How much cardio, weights for endomorphic body type?

[Kat]

One of the trainers at the gym I go to swears that more than
90 minutes of cardio exersize per week is a wasted effort.
He insists that strength training is far more important for
burning fat than cardio, as a general rule. The same day,
another trainer told me that as an endomorphic body type, I
should be doing 30 minutes of cardio training 6 days a week,
in addition to at least 3 times a week strength training.
I'm 5'3", 130 lbs., not sure of my body fat percentage but
pretty sure I'm an endomorph, short and curvy rather than
tall and lanky.

A few of my friends also think I need to do more weight
training. Here's my routine: I do 45 minutes cardio (various
different machines, running, sometimes swimming) 4 times a
week, and 40-60 minutes weights (alternating upper & lower
body) 3 days per week. I've been increasing the amount of
weight I use (free weights as well as machines) steadily over
the last several months in order to keep it a challenge.

Am I not doing enough?

I feel like I'm doing about as much as I want to without it
becoming "a job". Should I change my workout to be more
effective?

Thanks in advance for any advice. Kat

[Rita]

kat358_2@hotmail.com (kat) wrote in message
news:<27baa482.0207311554.9fbb81b@posting.google.com>...
> One of the trainers at the gym I go to swears that more than
> 90 minutes of cardio exersize per week is a wasted effort.
> He insists that strength training is far more important for
> burning fat than cardio, as a general rule. The same day,
> another trainer told me that as an endomorphic body type, I
> should be doing 30 minutes of cardio training 6 days a week,
> in addition to at least 3 times a week strength training.
> I'm 5'3", 130 lbs., not sure of my body fat percentage but
> pretty sure I'm an endomorph, short and curvy rather than
> tall and lanky.
>
> A few of my friends also think I need to do more weight
> training. Here's my routine: I do 45 minutes cardio (various
> different machines, running, sometimes swimming) 4 times a
> week, and 40-60 minutes weights (alternating upper & lower
> body) 3 days per week. I've been increasing the amount of
> weight I use (free weights as well as machines) steadily
> over the last several months in order to keep it a
> challenge.
>
> Am I not doing enough?
>
> I feel like I'm doing about as much as I want to without it
> becoming "a job". Should I change my workout to be more
> effective?
>
> Thanks in advance for any advice. Kat

It sounds like you are working out a lot. I have just hired a
personal trainer and he said the same thing to me-that
strength training would help me lose weight. Muscles burn more
calories than fat. Are you trying to lose weight? What are
your goals? I'm not a healthcare nor fitness professional, but
from what it sounds like, you are burned out. You should vary
your workout routine to prevent boredom and plateaus. My
personal trainer recommended eating 6 small meals a day to
keep my metabolism going. Anything less than that and your
body will feel depleted and your metabolism will slow down.
Continuosly feeding your body will keep the metabolism going
and your energy too. I don't know if this helps you, but it's
just some food for thought! No pun intended. :) Rita

[Max Power]

If you have not already done so, Body-for-Life is a good
program to check out. Bill Phillips program is weightlifting,
aerobics, and diet. It is really good and has worked for me. I
have lost bodyfat and gone from a 33 waist to a 31. I have
lost 15 pounds. However, the main thing is that I lot much
better than I did when I started. BTW, the BFL program is the
only program that has ever worked for me.

"kat" <kat358_2@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:27baa482.0207311554.9fbb81b@posting.google.com...
> One of the trainers at the gym I go to swears that more than
> 90 minutes of cardio exersize per week is a wasted effort.
> He insists that strength training is far more important for
> burning fat than cardio, as a general rule. The same day,
> another trainer told me that as an endomorphic body type, I
> should be doing 30 minutes of cardio training 6 days a week,
> in addition to at least 3 times a week strength training.
> I'm 5'3", 130 lbs., not sure of my body fat percentage but
> pretty sure I'm an endomorph, short and curvy rather than
> tall and lanky.
>
> A few of my friends also think I need to do more weight
> training. Here's my routine: I do 45 minutes cardio (various
> different machines, running, sometimes swimming) 4 times a
> week, and 40-60 minutes weights (alternating upper & lower
> body) 3 days per week. I've been increasing the amount of
> weight I use (free weights as well as machines) steadily
> over the last several months in order to keep it a
> challenge.
>
> Am I not doing enough?
>
> I feel like I'm doing about as much as I want to without it
> becoming "a job". Should I change my workout to be more
> effective?
>
> Thanks in advance for any advice. Kat

