Fit/active women of Reddit, what’s your weekly exercise routine like?
- Thread starter acco340
- Start date
@brookegally13 For sure! I usually do leg days Mondays and Thursdays, but I definitely think I started going heavy too quick. So if what I try next week is still too much then I might drop weights altogether for now.. we’ll see!
brookegally13
New member
@acco340 That’s a perfect time frame! Letting your legs rest for two days is great. Dropping weights would be good too if you feel pain, and you can do a few more reps in exchange for that. Also, you can search for alternative exercises and see if any of those reduce the stress that’s causing you discomfort, while still working out the muscle group. Best of luck and you got this!!
@brookegally13 Thx 
@acco340 I’m on the last month of a marathon training plan so LOTS of miles running. 3x a week spin for crosstraining and because I like it. 1 day of lighter weight/higher reps weights (less fatigue after is my goal bc the running). Once I’m over the marathon, I’m back to triathlon training which is 3x run, 3x bike, and 2x swim with an added once a week brick (a run right after a bike ride), a once a week strength set and if I’ve got a free hour, yoga. But my goals are very different than yours. My advice to everyone no matter what their goals are is start slow, build slow, injury prevention is key.
apple_of_his_eye
New member
@acco340 I lift heavy weights 2-3 times a week. I also do a pole class once per week and sometimes a CrossFit class for fun. I also teach one pole class per week.
My suggestion is to find an activity that is fun and rewarding for you, then it becomes about how enjoyable it is to move your body and not any externally motivated goal. You also won't have to make yourself go.
My suggestion is to find an activity that is fun and rewarding for you, then it becomes about how enjoyable it is to move your body and not any externally motivated goal. You also won't have to make yourself go.
@apple_of_his_eye Oh I don’t have any motivation issues and like what I do it’s just all about my knees lol
apple_of_his_eye
New member
@acco340 I'd roll out the lower part of the quads with a hard ball at the end of a workout. I'd also hit the outside of the hips too. Use the wall for that.
I stretch before and after each workout but it's more of a dynamic stretch, moving in and out of range of motion in the pose. You could try that, just move in a way that feels nice.
Honestly though, sore knees are probably just adaptation at this point. You will know the difference between injury pain and this kind of feeling as you get more experienced. The connective tissues are adapting to a high load. Just keep going at a slightly lower intensity, get lots of sleep and work on mobility. Know that until it crosses over from "ooh achy, knees tight urghhh" to "ouch I've hurt myself" feeling then you're good to continue and you'll get a lot stronger.
I stretch before and after each workout but it's more of a dynamic stretch, moving in and out of range of motion in the pose. You could try that, just move in a way that feels nice.
Honestly though, sore knees are probably just adaptation at this point. You will know the difference between injury pain and this kind of feeling as you get more experienced. The connective tissues are adapting to a high load. Just keep going at a slightly lower intensity, get lots of sleep and work on mobility. Know that until it crosses over from "ooh achy, knees tight urghhh" to "ouch I've hurt myself" feeling then you're good to continue and you'll get a lot stronger.
@apple_of_his_eye That’s true I have a foam roller so I’m gonna use that I think
hopefulfaithfulmi
New member
@acco340 about 6 days a week i do a 10 min ab workout a 15 min yoga session and about a 4km walk 4 days a week
then with weights and resistance training i listen to my body and try not to overwork it so 3-4 days a week, and i try to stick to 120-150- grams of protein on a 1500-1700 cal limit
i dont think i need to do alot of cardio to reach my toned body goals, i think its all about body fat in the long run, and any exercise targets the core nicely
then with weights and resistance training i listen to my body and try not to overwork it so 3-4 days a week, and i try to stick to 120-150- grams of protein on a 1500-1700 cal limit
i dont think i need to do alot of cardio to reach my toned body goals, i think its all about body fat in the long run, and any exercise targets the core nicely
@acco340 My routine right now is
Mon: roller derby, Tues: upper body (including pull-up training), Wed: lower body, Thur: 15min HIIT and a few functional/agility/mobility bodyweight exercises. Fri: full body, Sat: rest, Sun: casually skate and a 5k jog. Every morning I also do a 5/10 min stretch.
Right now I’m using Natacha Oceanes Build guide for the basis of my weights days just so I don’t have to think.
