Take Classes next 4 weeks and forget my program?

[skully]

Since I am joining a gym, they offer a lot of classes for free for members, and some include cardio, weight lifting...etc. Do you think If I take these classes, which are about 30-60 minutes long will do me good? They may work me up more than I ever did myself. I don't know.

Classes are:

RPM (biking I think?)
Body Attack
Body Pump (weights)
What's GAQ attack?
Pilates
Belly Dancing
Body Step
Body Jam
Body Combat
AB Blaster

What would happen if I choose to go to two classes in one day? It seems that I need to overwork myself to lose some weight, and the only time I'll have a lot of time to spare is these 3 weeks ahead of me. AND I WANT TO LOSE at least 5% in those 3 weeks, and lost a couple of KGS. I want to give my big ass lazy body a shock it never did!

I plan to take the following.

Body Attack
Body Pump
Body Combat
Maybe RPM ans Body Jam

So Should I give up my "own" weights plan and go for the body pump class instead of the next few weeks? It seems my working out on it's own is just not working for me.

[Packard]

A change in environment is good for you; changing your routine will make it more complete. I would take the classes; make friends and enjoy it.

[skully]

So I did go to a class today, even though today was my last exam day, and I had two exams, and was DEAD tired. I did not allow it to ruin my plans. So I went for a Body Attack class, a high aerobic with some low aerobic...after 25 minutes...I died. Literally, and it's 45 minutes. It was a tough cookie! I never sweat so much...and I sweated like shit today. It felt GOOD! PAINFULLY good.

Obviously I am out of shape....bu then again I had a "Stomach" problem within the last 20 minutes of the exercises so i found it hard to follow through. I did, but with much slower movements.

I am unsure if doing that for 40-50 minutes will make me lose my muscles or not. I did have a 20g protein shake afterwords immediately.

So tomorrow is supposed to be my actual "weight lifting day", but I'll be getting a 2-day free pass with a trainer, for 45 minutes...I hope we do weights, I don't want to change my cardio/weight days that much...

I would love to try the bodypump class at 5:30, but my meeting is at 4:00, so If I workout from 4-6:30, all weights...i'll be doing more damages, right?

[skully]

I've done most of the Les Mills classes, and I don't really like most.

Regular spin classes are better than RPM. Spin classes are longer and a bit more challenging...I found RPM to be a bit boring. BUT better than nothing.

I hated Body Attack. Seemed like a mish-mash of too many things and didn't target anything in particular.

Body Pump is pretty decent as a weight program for beginners. It should be a good workout for you because it will introduce you to new moves and keep you going. BUT don't do this mixed with a weights workout. You could mix this class with a cardio class like Jam or Belly Dancing.

Body Jam is a blast, but it's only a moderate aerobic workout. I might do my weights workout before that and then do the Jam class just for fun. I wouldn't count on that as my workout for the day.

Body Combat is a GREAT cardio workout. Kickboxing is always a good choice.

Body Step is okay if you like step class...I'm not really a fan.

GAQ is Glutes, Abs, and Quads. I haven't done that class.

Belly Dancing will work your hips area. Just like Jam, I wouldn't do that as my only workout for the day, but would be a fun addition, maybe after some interval runs.

Pilates is always a good choice for more ab stabilization...I probably also wouldn't count that as my only workout for the day. I'd say the same for Ab Blaster (I think that's just a 30-45 minute ab work, so could be done after regular weights workout.)

Hope that helps. You can find more info on the Les Mills site: http://www.lesmills.com/

I think Body attack is more about endurance. I am not sure. It's how long can you keep with a certain speed. It was mixed with high and low intervals...and Honestly it worked me up. I didn't like or dislike it. But I think doing that, is better for me than getting up on an elliptical machine and feel like i want to stop working out 20 mins later.

Yeah, I will going to body pump sometime within this week, I had my first training session today, a free session....and I WAS DEAD TIRED, and really workouts my muscles like I never have before. I know for sure that my Shoulders are WEAK.

I am sure Id love bodycombat, I always wanted sth like that. But it's only offered once a week, and my trainer was only available around the same time. So if I do body combat, then "free weights training", right after each other, literally with only 10 minutes break. Will be adding too much stress on my body? I do want to PUSH IT TO HANDLE MORE...than just a 20 mins cardio workout, really.

I know it would've been better to do the weights then combat, but there is no choice. So I was thinking I may take tomorrow as a day off and save the energy for literally 2 hours of working out. It's going to be a one time thing, not always.

I paid for the gym, and I would like to have as much as I can from it, u know?

My mother liked bodyjam a lot...I think i'd feel weird dancing :S, isn't that what they do? What sort of dance moves =P.

Nah I don't like that step on it thing. Seriously.

I know this may sound stupid, but I don't LIKE working out my abs. I think it' stupid to do 30 minutes ab workout. I already have pretty decent abs shape, and even 1 packs since like long time ago, but it's just covered with fat, and doing 30 minutes ab workout will not do me good, right?


I am unsure about body balance IT seems like a "soothing" type of exercise, and I was thinking I'd go for something less "demanding" tomorrow. Is it demanding like intense cardio and weights workout?

Thanks for the site, it's very helpful!

So what do you suggest?

Tomorrow day off for rest, as I worked out from Sunday till Thursday straight,
Sat: Did cardio
Sun: Weights
Mon:....unsure ....day off? or go for body balance?
Tues: then body combat and weights same day...(keep in mind Id love to go to the body combat, it's offered once only! And my trainer is a busy, and can only book me the hour after)
Wed: cardio,
Thur: weights.

