Different body parts per session rather than full body workout

[jogym]

I used to do my weight training 3 times a week followed by cardio. I am now trying to separate them and do on different days. With weights I would have maybe done a whole body workout but maybe only 1 or 2 exercises for each body group.

I have now changed it to doing weights alone. It might go like Sunday: spin class, Monday: back/tris, Wednesday: shoulders/chest: morning - cardio (interval training) evening: Friday: legs/biceps.

This means that I don't do as much cardio but I am doing 3 exercises per body part which I didn't do before.

My question is seeing as I am only working each body part once a week rather than before it was 3 times a week will this make a difference and also cutting my cardio is this going to have an effect??

I have upped to 4 times a week from 3 but I could not manage any more than x4 a week.

Can anyone suggest how I can use these 4 days to my advantage and if I could be training differently on these days to get better results.

Am looking to get rid of body fat (about 5lbs weight). Am currently 5'1 and 119lbs. Diet is quite clean (mainly cereal/chicken/tuna/ham/prawns/rice/bread/noodles) "not all in the one go".

Thanks.

[laura817]

jogym -- The key to reducing body fat is really all in the diet. Can you give us a typical day of your diet? Timing of the diet is also important. (I.E. pre-workout meal, post-workout meal, etc.)

You definitely have done the right thing by reducing the amount of cardio exercises and increasing your weight training days. As long as your workout is intense, working the body parts once a week will be sufficient.

[jogym]

Ooh my diet well will never be able to get into scientific detail like in this site, way too intense for me but

Breakfast: either two weetabix with semi-skimmed milk, fruit juice

Lunch: Chicken, sweetcorn wholemeal sandwich, sushi and fruit

Dinner: Could be chilli/pasta dish/prawn stir fry/meat,potatoes,veg

Fruit/yogurt in between and 2 litres of water.

Not very helpful I know. Could probably start taking my protein shakes again (have been neglecting these)

Am going to do weights tonight at say 8 so will probably have protein drink right away and small bowl of chilli after that. Am good at staying off the bad things but not good at timing, proportions etc.

Thank u.

[midgetcop]

Originally Posted by laura817

jogym -- The key to reducing body fat is really all in the diet. Can you give us a typical day of your diet? Timing of the diet is also important. (I.E. pre-workout meal, post-workout meal, etc.)

You definitely have done the right thing by reducing the amount of cardio exercises and increasing your weight training days. As long as your workout is intense, working the body parts once a week will be sufficient.

I've just done the same switch - one intense workout per body part per week. I definitely think I'm going to see some better results....I just worked the back and shoulders yesterday, and boy am I ever feelin' it!

[laura817]

jogym -- A couple of suggestions.:

Eliminate the fruit juice and subsitute it with a low GI fruit such as strawberries, grapes, etc.

Do you know roughly how much calories you are taking in a day? I know it can be painful, but what you might want to consider for 3-4 days is logging everything in and calculating it. I believe fitday.com has a free service that can help you with this. It's definitely an eye-opener.

[laura817]

Originally Posted by midgetcop

I've just down the same switch - one intense workout per body part per week. I definitely think I'm going to see some better results....I just worked the back and shoulders yesterday, and boy am I ever feelin' it!

I love working out each body part separately. I think it helps isolate my muscle so if I choose I can concentrate on developing the areas that I am lacking.

[jogym]

Originally Posted by laura817

jogym -- A couple of suggestions.:

Eliminate the fruit juice and subsitute it with a low GI fruit such as strawberries, grapes, etc.

Do you know roughly how much calories you are taking in a day? I know it can be painful, but what you might want to consider for 3-4 days is logging everything in and calculating it. I believe fitday.com has a free service that can help you with this. It's definitely an eye-opener.

laura817 thanks for your info. I presume about 1,300 to 1,500 a day. I did try fitday.com as I read about it in another thread but I think it's an American thing am I right and a lot of the foods I've never heard of or don't know what some of the terms mean! For instance it didn't have panini bread...

What could I have pre-workout?

[laura817]

It really depends on your workout. Generally on my lifting days, I will eat some complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal or sweet potato and some lean protein 30-45 minutes before I workout. Days that I do cardio, I will drink a liquid protein shake such as whey. This is light and does not cause the body to fight for blood flow into the muscles and the stomach.

[jogym]

Laura just thought I'd comment. Have noticed your before and after pics on the pic site and they are awesome. You obviously put in a lot of hard work and whatever you are doing it certainly is working for you..