12 weeks to weight loss ..week 6

 

It's Week 6 and you're doing great! Your workouts this week will look familiar--you're doing the same strength training program you've been doing for the last 3 weeks, only with the added challenge of an extra set. By now, you should be doing 3 sets of each exercise. If you're not comfortable with that, take your time and add another set when you feel strong enough. Your cardio workouts will also look familiar--you'll be adding some time to your previous workouts and your challenge this week is to try something completely different. Bellydancing anyone? The nutritional goals this week are simple--all you have to do is visit the sites I've recommended to learn more about dieting, healthy snacks and more. Easy as pie, huh?

 

Before you get started, now is a good time to reflect on what you've been doing and ask yourself some questions. Take some time to go through your workouts and make sure they're working for you. Are you choosing a time that fits into your schedule? Is your gym conveniently located? Are you feeling good about what you're doing? Remember, the first month or so, your main goal is to make exercise a habit--it's not as important what you do as showing up for your scheduled workouts.
Don't forget that these workouts are only suggestions. Feel free to do your own workouts, use videos, etc. If the workouts are too easy, modify them by adding weight, reps, sets or exercises. This is your program so make it work for you!

Checking In
It's time for your weekly check in to see how you did last week on your cardio, strength and nutritional goals. Did you do all of your cardio workouts? Did you challenge yourself by adding time and/or intensity to your workouts? And what about the strength training? Did you add that extra set or more weight? Even if you missed some workouts, don't beat yourself up. Give yourself credit for everything you did do and realize that making exercise a part of your life takes time. Every day is different...do the best you can!
Take a moment to fill out this checklist to see where you succeeded and where you may need a little more work.

Cardio
Your assignment this week is to do 4 cardio workouts, 3 of which should be at least 20-30 minutes long. For the past 2 weeks, you've been doing 3 structured cardio programs along with 'active rest' days in which you try to move around more than usual. You also added a new light cardio day a few weeks ago. This week, you're replacing that workout with something new. Choose an activity you've always wanted to try--whether it's salsa, spinning class, running, cycling or a workout video. Whatever you choose, make sure it's something totally different than what you're doing!
Remember, you don't have to do the cardio workouts provided--you can choose anything that gets you into your Target Heart Rate zone.
Make sure you're keeping track of your Perceived Exertion with this PE Scale.

Strength Training
Your assignment this week is, again, to do 2 full body strength training workouts with at least one day of rest in between each workout. You'll continue with your full body workout, only this week you're adding one set to each exercise, which should bring you to 3 sets. Be sure to rest about 30-60 seconds between sets.
Feel free to visit my Workout Center to see more options for workouts or use a different workout. Make sure you're lifting enough weight that you can ONLY complete the assigned number of repetitions. It may take some time to find the right weight for each exercise.

Flexibility
Stretching should be part of every workout you do. This week, you'll be performing some of the same stretching exercises as before as well as an optional Mat Workout that includes Pilates/Yoga-type exercises.

Nutrition
You already know that, to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat. If you've started exercising, you've increased your calorie burn and should be on the road to weight loss. However, diet is crucial to weight loss as well. Each day I'll be spotlighting an article that offers tips and information for creating a healthy lifestyle, choosing diets and more.

Motivation
There are many ways to motivate yourself and some of the best motivation you'll find is online. This week, you'll be taking advantage of your internet connection by visiting the websites I'll spotlight each day. Each website will offer something useful--calculators, support boards, online journals and more to help you stay on track and maybe meet other people with similar goals. It's always better when you don't have to go it alone!

Get Started > Day 36 | Day 37 | Day 38 | Day 39 | Day 40 | Day 41 | Week 6 Calendar |


By Paige Waehner, About.com Guide