Anybody care to help me science up my workout plan?

[Naturally]

My overall goal is to lose fat and gain toned muscle. I am a woman, I have an old ankle injury which I am working on strengthening but prevents me from doing some activities at the moment. So this is what I have started since joining this site:

Warm up

3 sets in a circuit, to total:

Squats 60

Push Ups 3 (Still playing around to find the right type)

Back Exercise 30 inverted rows @ 11lbs

Planks 90 secs

Stretch

And this is what my current goals are for tomorrow's workout to work towards levelling up:

Warm up

3 sets in a circuit, to total:

Squats 80

Push Ups 9

Back Exercise 20 bent over rows (lbs TBD)

Planks 100 secs

Stretch

I do the above every other day, because thats what this site recommends, but I'm finding I'm CRAVING more exercise... the question is what would fit and compliment the above? I presume doing strength circuits more than once every other day is out, because the muscles need to rest to grow, is that right?

Potential options: on a tuesday night, a class in either Zumba or Pilates.

I also enjoy walking, and swimming (due to idiotic ear problems I breast stroke and that's about it). I feel like I'd like something quite high energy in there, and also something more chill-out ish. It also MUST fit in with my degree for the next 6 months - i.e. take no longer than an hour at a time.

I also ride horses but due to my horse being intermitently lame, I'd rather that was a bonus extra rather than a part of my core routine.

So if that all makes sense, and you know more about the science behind exercise physiology than me, would you mind giving me some suggestions as to how to incorporate more?

Many thanks x

[ebm1224]

hey there! i'm no expert but i agree that i would feel like i wanted a bit more in there. zumba can be lots of fun but be careful about the ankle since there may be some jumping and changing directions. i've heard good things about pilates and yoga. you know what i've gotten into which is good for someone with a joint injury? cycling or spin classes. insane workout. like, i'm not someone that drips sweat usually or sweats through my clothes. but i do both in a cycling class.

[Naturally]

hey there! i'm no expert but i agree that i would feel like i wanted a bit more in there. zumba can be lots of fun but be careful about the ankle since there may be some jumping and changing directions. i've heard good things about pilates and yoga. you know what i've gotten into which is good for someone with a joint injury? cycling or spin classes. insane workout. like, i'm not someone that drips sweat usually or sweats through my clothes. but i do both in a cycling class.

Hey ebm I have worked out since I posted my intro post tha I can do Zumba class without the jumps, and by just moving differently if there's a twisty exercise that I can't do very well. Trouble is by taking those out I am not working up much of a sweat, and like you I would like to do something that feels t-shirt stickingly goood. So I'm not sure whether to stick with it or do something else.

I am in two minds about spinning. One, because I last rode a bike 2 years ago and seriously, bike saddles are uncomfortable nowadays! Don't know if its the fat or what but my lady bits don't thank me! Secondly because I think I would get carried away with the instructor there shouty shouty and do my ankle an injury, and thirdly because it scares the crap out of me!

I got really good results at pilates last time I went, and its a very calming class to do. I kinda can't decide between if thats the way to go or something rip roaringly sweaty! Ideally a bit of both...?

Hmmm... maybe I should go for the first 15 minutes of a spin class? That's probably enough for my level of fitness anyway!!

[ebm1224]

yeah i agree that bike saddles are not the most comfortable...but i've found that the ones on spin bikes are a little more comfortable than those on most bicycles. i think it's just a matter of getting used to it because i see people of all shapes and sizes doing spin. the great thing about it is that you really have total control over the intensity. alot of spin instructors are kind of "yelly" but there's one particular one at my gym that is very calming while still motivating the crap outta you. basically, he helps you find your "baseline" at the beginning of class - the pace that is giving you a good workout while not killing you...something you could do comfortably for a relatively long ride...and then everything is sort of based on that baseline. as in, peddle full speed at your baseline for x seconds and then recover at your baseline +3 resistance levels for x minutes. also, don't forget to take a "saddle break" to avoid your butt falling asleep ...aka stand and pedal.

i took a pilates-like class awhile back and liked it a good bit. but, yeah, keep it interesting and mix it up.

oh, and last thing about spin. you gotta do your own thing. even if you just sit there and peddle slow the whole time, biking is great exercise. you'll gradually get to the harder stuff. just make your first goal to keep peddling (even slowly and on low resistance) for the full 30 minutes or hour or whatever the class is. oh, and they tend to play good pump-you-up kinda music which i dig. alot of beyonce

[Sloth the Enduring]

Your body can adapt to a lot. I wouldn't do a strength circuit every day, but if you are trying to lose weight there really isn't any real reason not to do cardio or pilates on the days you aren't strength training. You'll probably want to have at least one day off a week though just for your mental health - it's mentally wearing to work hard every day.

If you minimize the rest periods as you work through your circuit you'll get more fat burning, but less muscle building, but you'll still get stronger. Although, there's a real strong argument for maximizing your muscles to increase your metabolism. The full body workouts are helping to raise your metabolism too - adding squats to a routine gives your bmr a boost for 24-36 hours.