[Jak]

"kat" <kat358_2@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:27baa482.0207311554.9fbb81b@posting.google.com...
> One of the trainers at the gym I go to swears that more than
> 90 minutes of cardio exersize per week is a wasted effort.
> He insists that strength training is far more important for
> burning fat than cardio, as a general rule. The same day,
> another trainer told me that as an endomorphic body type, I
> should be doing 30 minutes of cardio training 6 days a week,
> in addition to at least 3 times a week strength training.
> I'm 5'3", 130 lbs., not sure of my body fat percentage but
> pretty sure I'm an endomorph, short and curvy rather than
> tall and lanky.
>
> A few of my friends also think I need to do more weight
> training. Here's my routine: I do 45 minutes cardio (various
> different machines, running, sometimes swimming) 4 times a
> week, and 40-60 minutes weights (alternating upper & lower
> body) 3 days per week. I've been increasing the amount of
> weight I use (free weights as well as machines) steadily
> over the last several months in order to keep it a
> challenge.
>
> Am I not doing enough?

Without knowing the intensity levels of your workouts, it's
hard to judge. Too many people get burned out on exercise
because they spend too much time working out---and then quit
completely. I would concentrate on increasing the quality of
your workouts rather than quantity. For cardio activities,
this involves interval training or sprinting workouts once or
twice a week in place of a lower intensity 45 minute session.
As for weight lifting, you get more bang for the buck doing
compound exercises. Most women lift at poundages well below
what they are capable of, as soon as you can do 10-12 reps of
an exercise, move up in weight. You'll see much more
improvement using weights which allow 6-8 rep sets.

JAK

>
> I feel like I'm doing about as much as I want to without it
> becoming "a job". Should I change my workout to be more
> effective?
>
> Thanks in advance for any advice. Kat

[Michael Ro]

On 1 Aug 2002 00:38:05 -0700, Reetalyn2002@yahoo.com
(Rita) wrote:

| You should vary your workout routine to prevent
|boredom and plateaus.

Variation has nothing to do with load plateaus.

| My personal trainer

What's his certification? AFAA? ACE?

|recommended eating 6 small |meals a day to keep my
metabolism going.

Unnecessary.

| Anything less than that and
|your body will feel depleted and your metabolism will
slow down.

Too individualistic to make this sweeping of a statement. I
eat only 1 or two (sometimes none) meals a day. Lift and CV
train nearly every day.

[Michael Ro]

On Thu, 01 Aug 2002 10:48:43 GMT, "Max Power"
<million27@microsoft.com.nz> wrote:

| BTW, the BFL program is the only
|program that has ever worked for me.

I have a few problems with Phillips (you don't need the volume
of exercises; too many duplicative movements) but its a good
place to start.

[Michael Ro]

On Thu, 1 Aug 2002 08:34:58 -0400, "jak"
<janetknospam@ieee.org> wrote:

| As for weight lifting, you
|get more bang for the buck doing compound exercises. Most
women lift at |poundages well below what they are capable of,
as soon as you can do 10-12 |reps of an exercise, move up in
weight. You'll see much more improvement |using weights which
allow 6-8 rep sets.

Improvement in what?

[Kat]

"jak" <janetknospam@ieee.org> wrote in message
news:<aib9tg$12mbsh$1@ID-103374.news.dfncis.de>...

> you get more bang for the buck doing compound exercises.
> Most women lift at poundages well below what they are
> capable of, as soon as you can do 10-12 reps of an exercise,
> move up in weight. You'll see much more improvement using
> weights which allow 6-8 rep sets.

