30 minute workouts not enough

[momofcha]

Originally Posted by wookiemouse

Add me to the over 40 crowd. For the past 5 years, I took it up a notch - working out 1.5-2 hours a day. I would do a CLX/Insanity hybrid, STS/Combat hybrid, you name it. I was hitting 10k steps on my Fitbit before 8 AM every morning. It got me nowhere. I actually gained a ridiculous amount of weight (despite logging everything I ate and eating little), made my knees worse off than before, and I was exhausted all the time. I finally sat down this past year and took stock of what I was doing to myself. I revamped my routine to do no more than 30-40 mins a day (but make those minutes count!). I ate more, did more fun things with my spare time. And dropped 15 lbs in the process. If you enjoy going all out, then more power to you. Just from experience tho - make sure to listen to your body. I'm focusing more on FUN workouts now, if they go for an hour, then ok. But I try to keep them shorter. There's no point in working myself to an early grave.

This is so encouraging. I love CLX & lifting. What workouts have you switched to?

[wookiemouse]

I just got my first set of kettlebells in this week! Totally new for me, I've always done heavy strength work. I'm not doing a set rotation of a program anymore, I'm doing 30-40 mins of either metabolic or strength 3x a week followed by a metabolic or HIIT workout (20 mins), then cardio 2x a week (I tend to do a lot of Combat or Turbofire, but I'm branching out - love some of the Janis Saffell I found on Youtube, she is FUN!). I made a master list of all my workouts and premixes and just pick and choose what I feel like doing that day. Waiting on sales to pick up a few new DVDs I've had my eye on as well.

[rheash92]

Originally Posted by wookiemouse

I just got my first set of kettlebells in this week! Totally new for me, I've always done heavy strength work. I'm not doing a set rotation of a program anymore, I'm doing 30-40 mins of either metabolic or strength 3x a week followed by a metabolic or HIIT workout (20 mins), then cardio 2x a week (I tend to do a lot of Combat or Turbofire, but I'm branching out - love some of the Janis Saffell I found on Youtube, she is FUN!). I made a master list of all my workouts and premixes and just pick and choose what I feel like doing that day. Waiting on sales to pick up a few new DVDs I've had my eye on as well.

Which metabolic and hiit workouts are you using? Just curious. Thanks!

[wookiemouse]

Mostly Cathe's ICE and some of her other HIIT routines, plus the HIIT workouts from Turbofire. I just got KBKB Scorcher, so I'm hoping to add those into the rotation as well.

[Bebop]

Interesting thread. For me 30 minutes is all I can get, if I am lucky, these days. I would prefer 45 minutes but if I get in 30 minutes during the week for at least 3 days, I do longer more intense workouts on the weekends.

If I can do a 30 minute workout, that gives me another 15 minutes or more for a nice stretch. It's what you do with those 30 minutes. I look for intensity or total body workouts. I'm loving the Slim in 6 express workouts - they are working for me. I am also loving the pre-mix options on the Cathe workouts. If I need cardio for that day, I'll try to do 30 minutes of intense cardio. If I have less than 30 minutes but need intensity, I'll do a short Hiit from either Turbofire or a Cathe. I love circuit workouts. I have a few Denise Austin workouts that are 20 minutes - I will just up the intensity.

Leslie Sansone's 5 Boosted Miles is a great one. Each mile is 15 minutes so if you are short on time and add all the boosts and keep up the pace, you get a decent workout.

It's about consistency and that four letter D__T word. I'm a "vintage VFer". I'm battling that perimenopause weight gain and shift. If you can watch your diet, 30 minutes most days should do it.

[Vintage VFer]

For me, there is no such thing as a "30 minute workout." (Unless it's a Leslie.)

I have to add a 5-10 minute warmup and a proper cooldown to most workouts, so they end up being 45 minutes anyway.

[Debbie S.]

Originally Posted by Emily B

I guess i just feel like the weight creeps up little by little each year, and to keep it off, I just feel like 30 minutes isn't enough for me. That's what I mean by results. I eat healthy, but not 100% clean all the time. I'm too busy for that, ha ha! I'm not trying to get a six pack, but I would like to just keep my pants fitting the same way. And part of me just doesn't feel worked out. Or not satisfied in some way. Those intense 30 minute workouts just have a huge dread factor for me, honestly. I'm talking about workouts like JMBR, JNL Fusion, 21DF, 21DFX, etc.

There is no right way or wrong way! Every one's body responds differently to working out. It's all about finding what works for US, and letting go of the mindset that if it works for one person, than it must work for me.

I'm in the camp that I do have to work out harder as I have progressed in age. I'm just grateful that I do love to work out, because I do have to put in some serious time and energy to my workouts.

[donnamp]

I have been stalking Mirabai Holland's site today - I suddenly developed an acute interest in her programs and found this brief article:

http://www.mirabaiholland.com/can-yo...-a-good-thing/

Ultimately, i don't think there is a one size fits all - I think we all need to experiment and see what works best for us - and, I think the trick is that what works best changes over time so we have to change with it.

Donna

[AsSweetAsSugar]

Originally Posted by mmis29

I'm a few years away from 40, and already find nothing works anymore. Length, intensity, workout type, doesn't matter. Discouraging to say the least.

I can relate to this...

[FirmDancer]

Originally Posted by donnamp

I have been stalking Mirabai Holland's site today - I suddenly developed an acute interest in her programs and found this brief article:

http://www.mirabaiholland.com/can-yo...-a-good-thing/

Ultimately, i don't think there is a one size fits all - I think we all need to experiment and see what works best for us - and, I think the trick is that what works best changes over time so we have to change with it.

Donna

The key sentence in that article is towards the end: "The group that exercised more, up to 6 times a week did not achieve better results, and reported less energy for daily activities." I think it depends on what your "daily activities" are. There's a big difference between someone who is sedentary most of the day (with a long commute and office job) vs someone who is active and/or a more physical job. Maybe one of the factors in whether or not a 30-minute workout works for us is what is going on in the rest of our life.