Low weights on "days off", how high can you go?

rubadub

I am usually cycling between proper strength training days but with darker nights coming I want to stay indoors. Could I lift small weights quickly as a cardio workout without risking over training? how much could I lift? would it be a % or my 1RM?

I can benchpress 75kg for 10 reps, and weigh 75kg myself, would push-ups be overtraining?

Dragan

I would be unsure as to why you would want to train on "off" days, this would not make them off days at all, but rather they would be "on" days.

Also i would need to see your training split, weights, rep ranges and diet and sleeping patterns to offer any real advice.

rubadub

Well I am talking of doing sort of cardio, i.e. fast reps maybe 100, at low weights, I always cycle in high gear I see this as "weighted" excercise. People walk with ankle and wrist weights, there must be a lower limit.

I work 2-3 times a week, I usually have 2 day breaks in between full body workouts. (I am for 1 day on, 1 off, 1 on, 1 off, 1 on, 2 off, but something always gets in the way, typically hangovers!, I have read mixing up days is a good thing though as the body can get used to it)

Usually a workout is lasts 80mins typical would be

1 set 12x squats 80kg
2-3 sets 12x shrugs 120kg (or more recently 1 set on each arm of 75kg)
3 sets 10x bench press 75kg
3 sets 10x lying tricep extension 40kg
1 set 8x bicep curl 32.5kg
2 sets 8x military press 30kg
2 sets 7x wide arm pull ups (palms away)
2 sets 10x chin-ups (palms facing) simultaneously with leg raises (bring my knees up to my chest while chinning up)
2 sets 20x seated calf raise 75kg each leg, one at a time. (I vary this with standing calf raises 100kg both legs at the same time)
1 set 10x bent over row 60kg
3 sets 10x 200lb or 250lb "heavy grippers" for the wrists, sometimes wrist curls too. http://www.heavygrips.com/


Diet is usually 2000kcal per day during the weekdays, I am now upping this as I have lost the excess weight I had. Typically porridge or museli with low fat milk, apples & other fruit, ryvita, lots of ham and chicken fillets, lettuce, a little pasta & pitta(everything is wholemeal), protein shakes before and after workouts, 5g creatine per day. Probably 3-4litres of water a day, 1 cup of coffee per day, cappuccino so lower in caffeine than most. 5-6 meals a day evenly spaced and of equal calorific value.

I am 5'11'' 12stone, about 15% BF

The weekends are my downfall, would have about 14 pints over the weekend and maybe a sneaky burger or cod in batter or ice cream, never chips and tend to go for the lower fat chinese if I did have one. The weekend food is about every 2weeks, the drink is every week without fail.

8 hours sleep per night like clockwork. I cycle more or less 9 miles every day.

rubadub

Any more comments on this?
I cycle at 9 miles everyday, this is always in a high gear, I see this as similar to doing low weight high rep training. Would this cause overtraining in my legs?

rubadub

Any more comments on this? Are people able to go on rowing machines on the days off? most cardio exercise requires low force movements. Surely there is a limit where it is not going to lead to overtraining.

BossArky

rubadub wrote:

Any more comments on this?
I cycle at 9 miles everyday, this is always in a high gear, I see this as similar to doing low weight high rep training. Would this cause overtraining in my legs?

I used to cycle to work, 31km each way when I lived in France. My record was 51mins 2secs for 31 km which means averaging approx 37kmph. The only wisdom I can provide from this is that cycling in top gear is probably bad for your knees if you are pushing yourself like I was. In the end I found I could go faster in 2nd from top or 3rd from top with a higher cadence. I didn't get massive legs from all that cycling either, just noticeably fitter.

rubadub

My mate is big into cycling and warned me against high gears for my legs too. It is now getting darker at the evenings so I would prefer to stay indoors. I was thinking I should be doing more cardio work with my arms anyway, they only get a bit of work when cycling up hills and pulling on the handlebars. I was thinking of doing bicep curls, mil presses, tricep extensions etc, with low weights at fairly quick pace. I could do this standing watching TV, if I just wave my arms around aerobic class style I find it does little for me. If I do it with weights I get a good sweat up and can exhaust myself. I have a HRM so I could use that too.

0utshined

Would Crossfit be something you might find useful? I think Dragan had a good experience with it if I remember rightly.