Time spent strength training

1940sGal

I'm a bit confused. I keep reading about people who do x amount of time strength training it makes me wonder if i'm doing enough.

I've started following this programme and to do 3 sets takes me approx. 15 minutes, so I'm looking at 1 hour strength training per week. I do additional core exercises twice a week away from this.

This is the programme:

I always ensure I lift heavy enough to do enough reps with good form but like i say, 3 sets takes about 15 minutes. Should I be doing more?

tomtontom

Are you sure you're only taking fifteen minutes? That gives you five seconds per movement with no rest. If you are doing it that quickly I'd say you need more weight - a slow, measured movement rather than rushing through them.

stephen77

You have a decent amount of volume for your legs/lower body.

I would probably add another 3 sets of upper back exercises = dumbell row say on Thursday. On Tuesday. say 3 sets of flies.

1940sGal

My movements are slow and controlled and my weight is just heavy enough that I can't do any more than 12 reps on each. This is what is confusing me, to an extent. My moves are slow and i don't rush in to the next move and I rest 1-2 mins between sets but when i timed myself yesterday it only took me 15 minutes.

1940sGal

stephen77 wrote: »

You have a decent amount of volume for your legs/lower body.

I would probably add another 3 sets of upper back exercises = dumbell row say on Thursday. On Tuesday. say 3 sets of flies.

I'm going to have to jiggle the lower body about a bit now as I no longer have access to a gym so i'm using either body strength or the free weights I bought recently.

Any suggestions for replacements for the presses, leg curls and extensions?

stephen77

1940sGal wrote: »

I'm going to have to jiggle the lower body about a bit now as I no longer have access to a gym so i'm using either body strength or the free weights I bought recently.

Any suggestions for replacements for the presses, leg curls and extensions?

squats
deadlifts
stiff legged deadlifts.
Front squats.
good mornings

There is not a straight swap like for like with free weights.

alleycat`

1940sGal wrote: »

My movements are slow and controlled and my weight is just heavy enough that I can't do any more than 12 reps on each. This is what is confusing me, to an extent. My moves are slow and i don't rush in to the next move and I rest 1-2 mins between sets but when i timed myself yesterday it only took me 15 minutes.

I would normally expect to take somewhere around 5 minutes per exercise in that list.

On that basis i'd expect to take around 25 minutes doing what you've listed in "A" upper (as an example).

Take the bench as an example.
The proper form for that with a pause would be around 3 to 5 seconds per rep.
There is somewhere between 35 and 50 seconds in one set.

So if you have 3 sets @ circa 10 reps and put a 1 minute breather between each set you get somewhere in the 5 minute range.

HTH.

UKTigerlily

Is the 15 minutes for all of the exercises or per set as it reads per set? I would guess it'd take me about 5-6 minutes to do 3 sets so i'm assuming it's for everything?

1940sGal

UKTigerlily wrote: »

Is the 15 minutes for all of the exercises or per set as it reads per set? I would guess it'd take me about 5-6 minutes to do 3 sets so i'm assuming it's for everything?

Yeah 15 minutes for 3 sets upper body A

1940sGal

stephen77 wrote: »

squats
deadlifts
stiff legged deadlifts.
Front squats.
good mornings

There is not a straight swap like for like with free weights.

What's the difference between a squat and a front squat and what are good mornings?

stephen77

1940sGal wrote: »

What's the difference between a squat and a front squat and what are good mornings?

Squats = bar on your back

Front squats = bar in front of your neck and rests on your shoulders.

Front squats put more emphasis on your quads and less on your hamstrings, lower back & glutes. You also use less weight.

Good mornings = Hamstring, glutes and lower back exercise. They are like stiff legged deadlifts but the bar in on your back rather than holding it in your hands

http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html