cardio question

N

natalia1

0
Hey all,
I'm new to the forum and I've really enjoyed reading some of the old posts--I've learned a lot and have improved my diet and exersize routine as a result. I'm happy to say that I've been losing steadily ever since! So thanks, again.

Anyway, I do have a question about cardio:

For the past couple of months I've been doing the elliptical machine/stair master for at least half an hour and then I would run on the treadmill for about an hour. I was told that I am doing too much cardio and that after 40-45 minutes I am actually burning muscle. Is this true? Should I decrease my cardio sessions to 45 minutes only? The thing is, I'd really like to lose weight quickly and I really enjoy running for long periods of time.

By the way, I've started weight training 3 times a week and I try to do some cardio daily.
 
Yes, way to much cardio. You body burns muscle when it has no other place to fain energy. Glad to see that you are strength training. Adding lean muscle mass is the best way to lose weight and burn calories. For every pound of muscle you have, it burns 35-50 calories per day.

I wouldn't recommend working out for more than an hour a day. That includes free weights and cardio. On days that you strength train try only doing 15 min. of cardio. Days that you don't strength train, try 45 min cardio.

REST at least one day per week.

Switch your routine every month or two. Change the intensity, the weight lifted, the method, etc.
 
I think an hour is okay if you are going at a very mild intensity but for improving your figure if you are really pushing yourself you are burning muscle.
Keep in mid that you can just about never burn only fat. If you lose weight a chunk of that is muscle no matter how you lose it. How much of it is muscle and how much is fat is based largely on your personal metabolism and your intake of quality protein and the consistency of your meals.

Those long aerobic workouts are a lot of fun but they are not good for much more than making you an effective runner. For years I did hour and a half of aerobic martial arts. I got really slim but not muscular even though I was killing myself in the weightroom. 3 hour workouts were the norm. The best you can hope for with your routine is the runner look, and dispite what the magazines may want you to believe, thinner is not synonomous with sexier.
Weights are a good move. Ask around to make sure you are training them right. People make all kinds of fruity mistakes when they start weight training that could be solved with a breif conversation with any of the gym attendants. But if you go on these long runs you will not see much results from your weight training. You will just look like a runner. I solved my problem by making my cardio 20- 30 minutes of super high intensity. Use the HIIT method for a while and see if you cant exhaust yourself in 20 minutes. Short intese workouts are really better for you and I never have a problem going an hour for fun when I want to. It also leaves me a lot more time for weights and you know life. After all, the most fun you have in exercise is the intense parts. So keep it short and sweet and watch your muscles come alive
 
I have a question about HIIT. I woke up around 9:30 and began my interval training at around 10:30. I didn't eat anything prior to my workout. I did a 5 minute warmup, 10 minutes of HIIT going 30 sec. sprinting and 60 sec. speed walking, and then a 5 minute cool down.

Is doing 20 minutes of HIIT effective enough or should I go for longer?

Also, I know doing HIIT is suppose to make your metablosim faster through the day and supposedly not eating before working out makes you use your fat instead of burning carbs. So, in that case, how long after should I wait to eat to burn more fat?

Thanks for your help!!
 
Ill just add a little point. What happens after you do intense workouts for over an houre is your body releases a stress hormone called cortisol and elevated cortisol levels lead to muscle loss, fat gain, immune suppression and reduced ability to repair tissue damage following intense workouts, and these are just some of the effects on athletic performance. however the point at which an indevidual will releases cortisol is different, while some may only take 35min others might take 80min so it's generalized that around 40-60min is the max one should workout/cardio. you can workout again but you need to wait a while till so things settle down, have a nice day.
 
20 minutes of HIIT is the number I have seen as the standard. I wouldn't go much over that, but a little more wouldn't destroy your program.

I tend to eat something small before working out. About 30-60 minutes before and I try to make it a complex carb. This has been shown to actually make you work out harder because your body now has energy to draw from (read- blood sugar). It's also recommended that you eat a protein source 30-60 minutes after working out. The protein helps build your muscles back up.

Another trick I heard was to drink a bit of coffee 60 minutes before working out. The extra caffeine has been shown to increase the intensity at which you exercise. Of course for every study that proves something, there is one that dis-proves it :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top