Question for GYM RATS

I go to the gym 4-6 times a week, but I don't think I'm doing enough. I do about 45-60 minutes on the elliptical, and I was going on the stairmaster after that, but have stopped doing it for whatever reason.


For people who are hard core gym rats - What do you do at the gym? How long do you spend there?

If you get into a routine at the Gym your body will get used to it and you'll stop seeing gains in performance. It's important to keep your body confused about what is going on, so instead of hitting the elliptical 4-6 times a week, try hitting it twice a week, doing the stairs and rowers on other days...

I agree you should switch up what you do to keep your body working different muscle groups. My workouts consist of P90X 7 days per week (one day is straight yoga, and one day is only stretching--I am just finishing up third week, so I'm still a newbie at it), then I do an hour each 4 days a week of Zumba classes for my cardio. And two days a week I take a strength training class that is also an hour each (consisting of weights/lunges/squats/ab work--we might work legs more on one day and arms more on the other day though). Starting next week, I will had another 45 minute class on Monday and Wednesday (butts & guts), and pilates/toning class along with another Zumba class mixed with strength training on Saturday because my 10yr old daughter will start Girls Fit Club so I will do those workouts while she is at Fit Club. It might put me in overload though, so we'll see how it goes. Good luck with your workouts!!

45 minutes, 3 times a week of heavy compound lifts: squat, bench, deadlift, pendlay rows, and presses.

Sometimes I run for 20 minutes on off days.

I was doing about the same as you...6 days/week, always elliptical for 50 minutes. I lift weights 3 days/week in addition. I love elliptical but occasionally get bored with it so I mix in "power" yoga (yoga+calisthenics) or yoga with weights. I feel like I'm still getting a great workout, but something TOTALLY different from my norm!

It really depends on what your goal is. Are you just trying to maintain, lose fat, or build muscle?

Consider getting a heart monitor for when you do your cardio. It is really easy to exercise on a machine and not get up to a fat-burning or cardio heart rate.

I also go to the gym 4-6 times a week; and have been going for almost 13 years. I NEVER do equipment (unless I am killing time waiting for a class to start). I only do classes. Have you ever tried doing classes like aerobics, kick-boxing, free-weights & bar toning classes etc?? This gives me a good mixture of Cardio and toning. I usually do no less than 2 45 minute classes.

I highly recommend weight training. Start with light weights, and over time increase reps, that way you don't get buff if you don't want to. Just tone and look amazing

I weight train 2 times a week, and go on the elliptical 4-5 times a week. On the elliptical, increase ramp and resistance over time, that way you get more of a workout.

"Toning" is a myth. What you're referring to is low body fat percentage, which has not much to do with weight training.

Increasing the weight will not make you buff, you have to eat a caloric surplus over a long period of time along with a good strength training program to put on too much muscle.

Lowering your body fat percentage = higher muscle mass = LOOK and feel better. Toning isn't a myth. It's how you interpret the word.

Actually increasing the weight will increase the muscle size and strengthen the connective tissues within the muscle. Increasing the reps increases the muscles ability to hold the weights for longer periods.. etc. At least that's what I learned in my human phys class.

Next time I'll make sure I define every single word I say

He's not being nit-picky, you're just wrong.


Since when? MMA fighter George "Rush" St. Pierre is a pretty muscular guy for his weight class, and if I remember correctly, his body fat percentage is somewhere between 6-8%. On the other hand, most professional jockeys are in that same body fat percentage range, and I'm positive I'm more ripped than they are.


Not necessarily either. Women, unless they supplement with testosterone enhancers/steroids/other junk don't naturally produce enough testosterone to build tons of muscle. Also, on a calorie deficit it is incredibly difficult to gain muscle mass. Some mass can be gained, but it's absurdly inefficient in comparison to a full on bulking cycle with a calorie surplus. Exercising with a low weight is almost useless. Proper resistance training generally means training to failure (or close to it). Otherwise, you're just wasting your time.

