Looking for 5 week program

I am about to start a career training program for 5 weeks and will be having 1 hr to spend in the gym everyday afterwork and before career training classes Monday thru Thursday. I was thinking this would be a good time to start focusing on weight training, I have never focused on this I normally do the elliptical machine and take yoga/pilates/tai chi classes. Since I will be short on time any workout I want to do during the week will need to fit into this one hour. Can anyone suggest a program to get the best benefits for my body Monday-Thursday. I clean houses on Fri, Sat, and Sunday so I wont be able to workout those days. I dont know the names of the machines but i know which ones i can do (for legs and arms is all i know). I just am wondering should I be doing like Monday arms and 30 min cardio, tuesday legs and 30 cardio then repeat wed and thurs or what would work best? I'm looking to tone my body, I'm a fat skinny 25 yr old ... meaning i'm 5'8 and weigh 150lbs, have skinny legs but have jiggly fat around my tummy and back area and arms ... Thanks in advance :) Ohh and i already have a great healthy diet going 90% of the time :) hahaha
 
My first suggestion is not to just work arms and legs. What about back, chest, shoulders, abs? It's important to work all the muscle groups.
Machines are ok, but free weights are superior. How about doing an upper/lower body split? Upper body Monday and Wednesday, Lower Tuesday and Thursday. Here are a few exercise suggestions:

Lower body:
squats
Strait leg deadlifts
Lunges
Standing calf raises
Upper body:
Pull ups
Barbell rows
Hyperextensions
one arm DB rows
Incline Db chest press
Bench press
Military press
Over head DB press
Overhead tricep extensions
Barbell bicep curls
Crunches

Just some suggestions, that's not a total program I would recommend.
Sarah
 
Great Sarah ... thanks ... now how does cardio fit in this? Should i do 30 min cardio each day too? Does it matter if I do cardio before weights or visa versa? I just got a pilates ball for my house and was thinking i could just do crunches on that and oblique crunches on that like 50 a day ... is that enough or too many,etc? Thanks for the help ... i appreciate it!! AFter my career training classes are over I'm gonna invest in a personal trainer at the gym :) WAHOO! But Spring Break is right when classes are over in March ... and here in Texas it'll be skirt and cute tank top season too!
 
Oh ya and also ... do you have a weight level you would recommend to begin at?? And how often to increase it? Like start with 10lbs this week and 15 next week,etc? Thanks again :)
 
Hi,
I'm glad that helped. For cardio, you can mix up what you do for cardio. Some days longer, lower intensity sessions, shorter, higher intensity sessions, intervals some days. Try for 4-5 days a week.
As for what weight to use...you will want different weights for different body parts. For example, large msucles like the quadriceps and the lats in your back can handle much heavier weights than your arm muscles. Experiement with the weights. Start with a weight in which you can do about 12 reps, but not much more. You should keep lifting until you can't do any more reps with poper form. Then, gradually increase your weights. Also you can gradually lower your rep range.
Hope that helps.
Sarah
 
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