good workouts for losing weight

[han-grrl]

All three energy systems "happen" when you are doing exercise, that is fat burning, carb burning both aerobic and anaerobic. Which is doing "more" at any given time depends on intensity.

One of the reason the low intensity workouts or "fat burning" zones is actually useful for me and my clients, because it keeps then from feeling like failures. most studies have pretty much shown that if you have a short time to workout and do race pace type intensities, you can burn as many calories or even more than the lower intensities. BUT most people don't have the fitness for those hard workouts. So they might try on, and puke or feel horrible, and then quit. So thats when you introduce periodization, and working up to those types of workouts.

Don't worry about the number of calories from the total activity. the right workout is the one you will do. whether its running, or biking or a cardio class. the right time of day, again is the one that suits you. if you prefer mornings, great, afternoons are good too. no point in forcing yourself to do a workout and hate it. which will actually release more stress hormones and actualy prevent weight loss. your exercise shouldn't be work at all. it should be PLAY

Smile

han

[LBTC]

Thank you, Han! I love your response

The other girls have been dead on right about eating the right foods, but the cardio facts they cite have not worked that well for me.

In my various stages of fitness and activity over the years, I found that I had the best fat loss, the kind of fat loss that allows those pretty and strong muscles to show more easily on my frame, and the best loss of belly fat, from doing as many high intensity exercises as possible. At my fittest this was 2-3 one hour kickboxing classes a week, plus several mountain bike rides (if you only road cycle, think of mtb rides as being somewhat equivalent to doing high intensity intervals with unpredictable recovery times), plus walking to work and back about 1/2 hour every day, plus one lower intensity longer ride....it was a lot to fit in, but if I dropped anything because of time it was always the lower intensity workouts. If I weren't doing kickboxing, which has a high strength component, I would do a weight workout. Pushing your muscles does keep your metabolism high, your energy high, and burns more of those calories you eat.

Spinning on the trainer, I'd recommend working up to doing serious interval training. If you have limited time, this is also the best bang for your time....

As Han-girl said, though, if you don't love it - you won't do it. For instance, the only way that I really enjoy weights, is to use free weights, to multiple exercises at one time (i.e. walking lunges while doing shoulder raises), and changing it all the time. If it isn't complicated, I probably won't do it.... And I do hate sitting on the bike and spinning, but these days I have limited time and I'm trying to take a correspondence course. If I sit down to read the text, I fall asleep in 10 minutes, so, instead, I read while spinning. Not as intense as I like, but I do this on the recovery days from the new kickboxing classes. Works for me, because it gives me the time to do both things at once, and I don't fall asleep!!

Everyone is different. Go with what works best for you. Use the ideas we give you at your own discretion. And most of all have fun!!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[han-grrl]

Hi T

I always read while spinning too, it definitely makes the time go a little faster when i am scheduled to do a steady ride.

[annie]

Hi T

I always read while spinning too, it definitely makes the time go a little faster when i am scheduled to do a steady ride.

Do you have some sort of a stand to hold your book when you read?

annie

[han-grrl]

i just hold the book in my hands and lean on the handle bar or occasionally sit up

[ribbit_zap]

Wow ladies! Thank you so much for all your imput. I do lift weights, only problem is that I am used to lifting lots of weights...I put on bulk muscle really easily so I have to watch how much I use. All of your comments make sense and I really appreciate you all responding. I will definitely use all of your suggestions. To answer some of the questions...we never used heart rates in rowing because our coach thought that too much emphasis on heart rates was a bad thing when rowing. I am not sure what my fat burning heart rate is, but I will look into it. I have found in the past that lifting weights does help the weight come off (especially if you are sore) because you continue to burn calories as your muscles repair. Do you guys generally lift lighter weights for more reps or something to that effect? This transition from rowing to cycling is a little tough for me because of different target muscles and workout styles. Thank you so much for all your responses and all your help!!! It is greatly appreciated!!!

[LBTC]

Annie, usually I hold the book and sit upright. The Law text book is pretty heavy so it's kind of an upper body workout too. I did find that my yoga mat laid across the handlebar is a great bookstand, too.

As for the weight lifting questions, I'm certainly not trained in weight lifting, or anything, really, but I've tried lots of things over the years, so I'll still comment.

The general rule of thumb that I've learned is that light weight with lots of reps works on endurance and lean muscle, that medium weight and medium reps works on strength, and very high weights and very few reps works on power. I've done workouts that are pyramids - one set of each with each exercise, workouts that combine weights and cardio - ride the bike between exercises, etc, workouts with lots of reps and lowish weights. The most interesting thing from all of those different things is that I think my muscles learned from each experience and, even without continuing the same routine, my muscles seem to remember. The power workout was most interesting - I did it for only a few months in an effort to increase my explosive power on the bike. It did not lean me out at all but did improve my mtb climbing tremendously. When I switched out my routine to less weights, and sometimes no weights (I go through lazy and busy phases like everyone else), that power for climbing is still there, and the bulk I seemed had gained at the time did go away with other routines.

For best calorie burn, I've read that working out the biggest muscles groups - your legs and butt - is the trick. Lunges, walking lunges, all the different squats, one legged squats, sissy squats, etc. I always prefer upper body workout because I see the results so quickly, but I remind myself of the whole butt and hips thing and try to include it....

Anyway, hangirl is trained in this stuff, so I think she can probably tell you way more.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~