Quote:
Originally Posted by Lydia227
Hi Michelle,
A couple of questions first.
How many weeks/months have you been strength training.
What strength training exercises are you doing on those two days a week
How many sets and how many reps in the sets on average
Cardio:
How long are your cardio sessions on the three days. Are they 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or more?
Are you doing cardio of 45 minutes on the same day that you are lifting?
Are you doing steady state cardio (constant middle of the road speed) or
Are you doing HIIT cardio (intervals of really intense cardio period of a minute or so followed by a recovery of several minutes and then back up to an intense level of cardio once again during the session)
Nutrition
I use Fitday to track my macronutrients (Protein, carb, fat) ratios as well as my caloric intake. After tracking your food for several days what percentage of protein vs carb and fat are you generally consuming.
Do you use a post workout snack within two hours of your workout? (very important 'specially after a lifting session. ) Those muscles are hungry!
Hey there. Thanks for asking.
1. I have been working with my trainer and doing strength training since April. The first couple of months I was not very good with my calorie counting so I got a slow start. Around August I got very strict with my calories and that's when the weight started falling.
2. Well, one of the days is my training day with PT. We do 50 minutes of continuous weight training, a full body workout. The other day I am on my own and I do 30-45 minutes of full body workout.
3. I do cycles of 3 exercises with 2 sets each with about 15-20 reps in each. Example: Cycle 1: 15 lunges with dumbbells, 20 hamstring curls, 20 leg extensions. Repeat cycle.
Cycle 2: 20 lat pulldowns, 20 chest press, 20 bicep curls. Repeat cycle.
And so on...
Cardio:
1. My cardio sessions are 45 minutes.
2. I don't do cardio on the day I meet with my PT. On the day I do weights on my own I will do 15-20 mins of light cardio afterwards.
3. I am doing steady state cardio. Typically I either jog or do the stairmill with a little elliptical when needed.
Example: 1st cardio day: I jog 2.25 miles with 1/4 mile walks thrown in the mix to make 3 miles. This takes me about 45 mins. When I'm jogging my heart rate is in the high 160's, low 170's.
2nd cardio day: Stairmill for 30 mins, elliptical for 15 mins.
3rd cardio day: Jog 1-2 miles, elliptical 15 mins.
Thanks for the FitDay suggestion. I may give it a try or I may just adjust my journal to include fat, protein, and carbs. I know I should be tracking that and will begin this week.
I workout after work so I used to just go home, shower, and fix dinner - no specific after workout snack. This past week, though, I picked up some protein powder and will have a scoop of that in a full bottle of water on my way home from the gym.
Thanks again for the response. I hope those answers help!