Fitness Equipment

Weight training schedule?

April 29th, 2010 | by admin |

Could some1 give me an example of a weight training schedule?

I will have all the equipment available for myself as I will sign up for YMCA lol;

Please also include cardio in the schedule (running).

p.s. I will b practicing breakdancing everyday as well.

Hi, there!

I have some suggestions (but you don’t say what you are doing the weight training for).

I assume that you want to increase your amount of muscle, which is a metabolic furnace. Since there is a correlation between that and strength, let’s focus on a basic program to get you stronger. That will increase your metabolic rate 24 hours a day.

At least until you are an intermediate trainee, which takes about a year of regular strength training, focus on a whole body program of the basic exercises, namely, squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, dips, and chins. Master the basic exercises and do each rep using perfect technique with as much weight as you can handle correctly.

Your body should determine the frequency of your training, not the calendar. Remember that you don’t grow in the gym! You stimulate growth in the gym, and you grow during the rest and recovery phase. Here’s the rule: when all DOMS (delayed onset muscular soreness) has disappeared, wait 24 or 48 hours and then train again. In practice, this will probably mean training every fourth afternoon.

If you are serious about getting stronger, stop all the running and breakdancing. You are going to be over-trained, and such frequent, intense exercise is not sustainable. By doing it, you are simply undermining your gains from weight training and compromising your immune system.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t do fitness training (cardio)! You can. You just have to do it wisely.

For mild cardio, I recommend walking 4 miles in just under one hour every other morning before your first meal of the day. That’s an average of about 30 minutes daily, which is about right to maintain your present percentage of body fat. If you are eating properly, this will not interfere with your strength training. In fact, you may do it six days a week if you want.

For intense cardio, twice a week you can do GXP or interval training. Since it’s intense, it’s also brief–3 to 5 minutes! Unless you are a competitive athlete, it will give you all the cardiovascular fitness you need. A brief session twice weekly won’t interfere too much with your strength training.

At the bottom of his reply, I have included some links to some free web pages that are packed with useful information on strength training, mild cardio, and intense cardio. You will find there specific routines and free programs for both beginners and intermediates.

Drink plenty of water (at least 3 quarts daily) and eat properly as well, which means, for example, eating about every three waking hours, ingesting plenty of protein from natural sources at each meal, and eliminating all processed (refined) carbohydrates.

I hope this information helps you. Train in good health!

All my best wishes.