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SparkPoints: (1,580)
Fitness Minutes: (1,035)
Posts: 17
11/21/09 4:12 P

Yes I did have the SP fitness create a program for me, must not of put the right parameters in. But yes I have weights and I would like to use them. So I will have to go back to the fitness section and check it out.
Thanks again

SparkPoints: (30,204)
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11/21/09 3:57 P

There are no levels per se in strength training.

There are many different ways to strength train. You can use hand or free weights. You can use resistance bands. You can use your own body weight. Push ups and pull ups would be an example of ways to strength train without weights. Climbing stairs would be another example. You could even do pilates or yoga. Both of those have poses that use your body weight as the resistance.

I'm not sure what program you're using. Did you have the SP fitness software create a program for you ? What did you use for parameters ? If you were looking for a "core" workout, that might explain why you didn't have any exercises that involved hand weights. Many good core exercises like plank and side plank don't require weights.

Would you like to incorporate some weights into your routine ? If so, you should try one of the upper body workouts in the fitness section. There are videos that will show you good form when you do them.

SparkPoints: (1,580)
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Posts: 17
11/21/09 3:32 P

Well that is the problem the program I am doing does not involve weights, does that come at the next level?

Posts: 6,160
11/20/09 11:40 P

I agree with Outofcontrol - strength training is not a big direct calorie burner the way that cardio is. The real benefit of strength training is that it boosts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories throughout the day, not just when you are working out.

The effectiveness of strength training is all about the extent to which you are genuinely challenging your muscles, rather than the time it takes. It is actually more effective strength training to choose a heavier weight/more challenging exercise that fatigues your muscles in FEWER reps, than a light weight that allows you to do lots of reps.

By choosing genuinely challenging compound exercises, you can get a great workout in just a few moves - rather than adding time consuming exercises just for the sake of it.

M@L

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SparkPoints: (5,536)
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Posts: 298
11/20/09 7:23 P

How heavy are your weights? Are you have to WORK to finish your sets, or are you just blasting through them? Your muscles need to WORK.

If your muscles are working, then they're going to need to rest between sets. 90 seconds is typical. If you don't need that much, you're likely not working hard enough.

Finally, slow the reps down. Count -- 2 up, 3-4 down. You'll get much better results if you do the reps slowly (and ultra-correctly).

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SparkPoints: (60,739)
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11/20/09 5:07 P

The main purpose of strength training is not to burn calories. Sure, it burns a few, but the main reason you do it is to maintain muscle mass. If you only do diet and cardio, a lot of the weight you lose is muscle, not just fat. Muscle is important because it burns more calories all the time- in other words it increases you metabolism.

Posts: 3,180
11/20/09 4:44 P

There's not really a time limit. You get different fitness results doing the exercises in a different way. Doing reps quickly trains the muscles differently than doing the reps slowly. It's about what your goals are, or what you are trying to achieve.

You can do more exercises if you feel you want to work out longer than 20 minutes. You can also do 3 sets instead of 2. You could also increase the weight so that you're doing 8-10 reps instead of 12-15.

SparkPoints: (1,580)
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11/20/09 4:33 P

How long should the strength exercises they give you take? The program has me doing 2 sets 12-15 reps, and I get them done in like 20 mains, that just does not seem enough time to burn a sufficient amount of calories?