I want to do something different today

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
I always do the same workout at the gym on the treadmill. I would love to try an elliptical or something else today just for a change. But I don't feel good after my workout unless my heart rate stays above at least 140 for at least 30 mins. Is there any way to use the elliptical and still get my heart rate up even though my legs tend to be weak? Maybe very low resistance at a high speed or something? I've never been able to get my heart rate above 120 on an elliptical. And on the bike and stairmaster I don't even break 100. I know my body needs more weight training than cardio, but the cardio is important for me to control stress.

Any ideas from the educated crowd?
 
I own an elliptical and I do all out sprints on it with medium to low resistance. I can get my heart rate up very high by doing so. I didn't think it was possible until I tried it.
I vary my sprint time and rest time.
 
I think it is so important to vary what you do. Your legs will probably be shocked into getting stronger on top of it. The elliptical hurts my knees and back, personally, but does get my heartrate up and the sweat dripping. I just got an arc trainer - does your gym have one of those? And what about a stepmill (not the stepper thing - the constantly recycling steps so you are forever climbing steps uphill)? If your heartrate doesn't go through the roof on that one.. whew! You probably couldn't start out at the 30 minutes on that one, but add it in gradually. I actually have to stop sometimes b/c my heartrate gets too high. I love my bike on the trainer, but recumbent bikes that most gyms have aren't enough IMO. When I had my gym membership, I would do something like 15 on the stepmill, 15 on treadmill at highest incline, and 15 on something else (didn't mind bike at that point), and/or laps/drill in the basketball gym. Have fun, and mix it up. Makes time go by faster too :)
 
I'm not sure I understand. Don't your leg muscles go into failure? My quads will hit failure within 5 minutes easily. :(

ETA: Maybe what I should do is get on the elliptical or arc AFTER my TM workout for about 5 minutes or however long I can last, to slowly build up my legs? That way I don't have to sacrifice any cardio.
 
No - my legs are the strongest thing about me. My upper body - another story! I am working on it though. Even though I am getting nice definition up there and lifting a good amount of weight, at least for me, my upper body will get tired if I use it like on a rowing machine or anything using the arms, like my arc trainer (I never used the elliptical with the arms that move and would just not hold on to anything to work my core). I think I would add the TM after you try something else for 5-10 minutes. That would shake it up for your legs on the new machine, and help fatigue them for the TM which would shake it up there too.
 
>I think I would add the TM after you try something else for
>5-10 minutes. That would shake it up for your legs on the new
>machine, and help fatigue them for the TM which would shake it
>up there too.

But I'm not at the gym for my legs; I'm there to get in some really good cardio to relax me. If my legs can get a bit toned, that's really a footnote to me. After the gym, I go home and do squats and lunges with Cathe anyway. What I'm looking for (and I swear I do a post like this every year and never change anything!) is a change in my cardio routine. Am I the only one with weak legs around here?
 
I understand about wanting the cardio, but you keep saying your legs are weak. Why not build up some endurance strength in your legs at the same time as you are enjoying your cardio? You could change up your routine and benefit your mind and body at the same time. It doesn't have to be for the soul purpose of building your legs - that can just be an added benefit - but maybe next year (and even long before) you will no longer be saying you have weak legs :)
 
I may be off base here, but are you saying that because you have weak legs (not coming from me;)) that you can't go fast enough or long enough on the elliptical or stairmaster to get your HR up?

If that is the case, what about doing an interval type workout on one of the two machines? Maybe do the elliptical fast or at a medium resistance for a couple minutes, recover a bit, and then go for the "burn" again. Rinse and repeat.

That will get your HR up there and be very beneficial too. Makes the workout go fast as you are paying attention to the times and the all of a sudden a half hour is done, you are dripping and your heart is a pumpin'.

The exhaustion from a HIIT workout definitely takes the stress outta ya, gets the endorphins kickin' it up a notch and yet makes you relaxed at the same time.}(

I always just feel like taking long, deep cleansing breathes after an HIIT. Definitely a fav of mine.

Hope you find something fun to do . . .
 
>Why not build up some endurance strength
>in your legs at the same time as you are enjoying your cardio?

Because, unfortunately, I have to choose between the two. If I'm giving my legs some endurance training, I'm not getting my cardio, because my heart and lungs are not really being worked much.
 
>I may be off base here, but are you saying that because you
>have weak legs (not coming from me;)) that you can't go fast
>enough or long enough on the elliptical or stairmaster to get
>your HR up?
>
>If that is the case, what about doing an interval type workout
>on one of the two machines? Maybe do the elliptical fast or
>at a medium resistance for a couple minutes, recover a bit,
>and then go for the "burn" again. Rinse and repeat.

Good idea. That might work. My HR will still be up there while my legs are recuperating. Then, just as my HR starts to come down, my legs will be ready for another interval.

BTW, I've always wondered: what does HIIT stand for? Something Interval Training?
 
Nance, I'm going to stay the heck out of the weak leg discussion, ;)but I do suggest that if you're on the elliptical you don't hang onto anything, even if the handles at your machine move. Try to keep yourself upright and think about keeping your legs churning like they would if you were marching. (That's easier to do on a higher incline, which will also increase your range of motion and force you to use more of your upper body as well. The more of your body you can get involved in your cardio, the higher your HR will go.)
 
