Fitness freak?

[Azure]

I know(think) Wookie is a fitness freak....I'm sure there are a few others on here.

What does your schedule look like? What kind of workouts do you do?

Perhaps we could help each other out here.

[Dion]

Mine is total cardio.

I do an hour on the treadmill and a half hour on the bike. Sometimes I add another half hour on the eliptical - that is of course if my legs and joints aren't too tired.

Done 7 days a week.

[CaptainCrunch]

I do more weight training with a day for cardio in between

So I work out three nights on an hour a night, I try to do it at a fairly high intensity.

Night 1 is chest and legs and Ab work
Night 2 is back and shoulders and different ab work
Night 3 is bicep/ tricep/ legs and 1st day ab work
Night 4 is treadmill or bike.

I've lost 35 pounds over the last 4 months.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Muscle groups separated as follows:

Chest/Triceps
Back/Biceps
Shoulders/Legs

Usually 3 exercises per body part unless I've found myself plateauing of late, in which case I'll shock my body by doing either less exercises with much heavier weights or more repetitions with much lighter weights. Normally though, I do 3 sets of 9 reps for each body part.

2 sets of 20 ab exercises done between every set while I rest the major muscle I'm working on that day.

40 minutes of cardio done any where from once to three times a week.

No set "schedule" in terms of days I work out and days I don't work out... I listen to my body and rest when it tells me to... sometimes that means after one cycle (3 days) I'll rest for a day, or it could mean 4 cycles (12 days) before taking a "rest day".

Diet's also key I think... usual low fat, protein/carb diet and I eat every 4 hours or so.

[Eastern Girl]

This might be a good thread to ask this question - If you feel sore from your previous workout, should you take a day off and let the muscles heal or relax? I never know whether I should push through and workout anyways when that happens or if I should skip a days workout and then get back into it? Thoughts?

[ricoFlame]

i'm always training for a race, so typically 3 stage training for running (interval, speed, maintenence) daily & 45 mins on the bike every couple-three days. this is most days depending on the stage of training schedule.

6 days a week in the weight room.

I change things up in the gym every 8 weeks to avoid diminished gains/plateau.

i have to be active, can't stand sitting around. running is a passion, i love it, it's the best way to relieve stress and go through the things that are going on in my life.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

This might be a good thread to ask this question - If you feel sore from your previous workout, should you take a day off and let the muscles heal or relax? I never know whether I should push through and workout anyways when that happens or if I should skip a days workout and then get back into it? Thoughts?

My GP tells me I should be taking a day off when my body feels sore. That said I always try to work through the soreness by working out at quite a lower intensity. I find it works as well as taking a day off. I hate to miss a workout as it has become sort of an addiction for me.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

This might be a good thread to ask this question - If you feel sore from your previous workout, should you take a day off and let the muscles heal or relax? I never know whether I should push through and workout anyways when that happens or if I should skip a days workout and then get back into it? Thoughts?

Honestly I might be a little different, but I work through it, I might lighten the load a bit, but I find if I take a day off, I sometimes have trouble with my motivation after that. So I try to go steady. Also if I'm sore, I try to work harder on my warmup and stretching before I do it.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by ricoFlame

I change things up in the gym every 8 weeks to avoid diminished gains/plateau.

I find varying the intensity helps to avoid the plateau. On the treadmill i vary the incline and speed every 10 minutes. As for the bike it's the speed and resistance that I vary.

[ricoFlame]

Originally Posted by Dion

I find varying the intensity helps to avoid the plateau. On the treadmill i vary the incline and speed every 10 minutes. As for the bike it's the speed and resistance that I vary.

i don't do any cardio in the gym. just don't like it.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I do more weight training with a day for cardio in between

So I work out three nights on an hour a night, I try to do it at a fairly high intensity.

Night 1 is chest and legs and Ab work
Night 2 is back and shoulders and different ab work
Night 3 is bicep/ tricep/ legs and 1st day ab work
Night 4 is treadmill or bike.

I've lost 35 pounds over the last 4 months.

Just focus on the weights, or did you watch your diet too?

[GreenLantern]

I run around the track after every work out, and run out doors about 2 or 3 times a week.

Weight lifting goes:

Chest
Back
Shoulders
Arms
Legs

I do about 5 exercises per, 4 sets, 8-12 reps.

Abs/core after every work out, I find this to be the most important part. You have to develop that strong core to continue gaining.

Rinse repeat. I don't always go every day in a row, I go as I can, usually about 4 days or more a week. Usually during finals I tone it down to 3.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

This might be a good thread to ask this question - If you feel sore from your previous workout, should you take a day off and let the muscles heal or relax? I never know whether I should push through and workout anyways when that happens or if I should skip a days workout and then get back into it? Thoughts?

I know for me, actually 'using' the muscles that are sore will make some of the stiffness go away.

But, I never work the same 'specific' muscle group two days in a row.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Azure

Just focus on the weights, or did you watch your diet too?

Little of both, I did really change what I was eating, but I wouldn't say I'm a stellar diet person. However its been about two months since I have had any fast food except for a hockey game. I've basically completely stopped drinking, and I don't drink pop.

So it does make a difference. Also building up muscle and doing some cardio does improve your metabolism.

I've dropped from 275 down to about 240. My target weight is about 220.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by ricoFlame

i don't do any cardio in the gym. just don't like it.

Ohhhh ok. So i take it you were referring to a road bike?

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Dion

I find varying the intensity helps to avoid the plateau. On the treadmill i vary the incline and speed every 10 minutes. As for the bike it's the speed and resistance that I vary.

Works for cardio....but its almost impossible to avoid a plateau unless you change it up dramatically with the weight work.

I do 4 weeks strength....1 week strictly 3 sets/10 reps for endurance work. Works for me.

I guess in a way that would be varying the intensity and speed like you said.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Little of both, I did really change what I was eating, but I wouldn't say I'm a stellar diet person. However its been about two months since I have had any fast food except for a hockey game. I've basically completely stopped drinking, and I don't drink pop.

So it does make a difference. Also building up muscle and doing some cardio does improve your metabolism.

I've dropped from 275 down to about 240. My target weight is about 220.

Good stuff.

I hate it when people think they can drop the weight 'without' changing up their diet.

Its a lifestyle change....not a 12 week program, lose the weight, and go back to old habits.

Congrats though, I started at 260 lbs, down to 220 now. Target is 190.

You're at least 2-4 inches taller than me though, IIRC.

[ricoFlame]

Originally Posted by Dion

Ohhhh ok. So i take it you were referring to a road bike?

definitely.

[CaramonLS]

Right now I'm doing:

Cardio 4-5x per week, 35-45 minute sessions (entire session heartrate is between 150-165, depending on how I feel during the day).
Weights 1hr per - 3x a week (2 different types - legs/bis/tris and chest/back).
Yoga 1x per week (which is unexpectedly intense, and it turns out to be a good workout, it is a kind of power yoga [astanga], improves the flexability).

I've improved my athleticism/strength/stamina pretty significantly over the last couple of months while on this program, put on about 5 lbs (210 now) water weight with regular creatine/glutimine supplements.

[Azure]

CaramonLS I know went through a pretty big transformation.

Don't know if you're comfortable posting what you did here, but I'd be ecstatic to hear about it.

...success stories are always good to read.

aha....too slow!