Posts: 27
10/27/07 8:28 P

i was doing bike riding before the time change. It started getting darker where I live at 6:00 pm. I would usually go riding at 7 pm when my kids were finished with dinner. Now it's even dark @ 5 am. So I've gone without and started going to the gym again. I rode the stationary bike but it had a weird feeling. I think I'm too short for it.

Posts: 238
10/27/07 4:18 P

Strength is important, i have a different suggestion. I am still raising my cardio every 2 weeks and my last raise was to use weights on the treadmill. (danger use caustion this takes balance trust me.) I use 10lb weights and do curls while I do my warm up and cool down. also you could use leg weights or ankle weights to build mussle in your legs.

I do how every think the best mussle building cardio is bike ridding. you could do runing one day and bike the next that is what i was doing for awhile it worked great for me.

SparkPoints: (8,504)
Fitness Minutes: (3,493)
Posts: 825
10/25/07 2:33 A

I agree with Nancy about checking out the couch25k program. Runnersworld.com also has a beginners running program. Even though you have a cardio base from the elliptical, you use different muscles for running. You also are stressing your joints...you don't want to do too much too soon. I read the other day that it takes the equivilant of riding a bike 4 miles to equal 1 running mile...not sure what the elliptical would be, but I'm sure you get the idea.

ST is still so important. The way I work my training schedule is on a 3 day rotation...3 days of running and the last day of each rotation is my ST. That way the next day is an off and recovery day. Whatever you do, I recommend 3-5 days of running with 2 days ST and 1-2 days off...

Any questions, just holler!

current weight: 193.0

220 198.75 177.5 156.25

135

Posts: 379
10/24/07 12:21 P

If you can't concentrate on both, then you might want to alternate days, but really there's no reason that you shouldn't be able to do both. Strenght training can take as little as 20 minutes (or less really) and then you can do a 30 min cardio progrgam with a higher intensity than you normally do. You'll probably burn the same if not more calories if you up the inensity and cut the time on it.

Plus, unless you have to be a certain weight for something and the ammount of fat and muscle you have on your body is irrelevant, then your goal is probably to lose fat, not just weight. Weight lifting or strength training will help your body to remember that you want to keep your muscle and burn the calories from your fat store instead. Plus you'll burn more calories in the long run from an increased metabolism.

Edited by: BEATPHREEK at: 10/24/2007 (12:22)

current weight: 230.6

262 250.25 238.5 226.75

215

Posts: 5,997
10/24/07 10:27 A

If you're new to treadmill running, check out the Couch to 5K program at coolrunning.com. You are on the right track, but on that program they start with 90 seconds walking and 60 seconds running and work up from there.

I'm also a cardio junkie who has a hard time with weights because the results are slower to see. But it is important to do weights because the more muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest. I try to do my weights on days I do light cardio. I usually do a half hour of cardio and half hour of weights. And I do the cardio first.

Posts: 27
10/24/07 10:12 A

Help! Can anyone give me advice on treadmill running. Yesterday I started running for the first time - running 3 mins then walking 2 mins. I did this for 30 mins and it was hard. I usually do the elliptical for 30 - 60 mins. I feel like I'm hitting a slight plateau. I'm also trying to incorporate weightlifting with my cardio. My husband told me to stop doing the weightlifting and focus on cardio or do cardio 1 day and weightlifting on the other. But, I notice I lose more weight in cardio and my goal is to lose weight. Any suggestions?

Edited by: KRLOBU at: 10/24/2007 (10:15)

262 250.25 238.5 226.75

215