Thanks, Ame. I think I already figured that out because I never touch those arm pole thingies.

Ame, do you think I'm doing something wrong by separating my cardio and weight training? I'm wondering why you don't want to comment. As one of my favorite PTs, your opinion means a lot to me. :)
 
Try to keep yourself upright and think
>about keeping your legs churning like they would if you were
>marching. (That's easier to do on a higher incline, which
>will also increase your range of motion and force you to use
>more of your upper body as well. The more of your body you
>can get involved in your cardio, the higher your HR will go.)

This is how I do it. I realize the stride on the elliptical varies depending on the brand. On mine, I can jog at a steady pace, then sprint as though I am running on air. My heart rate gets really high(coughing up a lung high}()
I will jog 60 seconds, sprint 60 seconds. I will vary my HIIT sessions with 90 second sprints, and a minute recovery/ or one minute sprints with a 30 second recovery. You can vary the HIIT session so your body never adjust .
 
I think your weak legs are only going to get stronger if you fatigue them. And keep going despite the fatigue.

Which I know you don't like to hear, so I'll stay quiet. :+

I think I post on your "change up the cardio" subject every year, don't I?? (just teasing you; you should know by now that I absolutely adore you and don't think you can ever do anything to bug me!)

And, I also think that if you give it a shot more than once a year, your fatigue might just decrease faster than you're giving yourself credit for. ;)
 
Oh - you are obviously much more ahead of me in cardio training then. Pretty much anything I do gets my heart rate up, too high sometimes. My lungs don't have a large capacity so any sort of activity gets it up. I think of endurance training as just going and going and going, even when tired and thinking you can go no more. At that point, I am huffing and puffing and sometimes have to stop to slow my heart rate down. I envy you having to work to get yours up! Good luck finding something that works.
 
New thought, Nance: if you're doing cardio for stress reduction, don't worry about which machine you're on. I think the low resistance and higher elevation option on the elliptical will be the way to go.

I can't stand the bike, myself, but that would maybe work too. That one I have to have the resistance waaay high on since I tune out really fast (I'm just sitting there...) and then my speed slows down and my HR goes lower than I want! :)

What else does your gym have? Does it have a rowing machine? I like that for a change, but can't deal with much more than 10 minutes on it.

You can also try doing a new machine for as long as you can stand it, *then* doing your treadmill. Or even intervals on a treadmill can be fun!!
 
>I think your weak legs are only going to get stronger if you
>fatigue them. And keep going despite the fatigue.
>
>Which I know you don't like to hear, so I'll stay quiet. :+
>
>I think I post on your "change up the cardio" subject every
>year, don't I?? (just teasing you; you should know by now
>that I absolutely adore you and don't think you can ever do
>anything to bug me!)
>
>And, I also think that if you give it a shot more than once a
>year, your fatigue might just decrease faster than you're
>giving yourself credit for. ;)

Oh, Ame, I definitely know I don't do enough of anything when it comes to exercise, and I definitely don't push myself. I assure you that I don't mind hearing it at all. In fact, it kind of gives me hope. But these days (okay, YEARS, probably since you've known me!) I just try to get some cardio in because it helps me keep going and helps me feel better. My level of exercise is basic life support. :p By the way, I cannot believe how great I feel after 40 mins. on the treadmill today! I almost feel like a new person. :D

In answer to your question, my gym has everything.
 
I'm glad you enjoyed your workout today!!! :)

I think the problem is that on every other non-treadmill machine, you have to *think* to make it hard enough and get your HR high enough. I think that's why I run- I don't want to *try* to make it harder! LOL, life is hard enough without having to try to make anything harder, if you ask me.

So I think that's the problem. With a treadmill, we intuitively know that if the ground is moving fast, we have to move fast. And as far as I'm aware, none of the other machines move on their own like a treadmill does-- even a stairmaster doesn't move the pedals if I can remember correctly, and I know the rowing machine doesn't, and a bike doesn't, and the elliptical doesn't move alone either.

So again I say, good job on your workout today, and wahoo that you enjoyed it! :) I think you have a wide variety of options on the treadmill, too, if you get bored. Speed, incline, and intervals of varying length all work!!
 
Hey Nancy, I have to agree with Amy that you need to work through the fatigue best you can & push yourself further than you think you can go. Half of the equation is mental, honestly.

I think cardio & strength training have to work together, not two separate entities. You can strengthen your legs, work on endurance, and that will help in both arenas. It absolutely does not have to be one or the other (nor should it be). Why exactly is your leg strength weak? Seems like you have been weight training with Cathe forever? I would think you have some good leg strength and are not giving yourself credit for what your body can actually do.

It is my experience that many women grossly underestimate their strength and abilities when it comes to exercise, and I think that is what closes the door on pushing through plateaus & shaking things up a bit. I think you should vary more what you are doing both aerobically & your with your weights. I can't help but think you would be bored doing the same thing over & over. Maybe give jogging a try? Spinning? Elliptical? Biking? Circuit training? Splits instead of full body routines. You don't want your body to be too accustomed to any one thing for too long. You never know until you try. Your body & mind will thank you.


Debbie


A penny for your thoughts? Let me get you some change.
 
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