How much do you do?

stp

Member
I am curious to know how much cardio and how much strength training you all do in a week?

I am aiming for about 175 minutes of cardio and three MIS workouts a week. Does that seem reasonable? Perhaps I should mention that my goal at this time is to lose about 15 pounds of fat, while increasing my overall muscle.

It seems like several people here are doing 4, 5 or 6 days of cardio a week but whew! I don't think my body would take it and I also don't think I could afford the time. But then I started thinking that maybe my overall minutes were similar (I hope!). I just do mine in a long run (hike/snowshoe/cross-country ski) on the weekend of an hour and a half and then two 40 - 45 minute sessions during the week.

Basically, I am thinking of 3 cardios, 3 strength and one day of lying around on the couch watching soaps and eating bon bons. No, I am kidding--really, I am!! One day of rest is what I mean (I hope no one has a spycam set up in my house!).

STP
 
I do about 2 one-hour cardios and 2 one-hour strength (usually split routine) and one more of either. So it's 3 strength OR 3 cardio. Sometimes it's a CTX cardio which is just abt. half an hour. It varies of course. I total 5 hours a week (5 days, 1 hr).

MIS 3x a week would be too much for me but do realize that my job is somewhat active- lots of fast walking taking xrays (18 films) in and out of the room and between patients I move pretty fast, and isolation holds most of the day.

I am a dental hygienist and as I sit working I do these 10-20 degree tilts with a straight spine (even though it's tempting to twist) and it's like doing an easy version of an (upright) 'plank.' I'm holding the suction in one hand (around the patient's head) using the power instrument in the other hand.

It is more active than just sitting.

Anyway enough about me- if you do 1-2 intense cardios with 1-2 less intense it's good. Your weekend routine sounds great! If it is intense, vary with lighter cardio during the week or vice versa. Variation in cardio is good for you and keeps you strong instead of wearing you down.
 
I am on my last week of a 4 week MIS rotation. I do MIC on Sa, MIS on Su, Tu, & Th, and then Step Works on M and CK on W. This averages out to 139 min. of cardio (not including warm ups and cool downs of course). How are you planning on doing 175 min in 3 days? I am just curious. This past Monday I felt tired so instead of doing Step Works, I did Step Jam, which is much easier, then this morning, I was feeling good so I did Imax instead of Cardio Kicks. It all depends on how you feel. Personally, doing MIS 3x's a week wears me out. I just respond accordingly. If I used 35# on Sun, I might only use 30# on
Tues. Just listen to your body. I find that if I do more than 150 min of cardio in a week, I am terribly hungry and grouchy. Find what works for you, then work it! Have fun!
 
This is what I do , and it may not work for everyone. I do 5 cardio sessions per week on most of my roations. Once in a great while I may do only 4.

Total cardio minutes are 200 or greater. 2 short days or 35 minutes or so and 3 longer days of 55-65 minutes.

I normally work each body part 2 times per week. How ever if I am traing really heavy I may do only 1 time per week and add in Karen voights Yoga Sculpt to get a good stretch in.

Judy
Live by the golden rule: treat others as yourself :)
 
175 minutes in three days

I do pretty much all of my cardio outside. In the summer it is a mix of running, racewalking and hiking and in the winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. I live in a pretty hilly area so anytime I go out to do ANYTHING, there are hills involved!

I have been going out for an hour and 15 minutes or so on the weekend, so I thought I would increase that to an hour and a half. This workout is low gear--LSD in runner's terms (long slow distance). During the week, I try to get in two runs--40 minutes and 45 minutes. In either (or both if I am feeling up to it), I do some intense intervals.

I wear a heart rate monitor whenever I am doing cardio, just to keep an eye on things. I don't get TOO scientific about the whole thing but I find the readout afterward kind of motivating.

This seems to work for me because A. I find cardio machines at the gym just TOO boring! B. I have a dog that needs the exercise as much as I do (he is a Lab and those guys ALWAYS want to eat!)--he is both a motivator and a lot of fun to go with C. I find that between going with the dog and being out in the woods, the time goes by pretty easy. I am not usually looking at my watch thinking "Can I stop yet?".....well, okay, at the end of the long one on the weekend, my FEET are usually getting kind of sore! But other than that, like I said, it seems to work for me.

I have never found cardio too much of a problem to keep doing but the strength workouts have really suffered over the last year. I have been so off-and-on-again with them that I find it very discouraging. Also, I just can't keep weight off anymore (not like in my twenties) unless I am getting BOTH kinds of workouts AND watching my diet.

Anyway, thanks for the reply, Jilly, and everyone else.

STP
 
I do 6-7 days of cardio a week.Sometimes twice a day if I can fit it in.As you can probably tell, I am addicted to cardio.:-shy.
No not really but when I do a video like....powercircuit, or step and intervals,( a short tape), then in the eveningif I have nothing to do and my husband plays hockey then I will do another short tape.
I also do about 3 weight training workouts a week.Today my plan is to do MIC and then Slow and Heavy Bic, and tri.If I have the time I may even to chest and back.:-wow
I don't neglect anything else to do all of this but my house has been cleaned, my child is gone to school, it is snowing here and I ain't go'in anywhere.So, what else is there to do but spend the day with Cathe.
I did slow and heavy legs on Tuesday, and I am still sore.I went for a 20 min run yesterday morning b/c I had yoga at 10:00, and it was the first run I had did in about 2 weeks and now my inner thighs are really sore.I love it though when my legs are sore.There is nothing worse then working out and feeling as if you didn't get anywhere with it.Meaning you don't feel the pain.
I can't wait for the new intensity series though.I think our bodies are going to be in for a rude awakening....:-jumpy.
HAve a great day,.
Lori
 
I've been doing 4 days cardio 3 days of weights . One of those cardios is a cross training. I always take Sunday off. Every night I stretch for about 30-45 mn before bed. Since doing this "Max" rotation I'm on I've really toned up the lower half. Cathe's leg workouts are awesome! Susan
 
I'm currently doing only 3 days of cardio a week. I tried increasing my cardio to four or five days a week but didn't notice any increase in my weight loss. I think 3 days is sufficient for weight loss. Frankly, I don't think cardio is that important to weight loss. Based on my own experience, diet was the most important thing in my weight loss. I'd say that's followed by strength training. Cardio doesn't play that big of a part. It's much easier to cut calories out of your diet then to expect cardio to burn enough calories. Cardio doesn't burn that many calories. I see cardio as being for my cardiovascular health and maybe burning a few extra calories.

BTW, I believe there are some studies that show that doing lots of cardio can decrease muscle mass.
 
just enough

I decreased the amount of cardio I did since college (I'm 24), but I think I work out harder now. My focus changed from keeping slim to feeling good. I do what I can- sometimes I'm just too tired to workout after working all day.

I do one week of 3 cardios, then one week of 4 cardios...

example:
M- Cathe tape
Tu- Kickboxing class
Wed- Spinning class
Sat- Run or tape

I get weight training at the gym doing the machines or doing a cardio/weight interval tape, totaling 2 weight days a week. Sometimes I do Powerhour or yoga. I just mix it up- no rotations-because I get bored easily. I should do a more structured workout, but I think my approach helps me stick with it. Maybe when it's warm again I'll get more dedicated.
 

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