How Many Days Should You Exercise Per Week
This is another question that I hear quite a bit. There are a lot of differences of opinion by everyone on just how much exercise you need and how often you should be doing it.
To address this properly you need to first define what exercise means to you. Is it a simple walk, a long run, high intensity interval training (HIIT), or something more like a personal training session.
What are your Goals?
You need to clearly know what your goals are. What is it that you’re trying to acheive by exercising? Is it to lose weight, gain strength, add muscle, burn calories or just maintain what you have.
Once you know what your target is you can start to customize an exercise schedule for yourself.
Different Levels of Intensity
Not all activities are created equal. Some are more intense (Strength Training) and some are very moderate (walking). Intensity is really a key factor in determining how many times a week you should be exercising.
What the Government Recommends
In school we where taught to exercise for 3 days a week at 30 minutes per session. Since it was backed by the government that’s what was pushed on us. Since about 2005 though they have revised their recommendations to the following:
Exercise as part of living an overall healthy lifestyle.
Endurance Activities: (4-7 days a week)
* walking
* golfing (without a ride-on cart)
* yard and garden work
* propelling a wheelchair (“wheeling”)
* cycling
* skating
* continuous swimming
* tennis
* dancing
Flexibility Activities: (4-7 days a week)
* gardening
* mopping the floor
* yard work
* vacuuming
* stretching exercises
* T’ai Chi
* golf
* bowling
* yoga
* curling
* dance
Strength Activities: (2- 4 days a week)
* heavy yard work, such as cutting and piling wood
raking and carrying leaves
* lifting and carrying groceries (not to mention infants and toddlers!)
* climbing stairs
* exercises like abdominal curls and push-ups
* wearing a backpack carrying school books
* weight/strength-training routines
So how many days should you exercise per week?
This is what I recommend for weight loss:
Strength Training – 3-4 Days per week.
You need a solid training routine that will effectively work the major muscle groups. You can achieve this with or without the use of weights. Body weight exercises are very efficient and effective.
Building muscle will increase the amount of calories that you can burn while at rest, which you’ll need. As you lose weight your body’s need for calories at rest (BMR) will naturally decrease. Believe it or not but that fat on your body consumes calories just to keep it there. The less fat you have the less calories you need.
Cardio (Aerobic exercise) – 2-3 Days per week.
Cardio is great for burning calories and getting rid of the extra weight. You don’t need to spend hours at it though. I have been doing HIIT twice a week in addition to my Sunday morning runs.
Aerobic exercise isn’t restricted to running/jogging type of exercises. You can do Kenpo, Tae Bo, or other Martial arts styles of exercise. Joining a spinning class or just going out for a good steady paced bike ride will also do it.
Final Note
Basically I think you need 5 days a week of exercise at a minimum to really lose the weight quickly. If you are just starting out it’s ok to build up to this for the first few weeks. Anything less and the results will take much longer to appear.
I am currently using P90X as my workout guide. It incorporates all 3 types of exercise nicely into 60 to 90 minute videos that you can do at home. Their schedule is 6 days a week with 1 day rest and it is intense. 
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P90X
Ok, so I have decided to take the plunge and start the P90X workout program. I am coming to the end of my current workout routine at the gym and it’s time to mix it up a bit.
For those that don’t know what P90X is, it’s a home workout program designed by trainer Tony Horton. The system consists of 12 workouts (listed below) a diet plan and a workout calender. You can see the sales pitch HERE.
I was very fortunate in the fact that I didn’t have to pay for the program. A friend of mine purchased it several months ago and just never really kept up with it. I traded it to for my Abs Diet book. It retails for $119.95 so I’m happy with the savings.
I’ve had a chance to watch all of the workouts, read some reviews, watch the infomercial (I have it PVR’d) and look over the diet plan, which I will not be following. Not that there is anything wrong with it, it’s just that they really like to promote their own power bars and shakes.
There are 3 phases to P90X nutrition plan:
Phase 1 – Fat Shredder:
Focused on High protein meal plan designed to help give you strength and “shred” your fat.
