A question here, please respond!

Avatar for dmm11730
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2003
A question here, please respond!
5
Thu, 09-04-2003 - 4:36pm
Those of you who do weight training. Well maybe that is not the right term. But you work on machines and your muscles. I need to ask this. Is everyday hurting me. I do not mean hurting as in ouch but maybe in seeing some results. I have copied something that someone posted from the Curves board and I wanted to ask if this is correct. I have been pushing and going almost 4 or 5 days a week. I need some feedback if you would.

* Curves is strength training and your muscles are basically getting "torn" while you are at Curves. It takes an average of 48 hours for your muscles to repair themselves and this is when the new muscles are built. That is expressly why Curves suggests 3 times a week with every other day off. Obviously this is not always possible, so going 2 days in a row occasionally is acceptable, 3 days is discouraged at most clubs. You just don't give your muscles time enough to get ready to go again and you probably won't see the kind of results that women working out M-W-F are seeing if you go Mon thru Sat. As for working out longer, most members don't see a lot more benefit from going longer. It's recommended that you get 20 minutes of sustained heart rate in the target fat-burning zone and that's what the "30 minute workout" is designed around at Curves. 4 minutes of warmup on the machines, 20 minutes of target range heart rate and 4 minutes of cooldown on the machine followed by 3-6 minutes of stretching to rid the muscles of the lactic acid that builds up while you are working out and causes soreness if it stays there. so 24 machines total, no matter how many different machines are in the circuit. you CAN go longer, but if you are doing the workout right, going ALL OUT on the machines and just sustaining your heart rate on the recovery stations (read: not jogging at a super fast rate to GET your heart rate up) you shouldn't feel the need to do more. It's recommended that you get some other sort of cardio exercise on the days off from Curves tho, like walking or swimming or biking...

Debbie

Avatar for imthebigsister
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-04-2003 - 4:46pm
Hi, Deb - That's the advice I've been hearing for years, one day weights (with cardio ok), next day cardio, next day weights (with cardio), and so on. Body for Life follows it, also. That's kind of what I've been trying to do, except I'm not a maniac about it. I've seen wonderful changes in my upper arms (tri- and biceps) and in my legs (especially the quads and calves; I'm working the hammies more now, and have not seen any marked change, but it'll come.)

Stop exhausting yourself - it's not going to benefit your muscle building any, and it might even kill your enthusiasm for the whole effort. I've never worked the same muscles two days in a row since I've started; I may do UB one day and LB the next, or UB and LB in the same day, but I just don't do the same routine 2 consecutive days.

Take care!

Donna

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-04-2003 - 5:04pm
You can do cardio and/or stretching every day with no problem, but your muscles needing time off to have a chance to repair is true. You can build up too much lactic acid and get really sore from working out with weights too often. If you like to go every day, you could do upper body one day and cardio or stretching, and lower body on the next and cardio or stretching. That's what I was doing when I belonged to the Y.

Rhonda

       ~~Rhonda~~


<

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2001
Thu, 09-04-2003 - 5:22pm
I'm no expert but if it were me I'd only do Curves every other day or 3 days a week. I'd make the most of the treadmill you have at home.Jump on that every day that you have the chance even if it's just for short sessions.I know you must be busy with your family and now with school coming up.I think it is great that you get in the workouts that you do, it can't be easy juggling it all.Those jeans will be fitting you before you know it.

Miss P




 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 09-05-2003 - 6:32am
I agree with everyone else as well.

Phyllis

Live With Passion!

Phyllis

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2000
Fri, 09-05-2003 - 8:15am
I've read this about allowing your muscles to heal between workouts too. The Firm tapes that I use also schedule breaks from the weight training, alternating full sculpting (very instensive on the weights) with cardio (only some weights, different moves) and abs (no weights, AND including rest days. On most of my cardio days, I'll run and do abs and leg lifts - I've scheduled UB weight work but will do just *some* weights if I'm "feeling it", just to give myself a break. I'll work out 5-6 days a week, taking full rest days in the middle. I think putting cardio in between Curves workouts is a great idea.

BTW, I don't use machine weights like you'd find at gyms, or resistance equipment which Curves uses. I use free weights - I'm still using relatively light ones and am increasing only gradually. Too much increase is demotivating for me.

Cussette

C