Working out TOO MUCH????!
Question:
Working out TOO MUCH????
I am a 28 year old female, 5 foot 7 and 170 pounds. I am trying to lose 40 pounds by christmas. I am in the gym 5 or 6 days a week. I stay for 2 hours. My routine is the following:
treadmill, brisk walk (3 to 3.5 mph) at the maximum inclination (15) for 30 minutes to an hour (depending on the treadmill I get)
4 reps of 12 on the following machines:
two machines for arms (the back of the arms where women have problems)
inner thigh press (I do 4 reps of 25)
outer thigh press
leg press
lying leg curl (back of the legs)
(machine that works the front of the legs above the knee)
lying squat machine.
then I work on my abs:
3 reps of 10 full abdominal crunches
50 reverse crunches (lower abs)
50 normal crunches
50 each lateral crunch.
Then at least 20 more minutes cardio.
my question is, is this too much? Is this HINDERING my progress? I have read about a rest period for your muscles but I dont know how long. I am not burnt out, I enjoy it. What can I do better?
HELP
Answers:
If you do not give your muscles time to repair itself you are wasting your time. Weight train every other day so you have a day off to rest. If you want to do cardio, do not do it on the same day as weight training. Get into a weekly routine that targets a different muscle group each day; Back/Bicep, Chest/Triceps, Shoulders/Calves, Legs/Abs
When weight training you should always train to failure while maintaining perfect form (no cheating). It is the last rep where you are pushing your muscles to their maximum that makes them grow. Keep track of your progress so that you can see how your improving.