weights and cardio question

souptin

Hey Guys!  TK kept eating this post last week so *fingers crossed* it will actually let me post it this time:
!

so I am wondering if I am doing something wrong when I do weight workouts and heres why:

After I do a heavy cardio workout like zumba, I am literally drenched in sweat and totally exhausted, but after a weights workout the sweat and complete exhaustion is about half of what I experience from cardio. I am wondering if I am just not working hard enough in my workout or if I am doing the wrong stuff.

here is what an average "weight day" workout looks like:

10 min warm up on the treadmill

alternating reps of 10-12 of the following

planks (hold for as long as possible-usually about 30 seconds haha)
weighted lunges
weighted squats
bar pushups
pullup machine
intermittingly I throw in other things like weighted sit ups with a ball or low weight (10 pounds)  arm curls

 cool down stretching
10 mins in the massage chair (seriously I need to own one of these chairs-so amazing!)

total time: about an hour

what does your average weight day workout look like? do I need to push harder? cut rest between reps or do I just really need to focus more on cardio?....I am at a loss

thanks girls!

maribeth721

Yeah, I think I remember this post from before. The knot is wonky.

Your heart rate doesn't go up as much of you are just lifting weights versus doing cardio, so naturally you would not sweat as much. Sweat is your body cooling itself off and if your heart rate isn't up that is not necessary. I don't nearly sweat as much when I am lifting weights.

With weights to really make sure you are working you need to be using a weight heavy enough that you can only get through about 12-15 reps at a time and you cannot do anymore, unless you have a medical condition that would prevent you from lifting heavy. It's a common misconception that women will bulk up if they lift heavy weights. Not possible if you aren't taking supplements and/or hormones. So lift heavy.

The weight exercises you mentioned are good, but how many sets are you doing of each? I don't see a lot for arms or shoulderns mentioned. I recommend making sure all muscle groups are covered. That doesn't mean you have to work every single group everyday, you can split them up. But make sure over the course of the weekly work out you are getting them all in.

How many times a week do you work out? And how many days are devoted to cardio or weights or both?

Good luck!

josgirl

I suggest doing quick spurts of aerobics in between a circuit. Aka do your weighted squats and weighted lunges , 3(sets each) then do one of the following The two things I do are side skips and elliptical squat/sprint: 1. Set the treadmill to max incline, Speed 3.0. Walk facing forward as your resting position. Hold on to the railings turn to the side and skip. 2. Hop on the elliptical medium to high incline. Set medium resistance. Squat low, so your butt is near your heels and full spring for 30 secs on 30 secs off.

Ashleigh828

Like Maribeth said, your heartrate will not increase as much during weight training as it will doing cardio. With that said, weight training (if done to max capacity) will leave you burning calories a lot long after your workout than cardio will. I would also do a higher weight (really push yourself so that rep 12 is so hard you feel like you might not lift it), more reps, and shorter breaks in-between. You mentioned that you've been doing 30 sec planks. How long have you been doing those? If it's been a while, try pushing yourself to do 45 sec or a minute. Your muscles have very good memory and if you continue to do the same weight, same reps, same timing, over and over and over, your muscles will not respond. They need to be challenged and confused. Try mixing it up (bicep curls, holding for 10 sec at 90 degree angle after 12 reps). If you've been using 10lb weights for 3 months, switch it up and try 12lbs or 15lbs. Keep pushing yourself to go further. You'll be surprised how much you sweat and how much you burn if you push yourself to your limits. (I'm not saying that you aren't working hard but if you've been doing the same routine for a while, you won't see any results)

souptin

Thanks for the tips guys,

right now I am going to the gym 3 days a week and planning to increase it to 4 starting this week. up to now, I have 1 day just for heavy cardio 1 day just for weights and 1 day for both. I usually spend about an hour on each gym visit. The extra day I will be adding I was planning on using for cardio.

for arms and shoulders I have been using the pull up machine...this guy  http://www.sparkpeople.com/assets/exercises/Assisted-Pull-up-Machine.gif

I think I am going to try and increase the weights I do on it ( I weigh 155 and set the weight to 100)

the bar push ups are like  http://cranktraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/incline_pushup_b-300x226.png

usually I do reps of 10 or 12 for everything.

