Is an Hour enough?

[Leigh29]

I workout for approx 40 minutes weight training and then I do about 30 minutes cardio afterwards so it works out to be more than an hour but what I want to know is if I just work out for 1 hour is that enough time to get in and get what I want accomplished? or do I need to spend more time than that. I see all these people in the gym for like 2 hours and I just don't have that kind of time. Also I have been doing my cardio right after my weights which adds to the time so I'm doing about 30-40 minutes cardio right after weights 5 times a week, is that too much, will that hinder any muscle gains I want to achieve. Is it ok to just workout one body part per day for time purposes?

[SeaSiren]

Actually IMO an hour is a bit much. Cardio & Lifting back to back will hinder your gains. Best is having your cardio on sep days. Lift 3-4 times weekly, cardio 1-2 times weekly. My lifting sessions are about 40min depending on the part I am working and cardio sessions are 20min.

[Leigh29]

Ok good, so its not like I have to spend hours and hours in the gym, so your suggesting to do my workouts and then get out of there, or should I do 20 minutes of light cardio afterwards? and will doing cardio only 1-2 times a week be enough?

This is good news, for awhile I thougth I'm not going to have a life. hahal

[dortress]

Leah, I'm doing what you've been doing and I'm still making progress. BUT, I need to lose weight and I don't feel right now that I can scale back the cardio and still make my goal(s). I'm hoping that once I'm where I need to be, I can follow the advice you've been given and scale my cardio back to maintenance mode and only do it a few times a week and then increase the amount of lifting I'm doing...

[amadgenius]

also a good thing to do which I do...is superset thru the whole workout for 40-45 minutes. It keeps you focused and you burn alot in little time. Workouts should never be over 45 minutes long. Its working smart and hard, not working long.

[SeaSiren]

Ok good, so its not like I have to spend hours and hours in the gym, so your suggesting to do my workouts and then get out of there, or should I do 20 minutes of light cardio afterwards? and will doing cardio only 1-2 times a week be enough?

This is good news, for awhile I thougth I'm not going to have a life. hahal

I would suggest not doing weights on cardio days. Some people do more cardio to help spur along weight loss or when cutting. However, as amadgenius stated, working smart is the key. As you build muscle you will naturally burn more calories during the day, and the weight loss will follow so long as you are eating sensibly. The key to lifting for me is to concentrate on form and the muscle group (I visualize and feel the muscle as I lift). I lift as heavy as I can to challenge myself, but don't compromise my form or I'll cheat myself out of a good session (i.e. be wasting my time). Also be sure you reps are fairly slow (I do 2 counts up, 3 counts down). This is what works for me. As you train, you'll find what works best for you. But by no means do you have to stay in the gym for hours to get results.

[Defiant1]

I workout for approx 40 minutes weight training and then I do about 30 minutes cardio afterwards so it works out to be more than an hour but what I want to know is if I just work out for 1 hour is that enough time to get in and get what I want accomplished? or do I need to spend more time than that. I see all these people in the gym for like 2 hours and I just don't have that kind of time. Also I have been doing my cardio right after my weights which adds to the time so I'm doing about 30-40 minutes cardio right after weights 5 times a week, is that too much, will that hinder any muscle gains I want to achieve. Is it ok to just workout one body part per day for time purposes?

It is not either/or. Many people view workouts and training as either "optimal" or "won't work". Most of the arguing done on the site about training technique is about the nuance of OPTIMAL training. But the marginal returns in results of (for example) 3 sets vs 4 sets or 2 exercises per bodypart vs. 3 etc are really very small.

The reality is, it all works to some extent. The workout you can do and do do is better than the perfect workout you can't finish or hate then quit.

I suggest looking at it in a different way. Realizing anything you do benefits you, do the workouts you have time and desire for.

One bodypart per day is usually most appropriate at a more advanced stage, but you can do 2 or 3 bodyparts per day. It doesn't have to be full body or 1 bodypart per day.

You also have the option of doing supersets (alternating between 2 exercises with no rest between) to save time. This is also a great way to increase fitness.

[lifeasisrael]

what if you have a lot of weight to loose...cardio 1 or 2 times a week?