Weight Training/Body weight Separate?

[sweetkissees918]

Alright,.. I wanna spice up my training a bit. Im wondering how many ladies do bodyweight exercises separate from your weight training sessions. I currently include chin ups with back day and dips with chest day.. but i wanna take them out and just focus on the weights during my gym time.

I would like to start using only my bodyweight for a cardio/circuit based session.... with just "bodyweight" exercises. I feel as tho, it will get me off the boring treadmill and it will improve my agility and in return help me in the gym with more strength. So I kinda see it as a win/win situation and not to mention I can do at home.

My only concern is that it will impair recovery from my strength training in the gym. So, maybe you ladies have done this or know how I should set that up... Would much much appreciate it! My current goal is gain strength/muscle.

Also, I would only do the cardio/circuit for a brisk 15-20 minutes or so. Nothing extreme.

[oregonchick76]

Gosh, you must be really good at chin ups. They are still so hard for me, I can't think of a weight lifting exercise that's harder than that! You could always do weighted chin/pull ups as part of your back routine if unweighted they aren't hard enough. I still think they are a superior exercise, but that's just my personal opinion. I can't imagine not needing the same kind of recovery from a chin up as from other weight-bearing exercises.

[sweetkissees918]

Well anytime I do chin ups or dips with my weight training i'll do 30 reps mostly all body weight. Lately at the end for maybe the last 10 i'll strap in a 10lb plate and do sets of 3 til i reach that 30 mark. Once in a blue moon, ill do 50 dips and 50 chins up but thats all i'll do, no weights. (i'll alternate between the two) I get very sore. Now, i cant do 10 or 15 in a row. I'll do 6-8, rest then go at it again and i figured if i just did bodyweight separate, more in a circuit for more of a cardio workout, i would have to be quicker and more explosive. My heart rate will be on fire and it beats walking/running on the treadmill.

[sweetkissees918]

and dont worry you'll be doing sets of chin ups before you know it. I bought the chin up bar for the doorway a while back and after i bought it, I was thinking.. Now, what the heck am I going to do with this thing? I couldnt even do 1! I started doing negatives, getting help from fiance (he would help me up to the bar), different little things to get me stronger on the bar.

Im a firm believer that if you cant do a bodyweight exercise, the only way to be able to do them is.... to do them. I know people say, well do lat pull down will get you there, i dont agree. Its not the same as getting your chin over the bar. That really helped me. If i didnt keep trying to do them, and just did lat pull down or other exercises in place of it, i would probably still suck @ them.

[tina722]

I'll put body-weight work on a separate day. Intense cardio/circuit work does wear me out for my lifting sessions, but mostly because I always overdo it. Circuits make me sooore.

I do better when I go in with a specific goal. ie. hit x reps of pullups or pushups. I also like to do my handstand/backbend work to be on a separate day. These days usually involve lots of stretching and rest time- form work.

I don't follow a specific lifting program, so I have no real idea on how much it affects me. I include the extra day for 3-4weeks at a time, then usually have a week or two off (extra day only). It would be my 5th day on a upper/lower split.

[sweetkissees918]

Hmmmm... yeah im just concerned with being able to recover from both weight training and the body weight circuits. I could always throw it in @ the end. So, go in do my heavy weight training then for 10-15 minutes @ the end, bust out timed circuits using the same body part I worked or figure out how to separate them... ahhhh choices, choices! o.O

[Ang123]

and dont worry you'll be doing sets of chin ups before you know it. I bought the chin up bar for the doorway a while back and after i bought it, I was thinking.. Now, what the heck am I going to do with this thing? I couldnt even do 1! I started doing negatives, getting help from fiance (he would help me up to the bar), different little things to get me stronger on the bar.

Can you recommend a brand of chinup bar for the doorway? Since I rent I have been afraid to get for fear of damaging the door frame. I can't even reach the bars at the gym using their stools so haven't ever had the chance to attempt one.

[sweetkissees918]

Can you recommend a brand of chinup bar for the doorway? Since I rent I have been afraid to get for fear of damaging the door frame. I can't even reach the bars at the gym using their stools so haven't ever had the chance to attempt one.

Well, the one i have, golds gym brand. It has left marks on the upper outter door frame and on the sides of the panel... a few dents and scuff marks. Im not sure how easy it is to fix, not really sure. Why not go down to your local park and try a few times on the monkey bars? Or I used to go out back and swing and pull up on the clothes line bars hahaha. but... u could always have someone assist you on getting up on the bar in the gym.