Weight-training questions (1 Viewer)

[Mark Leiter]

I have been doing a weight-training regimen for the past few months. Since I have started I’ve thought of a few questions that I haven’t been able to find a complete answer for. Maybe somebody can give me a few pointers.

My basic schedule is that I train 4 days a week, do cardio 3 days a week and work abs twice a week. I mainly do this in the evening time; say between 6-8PM after I get off of work. For the days that I train and do cardio the same day, which should I do first? Also since my schedule dictates that I train in the evening time; when should I eat dinner, before or after I train? If before how long should I wait till I work out? If after should I eat a snack of some sort to tied me over?

Also if anyone know of a good web site or forum that discusses these issues, it would be great if you could reply back with the links.

Thanks all

 

[John Alvarez]

What are your goals?

 

[Mark Leiter]

Well, most important to me is general fitness. Since I am not active at work (on the computer all day) and not at home (in front of TV/computer all night) I needed to do something to get myself feeling healthy. For the past year I have basically been riding 10 miles a day 3-4 days a week.

It is only recently that I clued into the fact that if I balanced my cardio with some weight training I could accomplish my goal of feeling healthy and get my body looking better at the same time. I weigh about 200 right now so at 6’1” I think my weight isn’t too bad. I pretty much would like to stay about there. Overall toning would be the best way of describing my weight-training goals.

I also have a long-term goal of training for a pilgrimage I plan on taking in about 18 months. This basically involves a 500km walk over about a 5 week time period. I would hope to be in good enough shape for that.

 

[Joe Szott]

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Good question.


In absence of knowing that, I'd say have a small snack maybe 20-30 mins before working out for fuel and then a nice meal right afterward. If you are going to do light cardio and weights on same day, I'd do cardio first. If for no other reason than it gets your heart pumping, warms up your entire body, and makes stretching for the muscles you are going to workout that much easier.

Remember to take time off every few days as well and get enough sleep. What you do outside of the gym can have at least as much impact as what you do inside.

 

[DustinLC]

Same deal. Which ever is more your liking. Most people feel really down after a meal. I do. Whether you snack or not will depend on whether you need to. Most people need some source of energy boost before weightlifting. I need it throughout my workout. Building muscle will depend on your workout and not when you schedule your eating around the workout. Thus, people who's goal is muscle building will make sure that they have the energy to get a real good workout and leave it to dieting and cardio workout to burn fat. However, most overdo in this area and consume too much energy source. Remember what happen to all those extra calories you're taking in. So, here again, have an energy source if you need it for a good workout. Just don't over do it.

Get plenty of rest, eat a high protein, low fat, high complex carb diet throughout your day. Most important, enjoy what you do. Don't get overwhelmed by all those false expensive products out there.

 

[John Alvarez]

Agree with Dustin....If your going to do cardio the same day I would do that first since it sounds like you may want your endurance to be great for your long trek.

 

[Mark Leiter]

That is something that I didn't know. Looks like hitting the gym before hitting the fridge is the thing to do.

I know that doing cardio and training the same day aren't the best thing to do. I guess I was trying to get my entire training routine done 4-5 days a weeks so I can have the weekends off to relax.

Thanks everyone for your responses this gives me a good deal of info to ponder.

 

[DustinLC]

Ever feel hungry and if you hold on, you feel better? When your glucose level is low, your start to get hungry and at times, shakey. Then your body starts to use your fat storage and the glycogen storage in your liver and muscles for energy. Once those kick in, you feel a bit better. Still hungry but not as shakey . That's why that extra miles at the end of a run is more important in burning fat than the first. Not only do pushing yourself at the end increase endurance, it's burning more fat.

 

[Dan Keefe]

I have been using this website for training..
body for life


the most important thing I have found is to do cardio on an empty stomach first thing in the morning

I have lost 20 pounds of fat and gained 10 pounds of muscle in 7 weeks so far

 

[Al.Anderson]

I remember reading one time that you should wait 2 hrs to work out after eating and not eat for an hour afterwards.

As for the abs, I also remember reading that you should work these last as they are central to all other muscle groups and if you wear out your abs you're likely to cheat on the form of the other exercises. (Bad form means you don't get as much from the exercise and increase your chance of injury.) Granted, this was focused on what order to do a series of weight training.

 

[AaronMg]

According to this article, "The Window of opportunity", you should be eating no later than half an hour after your workouts.

The following site should also answer many of your questions - abcbodybuilding

 

[JonZ]

"According to this article, "The Window of opportunity", you should be eating no later than half an hour after your workouts."

Correct because your body is starving after exercise. Its best to have a drink of some sort because its fast absorbing - especially after weight training.