I usually do a higher reps, usually 3 or 4 sets of 15. If I do
6-8 with more weight, won't I bulk up? Is that a myth? I'm
more interested in tone and some weight loss (I'd like to lose
10 lbs. or so) than increasing size.

Also, I often do my cardio the same day as weights (can't
really be avoided). Someone mentioned not to do that, why?

Thanks again, Kat

[Michael Ro]

On 1 Aug 2002 14:05:20 -0700, kat358_2@hotmail.com (kat)
wrote:

|I usually do a higher reps, usually 3 or 4 sets of 15. If I
do 6-8 |with more weight, won't I bulk up?

Muscle hypertrophy is suggested by the research to be
optimized by lighter weights at 8-15 plus reps. Strength gains
have been historically best optimized at low reps, high weight
as in 6 sets of 2 or 4.

| Is that a myth? I'm more interested
|in tone and some weight loss (I'd like to lose 10 lbs. or so)
than |increasing size.

See above.

|Also, I often do my cardio the same day as weights (can't
really be |avoided). Someone mentioned not to do that, why?

Because they were wrong?

[Jim Conrad]

You lying fat scum. You don't lift and you don't do any CV.
All you do is hang round Usenet trying to fool beginners into
believing you know something about training. Ever post a
picture of yourself. Every compete in anything. Does anybody
have anything good to say about you. I thought not. You've
done nothing, achieved nothing and lie about everything.
Typical gym rat wannabe.

Michael Roose wrote:

> Too individualistic to make this sweeping of a statement. I
> eat only 1 or two (sometimes none) meals a day. Lift and CV
> train nearly every day.

[Denise How]

In article <27baa482.0208011305.6f4c2096@posting.google.com>,
kat <kat358_2@hotmail.com> wrote:

> If I do 6-8 with more weight, won't I bulk up? Is that a
> myth?

Women in general do not have the level of testosterone that
men do which is required to "bulk up". Even if they did,
nobody gets bulky by accident. There are plenty of men who
work out hard for months and years and still are disappointed
at their lack of bulk. If you have never worked out with
weights, some new bulk will develop right away, but it will
not continue at that rate. Don't worry about it. You will be
stronger, and this is a good thing.

> Also, I often do my cardio the same day as weights (can't
> really be avoided). Someone mentioned not to do that, why?

There's some controversy over this. Some believe that if you
do a really hard cardio workout, it will fatigue you too much
to be effective with your weight workout, and vice-versa. But
most people are fine doing both in the same day. YMMV.

--
Denise denise dot howard at attbi dot com ACE and AFAA
certified fitness instructor AFAA step certified

[Jak]

"kat" <kat358_2@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:27baa482.0208011305.6f4c2096@posting.google.com...
> "jak" <janetknospam@ieee.org> wrote in message
news:<aib9tg$12mbsh$1@ID-103374.news.dfncis.de>...
>
>
> > you get more bang for the buck doing compound exercises.
> > Most women
lift at
> > poundages well below what they are capable of, as soon as
> > you can do
10-12
> > reps of an exercise, move up in weight. You'll see
> > much more
improvement
> > using weights which allow 6-8 rep sets.
>
> I usually do a higher reps, usually 3 or 4 sets of 15. If I
> do 6-8 with more weight, won't I bulk up? Is that a myth?
> I'm more interested in tone and some weight loss (I'd like
> to lose 10 lbs. or so) than increasing size.

If you're using weights that allow you to do 4 sets of 15,
you're spending a lot of time but aren't stimulating much
strength response in your muscles. As Denise mentioned,
nobody gets bulky by accident nor does it happen overnight.
If you are one of the few women who can naturally add a lot
of lean mass, you can always adjust your diet or increase
your cardio workouts.

There is really no such concept as "tone", you can either add
or lose muscle or add or lose fat. What most people associate
with being "toned" is a simply a reduction in bodyfat such
that the underlying muscular structure is visible. Doesn't
really have a lot to do with lifting weights, get skinny
enough and you'll look "toned".

