I'm trying to rebuild my workout schedule and I'd be grateful for your opinions.
For the last year I've worked a good deal on my cardio, started with aerobic training (30 min runs) for a couple months then moved on to HIIT and cardio (5 to 7 times a week) for the last 7-8 months.
Concerning strength training, I was doing only bodyweight exercises (push-ups, crunches/sit-ups, squats, lunges and some plyo jumps 3-4 times a week) until the last two months were I moved to free-weight exercises at the gym. I've done a full-body workouts three times a week which consisted of the following exercices.
Upper body: Bench press, Overhead press, pec flies, triceps ext, biceps curls and shoulder raises.
Lower body: Squats, split single-leg squats, lunges and leg press (in my new schedule I'll eliminate the leg press and I'd add deadlifts).
Core: medicine ball exercises (twists, sit-ups, crunches) and crunches on stab ball.
For the upper body and legs exercises, I do 3 sets of 8 reps, except for bench and squats where I do 4 sets. Core exercises, I do 2 or 3 sets of about 20.
Here is my "new" schedule:
Monday: Lower body+Core, Cardio
Tuesday: Upper body, HIIT/Sprints
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Lower body+Core, HIIT, Cardio
Friday: Upper body, Cardio
Saturday: HIIT/Sprints
Sunday: Upper body, HIIT
Cardio: at least 20 min of aerobic workout.
HIIT: intervals of sprint/jog, I often do 30sec/30sec 9-10 times but I'd try to vary a little more.
Sprints: Different distances (25, 50 and100m) with good recovery in between.
My main goals are to get faster, stronger and add a little muscle mass while maintaining a good cardio level.
Here are some of my concerns:
-Split or Full-Body workouts ?
I was tempted to switch to split workouts in order to reduce the time required by the full-body workout. I don't mind going to the gym 4-5 times a week instead of 3. However, that may reduce the frequency of each workout (see next question).
-Frequency of strength workouts ?
In my new schedule, the number of leg workouts is reduced from 2 to 3 (since HIIT/Sprints are quite taxing on the legs) and the number of upper body workout is kept at 3.
-Frequency of HIIT/Cardio/Sprints ?
How many times per week should I do them (I know I probably do too much, but I like it...)
-Combine HIIT/Sprints with legs strength training ?
Are those runs gonna limit my strength gains in the legs ? How is it best to schedule them ?
-HIIT vs Sprint with full recovery ?
Should I do both or HIIT only is sufficient ?
-HIIT, Cardio and Sprints before or after weight training ?
When I was doing my full-body workouts I was doing them before, starting the strength training with the upper body then moving to the lower body. Now I was thinking of doing them after the strength when working the legs to have maximum energy for lifting.
I guess this sums it up. Thanks to those who took the time to read all that, I'm waiting for your input.
For the last year I've worked a good deal on my cardio, started with aerobic training (30 min runs) for a couple months then moved on to HIIT and cardio (5 to 7 times a week) for the last 7-8 months.
Concerning strength training, I was doing only bodyweight exercises (push-ups, crunches/sit-ups, squats, lunges and some plyo jumps 3-4 times a week) until the last two months were I moved to free-weight exercises at the gym. I've done a full-body workouts three times a week which consisted of the following exercices.
Upper body: Bench press, Overhead press, pec flies, triceps ext, biceps curls and shoulder raises.
Lower body: Squats, split single-leg squats, lunges and leg press (in my new schedule I'll eliminate the leg press and I'd add deadlifts).
Core: medicine ball exercises (twists, sit-ups, crunches) and crunches on stab ball.
For the upper body and legs exercises, I do 3 sets of 8 reps, except for bench and squats where I do 4 sets. Core exercises, I do 2 or 3 sets of about 20.
Here is my "new" schedule:
Monday: Lower body+Core, Cardio
Tuesday: Upper body, HIIT/Sprints
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Lower body+Core, HIIT, Cardio
Friday: Upper body, Cardio
Saturday: HIIT/Sprints
Sunday: Upper body, HIIT
Cardio: at least 20 min of aerobic workout.
HIIT: intervals of sprint/jog, I often do 30sec/30sec 9-10 times but I'd try to vary a little more.
Sprints: Different distances (25, 50 and100m) with good recovery in between.
My main goals are to get faster, stronger and add a little muscle mass while maintaining a good cardio level.
Here are some of my concerns:
-Split or Full-Body workouts ?
I was tempted to switch to split workouts in order to reduce the time required by the full-body workout. I don't mind going to the gym 4-5 times a week instead of 3. However, that may reduce the frequency of each workout (see next question).
-Frequency of strength workouts ?
In my new schedule, the number of leg workouts is reduced from 2 to 3 (since HIIT/Sprints are quite taxing on the legs) and the number of upper body workout is kept at 3.
-Frequency of HIIT/Cardio/Sprints ?
How many times per week should I do them (I know I probably do too much, but I like it...)
-Combine HIIT/Sprints with legs strength training ?
Are those runs gonna limit my strength gains in the legs ? How is it best to schedule them ?
-HIIT vs Sprint with full recovery ?
Should I do both or HIIT only is sufficient ?
-HIIT, Cardio and Sprints before or after weight training ?
When I was doing my full-body workouts I was doing them before, starting the strength training with the upper body then moving to the lower body. Now I was thinking of doing them after the strength when working the legs to have maximum energy for lifting.
I guess this sums it up. Thanks to those who took the time to read all that, I'm waiting for your input.
