Suggestions for routine shake-up

[Steppingup]

Hello educated crowd!

I have been trying to lose my LAST 10 pounds since the beginning of this year! I need suggestions to shake up my routine a bit. I cannot do much better in the eating department as I do well with that already and cannot decrease or I won't be eating enough. I have been doing step, hi/lo and weights and my typical week will look like this:

M: Cardio
T: Total body weights
W: Cardio
T: Total body weights
F: Cardio
S: Cardio

Of course it's a little different when I do the PS series.

I have decided to do an interval video once a week such as Intense Moves or....gasp...IMAX instead of my usual once a month or whenever I can work up the courage.

The other thing I have thought about is starting a running program. I have never been real comfortable with running but I have always wanted to be able to do it. Any suggestions there would be great!

Okay, what else should I be doing? Last year I lost 35 pounds and I REALLY want to get these last few pounds off and I don't think I am unrealistic in my goals. Not only do I want to get the weight off but I want to broaden my exercise horizon with the running! I do not have a treadmill but have a good sized back yard to run in. The only exercise equipment I have is the step and my weights and do not want to add anything to that right now.

Okay, help? Thanks!!!

Kelly

 

[ebh87]

Hi Kelly,
Are you doing any circuit workouts? If not, maybe you could make Saturday a circuit workout - either Bodymax, Circuitmax, or Power Circuit. Or Section 3 of Hi/lo heaven or Step Heaven. Or a combo!
Running would be great for cross-training. My advice would be to get good shoes and start slowly. I'm sure if you did a search there should be some advice for beginning runners.
There's also a thread under the Ask Cathe section - I think it is about losing weight for a wedding maybe - where Cathe put together a great (and intense) rotation.
And, of course, putting those interval workouts in more often should help as well!
Good luck!
Erica

 

[kimroberts]

I'm reading a book that someone on this site recommended. It's called, "Outsmarting the Female Fat Cell" by Debra Waterhouse. The exercise section in it says that women (not men) have to do cardio continuously for 45 minutes to get your "fat burning" enzymes to turn on. Usually when I do a class, even though the class may last an hour, the cardio portion is truly about 30 minutes once you exclude the warmup/cooldown. I'm going to try the longer cardios. Today, before class started, I hopped on a bike for 15 mintues, then went straight to class. Seems easy enough that it's worth trying.

PS. This book rcommends up to 6 days a week of cardio.

 

[Steppingup]

Thanks for your suggestions. Erica, I do Bodymax every so often but not regularly. I am not fond of circuit workouts but for the sake of a few pounds I suppose I could add those in.
Kim, I have heard several people mention this book and I think I am just about convinced that I need to read it.

Again, thanks for your help!

Kelly