At 5'3" and 130 pounds, you probably don't need to lose much
weight. I can relate to the endomorph part since I am about
the same height and weight. When I don't exercise, I tend to
lose a few pounds and get a little rounder. As soon as I step
up the training, I'll add 1-3 pounds, but actually look
leaner. Don't be a slave to your scale, judge your progress by
the mirror or the fit of your clothes. When my jackets get a
little tight and my pant get a little loose, I know my efforts
are working. Maybe just my personal preference, but I'd rather
have big biceps than a big belly :-).

JAK

>
> Also, I often do my cardio the same day as weights (can't
> really be avoided). Someone mentioned not to do that, why?
>
> Thanks again, Kat

[Stephen Di]

In article <aickjm$12osmb$1@ID-40185.news.dfncis.de>, "Jim
Conrad" <jconrad632@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Typical gym rat wannabe.

You mean there are _more_ like him around?

Stephen Diamond

[Rita]

Michael Roose <trainerofathletes@email.com> wrote in message
news:<mdkikuchsq1uk3o8hkbi9lclccbvjdpasq@4ax.com>...
> On 1 Aug 2002 00:38:05 -0700, Reetalyn2002@yahoo.com
> (Rita) wrote:
>
> | You should vary your workout routine to prevent
> |boredom and plateaus.
>
> Variation has nothing to do with load plateaus.
>
> | My personal trainer
>
> What's his certification? AFAA? ACE?
>
> |recommended eating 6 small |meals a day to keep my
> metabolism going.
>
> Unnecessary.
>
> | Anything less than that and
> |your body will feel depleted and your metabolism will
> slow down.
>
> Too individualistic to make this sweeping of a statement. I
> eat only 1 or two (sometimes none) meals a day. Lift and CV
> train nearly every day.

Sorry Michael if you disagree with everything I say. These are
my opinions some are based on personal experience, some based
on research. I believe one should vary his/her workouts to
prevent boredom. If you want to do the same thing day in and
day out and it works for you, sobeit. However, I think the
general population gets more out of variation. If it is true
that variation doesn't matter, then how does one get better
and stronger? Isn't it by increasing intensity, duration,
frequency and all the other elements of weight training and
cardiovascular training? Eating 6 small meals a day is better
to keep the metabolism working to its full potential. True
that is individualistic. It works for me so I don't binge 2
times a day. It keeps my energy going throughout the day too.
I'm just writing this to let everyone know that these are my
opinions that I think I am entitled to. Michael is apparently
trying to shoot down my opinions with his replies.

[Denise How]

In article <51259175.0208111216.e2c92ae@posting.google.com>,
Rita <reetalyn2002@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I'm just writing this to let everyone know that these are my
> opinions that I think I am entitled to. Michael is
> apparently trying to shoot down my opinions with his
> replies.

Don't take it personally, Rita. Roose does this to everyone
who has a clue.

--
Denise denise dot howard at attbi dot com ACE and AFAA
certified fitness instructor AFAA step certified

[Michael Ro]

On 11 Aug 2002 13:16:58 -0700, reetalyn2002@yahoo.com
(Rita) wrote:

|Sorry Michael if you disagree with everything I say. These
are my |opinions some are based on personal experience, some
based on |research. I believe one should vary his/her workouts
to prevent |boredom.

So do I.

| If you want to do the same thing day in and day out and it
|works for you, sobeit. However, I think the general
population gets |more out of variation. If it is true that
variation doesn't matter, |then how does one get better
and stronger?

Variation has no link to getting stronger.

| Isn't it by increasing
|intensity, duration, frequency and all the other elements of
weight |training and cardiovascular training?

Two different subjects CV and strength. In strength,
measures by load that is moved, stronger comes from lifting
nearest to your 1RM.

|Eating 6 small meals a day is |better to keep the metabolism
working to its full potential. True |that is individualistic.
It works for me so I don't binge 2 times a |day.

Each to his own.

|It keeps my energy going throughout the day too. I'm just
|writing this to let everyone know that these are my opinions
that I |think I am entitled to. Michael is apparently trying
to shoot down my |opinions with his replies.

I could care less about shooting down anything except poor
information. some of your information is exactly
that.....poor.

