Changing up Cardio

[dreamgirl]

I need help... I am meeting with a trainer, but I need something new and wanted to see what some suggestions from you all would be.

Currently I've been focused on one thing... loosing weight. Im 134lbs and my goal is 121-125. I've been running 5 days at the gym on a tread mill for 4 miles each time I'm on. 1 day a week I do an step class. I also lift weights on different body parts, certain days... I'm lifting correctly, but I know I am over-doing the cardio... but my question is...

what other things at the gym could I do for cardio? our gym has treadmills, stair climbers, elliptical trainers and bikes... what also would be your recommendation for how much cardio for weight loss?

[dreamgirl]

Try taking some sort of ECA and how much water are you drinking? What kind of liquids do you drink all day? Any soda?

How many meals are you having a day?

i bet i drink like 36 oz. of water a day maybe a little more.

no soda - that's my treat, last week I only had 1 can of pepsi

as for the ECA stack... I tried that once and I was so freaked that it was going to hurt my heart... I just wasn't comfortable... I have the real stacker 2's and stacker 3's at home... I only got through 20 pills... I just was so nervous.. I'm going to have to do this w/o that kind of help

[coffee-guy]

I would like to see your diet. Is that possible????

[ROCKILLER]

I have a treadmill at home but I prefer an eliptical at the gym, my knees are beat enough as it is. maybe try keeping a log of everything you eat and the amount of water. sometimes what you think youre getting and what you really are can be pretty far off.

[redsquirrel]

Remember, DG: the key to loosing weight is doing enough activity so it outweighs what you are eating.

First of all, I know you don't eat enough, and that's your first problem. You have to jump start your metabolism by eatin 5-6 small meals a day. Whenever you starve yourself, as so many do because they think that's the way to lose weight; your body ends up storing whatever you're feeding it because it's getting starved. In fact,it may be why your BF is where it is....your body is starting to use muscle for energy.

Once you get your eating down, and train your body to start burning what you put in it on a steady basis, the fat loss will follow.

For some alternate suggestions for cardio, it sounds like your gym has classes. I would recommend a cardio kickboxing class, maybe spinning, or some other type of aerobic class. And keep changing it- try not to do the same routine for the same amount of time every day, or each week.

Our bodies are quick to adjust, and once the body isn't challenged any longer, it stops responding. :)

[dreamgirl]

Our bodies are quick to adjust, and once the body isn't challenged any longer, it stops responding. :)

I completelty agree... I need some help here. 4 days out of the week I am going to the gym at lunch time and they don't offer classes then, so I have to use the machines... I am meeting with the trainer today and I will see what she thinks I could do to "change it up" during the week at the gym

[go Yankees]

I personally don't think you cardio too much; you might be close to the "upper limit" but I don't think it's too much...try the stair climber and the elliptical machine to mix things up, try interval training (sprint for 1 min, walk for 3 min, sprint 1, walk 3) and see if it helps...

[dreamgirl]

I personally don't think you cardio too much; you might be close to the "upper limit" but I don't think it's too much...try the stair climber and the elliptical machine to mix things up, try interval training (sprint for 1 min, walk for 3 min, sprint 1, walk 3) and see if it helps...

thank you...

I met with a trainer today and it was fun... really refreshing to my same old. I also enjoyed working out with someone, I'm always by myself so again another change. I think I may train with her every monday. I think this is really what I needed. Just something new.

[xxxkazxxx]

Cardio Idea.

I was doing cardio at my gym, running on the treadmill everyday. Apart from it being extremely boring (i prefer to run outdoors) it just wasn't doing anything. Recently I joined forces with another girl and we now cardio 4 days a week. A 45 minute outdoors run starting at the gym. Run for 20-25 minutes, then turn around and head back. Reason for this is that you cant press a button & stop, you gotta run or at the least, walk back. Also A 45 minute RPM class, A 60 minute Body Attack class & one of the days we do a 40 minute cardio circuit that includes 20 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the stairclimber & ends with 20 minutes on the bike. It keeps the week interesting having the variety and having someone going along right beside you leaves no room for slacking off. Its like being tied to the same rope and if one of you starts to slip on the cliff, your both going over. So if you can't get to the gym whilst the classes are active, then doing a cardio circuit in the gym might work best. But no slacking off between machines. hehe. Too many people take their time getting from machine A to B and by that time the heart rate has slowed, the body has begun to cool and for alot of people that's the end of them. It always helps to find something you like doing aswell. Everyone has one particular gym cardio machine they like best or atleast prefers over the rest (mines the stairclimber) so if all else fails, concentrate on finding variety within that one machine. If you enjoy having that trainer with you once a week, then i really think it's the ultimate to find someone with similar goals who you could workout with on the other days. Its great support & inspiration. Sometimes when i feel tired or maybe not in the mood, I do it simply because I don't want to let her down. And ofcourse in the end i'm feeling great and so thankful I did it.

[dreamgirl]

thanks xxxkazxxx -- that does sound like a good idea. I've been switching up machines everyday - today is the bike. If i feel like I have a lot of energy I will try the treadmill, stair, bike hour thing... thanks for the ideas! :)

[Mr I]

I'm having problems over here too, I've done the stationary bike for 30mins 4x this week and I'm still a fat fuck LOL, I think its persistence and also I'm gonna try running once a week soon

[ROCKILLER]

How about swimming. The only thing cool about working out at a namby pamby "health club" is that mine has an indoor pool too. swimming works all your body at the same time and its easy on your joints.

[xxxkazxxx]

I don't really like to dwell much on that fat biggest loser show, but Jillian the trainer does have a point when she says its all science. Calories in, calories out! The effort you put in is obviously the catch. Ive seen people on the bike who sweat & look like they are about to die every single minute. And then i see people who read magazines or talk while they cardio. I mean, if you can read a magazine while your exercising or come out with a fresh breathless sentance, then you need to step up a gear or 10. Anyone can do 40 minutes exercise on a machine. But its what you put into that 40 minutes that counts. I believe what you put in, is what you get out!