Workout Frequency

[tyel]

Hi -

I'm new here and have spent some time looking through the other threads. I'm hopeful I won't be asking a question that's already been addressed.

I am currently working out on a schedule like this:

Mon - Legs and Arms
Tue -Cardio
Wed - rest
Thu - Chest, Shoulders, Back
Fri - Cardio

I am doing 3 sets at 10, 8 and then 6 reps, with the weight increasing on each set.

I am 5'7", 127 pounds, 45 years old, 18% bodyfat (based on this strange thing you grip at the gym; I want to buy calipers).

I would prefer to weight train 3x week, but I find that I am either still sore or lacking in strength when I only recover for 48 hours. So instead, I have created some redundancy in my routine, i.e., my Thursday program hits legs (via deadlifts) as well as arms (e.g., from chins) and my Monday program hits chest (dips) and back (palm-up pulldown). So I think I am almost getting 2 full body workouts per week. I also added cardio, which until about 2 months ago I had not been doing, thinking it would help as extra leg work.

My questions are:
- Am I correct in understanding that I should not weight train while I am still sore from the previous session? That is, is my approach of weight training every 3 days sensible?
- Is there a 3x week program that would be better?
- Is it ok to do cardio even when I am sore from the prior day's workout?

My diet is improving. I went from being basically a 1 1/2 meal per day person to eating 6 small meals per day but I am still not achieving the protein/carb/fat recommendations that Cursor has indentified in other posts (working on it). I am eating both before and after my workout and get an overall intake of about 25% protein, 55% carb and 20% fat. I train in the morning but make a family dinner at night (we are vegetarian, to boot), so I am having a hard time getting away from dinner being a high carb meal.

Any and all help will be much appreciated.

[abarlament]

Train each bodypart twice a week for starters. If you are too sore to workout then don't, but if it is only minor discomfort just tough it out. Same with cardio. I'd also reccomend you not be vegitarian, but that's just my own opinion.

[Lady C]

I am still not achieving the protein/carb/fat recommendations that Cursor has indentified in other posts

Where is the diet off or lacking?

[tyel]

Thanks for responding.

If I remember right, Cursor recommended that the highest carb meals be the ones immediately before and after workout and that subsequent meals should have significantly lower proportions of carbs (and calories). I'm not managing this, partly because I workout early in the morning and partly because I haven't figured out what I can make for dinner that will keep everyone else happy and keep me in balance. I mentioned that we are vegetarian (for religious reasons), so it's a little tricky.

Also, I need to up my protein, which I am also working on.

[Lady C]

Post a typical day - both the amounts and timing - of food. I will give you my input.

[tyel]

Ok, here's a recent (and fairly typical) day.

Numbers are calories - protein/carb/fat

7am
Oatmeal 75 2.5/13.5/1
Flax seed 59 2 /4/4
7:30-8:30
**Workout**
9:00am
Whey Protein Shake 230 32/21/2
10:45am
Veggie sausage 80 9/3/3
Broccoli 84 7/16.5/1

12:30pm
Cottage cheese 90 11/6/2.5
whole grain crackers 60 2/10/1.5

3:30pm
popcorn 92 3/19/2

6:30pm
asparagus 80 4/8/4
pasta w/zucchini & chickpeas 505 19/93.5/6

9pm
soy mousse 172 12/28.5/2
m&m's 105 1/1.5/4.5

Total for the day:
1632 calories
104.5 g protein - 25.5% (a good day for me on this count)
224.5 g carbs - 55%
33. fat - 18.5%

I'm missing 1% in there... probably due to rounding in the individual breakdowns. I am using the http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ to get the breakdown of each item within a meal and then I plug this into an Excel spreadsheet to get the values for a dish.

P.S. I am 5'7" and 127 pounds.

[Lady C]

Every meal needs to have a source of protein. Therefore, popcorn is not a meal. The 9pm meal is going to kill you. High GI carb before bed will just add to the fat stores.

The fat is low because you are not getting any from animal proteins you need to add with fish oil or something. Everything else looks fine.

[tyel]

Thanks so much for your comments.

The popcorn is actually pretty rare. More common would be a handful of peanuts. Would that be an ok swap?

Also, any suggestions on what I can do at 9pm that won't "kill me"? The soy mousse is tofu whipped up with chocolate whey protein and sugar. I guess it's the sugar that is the killer... Could I substitute it with a protein bar? I make my own with rolled oats and kashi (no flour) but there is sugar in it.

[Lady C]

It looks like you want something sweet. I would go for a chocolate protein shake made with some cottage cheese (slow digesting) and baking cocoa and for sweetness add some splenda.

If that is too much work just have 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.

[tyel]

That sounds great. Thank you again for taking the time to look at this.

By the way, does your focus on my diet mean that the rest (weight training and cardio) is in good shape?

[Lady C]

I personally like a three day split but everyone is different. If you are still making progress then stick with it. If you have hit a plateau, then you should change the routine. I like lifting heavy in the 4-8 rep range, three sets. I hate cardio so if I skip a day it is definitely a cardio day.