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Jeff G
traineo Newbie
Posts: 3
Post History
 # Posted: 5 Jan 2008 09:45


I'm a 40 yr old male, 5'6", 225lbs. I need to lose weight and tone up. My biggest problem with starting a workout routine is timing it right. How many minutes on cardio to start out...and for how many times per week?

Then, how often to bump up the cardio time & intensity. I always overdo it, then quit. Is interval training better than a steady pace?

Finally, I know strength training is important, but I don't have enough time to do a weight training routine AND a cardio workout.

Thank you all.
Matt A.
Fitness Guru
Posts: 254
Post History
 # Posted: 5 Jan 2008 10:08


You should work out 3-5 times a week. Depending on how hard you work out, it can be 30min-1hr. Interval training, from my experiences, is much more intense and burns more fat. If you can't do both cardio and weight training, go with weight training because you'll build muscle which will burn fat off more than your current muscle mass, and since time is an issue it's more beneficial.
Another Dave (formerly Release the Hounds)
Fitness Guru
Posts: 249
Post History
 # Posted: 5 Jan 2008 13:46


i'm somewhat close to your stats: 33 male, 5'10", 202...

i've been working out for 3 weeks and have lost 3 pounds. it doesn't sound like much, but i can definitely tell the difference. plus, one has to factor in that i completelty over did it on the weights the first day and was so sore that i couldn't lift again until 4 days later. i also wasn't cutting enough calories the first week to make any significant progress. given my current exercise regime and nutrition plan, i expect to lose around 2 pounds per week. but enough about me!

i really enjoy the elliptical machine. three weeks ago, i could barely do 10 minutes on the lowest fat burning setting at the lowest intensity. now i'm up to 40 minutes with no problem. i've just recently started utilizing the high intensity interval options. the point? start out at low intensity, low time and add a little more time or distance each time you use the machine. sounds like common sense, i know, but similar to you, i've started exercise programs before in the past and stopped because i so over did it at the start.

i'm a newbie at weight training and will let the more knowledgeable and experienced traineos discuss that. i do really enjoy that aspect of the gym though. i think i would get bored just going exclusively cardio...
THE NEW ME
The Master
Posts: 2856
Post History
 # Posted: 5 Jan 2008 15:13


my biggest advice is to find something in the gym that you like-do you like walking? biking? find one piece of equipment and start using it. start moving. make a commitment to go to the gym 3 days a week and using that/those pieces of equipment. start with 15-30 minutes on a tolerable level. if you do it on a level where you are killing yourself you will never want to go back. do it so that you can maintain this level and not be miserable. if you can stick with this for 3 weeks you are more likely to continue. once you do, you can worry about changing up your routine, speed etc.
Stacy F
Fitness Guru
Posts: 336
Post History
 # Posted: 5 Jan 2008 17:29


Welcome jeff.......When I first started I used a running program on my ipod called couch to 5k. Like you I looked at my schedule and there was now way to committ to more than a 1/2 hour a day to exercise. yadda yadda yada just an excuse. I made the time. I put my sorry butt in bed a 1/2 hour earlier woke up and hit the bricks. In no time I was getting an hour of walk run in every 3 days. Funny thing when the weight came off I wasnt so tired. Now I have added weight training to my program and like the hound i feel more motivation to push myself in my cardio session.
Tim Wilson
Fitness Guru
Posts: 650
Post History
 # Posted: 6 Jan 2008 04:06


Kinda what has already been said.... start off slow, don't overdo it. Just like you said yourself, you overdo it and then quit. I did that myself many times with running.

This time I started with just walking and that was all I did for about 3 months. I didn't add or change anything (other than change of eating) for almost 3 months because I was seeing the difference and changes.

You can always add more later and change it up later.

"Better to take the slow approach then the no approach." If you start out slow you are more likely to continue then if you start out doing too much or too hard, you have proven that yourself.

You can see what I did by looking here: http://www.traineo.com/14_4368_0.html
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