hi all

i have noticed recently with some other chicks on here that their weight routines take longer that what i am currently doing. i was hoping you might be able to help and tell me if what i am doing is needing to be pushed up a bit by adding another set or superset and does it matter that it takes me a short amount of time. even though it is a short workout, am i still getting the benefit?

I do upper and lower in two separate sessions, although both can be done on the same day if need be. the workout is based on the full pyramid system and speed supersets and i am lifing 1kg (12 reps), 2kg (10 reps) and 3kg (8 reps) weights for the upper body and for thigh, back and calves. for the hips/buttocks and abs i am doing 15 rep supersets without weights. below is my routine in supersets per body part. all is with free weights (i work out at home and only have weights - no bench, stability ball, etc.

generally it will take me 15 minutes for the upper and 20 minutes for the lower body. i am resting for only 15 seconds between supersets.

UPPER ROUTINE
Chest: Flat Flye, Flat press
Triceps: Seated overhead press, Close bench press
Shoulders: Reverse overhead dumbbel lateral, bent lateral
Biceps: Simultaneous standing curl, Alternate reverse curl

LOWER ROUTINE
Thigh: Squat, leg extension
Hips/buttocks: Prone floor scissors, prone butt lift
Abs: alternate knee in, knee raised crunch
Back: double arm bent row, seated back lateral
Calves: seated straight toe calf raise, seated angled out toe calf raise

what do you think? do i need to step it up somehow with more exercises per body part, or should it be split further? i just feel that maybe i should be taking more time to do the workout.

appreciate your help.

It looks like you are doing 3 sets each body part with light weights. As such, you don't need to rest a long time in between each set. Your timing is good in terms of completing the workout.

Generally speaking, the heavier the weight, the longer you should rest between sets, which adds time to the overall workout. It depends on the goal of the workout. I rotate between three types- endurance (lower weights, 15 reps each, 4-5 sets); hypertrophy (medium weights, 10-12 reps, 4-5 sets); and strength (high weights, 4-6 reps, 4-5 sets). I use a 2 day split, with about six exercises each time. Each workout takes about 75 minutes, including warmup and stretching. Each exercise includes a warmup set of low weights. Each type of workout takes around the same time to complete, because lower reps/heavy weights means more rest time in between. I don't count talk time in the 75 minutes, when someone wants to talk, so sometimes it takes longer.

For ab and lower back work, I use low or no weight. This area responds to reps nicely.

Also, lifting for over an hour gives you diminishing returns. So the actual lifting part should last no more than 60 minutes. If you are seeing returns doing what you are doing, don't worry about what others are doing.

Hope this helps...

there is some therories to suggest keeping the total work out under 45mins. the majority i have come across say around 60 mins.

I personally don't think it matters how you split up your weight routines, as long as each muscle group is getting its share of work over the course of a week. I think your split is a good one ... it really makes no difference what amount of time you put into a given workout, just that you are covering all the bases. As you progress, you can change things around so you will continue to benefit from the lifting.

The variables to consider are summed up in the word FIT ... frequency, intensity (poundages) and time. As you progress you can ratchet these up a bit or if you want to just maintain, you can shuffle them around to make up new, fresh rotations.

A beginner might want to do a total body workout three days a week. She might use two sets of two exercises for each body part. This could take approximately 30 minutes, but she'd get the same benefit from dividing the body in half and doing 15 minutes in the morning and 15 in the evening (although she might lose a little of the already limited cardio benefit from the workout).

If she's getting more fit but doesn't have more time in a day, she might start doing splits similar to the one you're doing, but covering more days in the week (frequency) ... since she's only doing part of the body now, she might want to up the poundages (intensity) and after awhile, add another exercise that extends the time each workout takes.

It's an individual thing, IMO. No one system is the be-all and end-all in weight training.

Looks to me like you are doin' fine!

thanks all.

i wasn't sure if what i was doing was pointless if it was such a short amount of time. it does work well and is good for a home workout.

will keep plodding along

cheers