If I’m working on site (ie physical labour) I keep a
Similar routine but reduce how heavy I lift/do less shoulder/ do more power yoga.
Mon: roller derby, Tues: upper body (including pull-up training), Wed: lower body, Thur: 15min HIIT and a few functional/agility/mobility bodyweight exercises. Fri: full body, Sat: rest, Sun: casually skate and a 5k jog. Every morning I also do a 5/10 min stretch.
Right now I’m using Natacha Oceanes Build guide for the basis of my weights days just so I don’t have to think.
If I’m working on site (ie physical labour) I keep a
Similar routine but reduce how heavy I lift/do less shoulder/ do more power yoga.
truckerdan
New member
@acco340 This winter I’ve been following a lifting program 4 days a week, each session lasting 75-90 minutes.
I’m lucky that I live near the water with lots of parks so I also love to go on morning walks at least 5 times in a week, for about an hour, 5-6 km (I only know the km cause my husband tracked it when we went out for a jog in the summer.) I wfh and get cranky AF if I don’t do this before 9 am. (It’s been -20C this week and I still bundle up and go out
That’s it! During the summer, I still lift at least 3x a week but I get a LOT more cardio in; I like to sometimes jog those same paths that I now walk, go mountain biking for at least 3 hrs on the weekend, and at least one night I’ll ride my bike with my husband on one of the paths near me for about an hour and finish with a dip in the lake.
I also like to rent a kayak or stand up paddle board with some friends at the same lake.
Sigh. I miss the summer. I have a treadmill at home that I only used the week I quarantined. I need to start jogging on it cause I can tell my endurance has gone down
I’m lucky that I live near the water with lots of parks so I also love to go on morning walks at least 5 times in a week, for about an hour, 5-6 km (I only know the km cause my husband tracked it when we went out for a jog in the summer.) I wfh and get cranky AF if I don’t do this before 9 am. (It’s been -20C this week and I still bundle up and go out
That’s it! During the summer, I still lift at least 3x a week but I get a LOT more cardio in; I like to sometimes jog those same paths that I now walk, go mountain biking for at least 3 hrs on the weekend, and at least one night I’ll ride my bike with my husband on one of the paths near me for about an hour and finish with a dip in the lake.
I also like to rent a kayak or stand up paddle board with some friends at the same lake.
Sigh. I miss the summer. I have a treadmill at home that I only used the week I quarantined. I need to start jogging on it cause I can tell my endurance has gone down
@truckerdan Can I please have the same life as you?! Haha sounds so lovely, especially bike rides and lake dips with the husband
jesusishereforall
New member
@acco340 I do Fitness Blender five days a week which includes HIIT, cardio, kickboxing, strength, pilates, yoga. They have two-, four-, and eight-week programs that I follow. They stress form first and foremost and they have a good balance of cardio and strength. Each routine is 30-60 minutes, and each day focuses on a different part of the body. It's usually lower - upper - core - lower - upper. Some days are all strength, but most are a mix of strength and HIIT/cardio. You can check out their routines at fitnessblender.com - they have over 500 free routines or you can buy programs. They recently started a monthly subscription that offers different things (recipes, articles, etc.), but I haven't checked that out. Each routine has a variety of exercises and are usually done in an AB AB format. For example, ten reps of exercise A, ten of B, then ten of A and ten of B. Some exercises are timed instead of a number of reps.
I also walk 4 - 4.5 miles a day (I'm retired so I have plenty of time). I used to hate stretching after a routine, but as I've gotten older, I've realized the importance and now stretch religiously.
It seems like you're overdoing your lower body. You need to have rest days in there to give your muscles time to recover/repair. Don't overdo it as a beginner because you don't want to burn yourself out. It sounds like you're doing all the right things and mixing it up (important to keep a variety so you don't get bored). You've got this!
I also walk 4 - 4.5 miles a day (I'm retired so I have plenty of time). I used to hate stretching after a routine, but as I've gotten older, I've realized the importance and now stretch religiously.
It seems like you're overdoing your lower body. You need to have rest days in there to give your muscles time to recover/repair. Don't overdo it as a beginner because you don't want to burn yourself out. It sounds like you're doing all the right things and mixing it up (important to keep a variety so you don't get bored). You've got this!
