Improving my fitness in 4 weeks.

T-rev

Leaving Ireland end of Aug and I am now finished work until I go. Want to concentrate on the gym until I leave so I am wondering what should I do to improve my fitness.

Going backpacking so want to be a bit more flexible and work a little more on my cardio, maybe up my strength a little too.

Is going 5 days a week to the gym overdoing it?

Can anyone suggest anything?

Someone said do SS and then concentrate on your cardio on your days off. Am just wondering will that help improve my overall fitness. Not looking to be a marathon runner, even slightly more fit will help me.

Thanks for the help lads.

macgrub

If you haven't been to the gym in a while, I think a great way to improve upper and lower body fitness is swimming (if it's available in your gym). Personally, I find swimming great for improvements in strength, overall flexibility and breathing. Can't hurt if you hit the treadmill along with the cross-trainer too for extra cardio.
Just my 2c.

Mellor

Swimming isn't paticularly good for building strength, no cardio work is.
It isn't even very good at improving fitness in the short term as it has the prerequisite of being able to swim at a decent level in order to hit the intensity required to increase fitness.

OP
Resistance training to increase strength
Various forms of cardio for fitness.

If it was me, and I was going 4 days i'd prob go for
Lower body/Steady State Cardio/Upper body/Intervals

T-rev

would doing a 2 day split on mon/tues and thur/fri, then cardio on weds be ok? or is that overdoing it completely.

dazed+confused

Weather is great at the minute, get in as much walking as you can, even if its only to and from the gym. That'll be the kind of fitness that will really stand to you when you're backpacking. If you want to get serious into it then put a bag of play sand into your rucksack and head for the hills!