[zaarjunkie]

For the last couple weeks I have modified my workout schedule to fit my new school / work schedule. Any pointers?

Monday: 5-6pm Slow Yoga offered at school

Tuesday: day off

Wednesday: 4:50am-6:05am 24 hour fitness: 10 minutes stretch, 45 minutes arm weight machines, 10 minutes ab workout, 10 minutes cooldown/stretch

Thursday: 4:50am-6:05am 24 hour fitness: 10 minutes stretch, 45 minutes cardio (eliptical), 10 minutes ab workout, 10 minutes cooldown/stretch

Friday: 4:50am-6:05am 24 hour fitness: 10 minutes stretch, 45 minutes leg weight machines, 10 minutes ab workout, 10 minutes cooldown/stretch

Saturday: 7:00am-8:00am 24 hour fitness Power Yoga class

Sunday: 8:00am-9:00am 24 hour fitness Power Yoga class (sometimes I opt for sleeping in and do not work out this day)

What do you think? Should anything be changed/altered? I'm curious about my weight lifting days, it is sufficient, should I do both arms and legs on Wed & Fri?

My goal is to strengthen, tone, lose weight. Currently about 175 lbs. 5'3.

[nelie]

Well I think you can certainly maximize your workouts a bit as only one day you show doing cardio and you don't give specifics on your weight training days and 3 days in a row of 10 minutes of abs?

Do you have a specific weight training program you are following? If you have 3 days at the gym, I'm wondering if you can do weights and cardio on those days. 20-25 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weights (including abs).

[zaarjunkie]

Thanks for the response, nelie. I am not following any program. Just winging it. In terms of my weight training days, I pick 6 or 7 machines targeted to arms or legs and try to do 3 sets of about 15-20.

In regards to abs, I do the ab machine where you lie on your back and you crunch up. I do 30 reps going forward, 30 on each side and repeat it for 3 sets.

[nelie]

I think for weight training, you should really focus on creating a routine and I'd try to stay away from machines as much as possible. For abs, I'd try to see if there is a ball available that you could do and use that to do crunches on versus using the machine.

Here is a page that could give you some ideas of workouts:
http://www.stumptuous.com/category/t.../workout_ideas

One of the things to remember with weight training is our body has large muscles and small muscles. Often the small muscles get worked while working the large muscles. Also, if you are using dumbbells or anything else that requires stability, then your core is getting worked so the need to directly work your abs is lessened. If there is a bosu available, you could also do some exercises on that and that would work your balance/core as well. (EG doing lunges with one foot on the bosu, doing bicep curls while standing on the bosu, etc).

For legs, lunges and squats are 2 of the best workouts for the legs. For the upper arms, pushups and pullups are the best workouts for the upper body. If your gym has an assisted pullup machine, that can help you work on your pullups. Changing hand position with pullups works different muscles.