Im gonna be the minority here and say the opposite. That you should do cardio after weight lifting. Weight training requires endurance and is more intense than cardio.Are you lifting weights to gain muscle? If so, after youve lost the weight you want to, you should do cardio and weight lifting on seperate days.
Like Mon,weds,fri=weight training,tues,thurs,sat=cardio.

Im pressed for time right now,but here some other tips:
-You should try to eat every 3-5 hours. Even if its a snack, a yogurt and fruit.
-If your doing intense weight training, it shouldnt last longer than a hour.
-Begin doing body parts together, then split them up.
Example chest triceps and shoudlers and back taps and biceps for 4 months, then change it to shoudler biceps triceps on one day and chest and back on another.
- Try to make every day different. Your body is very fast to adapt.CHange the exercises your doing for bodyparts at least every 2 weeks.
- If trying to put on muscle,try getting 15-20 grams of protein every 3-5 hours.
- Dont lower your carbs or fat too much. Watch your sugar intake.

Good luck.

 

[Jon_Are]

I'm not being a wiseguy, but how do you differentiate these numbers so specifically?

Jon

 

[Chris_Morris]

The rest I agree with, but these I have to disagree with. I did HST for over a year with great results, and have started back with it. I won't train any other way now.

HST - Hypertrophy Specific Training

 

[Jason Kirkpatri]

Agreed.

 

[Neal_C]

If you want to build any muscle at all, DO NOT do cardio after weight training. That is muscle suicide. You need to be taking in nutrients after weight training, not doing cardio.

Someone already linked you to ABC Bodybuilding website. Check it out and read their articles and browse the forum posts. Absolutely the best information regarding nutrition and working out that you will find anywhere.

Ideally, you would seperate cardio from weights by atleast 6 to 8 hours if doing them on the same day. Since that doesn't seem to be an option for you, I would do cardio first (65% Max HR to burn fat) and then weight train and then have a protein shake (and if you can follow the window of opportunity guidelines linked for you already as well).

Just like anything else, you have to work to get to where you want to be physically. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to reach your goals.

 

[JonZ]

I think cardio and weight training should be on seperate days, but if he must do cardio on the same day, I think it should be after weights.

Take a long break,drink a good protein or nutrient shake and do the cardio. I dont think itll be that bad as he doesnt seem to want to bodybuild.

But ideally it should be seperate days.

"I did HST for over a year with great results, and have started back with it."

If hes not doing intense lifting it should be fine. I find I get better results when I do shoulders seperate from chest because by the time I get to shoulders after chest, my shoulders are exhausted and Im unable to work them the way Id like to.

Ive found when doing shoulders say on monday and do chest on friday, I lift ALOT heavier for shoudlers and have much more endurance. And my shoulders have been growing like weeds doing this. Same goes for tris. Ill do chest shoudlers triceps for a 8 week cycle and then split them up.Smae with Bi and back.

For legs Ill do squats for a few weeks then leg presses then lunges and so on. I find variety works best for me.

Remember,every one is different and you have to find what works best for you.Everything here is just opinion, based on our experiences.

 

[Andrew_Sch]

Chris, that HST stuff looks pretty interesting to me. I lift a lot but I'm not building muscle like I want to, so I wanna look into it, only problem is that website seems like it's in another language to me. Where can I get a simple explanation of the principles of HST and how to implement them in my workout?

 

[Chris_Morris]

The basic of HST is:

The muscle can recuparate in 48 hours. Protein synthesis (the body's usage of protein to create muscle) peaks at 24 hours after lifting, then drops to normal at around 36 hours.

Frequent loading (lifting weight with the muscle) creates the stimulus for muscle growth

Over time, the muscle adapts to the weight so you have to keep increasing it.

The basic workout is full-body, 3 times a week (I've seen people do anywhere from 6-12 different lifts each workout) as follows:

Find your maxes (the most you can lift for x number of reps) for 15, 10, 5 reps.
Each cycle of HST is made up of mini-cycles based on reps.
Take bench press for example. If your maxes were 100,150,200 the routine would look like:

Week 1&2 15 reps
50,60,70
80,90,100

Week 3&4 10 reps
100,110,120
130,140,150

Week 5&6
150,160,170
180,190,200

Week 7&8 negatives (if you have a partner, do more than you can handle and have them help, if you don't, just continue with the 5 rep max weight and raise it 5 lbs every other workout)

You can repeat 7&8 for as long as you feel your body can handle it, and your body will tell you it is time to stop.

Take at least 9 days off, up each weight by 5% or so, and start over.

Lots of good answers found here: HST FAQ Forum

 

[JonZ]

Mike Mentzers Heavy Duty system is excellent as well.

I do it three times a year.