Here's a few articles that explain it much better than I can:
http://www.musclehack.com/how-to-get-a-toned-body-weight-training-for-women/
http://www.musclehack.com/high-reps-low-weights-good-for-cutting/
http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/article/training/4_things_your_girlfriend_should_know

So many people have these silly misconceptions about weight training, and they're usually the people that don't see the results they want (or that they could, if they were doing things correctly). Don't be one of those people.

My workout routine goes something like this:

I work out every 2 days with one day rest in between. On my first day, I hit Chest and Triceps (23 reps divided in 7 machines). Second Day, Legs (20 Reps divided by 5 Machines). Third Day Rest. Fourth Day, Shoulders and Abs (22 reps divided by 6 machines). Fifth day, Back and Biceps (25 reps divided in 8 machines). Sixth Day Rest. Seventh day start process all over again.

For every day I work out I run on treadmill 30 Mins. So I spend about 1 Hr and 30 or 40 Mins total in gym.

I go to the gym three times a week and do 40 min. on the Stepmill and a full circuit of weights. On the other four days I alternate between an hour of running or an hour of bike riding outside. I travel a lot so when I am on a trip for the run/bike days I'll use the hotel cardio equipment and compliment that with pilates.

For getting rid of a stubborn pound or two I will ride my bike to the gym (5 miles) real fast, go through the 30 minute circuit that alternates weight machines with steps - one minute each. I'll use light weights and perform 30-40 reps on the machines. On the step I'll do plyometrics and I'll wear my HR monitor to make sure I'm working hard enough - then I ride my bike home. It's a good boot camp style workout.

I like to spend 1-1.5 hours at the gym, 4-6 days a week, generally a half hour on the elliptical to warm up, a half hour on the treadmill to really push myself, and if I have time (I work out mornings before work), a few minutes on the rowing machine or some stretches. I swim or take classes or ride my bike during the weekends just to mix it up. I probably need to add weight lifting in there more regularly.... Anyway, the key for me is not to stay on any one machine very long, or I get bored. Even if it's from cardio machine to cardio machine, I get a mental boost from switching to a different movement.

I would reccomend trying something new each week! Either rent an exciting workout dvd or try a new work out class. You could even look up a treadmill interval workout online which makes a 30-40 min session on a cario machine go quickly! Do you listen to your ipod while you work out? Try to create new mixed regularly to make time go by faster. Do you like any of these?

anoobis you should write an article about it..took the words rights from my fingers lol

Hmm. I know it's said that women won't increase muscle mass. I've read the studies too. But, in my experience with my body, I think it really depends on your body and what look you're going for. I build muscle very easily. It's genetic. My brothers will immediately build muscle when they start lifting. For them, it's great. For me, not so much.

To each his or her own, but I prefer the lean look I get from yoga, pilates and more "toning" work. For others, maybe that wouldn't have enough of an effect. Please don't cite sources. Like I said, I've read them too. But I've seen the results in my own body.

Different things will work for different bodies and different aesthetic ideals. In the 80s, conventional fitness wisdom said we all had to do cardio at the "fat burning" heart rate percentage to lose weight. Then we laughed at that idea. This year, there was an article in the times that said cardio IS most effective at fat burning in that "fat burning" zone fitness experts were mocking for ten years. Trends and notions about fitness/diet will change. Do what works for you.

I do think, MOTG, that it would help you see results if you mixed it up a bit. Maybe some strength training. Or yoga. Or kickboxing. (Weren't you doing kickboxing awhile back? ) I know I saw big results when I changed from a lot of cardio to more variety. As others said, you're body DEFINITELY gets used to whatever you're doing. So to keep seeing results you have to mix it up.

an00bis.. love the links you posted, especially the last one!

During the summer, when I was home from school and staying at my parents' house, I used to do a workout program called Insanity (by the same company that did P90X) five or six days a week.. it's definitely my favorite at-home workout, and it will ANNIHILATE you (providing you put your all into it, as with any workout).

