Just 5 Hours/Week to Dedicate to Exercise - Suggestions?!

[mbschneider]

Hello,
I am a new Mom to a 3 month old (he's awesome!). In light of my new responsibilities, I believe that I have just 5 hrs per week to commit to exercise -- I think I can swing 1 hour per day, 5 days per week. In my former life (just 3 months ago), I worked out almost every day, and often for at least 75-90 minutes. I know that I overdid things before and I now want to have more balance and more energy to give to my Son.

That said, I am wondering how you would break up your workouts given my schedule (e.g., 3 days weights, 2 cardio)?? Would love your thoughts!!!!

Thanks so much!

 

[maddiesmum]

Sounds like Cathe's new 4 day split is custom made for you! You could do 4 days of that (each day's worout has intense cardio, and heavy weight training, covering all the body by the end of the 4 days, and all clocking in at just 60 mins working out per day!), and then add in one more day of cardio, or yoga, or whatever you think you need to round out your program.

Take a look also at Cathe's Cross Train Express. It does the same thing, with a variety of excellent cardio workouts, great weight training for the whole body, with more emphasis upon endurance training.

Clare

 

[jgoycoolea]

I'd probably do 3 hour long cardio and 2 hour long full body weights. This is bc I am always more concerned with burning more calories than in true muscle building. I read in M&F that full body routines stoke the metabolism more so than just doing one body part per day. Perhaps I'd make one of the cardios a circuit workout too.

But to swithc things up, after a few weeks, I'd develop a routine where I had a few higher intensity cardio for only half an hour and split up upper and lower body days.

If you can find an hour block with a 3 month old you are doing super. It took me a long time with my kids to get that long of a session.

Jeanne

 

[Aquajock]

Since we're all about spending your money for you, I'd like to add a suggestion (in addition to the 4-Day Split and Cross-Train Express) the Timesaver DVD from Cathe's Body Blast Series. It is a compilation disc pulled together from footage from several stand-alone workouts, each of the 5 workouts is an hour or less, and by the end of the disc you will have accumulated cardio AND a total-body resistance training deal that will have hit all the major muscle groups. Note that each of the DVD sets we've suggested are chaptered such that you can create your own schedule each week if you wish (i.e. strict cardio for 2-3 sessions; strict weights for 2-3 sessions, what have you), OR you can let Cathe do the planning for you and just do them each week as produced. I think you have to let your own taste preferences and fitness goals decide how you want to schedule things.

Congrats on the munchkin!

A-Jock

 

[gogigi]

The beauty of CTX is it's a rotation you don't have to think about if you are already busy and stressed. You also get it all in about one hour a day...weights, cardio, abs, and light stretching.
Angela:7

 

[My2girls]

The CTX and the new series are what I would suggest. I have a 3y/o dd and a 5 y/o dd and I can usually squeeze in 3-4 days a week. I am looking forward to the new series to keep me on track w/all the body parts, but have been grabbing the CTX series more and more!

Good Luck!
Mary

 

[Jennifit]

I agree with the CTX series - they are great. I have 10 month old twins and those work great for me. You can also walk with the baby! It gets to be a harder and harder workout the bigger they get!

 

[wendyloo]

Since you're a new mom and probably tired, I'd go with Aquajock's suggestion of the Body Blast Timesaver compilation. CTX is high-impact and high-intensity, and with your probable sleep deprivation you might do well with the more moderate workouts.
54rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtgrggg (That was my cat, adding that you can always up the intensity of Body Blast workouts as needed, but with CTX it's a little harder to take out the impact because of the way the choreography is designed and due to the speed of the step workouts.)
Another cool thing about the Timesaver disc is that you'll get some footage that isn't on the original discs that it is compiled from--footage that was filmed exclusively for Timesaver. Just a neat little tidbit.
Good luck

Wendy