Using the cross trainer...is it enough

smileysurfer

So Im just wondering, lately Iv decided its time to lose weight and get fit again, Im not that over weight but I need to tone up all over basically.
I have a cross trainer at home and Iv been using that 5 days a week for the last few weeks and the doing 10 mins of weights afterwards. I do the ''weight loss'' programme on teh cross trainer which takes 25 mins.

I just want to know if this is enough to tone up all over and lose the weight? I cant afford to join at gym at the moment so Im going to have to work around that.
Iv heard its an all rounder of a machine and I ideally want to lose about 2 stone.
I cycle as often as possible too, usually one 3or4 hour one at the wkend.
Any advice will be appreciated

itsallaboutheL

What's your Diet like?
What weights do you have at home?

Khannie

It's a decent amount of exercise overall for a week. Whether it's enough to lose weight is down to how much you eat to be blunt. Some weeks I can put in over 10 hours training and still put on weight (I'm a hungry animal).

To be sure you're gonna lose weight, try using the calculations in the stickies. They've worked really well for me in the past.

smileysurfer

Thanks for that,
My diets good in general but could be better at times if im honest so I give the stickies a try.
I have a desk job at the moment so im literally sitting from 9to 5 , 5 days a week, Iv put on the weight since I started here a few years ago and now I really want to shift it.
In relation to weights, I have the strap on ankle and wrist weights which I use for the first 15 mins on the cross trainer, and I go without then for the last 10 mins.
Then afterwards its dumbbells that I use, no idea what weight they are but there heavy enough I think. I'l invest in a set of proper ones in a few weeks though as I think they may be a bit too small.

Khannie

Get rid of the ankle weights. They're no good for you.

Oryx

What are you doing with the dumbells?

Ditto on the ankle weights, get rid and up the resistance on the machine or go faster.

smileysurfer

Im going pretty fast on the machine as it is, with the programme I use the resistance goes up and down during the 25 minute workout.
I only use the ankle weights sometimes anway so Il stop for the mo. Are they not any use then?

With the weights im basically just doing exercises to improve the muscle on my arms. Im not really sure what excises I should be doing with them so Im just guessing

Oryx

So do the weights feel easy, or difficult to do, and how many reps can you do before you feel you couldnt possibly do another one? Presume you are doing bicep curls, can you describe any of the exercises?

If you want to tone your arms, push ups and chin ups are great, and you dont need any equipment at all for the push ups. A chin up bar is very cheap too.

smileysurfer

Oryx wrote: »

So do the weights feel easy, or difficult to do, and how many reps can you do before you feel you couldnt possibly do another one? Presume you are doing bicep curls, can you describe any of the exercises?

If you want to tone your arms, push ups and chin ups are great, and you dont need any equipment at all for the push ups. A chin up bar is very cheap too.

the weights feel easy, too easy really, I can go for quite awhile before feeling under a lot of strain... so its probably time to buy some new ones then.
Bicep curls yes, I do these in 20's and then go onto something else and come back to them again at the end of my workout.
I hold my arms 3/4 way up in the air and try keep them tensed and suspended for 20 secs, and then shake them out and repeat this about 10 times.
I also ly down on the yoga mat and lift the weights above my head and all the way back until they almost touch the floor behind my head, and back up again. I heard this ones good for the upper arms, it certainly feels like its doing something anway.
Wev bought a very small trampoline lately so I will start working in some jumping jacks too.

Oryx

I hope someone else will comment, but I dont think those hold out suspended things are very good for your shoulder joints. If you get heavier weights, certainly do a bench press with them while lying, again, Im not sure if the ones youre doing when lying are very kind to your shoulders. There are other exercises you can do, such as a rowing action, and lifting behind your head, but hopefully someone like g'em will help you out there, as she has about 1000% more experience of weights than me.

smileysurfer

Oryx wrote: »

I hope someone else will comment, but I dont think those hold out suspended things are very good for your shoulder joints. If you get heavier weights, certainly do a bench press with them while lying, again, Im not sure if the ones youre doing when lying are very kind to your shoulders. There are other exercises you can do, such as a rowing action, and lifting behind your head, but hopefully someone like g'em will help you out there, as she has about 1000% more experience of weights than me.

ok, thanks a lot for your advice though, its much appreciated!!

Im really only starting out with serious working out , I just want to improve my routine and lose the weight so Im going to take everything said here on board. Thanks again.

size5

Oryx wrote: »

I hope someone else will comment, but I dont think those hold out suspended things are very good for your shoulder joints. If you get heavier weights, certainly do a bench press with them while lying, again, Im not sure if the ones youre doing when lying are very kind to your shoulders. There are other exercises you can do, such as a rowing action, and lifting behind your head, but hopefully someone like g'em will help you out there, as she has about 1000% more experience of weights than me.

Agree with Oryx on this it is an isometric contraction and would hold off doing it. Leave your cardio till last as you will but more calories by doing this I would also vary it

e.g. Monday 25 min Fat burner (as you are currently doing)
Tuesday 15 min interval training-involves either speeding up or increaseing resiastance for say 30 sec and the slowing down for 60 sec(in order to rest) and then back at it again
Wed-same as Monday etc

Our bodies quickly adapt so keep varying the exercises around particluarly the cardio.