Now that I'm back at school and living at my apartment, I can't do workouts that involve lots of jumping because my downstairs neighbor is a psychotic bastard and will literally scream at me. Instead, I take advantage of my school's many fitness class offerings. My workout schedule looks something like this:

Sunday: RU FIT class - fifty minutes of something similar in theory to CrossFit, where you do a variety of exercises as hard as you can for a short amount of time, and change between sets of different exercises. So it's a good mix of all different types of exercises that condition your strength, while you can adjust how much your cardiovascular system is worked by pushing yourself as hard as you want. I strive to go all-out since the workout intervals are short, and I want to get an efficient workout.

Monday: Interval workout - fifty minutes of strength training and cardio, switched back and forth. Unless I go home, in which case I do an Insanity workout, or have to skip a class from too much schoolwork (the worst!)

Tuesday: RU FIT


Wednesday: willPower & grace - fifty-minute class that's a fusion of cardio, strength conditioning with standing yoga poses, lunges, and squats, and if you can visualize this, pilates-type conditioning done while standing. It's a very unique blend and I definitely feel it in my legs afterward (even after a lot of experience with intense plyometric workouts)!


Thursday: RU FIT

Friday: Insanity workout - from Sean T's Insanity, and no I am not a clandestine product placer from BeachBody Depending on the workout I choose from the program, it can be 45 to 60 minutes of pure cardio/plyometric/calisthenic madness. Think tons of jumping, squats, pushups, and cardio-heavy movement that will destroy you and leave you in a pile of sweat and exultant tears. These are some of my favorite workouts EVER. They are extremely intense and challenge your entire body. If I could, I would do these at least three days a week!


These are just the things that I do because I enjoy taking advantage of my student discount at my school's fitness facilities, and because I really love those Insanity workouts (and recommend them to anyone who is already in good shape and wants to take it to the next level!).

HOWEVER, there are other workouts you can do that will not take even 40 minutes of your day but will still help you lose weight and get into amazing shape. Check out CrossFit - if you have the resources, it can revolutionize the way you think about fitness. I'd join a CrossFit gym in a heartbeat if I wasn't on a college student budget.

I believe most people who find they're in a rut with their weight loss goals need to find a way to train smarter, not longer. I used to run six miles a day, five days a week, but found even though I did slim down a bit, I wasn't losing a significant amount of weight - certainly not what I would have expected from so much cardio work.
I think some of the articles that have already been posted do a very nice job of explaining why that may be. Just today I read an article from Men's Journal that was good food for thought. Now, I'm certainly not advising anyone to totally eschew their cardio workouts, but I do believe adding strength training and interval workouts are good steps to a more well-rounded fitness repertoire and will yield positive results.

I think it's also really important to try new workouts for the fact that you'll be in a better position to know what does and doesn't work for you. I wouldn't have gotten out of the mindset that running a lot automatically meant I was in great shape if I hadn't tried other challenging workouts.

Also, don't forget the critical role diet plays into weight loss goals! If you're not eating the right balance of macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) and don't have a significant calorie deficit, odds are you aren't going to get the results you're envisioning even with almost an hour of cardio most days a week. But that's a whole other matter!

I typically go to the gym 4-5x week. It all depends on whether I take classes. My workout sessions always start off with weights then end with at least 30 min of cardio. I'm typically in and out of the gym in an hour. When lifting keep your rest between sets to a minium. With your goal do lighter weights with a higher rep counts.

My lifting sessions go as follows:
Day 1-Back/Biceps/Abs
Day 2-Chest/Triceps/Shoulder/Abs
Day 3-Legs/Abs
Day 4-Rest
Day 5-Repeat either Day 1 or 2 (rotate choice weekly)
Day 6-Either repeat Day 3 or take a class
Day 7-Rest

Good luck!