[skully]

Okay, I forgot to mention what I did with the trainer.

I'd love some advice, opinions...etc.

Everything was done in 2 sets, 15 reps, although I personally prefer 3 sets, 10 reps, as I get pretty tired after my 11th rep.

5-min-warm up on treadmill (1 min walk, light jog, 30sec cool down)

Lower body:
Leg press: 40Kgs
Leg curl: 20kgs
Calf Raise: 30kgs
Machine Crunch
Machine Back Ext.

Another 5 min-warm up with 20 resistance using Cybox

Lat pull down: 20kgs
Cable tricep ext: 10kgs
Chest Press: 10kgs
Cable bicep curl: 5kgs only it was so hard! I prefer to do free weights!
Machine row: 75? I dunno, All I know I did 500m.

---------------------

Does that sound like a good full-body workout?

How often should I change my "routines"?

----------------------

Edit

Do you think it's okay to do a body pump class after today's session? I am very eager to see how it's going to be like won't be able to go to it anytime this week. I could do light weights, and not the ones intended to "gain muscles" maybe I won't hurt my muscles then? The time difference would be 24 hours....

But also the next day I'll be doing cardio and weights...What do you say? I am very confused!

Bleh. Too many thoughts in my head!

[skully]

Sorry I don't have time right now to give an in-depth answer, but here's some basic advice:
Save your energy for your weights workout, and never ever do two weights workouts in one day.

The reason is that you want to give it 100%, and you won't be able to if you overload...plus you will overtrain and get opposite results.

I would definitely NOT do Body Combat before meeting with a trainer. You want to be fresh to meet with the trainer, otherwise you are wasting his/her time. You will be too tired to get a good workout after Combat.

I would also definitely NOT mix Body Pump with a weight's workout.

You want the same schedule that most folks recommend, which goes something like this:

Day 1: Weights
Day 2: Cardio
Day 3: Weights
Day 4: Off
Day 5: Weights
Day 6: Cardio
Day 7: Off

A solid 3 days weights, 2 days off (or one of them doing something light like Body Jam, which really is a blast), and then cardio in the middle.

Hope that helps.

You're right. I called my trainer and postponed our session for the day after. This week is a bit messy, because I want to try different classes, and things and then figure out the timings for a new schedule and whatnot. One week won't make much of a different as long as I keep on exercising! I actually lost weight!

I've been watching my food even more closely, haven't had soft drinks in at least 3 days or so....Doesn't mean I'm quitting, just drinking less now. So yeah! I'm so psyched for the bodycombat tomorrow. I did not REALLY exercise today. because I went for a body balance class. Made me sweat a bit. But I found pretty interesting and also very tiring, because I have absolutely no flexibility or balance. It also stretches every single muscle in your body, so that's good. I was in pain before the class but afterwards I actually felt better.

I was pretty active today outside of the gym, so yep. sort of my "light workout day"

Is it really enough to workout 5 times a week, and have 2 days off?

[skully]

If you work out more than that, you risk overtraining, which leads to burnout, injury, and no weight loss (or actual weight gain). You need at least one solid day for your body to rest.

Some people choose to take one day completely off and use that second day as an easy day...going for a walk/hike, doing Pilates or yoga, something relatively easy but still active. If you're just starting out, I would suggest taking two days off so that you don't burn yourself out and get tired of exercising.

That's interesting. My VERY old schedule was 6 days working out, 3 cardio, 3 weights.

Now I do seem to skip 2 days, and one of them is just being more active than usual.

For example last few days.

Wednesday: cardio
Thursday: Weights
Friday: off
Saturday:Body attack (Cardio)
Sunday: Weights
Monday (today): body Balance...yoga stuff.
I know I am supposed to do weights tomorrow, which I normally would do, but my schedule is changing a bit, and is messy this week only.
Tuesday: Body Combat
Wednesday: Weights w/trainer
Thursday: Cardio
Friday: off
------------

then new week starts and it's going to be

Sat/Mon/Wed - weights
Sun/Tues - cardio

Thur: light cardio
Fri: off

[skully]

Oh, I did stick with it, and still do stick with it, except for these few weeks, because I joined a gym because I have few weeks off uni, then back to my old schedule.

I'd every now and then skip a cardio day, depends on my energy of the day and stuff when I have uni.

At some point, my problem iwas I got bored of cardio, and started doing weights 3 days only and no cardio...that was one year ago.

[skully]

My VERY old schedule was 6 days working out, 3 cardio, 3 weights.

And you didn't stick with it, right?

I FINALLY got the chance to for body combat class AND I LOVED IT. It is so me, I even got a compliment from the instructor saying I'm really good for a first-timer!

A question though, how "bad" is it if I go for body combat THREE times a week, and two times after a weights exercise, in addition to another 1-2 days of cardio like HIIT or something "intense"?

What is really overtraining?

[skully]

I would also definitely NOT mix Body Pump with a weight's workout.

Do you think adding 1 bodypump class and 2 programed weight training is going to be efficient or set me back?

[skully]

I would also definitely NOT mix Body Pump with a weight's workout.

Do you think adding 1 bodypump class and 2 programed weight training is going to be efficient or set me back?

My statement is in relation to doing Body Pump & a weight workout in the same day. If you do Body Pump as one of your three weights workouts per week, you should be fine.

yes of course. I was thinking if I go to body pump I may not benefit from it as much as I would from my weights program designed by Cassie. I am not sure if it will affect much or not in muscle gain.