@acco340 I started off doing StrongLifts which was great as a beginner, the newbie gains were crazy - went from a 20kg (~44lbs) to 70kg (154lbs) squat (5x5) in about 5-6 months, at 130lbs-ish BW (was losing weight at the time). Used to do dynamic stretches beforehand, I recommend those over static stretching 100%
Are you deloading at all? Taking a week off/doing a week of very light training every 4-8 weeks to rest properly is essential. I recommend Renaissance Periodisation’s style of programming.
My own workouts at the moment are: 6x per week (Mon-Sat). I do: glutes 4x per week; side delts 3x; quads, hams, chest, back, triceps and biceps 2x per week. Increasing volume when needed, and for intensity, going from 3 to 0 reps in reserve (basically using enough weight that I will fail the set in 3, 2, 1 or 0 reps time) across each 5 week block - including a week deload using half volume and half weight (again, see Renaissance Periodization’s recommendations). Each session could probably be done in about an hour if you’re sensible. I do between 2-5 exercises per session, starting at between 1-3 working sets and increasing by 1-2 sets if I recover very well before the next session of that muscle
No real cardio, just walk everywhere possible. Used to run for a very short time but it’s just not for me. Want to start cycling again, think running messes up my knees
Sources:
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCfQgsKhHjSyRLOp9mnffqVg
https://renaissanceperiodization.com/hypertrophy-training-guide-central-hub/
Are you deloading at all? Taking a week off/doing a week of very light training every 4-8 weeks to rest properly is essential. I recommend Renaissance Periodisation’s style of programming.
My own workouts at the moment are: 6x per week (Mon-Sat). I do: glutes 4x per week; side delts 3x; quads, hams, chest, back, triceps and biceps 2x per week. Increasing volume when needed, and for intensity, going from 3 to 0 reps in reserve (basically using enough weight that I will fail the set in 3, 2, 1 or 0 reps time) across each 5 week block - including a week deload using half volume and half weight (again, see Renaissance Periodization’s recommendations). Each session could probably be done in about an hour if you’re sensible. I do between 2-5 exercises per session, starting at between 1-3 working sets and increasing by 1-2 sets if I recover very well before the next session of that muscle
No real cardio, just walk everywhere possible. Used to run for a very short time but it’s just not for me. Want to start cycling again, think running messes up my knees
Sources:
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCfQgsKhHjSyRLOp9mnffqVg
https://renaissanceperiodization.com/hypertrophy-training-guide-central-hub/
@nicholehe Definitely taking this week off to rest up a bit then next week come back with better plan and slow and steady approach. I think just a combination of going from sedentary for years to 6 days a week plus going too heavy and long on leg days (which we’re really weak to begin with) and inadequate stretching and warm ups were really taxing on my knees and frame. Seems obvious in hindsight but I’m dumb so what can I say lol
@acco340 I work out 5 days a week, 3 days in the gym, and 2 days climbing (usually 1 day inside, 1 day outdoors).
Gym is split by push/pull/legs. All days have one big compound lift in them which is 4 sets of 5 reps with 3 minutes rest between them. The rest of the exercises is 3 sets of 10 reps and 1 minute rest between them. My program is usually 1 major compound (bench press, squat, sumo deadlift) and about 4-5 different isolation or slightly less compound exercise. Gym days are typically 75 minutes (90 if I do some core work). I use progressive overload so I never go to failure with my lifts as I often train alone without a spotter, progressive overload looks like this if you're unfamilar: Bench Press, Set 1: 50kg, 2: 50kg, 3: 50kg 4: 52.5kg then the next week will be Set 1: 50kg, 2: 50kg, 3: 52.5kg 4: 52.5kg until they're all 52.5kg and then the next week the last (or first) set will be 55kg.
Climbing with involve a warm up/stretching with exercise bands for about 5 minutes and some easy climbing building up to my project grade (trying hard). I'll climb for a few hours, but it's fun and social so my active climbing hours is probably around 1/1.5 hour/s on the wall and the rest chatting/resting.
I stretch/rehab/foam roll about 7 hours a week, this is a lot. This is how much the Olympic Japanese Climbing team stretch per week so it's a lot. I do it while I watch TV. Usually an hour a day, but if I'm busy I'll maybe do a couple of hours on a Sunday. This includes any rehab exercises I need to do, right now that's wrist strengthening exercises and shoulder stretching to help with golfers elbow.