Phase 2 – Energy Boost:
A little more balanced meal plan where you get to add some complex carbs back into your diet.
Phase 3 – Endurance Maximizer
Much more focus on complex carbs, pretty moderate protein and fat intakes.
Nothing groundbreaking here but it fits with the overall theme of changing things often. I will be following something similar but more based on my own likes and dislikes. I already eat a lot of protein rich foods so I’ll be focusing on cut back on the carbs and saturated fat.
What equipment to you need?
Other than the DVD’s themselves you’ll need to get the following:
-
* Good quality yoga mat or a rubber mat.
* Dumbbells with a decent amount of weight (10-30 lbs) or resistance bands.
* A Chair or a Stool.
* A chin up/pull up bar (this can be difficult to obtain, depending on your living arrangements)
Here is a picture of my homemade pull up bar. You can buy doorway pull up bars that are just as effective. Here is an example
. Mine is very crude but for $20 it gets the job done.
The 12 At Home Workouts:
These are the 12 workouts that come with the program:
* Chest and Back
* Plyometrics
* Shoulders and Arms
* Yoga X
* Legs and Back
* Kenpo X
* X Stretch
* Core Synergistics
* Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
* Back and Biceps
* Cardio X
* Ab Ripper X
None of them look even remotely easy. But that is the whole point of this program. To work yourself hard and push your body to be the best it can be. To coin their slogan you need to “Bring It” and man do I plan to.
Who else is doing P90X?
I want to know who else out there is doing P90X? Have you tried it already and if so was it all you thought it would be? Let me know your thoughts and wish me luck. By the looks of the Ab Ripper X workout I think I’ll need it.
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The last 10 pounds bootcamp
My new favorite weight loss related show is the Last 10 pounds bootcamp on Slice TV.
It’s a Canadian show based out of Vancouver. The program is geared towards women and its goal is to help them get rid of that last 10 pounds and into a new thinner outfit.
Here is an excerpt from their site www.theeyes.ca/tenpounds
“The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp propels women through an intense fitness and nutrition regimen that dramatically resizes
them in record time. Motivated by a special event (an upcoming wedding, anniversary, vacation, or reunion) participants strive to
transform themselves physically and mentally in just four weeks. Their mission: to lose weight. Their target: to fit into a sexy
new outfit.”
It’s hosted by professional CFL football player Tommy Europe as the personal trainer. Tommy puts these ladies through some very tough workouts. He doesn’t hold back and doesn’t let them quit. Check out his personal trainer site at www.13hitz.net
His co-host is former CFL cheerleader and certified trainer Nadeen Boman. She is the nutritional expert. Nadeen basically cleans out all of the participants cupboards, fridges and freezers, since no one has any healthy food at home. Then arms them with the proper healthy foods they need to achieve their goal. You can contact her through her own site at www.firmbodyfitness.com
Why do I like it so much?
Because the methods they use get results. Most women end up losing more than the 10 pounds and are in noticeably better shape. The workouts are intense and the food is healthy and nutritious. Also, I have yet to see any over hyped product placements (ala Biggest Loser) which I really respect.
Each episode is loaded with great tips and facts on various foods and exercises. They’re all very practical and easily incorporated into your current workout/nutrition plan.
Now I only have 2 problems with this show:
1. – I’d like to see more targeting for the males that have that last 10 pounds to lose.
2. – Exposure. This is a great show that is not only entertaining, but very motivational and informative. It can be seen on Slice TV in Canada but that’s it.
I would like to see more web coverage too, maybe an online fitness and nutritional program. I’d really like to see a bootcamp style workout DVD that people can use at home. (i.e me)
You can watch the full episodes via streaming videos at Slice.ca.
Anyway check them out and let me know what you think.
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Exercise and Blogging
This is a topic that I have been wanting to talk about for a while now as it’s a combination of two of my favorite activities.
There are many similarities between blogging and exercising. For example:
1. Finding time to commit to both can be challenging, and fitting it into your day is not always possible.
2. If you neglect either one for a long period of time. The odds increase that your body or your site will die sooner than you expected it to.
