes more than just how you will split up your week, but also what load you will lift, for how many sets and reps, and with what rest period. The book has it all.

[tman666]

If you're only lifting 3 days per week, I'd recommend that you switch to a full body routine of some sort. The split you have going right now is going to have a very minimal impact on your strength and physique unless you're completely annihilating yourself with a ton of volume and intensity each time you lift.

 

If you really want to split up body parts, however, I would recommend that you lift at least 4 days per week. Probably the best way to set this up would be to do something like:

 

Day 1: Upper body (horizontal push/pull)

Day 2: Lower body (squats/leg press)

 

Day 3: Rest

 

Day 4: Upper body (vertical push/pull)

Day 5: Lower body (deadlift variation/lunges/GHR-glute/ham raise)

 

Day 6: Rest

 

Day 7: Rest

 

As far as cardio goes, there's plenty of debate as to whether High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) type cardio is superior to Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS). I've found the answer to this to be both individual and goal dependent. Personally, I only do HIIT type cardio (using bodyweight movements like pull ups/squats/push ups/boxing/sprints/etc.) once per week. However, I try to do LISS, usually in the form of incline treadmill walking, every day, and I recommend that most people do some sort of LISS daily. It not only helps with recovery, but it's a nice way to burn some extra calories without risking injury.

 

While it's true that HIIT burns more calories in the time period that it's being completed, it cannot be sustained for very long (15-20 minutes is usually around the top end of HIIT workout lengths) and your risk of injury is far greater. Despite the prevailing "bro-science", the EPOC difference between HIIT and LISS is so minimal that it's hardly even worth considering in your decision making process. HIIT also has a big impact on your ability to recover from intense weight training sessions, so that's something to keep in mind. Again, I think HIIT is great for athletic training, but for strictly fat loss purposes, my opinion is that it's best when used smartly and sparingly. Your diet will have a much larger impact on your physique.

 

In terms of how you set up your workouts, make sure that you're focusing on movements with the highest training economy. These are mostly going to be compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, pressing, and rows. Pretty much everything you want to be focusing on should be some sort of variation of one of those four things. Machines are great for isolating muscle groups, but the bulk of your workouts should not be done on machines. For safety reasons, it's generally best to do isolation work after all other compound work is completed.

 

Determining how many sets and reps you'll need depends on your goals. If your goal is to develop peak strength, you need to be training consistently with heavy weights in the 1-5 rep range. If your goal is to put on muscle mass, training with higher reps (6-15) is going to be your target window. Keep in mind that both of these goals can coincide. Reserve your heavier sets for the beginning of your workouts and do higher rep work later on. Shoot for completing between 30 and 70 reps per muscle group per workout.

 

If you don't feel comfortable trying customize your own training, I second Chocolat's recommendation for the New Rules of Lifting for Women. No training program is the "end all-be all" for every person, but it applies solid training and nutrition principles in an easy to digest format.

[Imported]

Every routine works. If you're committed, consistent and have a high level of intensity. The one you outlined will be fine, so long as you're intense on it and not just going through the motions. I am not too concerned for "rest days" myself or "overtraining", I just think it's another hurdle to overcome, however I gain size very easily and size is not my goal. Also, I didn't look at it this way until many years after I had gotten into very good physical shape. Early on, I tried not to "overtrain" myself.

[setsenia]

To save costs, I bought an elliptical for at home workouts. I get a full body workout in 20-30 minutes versus using a bunch of different weights and machines.

[Emilia]

If you're only lifting 3 days per week, I'd recommend that you switch to a full body routine of some sort.

 

Yes definitely. I don't know OP whether you are still following this thread but hopefully this is helpful for you.

 

I went to the gym yesterday and started with a 2 mile run, progressively speeding up starting at 5.5 mhp while warming up and continuing to 7 mph. That took care of the cardio as higher speed at shorter distance works better than lower speed at longer distance.

 

Then I moved on to chest press and seated row because it's something specific I'm training for.

 

I think OP it will work for you better if you mix it up each time you visit the gym rather than being too strict. More effective too.