Exercise question

Hey guys, I am trying to tweek my exercise program and wanted your opinions. Right now I am working out for 45 min, 3 days a week. Running for 30 min, and lifting weights (2 body parts per day, two exercises per body part,  10 reps, 3 sets)  I am just wondering if that is enough??? any thoughts...right now I work out during my lunch during the week. Should I throw the weekend in there too?

Bub,

Leave yourself enough time for muscles to BUILD. Tax when you can/must but re-coop time is essential. Other “exercise gurus” will have better info, But, leaving time for muscle tissue to grow is essential. Keep up the amazing work. Best Wishes- Dx

It sounds like you are starting on a good plan.  I'd see if you can do that for two months and then reevaluate if you want to add more.  Lifting more than 3 times per week is too taxing for most people's bodies, especially if you are just starting (or restarting) a program.  If you find that after a couple months you want more, you might try adding a few more exercises to your lifting routine, adding a fourth, longer cardio session one day on the weekend, or try something different like picking up a sport (tennis, racquetball, basketball, cycling) or doing a once-weekly High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) session.  The most important thing is to be incremental so that you are sure it's a level of exercise you can and will maintain.  I've had some pretty ambitious six-day routines that didn't do me much good once I got injured and had to take two months off (or got tired and quit, or went on vacation and....). Good luck.

One thing to be careful of is stress on your joints and ligaments.  I have had incredible success just lifitng two days a week.  However, I have strained both my rotator cuff and elbow at various times due to rushing to push too much weight too fast (getting older!!). Fortunately, my trainer slowed me down and put me on programs that protected those joints while they were healing.  I continued make significant improvement in appearance even though I was on al ower weight - high reps program. I know too many guys at my gym who never heal because they are obsessed with constantly adding more weight.  Be patient and look for results on your body - not the number of plates you're loading on the bar.

john. ardberg and dx hit it right on the head. great attitude but don't go overboard. think of it this way. you lift weight maybe three or four hours a week. yet you build muscle the other 160 some hours out of the gym. you have to rest. that's number one. i mix weights and running. swimming in the summer. i take long walks with the dogs too. so just keep doing what you like to do. make sure you take enough time to heal your joints and muscles. you don't have to go overboard. i work out with weights maybe less than an hour a day. one body part a day. i'll rest or take off a day if i feel like it. i run everyday and walk everyday. so cardio is most important to me to keep in shape. the more muscle you have though the more you'll burn calories just sitting around so keep up the lifting too. good luck......carbonblob

If you choose to exercise more, think opposites on consecutive days. If you run one day, swim the next. Next day try the stationary bike. Weights are same principle - split up. Do upper torso minus shoulders, some cardio and abs the next day, next day do legs and lower back, then cardio and abs again the next day, the following day, shoulders and arms. You don't have to rest completely if you don't want to, just change focus and if possible exercise type.

One benefit that gets overlooked with an intense 45 minute weight workout is cardio. And, when you regular mix weights with other exercise, there is great cardiovascular synergy.