Heyo.

[Nblight]

Hey, I just need some advice on whether or not I'm on the right track.

In the morning I wake up, have a coffee with dry whole wheat toast or sometimes one of those bran cereal bars if we're out of bread. Go to school, have lunch which is normally a whole wheat sandwich(lunch meat and mustard), some fruit, and water. After school I head to the gym(I walk to the gym from school, as well as walk home from the gym).

I work-out about an hour and a half most days. I work on two muscle groups a day(Bi/Triceps, Chest/Legs, Shoulders/Back) doing two or three exercises per muscle group, three sets of 10-12. Afterwards I hit the bike for about a half hour. For the first 10 minutes I stay at a steady 90 RPM at level 3, then for the remaining 20 minutes I alternate between 80 and 120 every 30 seconds. It says I burn about 250 calories.

Dinner is where I'm not so good with diet. I basically eat whatever is being made unless I make it myself. Normally salad, water, and whatever the main course is. I try not to snack too much, maybe a banana while watching t.v later on.

Anyway, how does that look? I'm trying to lose weight, but also get more toned. I weigh about 175lbs at 5'12"ish. Is there anything I could add or do to improve? I know the coffee in the morning probably isn't the best, but I'm pretty addicted. I can't function without it!

Thanks.

Edit: Just one more thing. I know it's probably somewhere else, but if I want to get toned is lifting lighter weights at more reps better?

[Boss Man]

I would be inclined to change that slightly, to something like this.

Legs/ Bi's

Chest / Tri's

Back / Shoulders

Chest and Triceps should work better together, as any press exercises for Chest, will incorporate Triceps, indeed any exercise containing the word "press" in the name, including ones not necessarily for Chest.

Shoulders would be better after Back, as the Deltoid area, may be worked during some Back exercises, as either Synergists, or Stabilisers, and you may find working Shoulders beforehand, could affect your Back when you work it afterwards.

Also, as Biceps can get used in some Back exercises, (as any exercise with the word Row in the name, will utilise the Biceps), I kept the Bicep / Leg day, about 4 days away from the Back one, insted of two, so there's vitually no chance of you doing any Back work, whilst Biceps are still recovering, and then hindering some of your Back training.

Hopefully that helps .

[Nblight]

Yeah, thanks for the advice. I'll definately try that out.

I like to go to the gym everyday if I can. I always do cardio and two muscle groups. I never do the same two muscle groups two days in a row - I give them two days before doing them again while I do other muscle groups. Hm... Dunno if that makes sense.

Anyway, is this advisable? Should I have a day or so of no weight training, just a rest day? If so, could I still do cardio for that day?

[Boss Man]

No, take the day off. No weights, no Cardio. Don't even briskly walk to get a newspaper. On the off day, if you go out anywhere, stroll, don't run jog, or walk fast, as you'll want on said day, to use minimal amounts of exertion, to assist the bodies recovery.

The more exertion you do on that day, the more you'll eat into that recvoery.

Your training time seems a bit long. I'd say give yourself a little bit less to do. So if you're burning 250 calories in 30 minutes, you're averaging about 8.2 calorie a minute, so you could cut back to 200 calories, but maintain the tempo, so you work hard for about 23-24 minutes, no longer than 25.

All that weights plus a 250 calorie Cardio burn, for 1hr 30, seems a bit too taxing, and burning 200 calories should be fine, and you might notice a difference in energy levels, trimming that 30 minutes down, in 5 minute segements, off your weekly Cardio.

Also how long are your set breaks?

[Nblight]

I'm not sure exactly, but it's around a minute between sets, and 3 or so between exercises.

[Boss Man]

A minute is fine. I just invisiged something like 2+ minutes between sets, bumping your workout time up, but 1 minute is fine.

[swanso5]

i'd go with an lower and upper body split

day 1 - lower body
day 2 - upper
day 3 - cardio
day 4 - lower
day 5 - cardio
day 6 - upper
day 7 - off

something like that

wts should only be 60mins max and for cardio it's better to do the intervals first than the steady state stuff second

[Nblight]

Thanks, intervals first and steady second sounds a lot better.

Would it be more beneficial to do cardio everyday, other than off day, or is it actually better to do it only two or so days a week?

[swanso5]

cardio is the same as wts...if doing hit than you can't do it everyday...if you want to do cardio everyday just alternate or cycle through different intensities for each session although for starters 2 hit sessions would be enough...if you aren't losing fat / gaining fitness with 2 than look at your diet and /or add a 3rd session