You can certainly do this for 1 day and actually I'd even recommend it over working out 2 days in a row. Only 1 caveat and stating the obvious in case you didn't see it: you'd need MORE food for 2 workouts than for just one ..
For my own future routines I'm probably going to do this more often.. currently I work out 3 times a week (Mon-Thurs-Sat) on my own schedule but have an additional session on Mon morning. Works out way better to lift twice on Monday and rest 2 more days rather than train 4 days/week.
HI Meredith, just dropping by to say that I'm in the same place as you. So far I've done A, B, A. Although the first session I did an A and one set of the B b/c I had the trainer and I wanted to go through both to learn them.
I'm finding that I'm stronger already. Are you? Is it my imagination? I was doing the cybex weight machines before so maybe my muscles were "ready" to improve.
What, if anything, are you doing for cardio? My plan now is to stick to what I've been doing - cardio one day, weights the next (and on weights days I warm up on the cardio machines for 5-15 minutes). Then in Stage 2 I'll try the intervals.
I think that I will do two workouts in one tomorrow (I say "tomorrow", because I am in Australia and it is one hour until Sunday here).
Agymrat - I'm not sure if I am stronger already after just 4 work outs. Prior to this, I was already lifting quite decent amounts of free weights.
As for my cardio, I am on week 2 of the Couch to 5K program. So I do that three times a week, each session taking approximately 30 minutes. I also aim for one Pilates Reformer class per week.
I am sure that the three C25K sessions aren't enough cardio, but that's the best I can fit in right now.
Oh, I misread what you wrote. Doing it in 1 session might work but it also might not work. What I referred to was to work out in the morning , take the postWO meals etc. but then come back for another session at night.
Many find it impossible to do a very long workout in 1 session as you need to build up more tolerance for a bigger volume. The only way it might work is to skip the cardio and if the program allows for it, to drop a set here & there and weave the sets into each other. Abs are the least important exercises.
start with the main lifts for the bigger body parts and then go on to do the small stuff.
I did all of NROL4W with no cardio, other than the prescribed intervals in the various stages.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pinkgingham_19
me too, and I lost almost 50 lbs.
You know, I've come to the conclusion that I just hate the cardio. I don't mind it so much when the weather is nice and the tunes are good. However, I find myself recently ignoring it. I'm now walking around a fair bit at school (which includes carrying 25+ pounds of books/water/stuff) and I'm finding that I need to talk myself into doing it. And honestly, not very successfully. I'll probably do some on Tuesday as I have a long break before a test, but I'm really wondering how much I need to do?
I did 10 days of lifting last month, 3 days of cardio and still managed to have a decent loss. ie. no more/no less than other months with the cardio. That includes a week off after I pulled something in my back pushing the lifting too hard. So now I'm really thinking - how much do I really need to do?
Less than you think you do. Lifting is great and all that but for some it doesn't raise maintenance all that much ... What it does however is to make you rrrrrreallly fit , strong & retain muscles when you are losing wt, so you're not ending as a skinny fat person.
I would hate to give up my cardio. If I had to choose, weight training would probably have to go, though I've come to really enjoy that too. For me, my cardio workouts are stress relief, me-time, re-charging. So I do both.
And the list of benefits to your cardiovascular health that lifting brings you is long.
Lifting can get you the same heart exercise as any other activity. One doesn't need to run a mile, or whatever other arbitrary "cardio" to maintain good cardiovascular health.
And the list of benefits to your cardiovascular health that lifting brings you is long.
Of course!
I am of the opinion that both are important to one's overall health.
I'm personally not particularly fond of cardio, and I do struggle with getting it in. However, I acknowledge the long-term health benefits, along with the health benefits of lifting.
I suppose if people don't like cardio, and don't want to do it, they are going to be more inclined to disagree with seeing a health need for it.
Not trying to start a debate, because clearly on a message board, there are going to be differing opinions on this. I am, as I originally said, surprised <shrug>
I did all of NROL4W with no cardio, other than the prescribed intervals in the various stages.
I would argue that saying that you did "no cardio", is incorrect, seeing as you went on to say that you did the intervals prescribed in the book. So you did lifting AND cardio. And that's great!
