Cardio- too much, too little, what's your take on it?

faith4us

faith4us

Cathlete
So many people out there are saying that if you do more than 20 minutes of Interval style aerobics a few times per week than you are burning up muscle instead of building it.

Or they say you should do low impact aerobics and keep your hear rate down below 145.

What is your take on this? It seems like fitness professionals are more and more for weights and less for cardio but I am wondering what you think about what so many people are saying.

So, as far as fat loss do you think there is a good amount of cardio to do? How much should you do at one time and how often?

For those of you that are in your 30's and 40's have you noticed a difference in how you train? What have you changed now compared to when you were younger.

Thanks!
 
It depends in a number of variables and your own interests. For me, I do my cardio for 30 to 40 minutes four times weekly. Three days of the week I hit the weights.
 
This is a tough one. Results from the same work out plan can change so much from person to person. For years the bulk of my routine was cardio with some weights "sprinkled in". I was able to lose weight and keep it off this way but I was still soft and flabby. When I discovered Cathe I definately delved more seriously into weight training but still tended to do lots more cardio. I would do cardio or cardio and weights on any given day but never just weights. If I didn't do cardio I didn't feel like I worked out.

It wasn't until the X that I began to understand the wonders of weight training. I did a full X rotation starting in January 2007 and did less cardio then I'd ever done in my life! I did not lose much in the way of pounds but my body composition changed and I looked better then I ever had in my life!!!! Talk about looking lean and mean! It was awesome! Since then I've kept my weight in the same place but I know my body fat is not as low as it was when I finished the X. I am still happy with how I look but one day I want to do another X rotation and see if I can get that look back or even get leaner!

I am now training for an 18 mile race and then I intend to train for a full marathon. That being said I am doing alot more cardio then I normally do-4 days of running per week. Weights must take the back seat for now but I am making sure that I fit them in because I now know how important weight training is!

Cardio is very good for you but I do think it tends to be over-rated and weight training under-rated when it comes to changing your body. As far as anything over 20 minutes of interval cardio eating muscle or being a waste of time? That I do not necessarily agree with but again, it depends on the person.

Just my 2 cents. HTH some. :)
 
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I did Cathe's August rotation which for the first three weeks was cardio three or four days and weights three days. I found my weight creeping up those three weeks. It just didn't work for me. Clothes were too tight, etc. For the fourth week, it was cardio three days and the other four days were spent on the 4 day split workouts. I had much better results with that. I am taking that a step further and doing some type of interval or HIIT cardio three days per week and then circuit workouts two or three days/week.

I have quite a bit of weight to lose and seem to get better results with more cardio. However, as others have said, I think it is all an individual thing. I know diets is also a HUGE part of fat loss. I know I have a lot of work to do there. Today is day three of WW's Core Plan (basically clean eating). We shall see how it goes.

You need to find what works for YOU. That is why I don't like all of those infomercials that show great results. In ALL of them, the fine print says "results not typical." So what is typical??

Carrie
 
I'm wondering the same thing.
My current thought is maybe *they* (just who are *THEY* anyway?;)) are thinking that most people do ZERO exercise so if they tell *US* that just 20 minutes 3x a week is enough, it will get people off the couch????
I know I can't lose weight on less than several hours a week of cardio. I do try to mix it up....short intense cardio, long steady state, and interval training...so which one is working?? :confused: I don't know cuz I do it all! :eek:

As far as your other question, I will be 37 next week and my body is amazing me lately. I would never, ever call myself a runner, don't like it, but know it's good for you so I started doing it about 6 weeks ago. I've already worked up to 4 1/2 miles and yesterday ran a faster pace then ever before and ran up a hill I would've barely been able to walk up 6 months ago (granted, I really thought I was going to throw up at more than one point, but I did it) I don't get it at all, I'm fatter (40 lbs to lose) and older (obviously) than ever before and my body seems stronger than ever??????? And maybe I'll even have to call myself a runner if this keeps up! :p

I'm really looking forward to reading other responses to this!