I am still pretty new to going to the gym, am I doing the sissy stuff?.....I have thick skin, I can take the truth haha

I am for sure going to try out increasing the weights I use for arm curls and lunges and force myself into longer planks with less rest time.

Tonight is weight night so if you dont hear from me again, its because my arms fell off

sparent2010

You need to change up your weights routine. If you continually do the same thing you are working the same muscles and muscle memory can hinder you here.

An example of  Upper body:

Bench press burn outs (bar 45 lbs or short bar 25 lbs)
Push up 20-30
Assisted pull up
V ups
Bent over row (10 lbs for 10, 7.5 lbs for 20)
Bicep Curl (1 min)
Tricep Extension (1 min)
Military press
Floor Cleaners (hook your feet into a plate weight 25 lbs and drag across the floor)

Another one
[This is a set, each set is 1 rep]
Push up
Renegade Row
Bent over Row
Curl
Military Press
(^ all that is 1 do 10 to 15, you do the push up with weights in your hands 7.5 lbs)

Walking push ups (use a step up block, start with hands to the left do a push up, move right hand to step up block: do a push up, move right hand over do another push up <- that is 1 do 12)

Assisted pull up
Easy Curl
Lateral shoulder raises

Look up exercises online and create routines. I suggest doing weights with someone else it makes it easier.

Lower Body
Walking Lunges
Weighted bench squat (squat over teh bench, whne your butt touches the bench you stand up)
Floor Cleaners, but instead of dragging the feet you bring both legs to the chest, walk your hands out and repeat: do this backwards as well
Step ups alternating legs
1 Leg Squats
Leg curls
Leg Extension
Leg Press
Side lunges
Pile Squats
Goblet Squats

Sometimes I add in cardio like run at 5.0 on a 15 incline for a minute, lunge to an area, bozu sled to the other side of the gym and wall sit then lunge back and repeat.

I also recommend Jackie Warners Time Saver X-Training Dvd that workout kicked my asss.

souptin

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_weights-and-cardio-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:238Discussion:412c537d-9c41-4667-847d-83ebd2d46791Post:7ac93c1b-1349-401b-9f9e-c28a0ece863f">Re: weights and cardio question</a>:
[QUOTE]You need to change up your weights routine. If you continually do the same thing you are working the same muscles and muscle memory can hinder you here. An example of  Upper body: Bench press burn outs (bar 45 lbs or short bar 25 lbs) Push up 20-30 Assisted pull up V ups Bent over row (10 lbs for 10, 7.5 lbs for 20) Bicep Curl (1 min) Tricep Extension (1 min) Military press Floor Cleaners (hook your feet into a plate weight 25 lbs and drag across the floor) Another one [This is a set, each set is 1 rep] Push up Renegade Row Bent over Row Curl Military Press (^ all that is 1 do 10 to 15, you do the push up with weights in your hands 7.5 lbs) Walking push ups (use a step up block, start with hands to the left do a push up, move right hand to step up block: do a push up, move right hand over do another push up <- that is 1 do 12) Assisted pull up Easy Curl Lateral shoulder raises Look up exercises online and create routines. I suggest doing weights with someone else it makes it easier. Lower Body Walking Lunges Weighted bench squat (squat over teh bench, whne your butt touches the bench you stand up) Floor Cleaners, but instead of dragging the feet you bring both legs to the chest, walk your hands out and repeat: do this backwards as well Step ups alternating legs 1 Leg Squats Leg curls Leg Extension Leg Press Side lunges Pile Squats Goblet Squats Sometimes I add in cardio like run at 5.0 on a 15 incline for a minute, lunge to an area, bozu sled to the other side of the gym and wall sit then lunge back and repeat. I also recommend Jackie Warners Time Saver X-Training Dvd that workout kicked my asss.
Posted by sparent2010[/QUOTE]

I have to google what most of those things are...but WOW thank you so much for posting that!!! Im such a noob at the gym, but Im looking forward to trying all these out!