New here. found my perfect workout regimen for both stamina AND strength!!

[Bobzot]

Hi all

 

I'm new here.  Been exercising now for about 3 months and I can already see and feel the difference!... for the first month I did long distance running AND free weights/body weights after... but the strength/muscle building was verrrry slow.  I did not want to take away running from my regimen as i LOVE running... so I tried interval running instead of long distance and LO AND BEHOLD! my strength training improved. so what I'm doing now is this:

 

Interval running for 15mins (increasing time or high intensity intervals as i improve)

Body-weight training (planks, crunches, push-ups, pull ups etc... 10reps 3sets)

barbell training (standing overhead press, barbell rows, squats etc... 10reps 3sets)

 

I usually increase weight when the last 2 reps of the last set are no longer a "struggle"

 

I like to mix and differentiate on my exercises.  Still consider myself a beginner and trying to keep things interesting.  I've lost about 3Kg already but more importantly I'm wearing smaller size trousers and my body is starting to look better!

 

Please share your thoughts! Any advice you'd like to add? Should I change anything?

 

Thanks!

 

Bobzot

[Pat G]

Wait a minute... so you kept running AND got stronger? Its a miracle!

I joke, good work figuring that out Bob and getting some wins under your belt too.

 

When you say, mix and differentiate your exercises, you mean per training session yes? Not mixing and matching programs every other week?

[Morrigainz]

I can't speak to the bodyweight training, but for the barbell you might want to mix that up every few weeks to get a nice mix of muscle growth and strength building. For example, I'm on the last of 4 weeks of hypertrophy - meaning I do 10 heavy reps for 3-5 sets. Next week I will drop it down to sets of 5, and then after a few weeks, sets of 3.

 

If you don't want to mix it up that way, I might suggest just doing fewer reps across - like 5, per each barbell exercise.

 

Congrats on your success so far!

[Bobzot]

Wait a minute... so you kept running AND got stronger? Its a miracle!

I joke, good work figuring that out Bob and getting some wins under your belt too.

 

When you say, mix and differentiate your exercises, you mean per training session yes? Not mixing and matching programs every other week?

thanks!  ye its working for me so i'll just keep what i'm doing.  Coz I was hearing a lot of stuff..even from guys who supposedly study sports medicine that if you do a lot of running, it is hard to build muscle.

 

What I mean by differentiate and mix,  I do different exercises...for example for chest I might do push ups today, next gym session i might do bench press....depends on what i feel like at that give moment!...its working so yeah lol.. but mostly its body weight or barbells...still weak on the pull ups tho :/...but am still doing them.

 

I went to a HIIT session yesterday and the trainer told me "your problem is not your upper body as you thought, It's your core", so now I've added lots of planking to my training regimen.

 

 

I can't speak to the bodyweight training, but for the barbell you might want to mix that up every few weeks to get a nice mix of muscle growth and strength building. For example, I'm on the last of 4 weeks of hypertrophy - meaning I do 10 heavy reps for 3-5 sets. Next week I will drop it down to sets of 5, and then after a few weeks, sets of 3.

 

If you don't want to mix it up that way, I might suggest just doing fewer reps across - like 5, per each barbell exercise.

 

Congrats on your success so far!

 

5 sets?? I'm more interested in strength actually rather than looking "bulky".  I still have this reeealllllyy stubborn pot belly I need to get rid of.  Apart from that I prefer the athlete type body than the "body builder muscle man" body .  To each his own

[Pat G]

What Mir means is 5 sets of 5 reps, then 5 sets of 3 reps. The lower rep range focuses more on strength than hypertrophy. So you won't look like Mr Muscle.

The guys who study sports medicine are pretty right, long slow distance running is a nearly guaranteed way to slow and stall strength and mass gains. HIIT stuff and short intervals don't have as much a detrimental effect. 

[Bobzot]

Yes that is why I actually became a fan of interval running instead of normal running... Less time runnin but more effective.  Short spurts of sprints and a longer time (until i improve) v slow jog for rest.

 

btw. Zerg ftw

[Pat G]

Once long ago, I agreed with you. Haven't yet played SC2. 

[Bobzot]

It's been a while sicne I've played SC2 tho... it was in the beginning.. I really have to check ou the expansion..