So for weight loss what is a good amount of cardio? i just want some general ideas.
Cardio.
- Thread starter SmithMachine
- Start date
It depends what your goals are, e.g. if someone wants to lose weight then they need to do enough cardio to offset their caloric intake while still eating enough to stay healthy. Or maybe they want to increase their lactate threshold then they need to become steady state for certain periods of time on or just above it.
Thats a very general question maybe you could elaborate a bit.
Of course then there are government things like 30 mins a day etc etc
Thats a very general question maybe you could elaborate a bit.
Of course then there are government things like 30 mins a day etc etc
How many lbs of fat do you want to lose and over how many weeks ?
Suggest that, outside the gym, the person add exercise into daily life. For example, use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Walk, run, or bicycle to destinations a short distance away.
Since you mention a full body workout in another thread, perhaps the rower would be a good cardio machine to use when in the gym. Or swimming if the gym has a pool.
But note that if the person is a beginner, s/he may have to start at what seems like a very low intensity. What may seem like a reasonable aerobic intensity to most people posting here may put a beginner at an all-out sprint that can only be sustained for a minute or so, so keep that in mind when suggesting intensities for endurance or HIIT type cardio training. Obviously, an initial goal is to build up aerobic capacity.
Since you mention a full body workout in another thread, perhaps the rower would be a good cardio machine to use when in the gym. Or swimming if the gym has a pool.
But note that if the person is a beginner, s/he may have to start at what seems like a very low intensity. What may seem like a reasonable aerobic intensity to most people posting here may put a beginner at an all-out sprint that can only be sustained for a minute or so, so keep that in mind when suggesting intensities for endurance or HIIT type cardio training. Obviously, an initial goal is to build up aerobic capacity.
One hour of cardio five days a week is ideal (IMHO) for someone who needs to lose weight as more than that and they might quit the gym. It also goes without saying that a calorie controlled diet is part and parcel of weight-loss.
Well if it's low to moderate intensity 1 hour cardio you're talking about, you might get the same fat loss benefits ( and save more time ) by simply doing only 30 minutes of HIIT cardio 4 - 5 times a week.
20 minutes?
Matt...you've always impressed me with your knowledge of fitness & nutritiion, just curious why you say this. Popular lore has us believe that it takes about 20 minutes just to burn through the sugars already present in the blood and then we start getting into the fat as a means to replenish this low-sugar condition.
Hey, i didnt mean 20 minutes in a week 
A study one of my professors did showed how just 20minutes of a particular form of HIIT burnt 3 times more fat than 40minutes of continous aerobic exercise. So 20 minutes is a pretty good amount, of course you could choose to go longer if you wanted to.
A study one of my professors did showed how just 20minutes of a particular form of HIIT burnt 3 times more fat than 40minutes of continous aerobic exercise. So 20 minutes is a pretty good amount, of course you could choose to go longer if you wanted to.
Hey, i didnt mean 20 minutes in a week
No, no...I didn't think you meant 20 minutes just once per week, you meant 20 minutes as often as every day. It just kinda struck me odd because, not long ago. some guy was suggesting to never go over 20 minutes as it burns muscle. Of course, we know this to be absurd....but it still came across in a manner that I figured I'd ask. T'sall good.