[sportmom]

Hi, qq for those of you doing multi day splits (or those who aren't but can explain them ) When you are doing shoulders on M, back on W, legs on F, chest on S, I assume you are doing more than just the std 2 types of exercise on each body part. So you are probably doing like 4-5 different types of exercises for each part, right? So in effect, you are working much harder the various parts than someone who does like a fbwo 2x a week and sticks to doing just 2 exercises per body part. Is that right, or are you only doing 2 exercises for like only a 15 min weight workout on each of your splits and doing cardio with the rest of your time?

I worked out Tuesday nite, so technically, I shouldn't work out again til tomorrow to allow the 48 hr rest, but I'm feeling itchy like I want to. I could change to multiple day splits, but I fear messing up the schedule if I can't get to it every other day bc of traveling or whatever. Though, I guess it's easier to fit in if it's only one specific part for 15-20 mins isntead of a 90 min fbwo, so that's worth considering............

I'm doing the fbwo 2x/wk bc over a month's time, it's more workouts than doing an ub/lb split 3x week. But maybe it's time to rethink that for several mini-session body part workouts.

ETA: I did read Waterbury's opinion on those great links depalma posted. Sounds like I'm the stereotypical 40 something woman with lots of fat left to lose and limited training time, so I'm on the right track doing a fbwo, but I just wanted to understand the anatomy of the body part split for those of you doing them.

[Meg]

Fran, I typically do 15 - 24 sets for each split workout; 3 - 4 sets each of 5 - 6 exercises. Sometimes more, never less than 15 sets. I only rest 15 - 30 seconds between sets (except for legs, those rests are a little longer) so I get through a workout in 45 minutes or so. Paired up with 30 minutes of cardio and I'm in and out of the gym in about 1 hour, 15 minutes.

[jamsk8r]

Meg, just curious...when you do your cardio and weights in the same gym visit like that, do you do weights first, or cardio? I will probably end up needing to do just one visit a day, and will probably just go during the weekdays, since I'm not keen on fighting crowds for equipment.

[sportmom]

I also hear to do weights first, cardio last. But sometimes in a gym you have to take a machine when it's open so that plan doesn't always work out right.

[Meg]

The "right" answer is to do weights first, then cardio. Being the rule-breaker that I am, I usually do cardio first, then weights. I don't like cardio, so if I do weights first, I can't make myself stick around for cardio. Once I get through my cardio, weights are my reward (the "dessert").

The reason for doing weights first is to preserve your strength, but I'm equally strong on weights whether I do them before or after cardio. Besides, my main goal right now is calorie burn, not muscle building, so cardio first fits that goal. If your primay goal is to build muscle, do your weights first.

[jamsk8r]

So, does cardio first actually do something to help burn more calories, when you're doing cardio/weights back to back? I thought weights first had something to do with having the right "fuel" and plenty of it for the weight lifting workout...like cardio can tap into the fat stores for extra energy, but the weight lifting can't and would turn to stores in the muscles for fuel...?? Maybe I'm not remembering that right.

Sportmom, not trying to hijack your thread. You asked a great question, and I'm also interested to hear what some of the others do regarding the number of sets on bodypart splits versus FBWOs.