Becky
 
All I do is what makes me happy. Some days, that's running. Some days it's Low Max or an Imax. Some days it's the heaviest weights currently possible for me. Some days it's yoga.

Generally, though, I enjoy cardio and weight training about equally but tend to fit in cardio in shorter bursts if I only have a little time. The time needed between weight workouts tends to slow me down.

So far.

But if I have a big chunk, I run since that's a zen thing for me.

LOL can you tell why I never follow a rotation?? :p
 
Besides that I really like cardio (and weight training), I can´t forget the fact that it is necessary for heart health. Since heredity is against me, I fit it in at least 3- 4 times a week. Becky, I , too started running recently after years (lots of years) not having run and to do it once or twice a week...I feel like an olympic athlete!!!!
 
faith4us said:
So many people out there are saying that if you do more than 20 minutes of Interval style aerobics a few times per week than you are burning up muscle instead of building it.

Or they say you should do low impact aerobics and keep your hear rate down below 145.

What is your take on this? It seems like fitness professionals are more and more for weights and less for cardio but I am wondering what you think about what so many people are saying.

So, as far as fat loss do you think there is a good amount of cardio to do? How much should you do at one time and how often?

For those of you that are in your 30's and 40's have you noticed a difference in how you train? What have you changed now compared to when you were younger.

Thanks!
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I was a cardio queen in my 20's & 30's and it worked well for my body...in my early 40's I gained 25#s (poor eating & lack of exercise) and when I went back to my old model I got absolutely no-where (after 2 years!):eek:
Then I discovered strength training and started with P90X (at age of 43)- MIRACLE!

The bodyfat dropped drasticlly; meaning my body literally shrunk to a size I had never seen before. It was amazing. (unfortunately) as I aged I also had to admit that clean eating is now about 90% of my equation to stay that way:confused: .... When I eat clean & lift heavy I shrink and am tight- when I eat clean & am a cardio queen I am "fluffy".

To address the post about the "experts" and cardio frequency for heart health & weight loss....My personal belief now is that science & medicine are constantly evolving & changing so the recommendations are just that.
I know when my body feels healthy & strong - I have learned to really listen to it & thats how I try & gauge my exercise program.

There are times when my stress levels are high and only cardio helps my body process that stress so 4-5 days a week may be in my plan-This also helps me because when stress is high I personally cant focus enough to lift properly... If I'm not in high stress mode I do more lifting because my mind & body prefer that in "normal" times.

Its such an individual thing- not just for the body but the mind as well. I believe that to get results (whatever you decide to do-) you have to have your mind in the game. If a persons body responds well to lots of cardio but the mind isnt in the game then doing 60-90 minutes of cardio without really getting your heart rate up, using good form etc... isnt going to give the same results as concentrated focus. Maybe (just a thought)...Thats why 20-30 minute HIIT is so effective- most of us can really focus and stay in the game 100% for that period of time. ;)
 
cardio

Hi,

I think fitness is like every other discipline. There is an expert opinion to fit almost everyone's opinion and if you look long enough you will find it. I personally think you have to be an educated about exercise and use a variety of techniques to improve overall fitness, avoid plateaus and boredom. So, I think moderate variety is the spice of life.

Years ago, all I did was cardio, but as I got older I was forced to integrate weight training more frequently and I look and feel a lot better. All summer I did 3 days of cardio (2 runs, 1 step or hi/lo) and 3-4 of weight training. I've just changed it up and I'm doing 2 runs and 2 light cardio days, one of which is a circuit. I have to agree with Traci, what has given me the best results is a whole hearted effort in whatever exercise I choose. More is not better for me, it is quality over quantity. I've worked hard to increase my running speed and that has done more for my body than any thing I've ever done. I try really hard not to run long slow distance anymore and I'm thinner and much tighter in my legs and butt, but it's hard work.

I'm also a huge advocate for regular vinyasa yoga which also tightens and tones the entire body while calming the mind. For me, calmness helps decrease the desire to be tempted by crummy food choices which again helps with overall body composition and fitness.

