Am I doing the right exercise to lose weight and tone up?
I work out 6 days a week for 1 hour each day. I alternate between cardio and strength training. Is that right? I have lost some weight, but not really seeing much difference in my body (only the waist but no where else). I have heard that cardio after strength training may not be good because it could make you lose the muscle. Should I continue with this or try something different? Thanks.
October 19th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Your regime sounds good. Try shaking your routine up though so your body doesn’t get bored (not to mention your brain!) – keep things interesting! If you workout six days a week, on one of those days go for a run or a swim instead of gym work…it’ll do your body and mind wonders. With your gym work, try making little changes each day (eg. do things in a different order, or at different intensities; use different equipment etc), and make bigger changes every few weeks (eg. focus on strength training for a few weeks, and then for the following few weeks make cardio your main focus).
It’s great you’re doing a combination of cardio and strength training – for maximum fat loss, try doing your cardio first so your heart rate is up while you do your strength training as this will increase your calorie burn.
Don’t worry about not noticing much difference in your body – it takes time, and is so worth it when you get there! If your waist is trimming down then you’re on the right track!
Good luck with your goals!
P.S.
It doesn’t matter whether you eat before exercise or not – it doesn’t have any effect on weight loss or fat burn. You WILL lose weight if your energy lost through activity outweighs the energy you put in with food and drink. Working out on an empty stomach doesn’t make you lose more weight – in fact it can make you lethargic and you mightn’t get as much out of your workout. Check out the australian institute of sport website for suggestions of what to eat before and after exercise and how long before and after exercise you should be eating. Eat a good carbohydrate (preferably low GI) between 4 and 1 hours before exercise, and eat a good carb/protein meal within half an hour of finishing exercise to repair muscle and replenish energy (this should be a high GI food like white bread as this will repair and replenish quickly – add some peanut butter for protein) – protein shakes and drinks like sustagen are good options if you’re on the go – just watch your sugars!
October 19th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
I was recently told by a trainer at the gym I just joined that the best way to lose weight and tone up is to do your cardio workout as soon as you wake up in the morning and your strength training in the afternoon/evening. When we wake up, our blood sugar is at it’s lowest level, so if you do cardio then, before you’ve had ANYTHING to eat, your body starts burning the fat for energy instead of the sugar. And in the afternoon, your muscles will turn to the protein you’ve gathered all day to help tone lean muscles. Hope this helps! (Also, I’ve heard- but can’t confirm for sure- that the best way to eat when working out is a protein bar before you start for the energy, then eat your meal after the workout because for the 30-60 minutes after a workout, your body is still burning calories really quickly)
October 19th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
What you’re doing sounds good to me. Remember as you lose fat from the cardio, you are gaining muscle from the strength training so you may not see much change on the scales. Also, watch what you eat as exercise doesn’t mean you can have unlimited calories or you just defeat the purpose of exercise for weightloss.
Keep it up! ☺
October 19th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Unless you’re doing excessive cardio, then of course you’ll get to the stage where you could start to lose precious muscles………
Please have a read on why this is so here: http://www.perfect-body-toning.com/excessive-cardio.html
The cardio routine and weight training you’re now doing is fine for your weight loss and toning up goals.
To boost your weight loss results, go by the tried and trune combination of exercise plus a healthy, weight-loss, well-balanced, nutritiuos diet.
Always does the “magic”……..this combination……
November 14th, 2011 at 8:43 am
This is actually my quite very first occasion I have come by your site. I actually revealed a good package of appealing things in your blogging site.