Cardio questions. please HELP!

[justloveme95]

hii im a teenager and was wondering if i only have to do cardio to lose weight. i just want to lose weight and be skinny then worry about building muscle, but eventually i want to build muscles, but my goal right now is losing weight. please reply and helpp!

p.s.
i usually do 30 mins. on the elliptical switching from level 1 to 8 every five mins.
i dont do any strength or anything and i was wondering if this was right.

hellpp!

thankss

[Bonnie]

Why don't you do both at the same time ?

[meaok77]

You'll see better results if you do both. I'm in the same boat as you...I want to lose weight and be "skinny". In February, I enrolled into a gym, and like you, stuck to the eliptical machine. I was going everyday for 4 months, and never saw a change in my body or the number on the scale. I had to stop going to the gym for a couple of reasons I won't bore you with (lol), but still wanted to do something about the weight I had gained. This site has REALLY helped me...everything form the fit tracker and journals to the users on the forums. Anyway, my point is that when I did just cardio I saw no progress, since I've added weights into my exercise I have seen progress...small, but enough to want to keep going.


Here's what I have been doing:

Monday: Cardio 30 minutes

Tuesday: Upper strength training (includes biceps, triceps, forearms, shoulders, chest and back)

Wednesday: Cardio 30 minutes

Thursday: Lower Strength Training (hamstrings, quads, calves, butt, inner and outer thighs, abs)

Friday: Cardio 30 minutes

Saturday: Upper strength training (includes biceps, triceps, forearms, shoulders, chest and back)

Sunday: rest

Monday: Cardio 30 minutes

Tuesday: this is where it changes....Lower Strength Training (hamstrings, quads, calves, butt, inner and outer thighs, abs)

Wednesday: Cardio 30 minutes

Thursday: Upper strength training (includes biceps, triceps, forearms, shoulders, chest and back)

Friday: Cardio 30 minutes

Saturday: Lower Strength Training (hamstrings, quads, calves, butt, inner and outer thighs, abs)

Sunday: rest

Every other week the type of strength training I do alternates. It changes how many times a week I'm doing those particular exercises. 1 Day a week I aim for 1 hour of cardio, usually my normal 30 minute aerobic show, then a brisk 30 minute walk, but from what I've heard and read 20-30 minutes is all you need. I also keep a very close eye on my calorie intake. I'm usually between 1500-2000 (usually closer to 2000).

[Bonnie]

20 - 30 minutes at 60 - 90 %... 3 - 5 x per week

[Boss Man]

Meok. I'd politely suggest taking out the Wednesday Cardio, so you're not doing too much and get a little more rest. This wil give you a split in the training, so you're not doing 6 days straight and only working out 5 days a week.

I think this would help you .

[meaok77]

Meok. I'd politely suggest taking out the Wednesday Cardio, so you're not doing too much and get a little more rest. This wil give you a split in the training, so you're not doing 6 days straight and only working out 5 days a week.

I think this would help you .

Ya know, I totally agree with you ( ) since I JUST strained a calf muscle while jumping rope today.

[Boss Man]

That could have just been lack of stretching, or some other reason like funky technique. Nothing to suggest a little too much Cardio. However I still feel the extra day off will be good for you .

As long as the Calf isn't giving you any sort of shooting or stabbing sensations, jsut take some sort of NSAID and keep it elevated a bit and you should be fine. It shouldn't affect your ability to lift weights in any way.

If you're concerned, perhaps put a little strapping or bandaging on it for 2-3 days a well, otherwise I'm sure you'll be fine .

Take care and keep up the hard work . I'm sure you're doing great. I'm proud of you and I hope you are proud of you too. You deserve to be .

[justloveme95]

meaok! i am a complete beginner and have no idea how to do any workouts. I love your workout schedule though! Can someone help me create a workout schedule with workouts I can do at home that follow meaok's schedule? I just need the name of each workout and I'll figure out the rest. Thanks!!!