What is too much? I need help

C

Ciara

Active Member
Hi Cathe! I am 5'7 182lbs and I recently started exercising regularly. I would say I am at the intermediate level. Is there a such thing as doing too much cardio even if I add strength training with it? Here is my rotation.

Mon. Cardio(30min) + Upper Body strength training
Tue. Cardio(30min) + Lower Body strength training
Wed. All Cardio(from 30min - 55min) (maybe include 10min of Abs)
Thur. All Strength (MIS)
Frid. Abs + stretch
sat. Cardio with segments of strength training (20 - 55mins)
Sun. Cardio with segments of strength training (20 - 1hr)

Also, the scale is my worst enemy. I have been eat several small meals (trying to keep them clean) with 1700 or 1800 calories. I am trying to lose 1lbs per week. Sun I was one pound less. I (like a fool got on the scale last night) it was eight pounds more. Am I doing something wrong? x(
 
Not Cathe, but I think for starters you need a rest day. If by Cardio with segments of strength training you mean Circuit training tapes then by all means leave one of them out on the weekends. Your body needs time to rest and to adapt to what you are doing to it. Your muscles also need recovery time.

As for the eating are you eating clean? Cutting out all bad carbs, sugar and white flour products? Getting plenty of protein and water? I was where you were 4 months ago and had just started the Atkins diet with my dh ( I was as 190 when we started and I also am 5 ft 7 and large boned) I am now with changing to low carbing but not necessarily Atkins at 165 and at goal. I have actually been lower but some medicine threw my body off so I am getting the weight back off again.

Are you big boned? Atkins works for jump starting your metabolism but I don't personally recommend it for somebody that is exercising and lifting regularly. I found during the 2 weeks of induction that my workout suffered grately and I just couldn't have that. So I added back in bananas and whole wheat crackers and continued to lose.

Take a look at your diet and see where you can tweak some things and see if that helps at all.:7

Welcome to the forum.:)
 
Not Cathe either, but I have some suggestions:
1) Don't obsess about the scale. It only tells you how hard gravity is pulling against you, not what you are made of (biologically or otherwise:) ) . You could go up in weight while getting slimmer because you can gain muscle and lose fat (muscle takes up less room than the same weight of fat). Or you could go up in weight because of water retention. If you were to weight yourself throughout the day (which I wouldn't recommend, because that's way too obsessive!), you could notice a difference of even several pounds throughout the day.

Keep your "weigh ins" to once a week at most, and don't use this number as your only guide to whether you are "succeeding" in your program or not. Do your clothes fit better? Do you feel stronger? Do you have more energy? Maybe you don't even need a scale!

2) Here's a possible rotation that tweaks yours a bit and gives you strength training, cardio and rest/stretch, but gives your body time to recover from the weight work, and doesn't overdo the cardio. (Your current program looks like it could be a bit of overkill for someone who has "recently" started exercising regularly):

Monday (or change to whatever day you want): Cardio (30 mn. + upper body strength)
Tuesday: Cardio
Wednesday: Cardio (30 m.) + lower body
Thursday: stretch/rest (do your abs on both the upper body and lower body weight days)
Friday: All strength (with abs)
Saturday: Cardio
Sunday: rest/stretch or yoga

On Friday, if you still are sore from your earlier strength training workouts, you could switch around Friday and Saturday's workouts.

3) I'm not a nutritionist, but sometimes if you eat too little to support your activity level (and I don't know how intense your cardio is ), your body will rebel by decreasing your metabolism and holding on to fat (though weight training can help prevent that).
 
Annette and Kathryn....Thank you so much. That information is very helpful to me and I will start incorporating the suggestions both of you gave me. I really appreciate it and thanks for welcoming me!:7


If you have any suggestions on any Cathe tapes that are must haves please feel free to let me know. Right now I just have MIS. I saw Bootcamp on FitTV and would love to try that one.



Thanks again
Ciara ;)
 
Everyone needs to have Bootcamp in their collection. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it is TOUGH! But you have to do the workout in it's entirety. If you take out the core work, which I have done,it isn't as tough. Also, Fittv cuts out the tough stuff. ME is awesome too. The Bonus combo is great! This is the dvd I reach for most often. Do you think I like this one enough? Have I sold you?:7
 
>Everyone needs to have Bootcamp in their collection. I've
>said it before and I'll say it again, it is TOUGH! But you
>have to do the workout in it's entirety. If you take out the
>core work, which I have done,it isn't as tough. Also, Fittv
>cuts out the tough stuff. ME is awesome too. The Bonus combo
>is great! This is the dvd I reach for most often. Do you think
>I like this one enough? Have I sold you?:7




You sure have!!!!!:7
 
Hi, Clara. Welcome to the fold. Beware the scale! LOL! The scale rarely gives an accurate picture of your progress and it will sometimes lie. Unless you went on a binge, you have not gained eight pounds! You would have had to have eaten an extra 3500 calories per pound. You know you didn't so go kick the scale for lying! :)The number can vary quite a bit even when your body compostion has not changed. It's often showing you water weight which can vary pretty drastically. I think the best way to guage your progress is to monitor your body for changes, particularly how your clothes fit, and how your muscles are developing. Weigh yourself no more than once a week and do it at the same time each time. I prefer mornings because I know I get heavier as I eat and hydrate all day. Eventually you may skip it altogether.

I like your workout plan as it is. Thirty or so minutes of cardio along with 20 or so minutes of strength 4 times per week and one day each of all cardio and all strength is effective for losing weight. Your Friday ab and stretch is most likely pretty easy and I'd call that a rest day. There are signs of over-training like increased heart rate and constant tiredness. Listen to your body and it will tell you what's too much. I often work out daily without scheduling rest days but I tend to vary the intensity so that I don't overdo it. Short, intense cardio is just the ticket. Bootcamp rocks and I truly hate circuit training but it is so effective for getting results, I get that sucker in there at times. I like to change out my regimen often, focusing on heavy lifting at times with shorter, more moderate cardio then change and to focus on intense cardio with moderate strength. There are so many ways to work out and you'll find the one that's perfect for you. It's whatever keeps you coming back for more! Good luck and good job!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver
 
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