Hi All
I've been exercising about 5 days a week now since last May..Lately I feel extremely tired after my workouts...been adding extras'. I walk 5 days a week for one hour, uphill on the treadmill..On Mon-Wed-Fri,I then do some abs & leg work on the matts for about 15 minutes..then I will usually start with the free weights for another 25 minutes...After that I normally repeat many of the same exercises with the machines..I try to do 3 sets with the free weights....Sometimes I'm so tired I cant finish the machines....Am I doing too much? Thanks,Vicki

I think maybe you are- especially if you are so tired you can't finish your workouts. Why duplicate your free weight workout with machines? Why don't you try doing just the free weight workout OR the machines and see how you feel?

Do you do a full body workout 3 times a week or do a split? If you're doing this much for a full body workout, my guess is that you never let your muscles have enough recovery time given the volume of exercise you are doing. Plus, that just sounds like it must take an awfully long time to finish!

Mel

I would also try doing the free weights before the cardio walking, on the days that you do both. The general idea with our group is that you need all your energy and focus for weights, but can get thru cardio when a little tired. You also don't want to use up all your energy burst on cardio and leave nothing for your w/lifting. I would pass on the machines because you are duplicating the work of the free weights, and the free weights are much more effective. That could really be tiring you out. Also, I have found it's tough when I only allow 2 days b/w weight workouts but I do great with 3 days rest. Instead of doing weights M, W,F, could you try doing M, Th, Sunday? It will vary your workout days each week bc of the odd number of days in a week, so it may seem confusing, but every other week is the same if you know what I mean (m, th, su,weds, sat, tues, fri, then start over with monday, etc.)

I can't believe you've made it a year almost on this regimen! You sound exhausted. When I started in September, I was feeling great and MORE energetic after the 3rd week - to the point where I was adding in extra pilates dvd's etc bc I had energy and needed to move. I've also been known to vacuum lampshades. This is where you should be finding yourself after a month, and not the other extreme. I would say cut back right away. Just making sure a gym trainer didn't advise this routine for you right? You created it yourself?

Ladies
Thaks for the feedback...I guess I thought the more the better,,I didn't want to miss any body part & untill recently I hadn't noticed the replacation & actually thought about it...Plus I've been adding more free weight exercises lately because I actually enjoy it...I started with the machines as part of an overall program & as I lost more weight I added more free weights...I just didn't eliminate the machines & it didnt cross my mind till I found myself extremely tired....I do a full body workout 3 days a week & on those days I'm working out at least 2 hours with the treadmill work... I first devised my program myself along with recommendations from the local gym...after a while I just added more...Thanks again,Vicki