3. The more often you do them the quicker you will see the results you’re looking for.
Those are just a few that I like, but the real connection between exercising and blogging is this. Blogging right after you exercise will increase the creativity and quality of your posts. Also the overall tone will tend to be more up beat and positive.
Now I am only basing this on my own blogging experience and a few other fellow bloggers. Here is why I think it works. Exercise gets the blood flowing to your brain and stimulates the release of endorphins, as well as serotonin which alters your mood in a good way.
Not to mention the fact that you’re doing something good for yourself and that can immediately boost your confidence and inspire you.
Some of my best ideas actually come when I’m right in the middle of a run or bike ride. Your body is in what is known as a “peak state” and it’s easier to focus your thoughts on something other than what you are doing at that moment.
As a blogger I sit a lot and with that comes some unwanted side effects like a sore back and wrists as well as the odd leg pain. You can combat these by doing some stretches, push-ups, knee-ups or jumping jacks every 30 minutes or so.
If that doesn’t appeal to you then a simple 5 minute brisk walk will do the trick.
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High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
How would you like to workout for less time but still achieve the same or better results than a longer workout?
If so the answer is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). This is a method of exercise where you alternate between going all out at maximum effort for short bursts and slowing to a more moderate “rest” pace. A typical session lasts from 15-25 minutes depending on your fitness level.
Why is it so important?
Burn baby, burn. Calories that is. You can burn more calories overall and more calories from fat versus lower intensity exercises. Which is amazing in itself but the real benefit comes after your workout is done. Studies have shown that performing HIIT keeps your metabolism raised for up to 24 hours following a session. Meaning you’re burning more calories while you sleep, work and play.
Lastly, doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) can help preserve the muscle mass that you already have, which you tend to lose with lower intensity activities.
How to do it
I use it while running but you can apply it to all sorts of exercise, biking, stairmaster etc..
Here is the 8 week program that I used to kick start my weight loss. Start each workout with a 3 minute warm-up and finish with a 3 minute cool down.
Week 1-2
Run at 90-100% of your max speed for 30 seconds.
Slow to 60-70% of your max speed for 2 minutes.
4 cycles – Total time including warm up/cool down
16 minutes
Week 3-4
Run at 90-100% for 30 seconds.
Slow to 60-70% for 1 minute.
6 cycles – Total time including warm up/cool down
15 minutes
Week 5-6
Run at 90-100% for 1 minute.
Slow to 60-70% for 1 minute.
6-7 cycles – Total time including warm up/cool down
18-20 minutes
Week 7-8
Run at 90-100% for 1 minute.
Slow to 60-70% for 30 seconds.
8-10 cycles – Total time including warm up/cool down
18 -21 minutes
If you aren’t seeing the kind of results you want with your current low intensity aerobic workouts, try switching them up for some HIIT. I think you will definitely feel and see the difference.
Here are some other great articles on the benefits of performing HIIT.
If you are interested in an intense workout try P90X, The P90X workout is one of the most intense and effective workout plans I have ever seen.
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Going for my Six Pack
Since I’ve lost all that excessive fat, my goals and my focus has changed. I have built up some pretty good strength and endurance in all the major muscle groups. My new goal may be a little vane but I deserve it. Basically I want my six pack back, not just as good as it was 7-10 years ago but even better. Stronger more defined and more functional.
I’ve decided to tryout some of Arnel Ricafranca’s ab workout routines. Arnel is a personal trainer from New Jersey. He has appeared in and on a few local magazines, radio and online TV news stations.
He is the owner and operator of iwantsixpackabs.com a great site that shows you how to sculpt your abs in 16 weeks. This site is completely free, but you need to sign-up to gain access to his program.
I have a pretty good eating plan that is working for me right now, so I will just stick to the workouts including HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) which I am a big fan of.
This is his First Promo Video which serves as the “before”.
Here is a sample of just 1 of the many challenging ab workouts offered.
Well wish me luck. I am in good shape now but somehow I think this will kick my butt. Hopefully at the end of my 16 weeks I can post some pics to be proud of.
If you think your ready to go for your six pack go to www.iwantsixpackabs.com
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