Can you expand on this point? I've heard having an upper body weights day and a lower body weights day, but i've never heard anyone say that having a cardio day separate from a weights day is a must?

Right now i'm doing both on the same day and would like to know why i need to change this

thanks!

 

I really don't have any weights at all, only a 25-pounder for the odd curl-set, what are push-ups and crunches considered, muscle-building or cardio?

 

those are something you should do every day, I'd say. You can really notice in your abs if you miss a day, IMHO, especially if you haven't been doing them all that long. Push-ups and sit-ups/crunches are basic daily exercises (neither muscle-building nor cardio, per se). The ones you don't want to do every day are things using weights or resistance, like bench presses or squats (among numerous others), IMHO. You could probably benefit more from doing curls every other day, so you give your muscles a day to rest.

 

For someone starting out, keeping cardio and weight days separate is recommended because you will simply not have enough energy. Cardio eats up a lot of nutrients in your body. An uneducated beginner might become overly fatigued from their cardio workout, then when they hit the weights they'll run into problems. They are probably too tired to perform the given weight exercise correctly, which doesn't lead to muscle build up, but rather injury. Remember, in exercising, form is far more important and vital then the amount of weight you're lifting. However, if you have been doing cardio and weights in the same day and you have a set routine that's working, by all means keep up with it.

 

Make sure you get that cardio in right away, you'll benefit the most from it as soon as you wake up on an empty stomach. The reason for this is right after waking up your body's level of stored carbs, glycogen, is very low. Carbs are your body's main source for energy, when they're low, your body's next source is lipids (fats). The point is when you wake up you're low on carbs, so when you perform your cardio workout your body will mostly be burning off fat to create energy.

Drink a protein shake right before bed, don't wait 2 hours. Also, keep in mind there are many kinds of protein, you are going to want Casein. Casein is a very slow digesting protein and will stay with you through most of the night, which helps prevent against catabolism (muscle depletion). If you were drinking Whey protein, it is absorbed into your system very quickly, which is why it's ideal for a post workout shake, not bed time.

 

Since everybody is asking, I figure I will see if I can get a question answered.

I am 5'7" and have always been a skinny 120lbs. For some reason over the last 2 years (must be grad school), ballooned up to 157! YIKES Don't ask, it was ugly.


Anways, over the last year, have been goign to the gym, eating right, doing cardio and light weight, and have been down to 128-130 range.

However, whenever I see guys who are very fit, you can tell their shoulders are wider than their hips.

For some reason I can't get to that point. I have a small frame, so I know I will never have super broad shoulders, but how does one cut down the love handles, so that it accentuates the shoulders.

Currently my shoulders and waist line are pretty much the same. Kinda look like the middle of a sideways "U" instead of a V.

HELP

How do you achieve the V look?

 

For shoulders, do the military press and some lateral raises and you should be good. But, for a true "V" shape, you're gonna have to work the lats. For the lats, throw in some wide-grip pullups and some close-grip chinups or some pull-downs on a machine.

 

To achieve the "V" look and broaden your shoulders try out these exercises...

Side lateral raise
Front lateral raise
Military press
Reverse butterfly
Lat pulldown
Seated row or a bent over dumbbell row
Middle back shrug

Those will really help develop your upper back and shoulders. I would keep the weights heavy and reps low, around 7 and 8, since you're trying to bulk them up a little. If you don't know how to perform some of those exercises let me know, I'll elaborate.

As for your love handles, consistent cardio and a healthy diet should eventually minimize them. If that hasn't achieved what you're looking for, try adding a few lower back exercises to your routine, such as...

Stiff legged dead lift, you can either use a bar or dumbbells
Back extensions, also known as hyperextensions

Keep the reps high on these, around 15, because you want to tighten this area up not bulk. Tightening up your lower back will take away from your love handles. There is only so much exercising and dieting can do though, genetics has the final say in what you will be able to achieve.

 

Veritas,

Thanks for your info. However, the lingo of the excersises you and the previous poster used, are foreign to me.

Can you elaborate a little bit on what they are?

REally appreciated.

So the goal is get the shoulders wider, and that would achieve the look? Thanks.


one more questions

People on this thread mentioned that they do cardio first and wieghts after. However, I feel when I do that, I never have enough energy for cardio.

I do my workout first thing in the AM, and do weights first for about 40 minutes, than cardio for about 20 minutes.

Are there any positives/negatives on doing cardio first or last?

 

I am sure once I see the excersices I will know what you are talking about, and have probably done them a few times.

However, I don't know the names...
so can you tell me which is the military press, and lateral raise? also which is the "lat"



The way I do my work out is:

monday--arms+cardio
Tues--chest/triceps + cardio
wed--shoulders--+cardio
thurs--legs+cardio

friday--day off

start cycle again.


So it would help me knowing the excersises you are telling me to do, which days to put them in. THanks.