[Timbit]

Originally Posted by Variable

Well just be carefull and make sure you do miss days. You can do a lot more damage than you realize if you work out the same muscle group on consecutive days. Rest is one of the three main components of your workout regimen. I leave days between my pushups even though they are just body-weight exercises.

Do you know about how many reps you should be doing for desired effect?

Really?
Okay, you're scaring me now.

And this trainer at my school's gym told me 15 reps.
Today, I took it to 20 just to see if I could. Is that bad?

[TariqBinSleepin]

NO it isn't bad. The whole point of getting fitter is you keep doing until you start feeling the burn / soreness. If you're not getting sore then its nto really DOING MUCH.

WHEW!..just got back from the GYM my self. Im Exhausted! LOL, worked CHEST, Shoulders, Biceps, some Leg, and Sprint 2 miles .

[Variable]

Originally Posted by Timbit

Really?
Okay, you're scaring me now.

And this trainer at my school's gym told me 15 reps.
Today, I took it to 20 just to see if I could. Is that bad?

Well I guess it's different for everybody. I know for me, that if I aim for exhaustion at 12 reps (so I adjust the weight accordingly), I'll put on the most muscle. If I aim for 6 reps (lifting more weight), I'll be able to lift more in one go (like those olympic weight lifter guys). And if I do 20 - 30 reps (less weight), it'll be like slim toned muscles, that can keep going for hours doing whatever they do. It's more aerobic.

So for girls it might be different though, because you guys put on muscle different than we do (you'd get slim I think whereas we'd get bulkier).

But I'd definitely think about puting more rest into your schedule, like the saying goes "it's better to miss a workout than miss a meal" - the same goes for the recovery period, that's the time the muscle fibres are actually being built.

And if you are aiming for 15 but can pull off 20, then add weight... I think the goal for you as well would be to reach exhaustion (but check with that trainer)

[iTz_NoT_Me_iTzZu]

the only thing i've lifted today is a fork... oh yeah

[Variable]

Originally Posted by TariqBinSleepin

NO it isn't bad. The whole point of getting fitter is you keep doing until you start feeling the burn / soreness. If you're not getting sore then its nto really DOING MUCH.

Yeh, you're supposed to be sore... and then wait until you aren't before you do it again.

[Timbit]

Originally Posted by Variable

Well I guess it's different for everybody. I know for me, that if I aim for exhaustion at 12 reps (so I adjust the weight accordingly), I'll put on the most muscle. If I aim for 6 reps (lifting more weight), I'll be able to lift more in one go (like those olympic weight lifter guys). And if I do 20 - 30 reps (less weight), it'll be like slim toned muscles, that can keep going for hours doing whatever they do. It's more aerobic.

So for girls it might be different though, because you guys put on muscle different than we do (you'd get slim I think whereas we'd get bulkier).

But I'd definitely think about puting more rest into your schedule, like the saying goes "it's better to miss a workout than miss a meal" - the same goes for the recovery period, that's the time the muscle fibres are actually being built.

And if you are aiming for 15 but can pull off 20, then add weight... I think the goal for you as well would be to reach exhaustion (but check with that trainer)

Well, generally... more reps and less weight means you get slim, toned muscles. Even for women. So I don't want to add too much more weight. But yeah, I am trying to work my way up. 20 lbs. is the goal. Which doesn't sound like a lot, I know, but that's my goal. I just wanna be able to lift my groceries more easily.

Okay, so I'll rest on the free weights, but not the cardio so much. But like I said, I know I'll end up skipping a day here and there anyway, so even that... it's not like I'm gonna be doing cardio every single day too.

[UmmUmayr]

How to tone up upper arms?

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by UmmUmayr

How to tone up upper arms?

Pushups...

[Timbit]

Originally Posted by wheelworks

Pushups...

I can't do one to save my life. I never could.
Anything else?

[onetspvanilla]

Originally Posted by Timbit

I can't do one to save my life. I never could.
Anything else?

not even girl pushups? you can start with those and work your way up to real ones.

[shsh]

Originally Posted by iTz_NoT_Me_iTzZu

the only thing i've lifted today is a fork... oh yeah

yeah man...holler.

[Timbit]

Originally Posted by onetspvanilla

not even girl pushups? you can start with those and work your way up to real ones.

What are girl pushups?

[iTz_NoT_Me_iTzZu]

Originally Posted by Timbit

I can't do one to save my life. I never could.
Anything else?

me neither man... I'm a weakling

[sally]

10 minute cardio warm up ---> weights ---> remaining cardio

1) weights first = sucks up all the sugar hanging out in your body from the days eating. by the time you get to cardio, your body has most likely switched into fat burn mode. (if you start off with moderate intensity cardio, your body only switches into fat burn mode about 25 - 30 minutes into the work-out) but that also depends on what kind of exercises you've done with weights, how intense, how long, etc. a full body work out with weights for 45 minutes would pretty much drain you to a good extent

2) but in order to begin using weights, a warm up is necessary. beginning with a ten minute cardio warm up is beneficial because it warms you up so that you don't start feeling sore excessively, stretches you out etc gets you prepared for what's to come, and also increases your heart rate so by the time you get to weights your heart rate is high and you burn extra calories.

anyways my personal favorite is cardio warm up for 15 minutes, followed by a combination of light weights and cardio (circuit training) for 45 minutes and maybe another 15 of just plain cardio.