I'm pretty active, and have been known to go to the gym. I am someone that really needs a routine or it all goes to he!! in a handbasket so I thought I may be able to get some advice from you guys.

If you can run/walk 5 miles a day, is there more benefit to doing it all at once or if you break that up into two 2 1/2 mile runs a day will you get the same benefit? I am not much of a runner so I mostly walk in the surrounding hills (pretty good thigh burner) but I do run up some of the hills just to really get my heart rate up. The dogs think this is hilarious when I jog uphill. I believe they really think that jumping on me and licking my face while I run is the right thing to do.

I lift weights at the gym, but really would rather do my cardio outside.... the treadmill and elliptical just don't do a lot for me.

Any advice would be appreciated. thanks!

There`s 2 things going on, the burn you feel is lactic acid from anaerobic activity and as you run you are getting aerobic activity. If you do your aerobic activity twice a day you never rest the muscles in your legs that got the anaerobic workout and built up lactic acid from breaking down muscle fibers.

It`s been a long time since I owned my gym and attended seminars and clinics. With anaerobic exercise the only muscle groups we did daily was abs and calves. All the others were done every other day. Aerobic (walking running etc.) we did daily but limited hills to every other day.

The flip side is many football teams do twice a day sessions pre-season but usually only one season is intense.
If you insist on twice a day why not for example do an intense session Am the 2 easy sessions with no hills then an intense session followed by 2 easy. Everybody responds different, experiment.

Depends why you're doing this.

"Cardio" is a bit of a misunderstood thing. Typically, the activities one uses to achieve the health/physiological benefits are complex athletic movements (running, swimming etc) in which the improvements you percieve are based significantly in neurological adaptations...not so much physiological. That's a great thing if you want to achieve certain objective achievements, i.e. run a mile faster or whatever. It means your body can do a whole lot more once it learns how to more efficiently complete a movement. Less wasted energy per given unit of movement.

However , the entire point of exercise proper is the opposite. You DON'T want your body to become progressively accustomed to an activity.

Improvements in external performance in any given activity (running, swimming...anything) should come as a consequence of general improvements to the muscles and cardiovascular system. The point is to stress the body in such a way as to make it bounce back with a greater net improvement in the actual physical structures responsible for movement. That means the meaningful changes occur when you're NOT exercising. What's required is a progressively greater application of stress, in a more controlled method of application, with simpler movements, and purposeful rest so there is less room to miscontsrue where exactly you're seeing improvments.

One of the more interesting lessons of working in a gym for almost 10 years wasn't working with people directly...it was watching them. The same people, over the course of years, come in EVERY DAY and run themselves into a sweaty stupor...and their body never changed. Some even got fatter. Not to mention the cumulative injuries from all that supposedly great daily "exercise".

This is where I advocate something more a long the lines of circuit training with weights. And not just mosying from bicep curl, to leg extension. No, no, no.

But this could just keep going, if I'm not careful.

Something to consider.

 Quote: Steven Lepic

This is where I advocate something more a long the lines of circuit training with weights. And not just mosying from bicep curl, to leg extension. No, no, no.

I got the impression she`s content with her current physical condition, lifts already but enjoys getting her cardio outdoors and also sharing that time with her dogs.

It never hurts to address the fundamental assumptions under which one operates.

 Quote: Cindy Easton Rhodes

I'm pretty active, and have been known to go to the gym. I am someone that really needs a routine or it all goes to he!! in a handbasket so I thought I may be able to get some advice from you guys.

If you can run/walk 5 miles a day, is there more benefit to doing it all at once or if you break that up into two 2 1/2 mile runs a day will you get the same benefit? I am not much of a runner so I mostly walk in the surrounding hills (pretty good thigh burner) but I do run up some of the hills just to really get my heart rate up. The dogs think this is hilarious when I jog uphill. I believe they really think that jumping on me and licking my face while I run is the right thing to do.

I lift weights at the gym, but really would rather do my cardio outside.... the treadmill and elliptical just don't do a lot for me.

Any advice would be appreciated. thanks!

HI Cindy

Let me try to simplify this. I think it would depend on your goals. Are you going for weight management or heart health? From the time i met you i don`t see weight as an issue for you, so im going to assume it just to stay in shape and it is just something you enjoy doing with the dogs.

It seems over the years i have read articles that say a longer sustained cardio workout is more beneficial for losing weight and then another one saying several smaller workouts are just as good. Sort of like one day something will kill you, then the next day it is perfectly good for you.

I wouldn`t sweat it too much, no pun intended. You are obviously getting alot of exercise, so just stick with what`s fun and you will be fine.

Lee

with runners, usually people will do one run/day if they're working on endurance, or training for shorter distance races. two runs/day usually means training at higher intensity, or that you're looking for a faster recovery.

i do know people who have the theory that as long as you get the miles in, that's all that matters, but in my experience, that's an oversimplification.

i agree it does depend on why you're doing this. if it's for fun/to stay in shape, you could try mixing up once/day workouts with twice/day workouts. you could still have a routine, since that's important to you, but vary what you're doing. in my opinion, that's important to do anyways.

OK, I guess I need to explain a bit more.

I have a lifting program that was laid out specifically for me by my brother in law, who has a degree in exercise physiology (or something like that) To give you an idea of his level of expertise, he used to design work out programs for the cadets at West Point when he was attending. I do abs 3 times a week, push muscles (chest & tris) 1x a week, pull muscles (back & bis) 1 x a week, and legs and shoulders 1 x. I do some form of cardio 5-7 days a week. He told me if I am doing weights the "right way" I would not have to do cardio. YEAH RIGHT! first off, I am a middle aged GIRL... LOL He may not need to do cardio but I do in order to maintain my weight. I'm an easy keeper.

I prefer to do 2 sessions a day when it comes to walking, biking or snowshoeing.... I guess my question was is there any disadvantage to doing 2 shorter sessions daily (say 45 minutes-1 hour 2x daily) as opposed to one long one.

The reason I need a routine is because quite simply, if I don't have a routine in place I find myself NOT doing it.

I understand that you don't ever want your muscles to become accustomed to a specific activity, as well.

Thanks to all of you who have responded so far! I'm off to ride my horse now... it's the last day all the state parks are open to horses until next May.

I also want to add that in addition to keeping the fat at bay, I am very interested in heart health.

My grandmother (mom's mom) died at age 68 of a heart problem and my mom had to have open heart surgery a couple of years ago.

color me paranoid!

Hi Cindy, when i worked closer to Madison I went to this gym and did become an instructor as well because I liked their stuff so much. It really fit with everything I know and believe professionally and philosophically.

http://www.monkeybargym.com

I was in the best shape of my life by far, probably better than when I was in high school wrestling and football. Sadly I can't say the same for the present time

They have workouts, new everyday, it's all about balance in intesity, workload, body position and variety. The owner and another guy walked down the capital steps on their hands for a workout one day and playgrounds are awsome gyms, i think i'm making some parents nervous when i'm there.

anyway, check out there site, it offers variety and guidance as well, but being there is even better