Tracy
 
tneah said:
Wendy darlin',

When doing the "X"did you follow the diet plan provided?
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Hey Tneah,

No, I did not follow it to a "T". I added a cardio day cause I was nervous to cut down to only 2 days. 3 I could handle. I was used to doing cardio 5 and 6 days a week previously! I also added an extra leg work out for a while and would not give up running so I subbed alot of Tony's cardio for running instead. I did the Classic rotation btw. :)
 
The variables are so great, that the general guidelines have to be just that: general. They are, basically, aimed at people who don't do anything at all and provide a basic benchmark to start from.

If you have a lot of weight to lose and you're completely unfit, then cutting down your calorie intake along with starting an exercise programme will bring benefits e.g. effects can even be seen in sedentary individuals if they elevate their heart rate to 130-140bpm for 10 mins 3 days a week.

After that, it gets more complicated and becomes more about what is right for any given individual. Some people may be training for a specific event, in which case, it makes sense to focus the training on that event. For people who are exercising with no particular event in mind, then it's more about trying out what works for you and monitoring your training.

Personally, I started out doing mainly cardio, 4/5 days a week with the odd light weight session thrown in. I lost weight but then, after a couple of years, plateaued. Since I've been lifting heavier and on a more regular basis, cutting down my cardio sessions to 2-3 times a week 45-60 mins a time, I've seen great results. I'm a lot firmer and defined than I've ever been and I'm as slim as I was when I was a teenager (and I'm 41).

Hope that helps!
 
Wow, thanks everyone for the input. I really appreciated what all of you shared.

I guess it really is individual and it seems that as we get older weight training is even more important than ever.

I know that I could get away with a lot of cardio when I was in my 20's but that won't work as well for me now. I have to have more of a balance.

Thanks again!!
 
faith4us said:
For those of you that are in your 30's and 40's have you noticed a difference in how you train? What have you changed now compared to when you were younger.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

For some time I really did believe cardio does not work.

I gained weight in my early thirties from not working out and eating junk. I used to be able to stay slim with just cardio and some "toning" type exercises (crunches, unweighted leg work) all through my twenties. I thought it would be easy to lose the weight if I went back to my old routine. It did not work. My weight did not budge.

I then discovered weight taining and Cathe and the weight came off blazingly fast. Doing more or less cardio did not seem to make any difference during that weight loss phase.

My current theory is that doing weights was a shock to my system. Also, I probably was losing muscle mass as I entered my thirties, so just cardio was not working. The low muscle mass was perhaps making my metabolism slow down. Now that my body has adapted to weight training it no longer reponds as dramatically to just weight training (I am 41).

Every year I gain about 5 lbs and lose it again so I have tried many approaches. I dont believe in the twenty minute HIIT cardio workout as the only way either. I see results from old fashioned steady state too for fat loss.

I still think that if I am hard pressed for time, weight training is the first thing I would do. For me, endurance style weight training (moderately heavy with little or no rests between sets) still is an effective way to lose body fat. I would do short/long cardio in addition if I had the time for it. I get my best results from combining both.

The thing that works best though is cleaning up the eating. Sensible eating is about 70% of the formula for fat loss. Only the rest comes from exercise.
 
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I agree with Vee on a couple of things:

Clean eating is a must.

I have also found that steady state cardio workouts are more effective for me than HIIT.

Like Vee, when I started to seriously work out with Cathe (and never weight trained before), it was a shock to my system and the weight came off easily. While I was doing P90X, I didn't do a lot of cardio but leaned out and gained definition from all the strength workouts. Now at 43, I realized I needed to put back a little more cardio in my rotations.

Right now I've been doing a kickboxing/yoga/barre rotation and have maintained my weight but feel like I lost inches (have to take measurements this weekend0 since my pants are starting to feel looser. My arms are also looking a bit more cut.

I was always thin but in my thirties, I packed on an extra 20 pounds from bad eating. I used to do only cardio when I was younger but when I turned 40, I realized strength training is a must and I will never stop doing it.

Marcy
 
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