And perhaps I shouldn't have said that I was surprised about the comments, seeing your quote above does say you did cardio (that prescribed in the book). It was the "I did all of NROL4W with no cardio", that got me.
I really think it's apples and oranges. Different, both good for you. "Cardio" training is called that b/c it is very easy to see, with the use of a heart rate monitor, how the heart gets stronger and more efficient.
The trouble for me was that I never saw any improvements whatsoever in my muscularity when I was still doing cardio after lifting.
As of March I've stopped all indoor cardio, except for an occassionol short session or 2. Since then I've finally advanced by not losing as much LBM when I was cutting and actually gaining some when I was eating close to maintenance.
As a former total endurance weenie that was a big blow.. even though I just knew cardio kept me back from progressing, I just never knew how much it did.
Oh and certainly and unequivocally yes to having lifting raise your HR.. actually outside from interval cardio, even moreso. Try front squatting 110 lbs for 5 reps and not getting your HR up
As for cardio.. I do walk lots.. functional walking that is: shopping, to the gym etc. where I'd formerly just take a bike which takes far less effort.
The advantage is, over time it burns almost as many calories as HIIT and totally does NOT wipe you out nor make you as freaking hungry.
I would argue that saying that you did "no cardio", is incorrect, seeing as you went on to say that you did the intervals prescribed in the book. So you did lifting AND cardio. And that's great!
And perhaps I shouldn't have said that I was surprised about the comments, seeing your quote above does say you did cardio (that prescribed in the book). It was the "I did all of NROL4W with no cardio", that got me.
I did all of NROL4W with no cardio, other than what was prescribed in the book. That's my CORRECT statement. That's what I did. And, the intervals prescribed in the book are minimal (15 minutes once or twice a week).
Now I am doing Power training, and I never do LISS. I try to do intervals once or twice a week, but don't sweat it if I don't. I get in a lot of NEAT and I lift 3x a week.
And, guess what? When I recently had a fitness assessment done, I scored 75% ABOVE average for my age for my aerobic capacity. Guess I'm doing something right.
Actually, I'm saying there's documentation that lifting gets you the same benefits as "cardio." Not a apples/oranges thing. But for some reason, people think you're only working your heart in "cardio" in this industry and in the population's greater whole, and it's not the case. It's not really my opinion, and it's not based on whether or not one likes "cardio."
Kind of where I was going, but Aoife said it much better. I hit mid to high 80s MHR during my lifting. It involves a cardio warm-up as well. The overall heart rate may be lower, low to mid 60s vs low to mid 70s, but I suspect that I'm getting the cardio benefits from it as well. Of course, I'll admit that my knees give me trouble when I do too much cardio, so I'm probably slightly biased. Like Jane, I do my best to get as much NEAT in as possible. From wearing my heart rate monitor a couple of days at school I can say that going full tilt walking and up the stairs with a loaded bag appears to push my heart rate up fairly well.
No idea what NEAT is. I do wear a HRM. My HR does occasionally get up to almost 90% max lifting but it's short lived. I will have to pay more attention next time, but I think that the "average HR" during a weights session is in the "moderate" intensity which surprised me (I'm new to free weights.) When I was doing the cybex machines my HR didnt' get nearly as high. Makes sense since on the machines you're only working a few muscles and not the whole body.
I've found that walking, and particularly going down stairs, is hard on my knees. More so than low-impact cardio machines. I think that's b/c on the machines I can start slowly and over several sessions build up the muscles that support the knee in that particular movement. But in walking, and stair climbing (more stair descending), impact is impact.
Interesting conversation on cardio. When you're talking general health issues I think any activity is beneficial. However I think that each type of activity will end up providing somewhat different health benefits depending on your goals. When I was doing the pedometer 10,000 steps a day and less formal cardio and weights I may have had the same general health benefits but I got a little more winded halfway up a flight of stairs and that 40 lb bag of dog food grew 10lbs. I also had a little more trouble keeping up with my daughter on longer bike rides etc. I know for me with my diabetes the cardio is more effective than weight training as far as keeping my sugars stable. But I'd much rather be lifting weights than doing cardio so I incorporate both.
I also think that how much cardio is needed for overall health will depend on how much NEAT someone gets in during the day.
