Is my routine all wrong???

C

cncnmnm

0
Like most, I have a very busy life between work and family. My only real option for working out is first thing in the morning. This means getting up at 3:20 in the morning, M-F. My gym is only 2 minutes down the road (thankfully). The first thing I do is go in the bike for 45-60 minutes each day.

(let me side bar by saying I have hip damage and am limited to the bike to reduce wear on my hips. Also, right now I am fighting with tendonsis in my left elbow and tendonitis in my right elbow. I'm going through Prolotherapy to try to speed that along so I can get into a more normal weight range on the machines I use---I'm pretty sure I developed this by being stupid and always doing my weight training first thing and then my cardio for a stupid reason---I just didn't want to sweat all over the place while doing the machines).

OK, then, after the cardio I hit the machines and try to get my strength training in; about 20 minutes worth.

Then, I do about 10-15 minutes of stretching and go home to get ready for work. All-in-all, about 1.5 hours spent, 5 days a week.

Now, today I went into GNC to get some multi-vitamins and in talking with the woman about my routine she says I"m doing my self an injustice by doing all my cardio first, then my weight lifting. That I should do 10 minutes to warm up, do my weight training, go back on the bike for ~40 minutes, then do my stretching routine. She made it sound like I would burn more calories and fat that way. I'm not sure I get the logic???

HELP ME, PLEASE!!!! Is my routine totally wrong? My goal is really fat loss first, then the other usualy benefits of working out. NOT trying to bulk up, but really just tone everything up and stay healthy so I'm around many years for my now 6 and 3 year old children. I do have an excess of fat in my torso. Not sure how much as I've never been measured for body fat %.

Right now, eating very healthly most of the time (I have to have a bad mean once a week or I would lose my mind), I'm maybe averaging 1 pound/ week of weight loss. Would love to speed that up a bit without thermagenics, caffeine, etc.

OK, I've said a lot. Anything you can do to help me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks..
 
There is nothing wrong with your routine. People argue back and forth about weights before or after cardio. What I see in reading your post is that you are doing a lot of stuff 'right'.
1. You are exercising regularly and in a way that you can sustain over a long period of time
2. You are steadily losing weight - 1 lb/week is an excellent rate of loss. You didn't gain the weight in a hurry, you can't lose it in a hurry either. Slow steady loss gives your skin time to recover too so you are less apt to have hanging folds of loose skin.
3. You are doing something for your heart and circulatory system
4. You are weight training - strength is crucial to healthy aging
5. You are mostly eating well. As long as you don't go totally bonkers with your 'bad meals', a treat is ok. Cut out as much processed food as you can, eat lots of whole foods and especially lots of veggies and fruits. Stay out of the center of the supermarket - the good stuff is mostly on the outer edge (except the bakery!). Get the fruits and veggies, maybe some dairy/juice if you indulge, meat (the best quality your can afford as most US meat animals are on a junk food diet themselves), and take a brief stroll down the isle with whole grains and/or beans. Oh, and then cook.

There is a lot of debate about fat burning and what triggers it. Ultimately, it comes down to calories in/calories out for most of us average joe's and jill's who exercise to stay fit, live longer, and stay sane. Your GNC chick just wants to sell you something...
 
You got a good way of living and with the discipline your paying for your health then without a doubt you’ll achieved what you want.
 
cncnmnm said:
Right now, eating very healthly most of the time (I have to have a bad mean once a week or I would lose my mind), I'm maybe averaging 1 pound/ week of weight loss. Would love to speed that up a bit without thermagenics, caffeine, etc.

Thanks..
Click to expand...

Just wanted to add a comment regarding your wanting to speed up the process - the thing that I notice, and probably more with women than men, is that it is easy to get comfortable with a routine and you stop pushing yourself to improve or to try harder. Boost the resistance just a little on the cardio machine or increase the incline on the treadmill or note your step rate and try to go bit faster on the eliptical - or all of the above. Similarly with weights, and especially if you are using weight machines, do a set with an extra 5 lbs but maybe 1 less rep - or whatever - but push yourself. This will speed up the weight loss as long as you don't increase the calories!

As a 'for example' - my fallback machine at the gym is a type of eliptical called the EFX. My husband used to poo poo it, but a few years ago when I had a serious back injury, it was the only thing I could do comfortably and keep my cardio up - since he cannot do the routine I do, he doesn't make comments anymore other than to say 'you were flying'. My personal rule is that I need to push myself when I'm on the EFX, and in fact, I use it to crank up my foot speed for running. About every 2 months I have to increase the resistance for at least part of the time or increase the cross ramp height, or both. So right now, I start a 30 minute program at level 7 and regular ramp height, but within 5 minutes I either increase the ramp height or increase to resistance level 8. I'm working toward both, but am not there yet, I can only one or the other. By the end of summer, I should have both (I'm not in the gym too much in the summer, so it may actually be autumn before I get there). Still - I am aware of and focus on pushing myself to improve. Give it some thought!

Best -
 
I appreciate the comments so far. Thanks!

Oh, not to worry, I push myself. My Phyiscal Therapist has to keep reeling me in as I want to push more and more, but I really need to get the Tendonsis and tendonitis in check first. So I'm being extra good not to push too hard right now. I do like the idea of breaking up my bike routine with an eliptical at some point. Not sure if we have a EFX machine, but I'll look it up online to see what it is like and see what we have similar.
 
Your routine is well thought out. Just keep doing what you're doing and watch what you eat. It works!
 
It’s a pretty simple question: should I do cardio before or after weights? The answer isn’t so simple though. In fact, there are a few different variables that effect whether it makes more sense to do cardio before weights or cardio after weight training.

One of the biggest factors is your overall fitness goals. Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain strength, or are focused on conditioning and overall health determines the intensity of your workout routine which can in turn determine whether it makes sense to do cardio before or after weight training.

Doing cardio after weight training has always seemed more practical to me. I like to make sure I have a high energy level so that I can lift heavy weights. I tend to use cardio as my leg workout, but imagine trying to perform a set of heavy squats after a 45 minute cardio session. That being said, the inverse is also true in that trying to run after doing heavy squats isn’t the easiest thing in the world either.

The bottom line is that there is no clear answer to the question: should I do cardio before or after weights? Cardio after weight training is more beneficial for increasing muscle size and strength, but cardio before weights can help improve cardiovascular endurance.

I recommend use your own unique goals and experiences to determine what feels best for your body. If you’re looking for a great cardio routine, I would highly appreciate.
 
You have given really amazing post. There are so many people think as they were wrong but sometimes this type of routine very helpful to your health. Here you mentioned that you daily do exercise which is more beneficial to you.
 
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