How long are your weight sessions?

[cptbobproffesoromemeology]

I had to take off some time during the IVF process, and the meds were kicking my butt anyway so I had already scaled back.

Aside from horrible nausea, I’m able to get back to working out daily again (7 weeks). I’m running 4x a week and lifting 3x. I went back to a simpler template so I could easily modify as needed, but I’m concerned it’s not enough? I finish in 30-40 minutes most sessions, even as I’m getting my working weights back up to where they were.

My schedule looks like:

Workout A: squat, bench, bb row (all 3x5), & 4-6 accessories (mostly 3x10-15)

Workout B: OHP (3x5), deadlift (1x5), hip thrusts (3x5), & 4-6 accessories.

My goals are to maintain fitness, muscle mass, and strength as much as possible, keep my glucose under control (GDx2), hopefully avoid pulling my back this time, and minimize unnecessary weight gain. Thoughts?

How long are you lifting weights? Is a half hour 3x a week enough for my goals?

 

[nazerbruhiljc]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology Based on your program above, it sounds like you're doing 19-27 total sets in each workout. I have no idea how you're getting all that done in 30 minutes! It's definitely ok to reduce volume, especially if you're using heavier weight. It takes a LOT less to maintain muscle and strength than it does to build, so 30 min full body 3x/week should be plenty!

I've been lifting (at home, dumbbells and KBs) usually 5x/week for most of pregnancy, and workouts have been about 45min each. Around the end of 2nd/start of 3rd trimester, I cut back to 3 days per week. At 33 weeks now, I've felt a huge drop in energy and increase in recovery time, so I'm switching my resistance training to about 30% weights and 70% resistance bands/suspension trainer/bodyweight.

Edit: format

 

[cptbobproffesoromemeology]

@nazerbruhiljc I don’t really rest in between, and do a lot of super setting (for everything except deadlift). I like the intensity for sure!

Thanks for sharing! I have dumbells and banda at home as well (I exclusively workout at home but we have a rack in the garage) and rely on those when I really just don’t feel like doing a full workout.

 

[craigbrickhill]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology Half hour 3x week should be enough imo for maintenance. I lift 40m 4x week and walk 20-30m 3-4x week and yoga 1x week. My sessions used to be 60m of lifting 4x week, no way I could do that now!

 

[cptbobproffesoromemeology]

@craigbrickhill Yeah I get pretty tired and out of breath by the 30 minute mark so I wasn’t sure I could really do anymore, for now at least!

 

[followthebunny]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology 1st trimester can get quite fatiguing, especially as the placenta starts to grow- definitely practice listening to your body on limits or you’ll likely find yourself frustrated when those limits fluctuate and become hard boundaries

 

[eepyak]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology Mine are around 40/45 min. I used to workout for an hour. Some days they are 30 min. I’m ten weeks. My main focus has been lifting. I used to do a ton of CrossFit with running and rowing and biking but I feel like maintaining as much muscle as possible is my biggest focus with pregnancy. I also walk all day at work. But 40 min is the sweet spot for me to not be completely tired. I am still tired tho don’t get me wrong ha! I have had terrible car like sickness for the past month. Used to be a die hard 6x a week workout freak. It’s been 3-4x lifting a week and I non negotiable get at least 8k steps a day. So if I’m not lifting, im walking! I know my future self will thank me

 

[katrina2017]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology mine are about 2 hours if i have time to incorporate that and feel up to it, but it really just depends on the day. some days they can be as short as 30 minutes

 

[omerb]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology I walk almost daily and try to fit in 10,000 steps. As for lifting, I average 2-3x per week for 30-40 minutes. Sometimes, it’s only once a week if my body needs more rest.

 

[cptbobproffesoromemeology]

@omerb Thanks!

 

[isedelucky]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology I do 4-5 exercises with one warm set up plus 4-5 working sets each per workout. Usually resting 2-3 minutes between each working set. Takes me forever like usually an hour to an hour and a half. Best part of my day though lolI lift 5 days a week. It’s the only thing that gives me a feeling of control and calm since I got pregnant

 

[tillermom]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology Mine are generally about 45 mins

 

[tillermom]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology Mine are generally about 45 mins

 

[dnt]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology 20 mins is sometimes all I have the energy for!

 

[imaff]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology My general program is 90 min 4-5x a week and I use a timer built into the app I use to make sure my rest breaks are 3-4 min. I found it harder to do higher rep stuff the farther into pregnancy I got, so I stuck with mostly 5x5s and heavy 3x3s, especially in the movements that felt really good to me pregnant (back squats and bench press, for me).

I think playing it by ear and listening to your body will be huge on how you navigate workout times. I will say, though, that when I see a client of mine not taking any breaks between sets, it tells me that they either aren’t using enough weight or they aren’t doing the movement correctly to produce the desired stimulus. You might get a better response in terms of muscle mass retention if you go a little slower, heavier and take longer breaks.

 

[cptbobproffesoromemeology]

@imaff Thank you! I definitely am still not up to my weights yet so that may be part of it. I probably should increase a little faster but I told myself I’d take it easier as I get back to where I was.

I really should use a timer, I used to and my lifts improved tremendously when I gave ample rest (which I’m bad at going by feel).

Going to reintroduce that immediately!

 

[nrg23]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology 45m-1h, 2x/wk min for lifting weights

 

[beggar15]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology Mine are typically about 1.5 hrs including my warm up which usually takes me anywhere between 10-15 mins.

I’m running megsquats’ prenatal program and this is typical timing for her programs.

 

[justfortoday]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology Wooo go get it mama!! Keeps it up!

For me, I can do a gym session in an hour and a half, with 25 minutes cardio and about 60 mins weights. I do them fast, like you, in a long circuit or superset and only rest a couple of minutes between supersets. Usually 3 supersets.

But when I go to the gym with my brother, we take 3 hours Lolol. He lifts REAL heavy and takes long breaks between. When we go together I lift heavier and take longer breaks, as well as working in more TVA core strength and stretching work.

 

[imaff]

@cptbobproffesoromemeology Weight lifting lover here! Are you feeling good WHILE lifting? Because if so, I’d say go longer than 30 minutes. Also, how long were your session before IVF got in the way?