That being said I don't see how cardio can do much for strength but I can see how you can get some cardiovascular benefit from the weight training. Especially now that it's accepted that cardio can be done in multiple short sessions instead of one continuous bout. So if you only have time or inclination to do one I'd say go for the weight training.
Oops sorry meant to answer this in my previous post. NEAT is basically non-exercise general activity. Most of this is supposed to be what is happening on a subconscious level ie different than just parking your car further away, taking the stairs etc. I think it stands for Non Exercise Acitivity Thermogenesis or something like that.
Oops sorry meant to answer this in my previous post. NEAT is basically non-exercise general activity. Most of this is supposed to be what is happening on a subconscious level ie different than just parking your car further away, taking the stairs etc. I think it stands for Non Exercise Acitivity Thermogenesis or something like that.
You got it EXACTLY right Diana: "Non exercise activity thermogenesis" -- just any burning of calories through general daily activity that isn't a workout...
So NEAT is your basic metabolic rate? Or, what you're burning everyday when you're not exercising?
Diana, that brings up a question I've been wondering about...when your cardio workout gets "anaerobic" (which, if I understand what I've read correctly is when my muscles actually get sore and tired, when my HR is really up there) does that build muscle? Or is it just lactic acid making the muscles sore? It feels kind of the same as the last few reps of a set when lifting.
Maybe that question is good for another topic so I'll post it separately.
So NEAT is your basic metabolic rate? Or, what you're burning everyday when you're not exercising?
I can't answer the other question, but will address this one.
The concept of NEAT is the little things you do during the day that burn calories. Running back upstairs to get something, walking from the car to the store, etc. These things burn just a few extra calories. Nothing compared to your workout, however, they add up.
Let's say I do an hour's cardio and burn 500 calories (for me this would be high effort cardio). I'm so tired for the rest of the day that I decide not to do any of the little extra tasks I might normally do. For that one hour of exercise I might burn extra calories, however, I'm decreasing my calories burned for the rest of the day. If your daily exercising decreases your movement for the rest of the day you may not end up burning more calories. You may in fact burn fewer.
The concept of NEAT is the little things you do during the day that burn calories. Running back upstairs to get something, walking from the car to the store, etc. These things burn just a few extra calories. Nothing compared to your workout, however, they add up.
Let's say I do an hour's cardio and burn 500 calories (for me this would be high effort cardio). I'm so tired for the rest of the day that I decide not to do any of the little extra tasks I might normally do. For that one hour of exercise I might burn extra calories, however, I'm decreasing my calories burned for the rest of the day. If your daily exercising decreases your movement for the rest of the day you may not end up burning more calories. You may in fact burn fewer.
Exactly... if you sit on the couch or in front of a computer all day, your level of NEAT is gonna be really low even if you get up and work out hard for one hour in the middle of the day. OVERALL daily calorie burn will be lower than if you were always moving around, doing stuff, puttering around... Leigh has a great chart showing this in her FLTS book.
There are other threads you could search that go into more detail, but many people become aware of NEAT and do things like take the stairs instead of elevator, walk to the store, walk the dog a bit longer... I use the bathroom at work on a different floor and always walk the long way to get there...
Diana, that brings up a question I've been wondering about...when your cardio workout gets "anaerobic" (which, if I understand what I've read correctly is when my muscles actually get sore and tired, when my HR is really up there) does that build muscle? Or is it just lactic acid making the muscles sore? It feels kind of the same as the last few reps of a set when lifting. Maybe that question is good for another topic so I'll post it separately.
Not ignoring your comments but this isn't something I'm qualified to answer.
All I wanted to do was come here and ask a question, not try and ruffle anyone's feathers!
Is there a post somewhere that explains all these acronyms I'm seeing around - LISS, FLTS, NEAT, ATG (although I have now learned what the last two mean)? Also, what is power lifting? Perhaps I'm in over my head here, seeing as I'm not up with the lingo or the studies
LISS Low Intensity Steady State (cardio)
FLTS Fat Loss Trouble Shout
NEAT : non-exercise activity thermogenesis IOW: every movement you make that is not formal exercise (household chores, gardening, walking the dog, walking w groceries.. even bed cardio )
ATG : ass to grass
Two workouts in one day?
The list of health benefits of cardiovascular exercise is long.
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