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2003/10/26, 01:07 PM
Everytime I get back into the exercise regime, I default to Cardio. I am content to do 60 min of cardio 5-6/week- However cannot drag myself to start on the weights.I have intentions to do a mini-trathalon 1km swim, 30km bike, 8km run. I need to increase my cardio to meet the endurance requirments of this race. Will doing too much cardio help or not at this stage? The race is in 7 months. How many Weight training days do I need, and for how long? My main goal is to lose weight (20lbs) and tone up. Would you recommend speaking to a personal trainer or nutritionalist? or both?
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2003/10/26, 06:06 PM
If your goal is the triathalon then that should be the primary focus of your training. It may be a good idea to structure your cardio focusing on the specific areas of the even. For example monday focus on swimmming. wed focus on cycling, & friday on running. In additon it is important to vary the intensity of the sessions by deviding the distance into units. For example divide the 8k into 4 2k runs per session performing each one with high intensity with a rest between each bout. try that for four weeks then switch to 2 sets of 4k. then 4 weeks at 1 set of 75%goal(6k), then try your time for the 8k. The goal of each session should not be to run acertain amount of time but to run the desired distances in less time than the previous session. Now for the resistance training it would probably be best to include it on your off days mon & thur, & to focus on basic compound movements with low repititions to increase functional strength. train the body once per week doing different movements each day & skip cardio on weight training days. As far as diet be sure to consume adequate calories before training & reduce you calories the rest of the day to facilitate fat loss, just be sure not to drop calories to drastically, sepecially carbs as you will need to maintain adequate energy levels to recuperate between sessions, a deficit of no more than 700 per day below base should be fine & allow you to reach your target weight in 3-4 months. Just my opinions & some basic things to consider. Good luck with your training & your event.
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\\\\\"Education is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance\\\\"
Patrick L.
ISSA-CFT
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2003/10/26, 06:24 PM
More to think about with female weight training. Plfitness's post is excellent.
Physiological Benefits of Weight Training:
Increased lean mass
Increased bone density (and resulting decreased risk of osteoporosis)
Increased connective tissue strength
Increased muscular strength
Increased muscular endurance
Increased metabolism
Increased muscle capillarization
Increased physical capacity
Improved muscle balance
Improved posture
Decreased body fat
Decreased risk of injury
Psychological Benefits of Weight Training:
Enhanced kinesthetic awareness
Improved body image
Improved physical appearance
Improved quality of life
Increased confidence
Decreased isolation (much-needed in these “Dilbert “ days of cubicles and computers)
Decreased symptoms of clinical depression
Its fun!
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Great people never want it easier, they just want to be better!
Ron
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2003/10/26, 07:29 PM
Thanks plfitness and bb1fit for your advice and suggestions. I'd like to ask about some of the cardio warning posts I have seen on the message boards previously. Do you both agree that doing 1 session of cardio for longer then 45min turns your body into storage mode for fat, and therefore defeats the purpose of going any longer? Is this accurate for anyone? will the body eventually just get used to exercising for extended periods of time then not 'panic' once it's past an hour?? I hate to thing that while I think I'm doing really well by riding the bike for an hour I'm actually helping store the fat I'm trying to lose. As for the Weight training, Would your recommendation then be to do many reps at low weights, or the 12-10-8 strategy of increasing poundage per rep? Yikes, even thinking about doing one machine 3 times over make me cringe :) Thanks again, this is very valuable info!
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2003/10/26, 10:29 PM
I am a big believer that relying on cardio for fat loss is one of the biggest mistakes someone can make. The only way to lose fat is to burn more calories than you consume, period. The goal in doing cardio should be to improve cardiovasclar function & aerobic endurance, & like anything there is a point that enough becomes too much. Exactly where this point lies is going to vary from one individual to the next. The question you have to ask yourself is "how much aerobic endurance do I need?" Int he case of your upcoming event these goals should be quite clear. Train for what you need & then a little extra for a cushion. Once you develop the endurance needed then you need to work on speed. The goal from that point is not to see how much time you can spend training aerobically, but how quickly you can cover the distance needed. Paying too much attention to time is counterproductive to your specific goals. As far as weights tis more like sets of 5 reps increasing in weight until the fifth rep is barely possible, using the following exercises or a variation of each; front press, overhead press, rows, pulldowns, upright rows, dips, deadlifts, squats, and calf work(seated & standing) as these are going to produce the best results in the shortest time. Once again I cant stress enough, do not try to lose weight by working out, you have all day to burn fat just by diet alone, use the training session to make your body stronger & more efficient. Our bodies burn fat 24 hours a day but the time we have in the gym is very limited.
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\\\\\"Education is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance\\\\"
Patrick L.
ISSA-CFT
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