Weight Training

There's an article featured in Yahoo's front page about working out backwards. I always read interesting write-ups about exercises as I want to be updated about the latest news or research on better way of doing exercises. But this surprised me a bit.

It says an athlete all this time thought it should be cardio first as a warm-up and then weights. Read Warm Up with Cardio, Then Go to Weights, Right? Wrong.

The trainer I had when I was starting my gym exercises have always instructed me to do cooling down with cardiovascular exercises. This is also what I have observed most people in the gym do. And this is also what I have been mostly reading.

There are also articles I have read that it does not matter what one does first or last and mostly, this is up to one's goals. "Should I Do Cardio Before Weight Lifting - Does Exercise Order Matter?", it says here if the goal is increasing muscle size and strength, lifting weights should be first.

Lately I have limited time in the gym because of my work load. I used to be spending like two hours and a half (including stretching and freshening up) in the gym. But now I can do maximum of an hour and a half.

How do I manage now? I choose to do weights if there is a need to cut down on exercise time. And reading the article I noted here, "Warm Up with Cardio...", if there is an issue on time constraint, choose weights...

And if you only have 30 minutes total, go for weights instead of cardio. That sounds counterintuitive, since we feel sweating is "proof" we're losing fat. But you will lose a lot more fat by pushing and pulling weights and then going on a brisk walk in your neighborhood (or even at the mall). The guy or gal who is dripping buckets on the Stairmaster is getting a good workout, but you're likely getting a better one by getting sore and not getting soaked.

This is true for me. Yes, I noticed muscles developed faster in my upper limbs when I started focusing on weight training - both free weights and weights using machines. I looked leaner and muscles are showing on my triceps. I intend to look ripped and lean. I know there should be a special diet for this but I intend to achieve this look. See I said it twice.

I have been challenging myself to increase weight load every three weeks and do different weight training exercises. And now is the time to start on a diet that will help me look lean and ripped. There, I said it for the third time.