30 minutes 3 times a week does work

30 minutes 3 times a week does work

While many people are under the impression that they have to spend hours at the gym (which leads to the excuse of not having time), that's not necessarily the case.

"Research has shown that a training duration over 60 minutes total (including stretching and cardio) leads to the production of catabolic hormones--cortisol--which eats muscle tissue to use as energy. That severely limits the efficacy of the strength training."

Each of the exercises in The Quickie consists of only one set of very heavy weights, performed in a slow, concise manner. The trick is to push the body's muscles to momentary failure--the point where they can't work anymore. The concept isn't new but does get overlooked.

http://www.forbes.com/2006/04/12/quickie-gym-workout_cx_sy_0413htow.html?partner=lifestyle_newsletter

 

www.bodyforlife.com -

I bought Bill Phillips' book a couple of years back and it is an excellent read - most people go about loosing weight the wrong way, instead of going on a diet where you deprive yourself and then end up binging, a change of lifestyle works...

Incorporate exercise ( weight and aerobics ) into your daile regime and your life will be much more enjoyable!!

 

..the odd thing is that once you get used to exercising, you look forward to doing it!

I typically hit the treadmill 5-6 times a week for 25-35 mins, and once or twice I'll throw in 10-15 mins on a stairstepper.

3 times a week I also hit the weights and in a month I've made great strides - in terms of feeling better, looking better and being mentally healthier!

...and now that the nice weather is finally here, I'll be running outside, enjoying fresh air and scenery, rather than counting ceiling tiles!!

Plenty of studies show that people who are physically active, are healthier throughout old age - stronger bones, etc... what more do ppl need to know??

Sit and waste away in a nursing home, or hit the treadmill and the weights and live strong and healthy and happy!!

 

Had a friend on the HS football team. Weight lifting junkie. For one reason or another (I can't remember why, possible an injury or just burnout), he had to lay off for a month. When he went back to weight lifting, he took it easier, didn't stress the same muscles day after day, started going every other day. Saw immediate results. His muscles, which had been growing only gradually before, started pumping right up. He realized he had been pushing it too hard before. Body needs to be stressed, then rested for max results. I've heard, but can't confirm, that the pros who lift every day will stress the same muscle groups only every other day, trading off with their regimens.

 

Very interesting. I've always felt better by only doing two sets, which makes me feel stronger, more refreshed and less "broken down," but I've always done 3 sets because that's what we were told to do in high school. I will never do 3 sets ever again. I'm sticking with two sets.

 

Interesting. I've always done three sets too, because that's what they taught us in High school - as well as every fitness magazine writer

It's a bit like why we still teach and use the qwerty keyboard (which is in very way inferior to the dvorak) - it's what we were taught in High School.

 

Perhaps...the report stated "the point is this: if you have learned to type on a QWERTY keyboard, the cost of retraining for Dvorak (however modest) is not worth paying."

I fully subsctibe to this...the advantage of digital typing for most people is not pure speed but the ability to constantly make changes (and recycle previous text) until done.

 

I think most anything will work for a while. I think the most important thing is that you recover adequately before working out again and that would relate to how intense your workouts are.

There are all kinds of schools of thought from Mentzers heavy duty workouts (very high intensity) with like 7-10 days between sessions to Pavel Tsatsouline and Steve Justa who advocate working out nearly every day but at a lower intensity (many sets of singles for Justa, two sets of five for Pavel). People have done well on all of these programs but I think you have to experiment, keep at a program for a reasonable amount of time, see what works for you and make sure you don't experience burnout. Also, most important get a good amount of sleep and eat something (other than crap).


On balance I like two days per week of weights, a horizontal push, a vertical push, a horizontal pull and a vertical pull, a leg and a couple of supporting exercises like a tri pushdown or a toe raise. I try for one to five sets and the reps vary with the type of exercise and my goal, whether strength or bulk. I don't go to failure, trying to leave a rep or two in the tank at the top set. This gets me in and out of the gym in 45 minutes or less and away from the sickness of daily gym attendance.