Write down and take note of what you're doing, how you're sleeping, and how you're recovering. This will help you adapt and change your program to suit you. I found I was sleeping great but wasn't recovering, so I upped my protein and that did the trick. Then I found I was recovering but lacked energy before my workouts, so I upped my carbs...ultimately I found out I just wasn't eating enough to fuel my workouts properly.
Listen to your body, don't ignore pain. Stretch your legs and hips at least though, do it while you watch TV.
Gym is split by push/pull/legs. All days have one big compound lift in them which is 4 sets of 5 reps with 3 minutes rest between them. The rest of the exercises is 3 sets of 10 reps and 1 minute rest between them. My program is usually 1 major compound (bench press, squat, sumo deadlift) and about 4-5 different isolation or slightly less compound exercise. Gym days are typically 75 minutes (90 if I do some core work). I use progressive overload so I never go to failure with my lifts as I often train alone without a spotter, progressive overload looks like this if you're unfamilar: Bench Press, Set 1: 50kg, 2: 50kg, 3: 50kg 4: 52.5kg then the next week will be Set 1: 50kg, 2: 50kg, 3: 52.5kg 4: 52.5kg until they're all 52.5kg and then the next week the last (or first) set will be 55kg.
Climbing with involve a warm up/stretching with exercise bands for about 5 minutes and some easy climbing building up to my project grade (trying hard). I'll climb for a few hours, but it's fun and social so my active climbing hours is probably around 1/1.5 hour/s on the wall and the rest chatting/resting.
I stretch/rehab/foam roll about 7 hours a week, this is a lot. This is how much the Olympic Japanese Climbing team stretch per week so it's a lot. I do it while I watch TV. Usually an hour a day, but if I'm busy I'll maybe do a couple of hours on a Sunday. This includes any rehab exercises I need to do, right now that's wrist strengthening exercises and shoulder stretching to help with golfers elbow.
Write down and take note of what you're doing, how you're sleeping, and how you're recovering. This will help you adapt and change your program to suit you. I found I was sleeping great but wasn't recovering, so I upped my protein and that did the trick. Then I found I was recovering but lacked energy before my workouts, so I upped my carbs...ultimately I found out I just wasn't eating enough to fuel my workouts properly.
Listen to your body, don't ignore pain. Stretch your legs and hips at least though, do it while you watch TV.
singer1959
New member
@acco340 Anecdotally, I've found that I develop knee pain every time I suddenly increase my training volume. Through my 20s I was a distance runner. Each time I increased my mileage too quickly rather than gradually, I was taken out by soft tissue injuries, twice in my knee and once in my foot. Both times required months of healing and a hard reset on my progress.
Thinking I simply wasn't destined to be a runner, I've moved over to power yoga (so athletic, strength focused yoga, not just stretching and mindfulness). I got serious about it at the start of the pandemic, and I have been doing 3x 45min yoga workouts per week for the last year or so. I recently added an extra 2-3x 60min workouts per week, and while my muscles are handling it well, my knees are not. I thought this important to mention as there is a lot of stretching inherently built into yoga, and I am quite flexible, but am still experiencing joint pain after abruptly increasing the frequency of training.
Thinking I simply wasn't destined to be a runner, I've moved over to power yoga (so athletic, strength focused yoga, not just stretching and mindfulness). I got serious about it at the start of the pandemic, and I have been doing 3x 45min yoga workouts per week for the last year or so. I recently added an extra 2-3x 60min workouts per week, and while my muscles are handling it well, my knees are not. I thought this important to mention as there is a lot of stretching inherently built into yoga, and I am quite flexible, but am still experiencing joint pain after abruptly increasing the frequency of training.
@singer1959 Maybe you added too much with the 2-3 60mins workouts? Maybe try 1-2 at 30 mins then work up is better?
singer1959
New member
@acco340 Yep, that's exactly my thought, I think my issue is too sudden/steep of an increase. I thought I was fit enough to handle it, and my muscles are keeping up just fine, but not my joints. You mentioned you went from sedentary to 6 days per week, so I was trying to draw the connection there, and also tie in that stretching may not be the answer. I do a lot of stretching but have had similar issues with knee pain, so maybe your knee pain could be related to a sudden jump in training volume being hard on the joints, not *just* a need to stretch more. (But stretching is of course great too.)