Cardio Addict

[RA]

Hi Everyone,
I would love some feedback on the issue of how much cardio and weights to do per week. I realize everyone's body responds differently to diet, cardio and weight rotations.

I feel like I am a bit of a cardio/exercise addict. I am sure some of you know the feeling. I HAVE to get 5 days a week of cardio in or I just feel like I am going to gain the 35 pound weight loss back. I like cardio and I feel the good sense of accomplishment when I am done, but...I am also a bit wiped out. I sometimes do try lower intensity activities, but I find, I just don't get my heart rate up high enough.
My exercise schedule is as follows. 5 days of cardio (running, walking, tae bo or step) 45 min-60 min. 2 of those days I tack on 40 minutes of upper body weight training (Cathe's tapes) and 3 days of abdominal exercises. I have really nice definition and strength in my upper body I must say, thanks to Cathe's awesome lifting routines.
I have been hearing so much now about Weight training. I have been doing it 2x's a week for a few yrs now and It has given me results but I guess what I am asking is if I devote 1 more day to lifting alone and 1 less day to cardio will I be able to maintain my weight (and pant size). Does anyone think getting one less day of cardio/calorie burning exercise is going to make a difference if I replace it with heavier weight training in order to maintain where I am at now. I know muscle weighs more than fat too. I suppose what I am saying is I would like to get leaner(while staying within a few pounds of my weight) and the old thinking is cardio, cardio, cardio. The new thinking is more muscle mass (ie: more lifting). Does anyone have any advice (through their own trial and error) as to what is more beneficial.
I still eat really "clean" too. Diet is not a problem. I know what to eat and how much. With a cheat day a week (I'd go nuts if I couldn't).
Just wondering who can shed some light from their own personal experiences. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks so much.

 

[Mindi]

Here's article you may enjoy reading from:

http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/

Why your workout routines don't need to include aerobic exercise...

Researchers have long argued that workout routines without any form of aerobic exercise offer little in the way of health benefits, claiming your heart and lungs don't get the kind of workout they would from activity such as brisk walking or running.

Workout routines

However, Harvard scientists have shown that men who include weight training in their workout routines for just 30 minutes each week reduce their risk for heart disease by 23% compared to those not training with weights.

The study — published in the Journal of the American Medical Association — is based on medical records and questionnaires given to 44,452 male dentists, optometrists, pharmacists, podiatrists, osteopaths, and veterinarians enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Participants were interviewed every two years between 1986 and the beginning of 1998.

The association between aerobic workout routines and a reduced risk of heart disease was expected. Men who ran for one hour or more each week reduced their risk by 42% compared to non-runners. Walking at a brisk pace for more than 30 minutes was linked to an 18% reduction compared to the men who didn't walk.

Weight training
More surprising were the results showing a similar risk reduction with weight training. In contrast, cycling and swimming did not appear to protect against heart disease. The authors attributed this finding to the intensity at which study participants performed these activities. Had they been done at a higher intensity, it's likely they would also have been linked with lower rates of disease.

"More intense aerobic exercise is more effective in improving cardiovascular fitness because it requires the heart muscle to work harder, to pump more blood, to get more oxygen," says Dr. Frank Hu, senior author of the study and an associate professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. "If the exercise is suitable for the person, I think people should aim for more rigorous exercise given the amount of energy expenditure."

In other words, if two people spend the same amount of time exercising, the person doing the more intense exercise will benefit more. It's possible that the health benefits of exercise are linked simply to the number of calories you burn.

This means that if you're pushed for time, you can burn 500 calories by doing some kind of intense exercise (such as weight training) for half an hour, rather than walking at a low intensity for 45 minutes or longer.

The health benefits from weight training might result in part from a drop in blood pressure and body fat. Weight training is very useful in improving insulin sensitivity, reducing fat mass, and preserving lean muscle. Over time, it appears these effects translate into less cardiovascular disease in the long run.

Of course, this doesn't mean that your workout routines shouldn't include aerobic exercise — just that they don't have to.

Reference

Tanasescu, M., Leitzmann, M.F., Rimm, E.B., Willett, W.C., Stampfer, M.J., & Hu, F.B. (2002). Exercise type and intensity in relation to coronary heart disease in men. Journal of the American Medical Association, 288, 1994-2000

 

[KathyH]

Hi RA! From my own experience, I can tell you that since increasing strength training and doing less cardio I've so far dropped an inch from my upper arms, 1" off my waist, 1" off my abdomen, 1" off my hips, 1" off my upper thighs and gained an inch on my quads (which is what I wanted) and also lost an inch off my calves. My cardio consisted of Circuit Max/IMAX/kickboxing/hi-lo/Rhythmic Step but only did 2 days of cardio a week for 12 weeks. I'm now for the next 6 weeks increasing 1 more day of cardio to see if I can lose anymore. I'm sure the Intensity Series will really give us a jump start to our routines. Experiment with it but give yourself enough time to see results. Measure before you start to change up your routine. Hope this helped. Best, Kathy