What is your weight training program? cardio program?
I can go on for hours on this topic, but I will try to focus on the most important points and keep it as brief as possible. For one, this should be your priority when going to the gym.
You need to plan your workouts! You need to plan both your weight training & cardio workout,. Do not just go to the gym and randomly do whatever. First plan your week. Think about how many times that week you will be able to get to the gym and then plan accordingly. If you are only able to get to the gym a couple of times a week or if you are a beginner you are better off doing a full body weights workout each of the days and then finishing off with some cardio. Aim for 40-45 mins of weights and 20-25 mins of cardio. A bootcamp class (such as the Body beautiful Bootcamp for Women) is usually great for this as it will combine both a both body workout with a interval cardio.
If you are more advanced and can get to the gym more often, you will benefit from splitting up your workouts and pairing up one to three muscle groups at a time. You can do a verity of splits but always pick at least one major muscle group (back, chest, or legs) and pair it up with something else. A three day split can look like: Chest and Triceps, Legs & Shoulders, and Back and Biceps. Do your core exercises at the end of each of these workouts. You can do your cardio on the days in between for 35-45 mins or after your weight training. Always do you cardio AFTER weights, so that you can have the energy you need for the weight lifting exercises.
Ideally, you need to be doing your weight training at least three times a week., and cardio 2-3 times. This all depends on your level and your goals.
Makes sure you are pushing yourself every time. Ladies don’t shy away from lifting heavy weights! I can’t stress this enough. You are not going to get bulky and big, unless you are taking muscle growth supplements or eating way too much! Muscle burns fat and you need to get your muscles to feel that burning sensation in order to get the full benefits. Aim for a weight that makes it very hard to complete your last two reps.
Increase your weight or your reps every workout. It’s safe if you are a beginner to aim for 12-15 reps. Start with 12, of which the last two should feel really hard, almost impossible to finish, and next workout of that same exercise go for 13 reps, than 14, than 15. Once you get to 15 reps at a certain weight, increase the weight next time and start at 12 again.
For maximum fat burn do HIIT (high intensity interval training) cardio. If you are on the treadmill, bike, elliptical and you are reading a book, you are not working hard enough. Try a workout that consists of 30 sec-1 min high intensity maximum effort (sprints, high incline or resistance) and then 1-2 mins light (jog, flat, or lower resistance) until you complete your full 20-45mins. I love doing 45sec sprints with 1min jog on the treadmill or very fast stair master climb to nice easy pace. Play around with it, it will make it a lot more fun. Bootcamp classes, kickboxing and some of the classes offered at your local gym are often great for this as well.
Switch it up! Change your workouts and the exercises you do often. You want to keep your body guessing so that it does not adapt you doing the same thing over and over again. Get creative and step outside your comfort zone, and have fun with it. I love trying new things especially to beat the boredom from just using cardio machines. In winter I love indoor rockclimbing, swimming, dance classes, bootcamps, and even show shoeing! In summer the options are endless, from various sports, hiking, outdoor training and classes on those very hot days.
Phase out your long term program. When it comes to weight training you need to be thinking about your long term plan. When you just starting you will need to do about 4-6 weeks of muscle endurance type training. This is usually a phase where you are aiming for higher reps and using you’re the lighter weights or your own body for resistance. This is a crucial phase to allow your muscles to adapt in order to move on to the next phase. It will allow you to learn proper format and get your muscles familiar with weigh training.
Following that you will need to start thinking about moving into a heavier lifting phase where you are aiming for lower reps. His is the time where you will begin to build muscle. After 4-5 weeks in this phase you will begin to see some charges in your body. Building muscle now prepares your body for the next phase which will be the fat burning phase.
Your fat burning phase is where you begin to see the results the most. You have now trained your muscles to handle weight, you have begun building lean muscle mass, and now its time to shred. This is a fun phase, as everything is fast & furious. You are combing your weight training exercises while keeping your heart rate up, by doing things such as supersets, tri-sets, giants sets or circuits. You can stay in this phase for another 4-6 weeks (again depending on your own body/goals).
Finally once you have stripped some weight, the muscles are beginning to show, you need to think about getting stronger and ready to train your muscles and body to handle more. This is when you will start strength phase where you challenge yourself for the next 4-5 weeks to lift heavier and go as hard as you can, to get yourself prepared to move to the next level. Remember, when it comes to fitness, you need to think long term, it’s a marathon not a sprint to the finish line. You body will quickly adapt and you need to continually challenge it to see results.
You will find many personal trainers and couches out there using similar philosophies so that their clients can see the results they desire. Your trainer should be doing something similar with you (if you are working with one). Put your trust in the professionals, if this is too confusing for you, as much of what I talk about does depend on the individual and their body and goals.
For more info check back here often or check out my website http://www.buildmybodybeautiful.com/ . Also, please feel free to leave questions or comments below and I will do my best to address them.
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