Walking every day is more beneficial than most people realize.

You can get comfortable on a horse saddle, but not a bike seat? I would have figured a horseback rider would have a backside like a rock.

Edit: If you do start adding to your workouts, pay attention to your body, your energy levels, enthusiasm, and mental well being. There was a good thread on overtraining recently that might be worth a read.

[aj_rock]

Sounds like you're doing just fine with your progressions.

I for one would NOT recommend adding even more. Assuming your levelled up workout goes well, you'll be making things harder on yourself already.

Take your time getting back into things. If you have tons of energy left-over, but you still make progress, that's a very very good thing. It's when you feel dead and sluggish and can't move for days after a work-out that you need to worry.

I know not moving faster can be aggravating, but the feeling is born from your old mind-set that 'more is better', which is absolutely not true.

[oystergirl]

Hi Naturally! Looks like you progressed the same way that I have regarding starting with the beginner workout posted on this site. I see that you removed the lunges? I know you can do lunges even with an ankle injury if you hold onto the back of a chair and place your legs into the lunge position and simply go up and down slowly with legs moving to 90 degree bends. That is as far as I would add with the beginner workout.

On alternate days I would simply do a nice brisk 30 minute walk and if you have varied terrain you can go over (aka hills LOL) going up and down are cool.

To increase the cardio aspect of your beginner workout you can stop counting reps and start doing time challenges. I like the gym boss timer and I set it to 50 work seconds and 10 rest and then I just do the beginner exercises and that definitely ups the fat loss aspect of the workout.

I also have progressed to doing some of the 12 minute workouts on body rock.tv though I modify the workouts to my fitness level. Best of luck and most important keep on consistently rocking!

[Sloth the Enduring]

I also have progressed to doing some of the 12 minute workouts on body rock.tv though I modify the workouts to my fitness level. Best of luck and most important keep on consistently rocking!

I love BodyRock - I miss Zuzana. She could make an amazingly tough 12 minute workout.

[oystergirl]

Sloth, I miss her so much toooooo! I am hoping that eventually she will resurface and share with us all again! I do like Lisa Marie as well but since she comes from a step aerobics background instead of an interval weight background her programs are a bit different. I find myself going back in the archives to find Zuzka's workouts or putting together my own from her basics!

[Naturally]

Thanks to you all, and keep it coming if there is any more to add. This is a far more helpful forum for exercise stuff than MFP.

Your body can adapt to a lot.

If you minimize the rest periods as you work through your circuit you'll get more fat burning, but less muscle building, but you'll still get stronger. Although, there's a real strong argument for maximizing your muscles to increase your metabolism. The full body workouts are helping to raise your metabolism too - adding squats to a routine gives your bmr a boost for 24-36 hours.

Walking every day is more beneficial than most people realize.

You can get comfortable on a horse saddle, but not a bike seat? I would have figured a horseback rider would have a backside like a rock.

Edit: If you do start adding to your workouts, pay attention to your body, your energy levels, enthusiasm, and mental well being. There was a good thread on overtraining recently that might be worth a read.

Wow - didn't realise squats raise your BMR for so long, thats Gooooood! I would like the best of both worlds when it comes to maximising muscles vs fat loss. I realise that I won't get ripped on a calorie deficit and without seriously seriously training, but I'd quite like to look a little muscular, as well as shedding the covering, so maybe I'll do a bit of each when it comes to spacing things out.

A horse saddle is a lot different from a bike saddle unfortunately! How do I put it politely.. to ride a horse properly you don't just plonk your weight on the saddle, you hold tone in your thighs and bum, so that either side of the horse's spine takes your weight in quite a spread out way, and there isn't really much pressure on your,um, well let's call it "fork"! I don't know if I'm not sitting on a bike saddle properly, but it seems to be concentrating the pressure right there!

Sounds like you're doing just fine with your progressions.

I for one would NOT recommend adding even more. Assuming your levelled up workout goes well, you'll be making things harder on yourself already.

I know not moving faster can be aggravating, but the feeling is born from your old mind-set that 'more is better', which is absolutely not true.

Thank you, its good to hear this viewpoint. I know in the past I have made the classic mistake of getting really enthusiastic, overdoing it, getting ill/injured and having to take time off, then not going back to it. I will definately bear this in mind!

Hi Naturally! Looks like you progressed the same way that I have regarding starting with the beginner workout posted on this site. I see that you removed the lunges? I know you can do lunges even with an ankle injury if you hold onto the back of a chair and place your legs into the lunge position and simply go up and down slowly with legs moving to 90 degree bends. That is as far as I would add with the beginner workout.

To increase the cardio aspect of your beginner workout you can stop counting reps and start doing time challenges.

Oooooh, now I didn't even notice that the spreadsheet for angry birds doesn't include squats like the beginners workout! I have found lunges difficult... I will look up what they count as (back? Legs? Abs? All?) and see if that is covered by an alternative exercise, or I will have a go with the chair, thanks. I will also look into the time challenges.

Just done my workout for today, I achieved level up on Plank and Squats - woot!