[Stephen Di]

In article <51259175.0208111216.e2c92ae@posting.google.com>,
reetalyn2002@yahoo.com (Rita) wrote:

> Michael Roose <trainerofathletes@email.com> wrote in message
> news:<mdkikuchsq1uk3o8hkbi9lclccbvjdpasq@4ax.com>...
> > On 1 Aug 2002 00:38:05 -0700, Reetalyn2002@yahoo.com
> > (Rita) wrote:
> >
> > | You should vary your workout routine to prevent
> > |boredom and plateaus.
> >
> > Variation has nothing to do with load plateaus.
> >
> > | My personal trainer
> >
> > What's his certification? AFAA? ACE?
> >
> > |recommended eating 6 small |meals a day to keep my
> > metabolism going.
> >
> > Unnecessary.
> >
> > | Anything less than that and
> > |your body will feel depleted and your metabolism will
> > slow down.
> >
> > Too individualistic to make this sweeping of a statement.
> > I eat only 1 or two (sometimes none) meals a day. Lift and
> > CV train nearly every day.
>
> Sorry Michael if you disagree with everything I say. These
> are my opinions some are based on personal experience, some
> based on research. I believe one should vary his/her
> workouts to prevent boredom. If you want to do the same
> thing day in and day out and it works for you, sobeit.
> However, I think the general population gets more out of
> variation. If it is true that variation doesn't matter, then
> how does one get better and stronger? Isn't it by increasing
> intensity, duration, frequency and all the other elements of
> weight training and cardiovascular training? Eating 6 small
> meals a day is better to keep the metabolism working to its
> full potential.

In his best-selling book on stretching, Bob Anderson briefly
addresses diet, and recommends three meals a day, and
sometimes skipping a meal. No scientific research is cited for
the claim that snacking "overloads the digestive system"
(whatever that might mean) or the claim that by eating less
frequently you can gradually "shrink the stomach," resulting
in a decreased hunger.

Although the advice may just be an old wive's tale Anderson
picked up somewhere, it works for me. Avoiding snacks, I find,
is the key to _avoiding_ imperious impulses to eat. Part of
it, though, it appears to me is psychological. One must learn
to tolerate hunger, or one _will_, I think, be apt to eat more
than is desirable. But then, this might be idiosyncratic, but
my main point is that generalized advice to eat six meals is
probably not the best advice.

I also find my impulses to eat are best controlled on a high
carbo, low fat, diet, Atkins notwithstanding. I am inclined to
think there are substantial individual differences, and
individuals should be encouraged in trial and error.

True
> that is individualistic. It works for me so I don't binge 2
> times a day. It keeps my energy going throughout the day
> too. I'm just writing this to let everyone know that these
> are my opinions that I think I am entitled to. Michael is
> apparently trying to shoot down my opinions with his
> replies.

Of course your freedom of speech isn't at issue. And posting
your personal findings could be helpful to many others. But,
you would be mistaken to overgeneralize to all others, or even
to assume that you have _necessarily_ found the _best_
solution for yourself.

Stephen Diamond

[Michael Ro]

On Mon, 12 Aug 2002 07:31:44 GMT, Denise Howard
<denise@invalid.domain> wrote:

|Don't take it personally, Rita. Roose does this to everyone
who has a |clue.

Not so, especially in your case, O Clueless Dance Teacher.

[Petzl]

On Mon, 12 Aug 2002 07:31:44 GMT, Denise Howard
<denise@invalid.domain> wrote:

>In article <51259175.0208111216.e2c92ae@posting.google.com>,
>Rita <reetalyn2002@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> I'm just writing this to let everyone know that these are
>> my opinions that I think I am entitled to. Michael is
>> apparently trying to shoot down my opinions with his
>> replies.
>
>Don't take it personally, Rita. Roose does this to everyone
>who has a clue.

A good candidate for ones kill file

Petzl
--
Check your system for Virus (Free) bottom right hand side of
web page click the picture "Check for security risks"
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/ Free virus
detectors/programs are available eg. http://www.grisoft.com
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