RE: Exercise Routines - recommendations
I think what Laurel said about exercising with the weights almost to the point of failure is pretty on target. You should feel like those last few reps are VERY VERY hard to complete, and yes, you will feel sore the next day, or maybe even the day after that if you're working hard.
While cardio is a huge part of losing weight, I feel that weight training is just as important. Loss of muscle mass as we get older is one of the biggest reasons that our metabolism slows down. :) In all my years of marathon running, I've never been able to reshape my body the way I have with weight training.
I'm not as familiar with the videos you mentioned, but you sound like you're off the a great start. If you decide to ever check out Cathe, the equipment requirements aren't actually that bad. If anything you probably need to buy heavier weights, which you will need to do anyway as you get stronger. :) But you can use the stability ball for many great exercises for your core and lower body too.
To get the biggest bang for your buck, compound exercises, those which work multiple large muscle groups, are most effective when you're limited for time. Squats, lunges, pushups are some examples. You could even do bicep curls while holding a squat position, to step things up a notch.
HTH a bit,
Marcy
Marcy
DD1 2003
DD2 2005
DD3 2009