I currently work out 4 hours a day with mostly cardio. I am training for a half marathon and run between 80-90 miles a week. I am trying to lower my workouts because I am aware that it is insane to do that much cardio. I've been doing this amount of exercise for almost a year now and have lost about 30 pounds. In order to fit my workout into my day I have to get up extremely early and it is starting to take over my social life. I was wondering if I could gain a bunch of weight back if I cut my workouts in half?
Fitness advice
- Thread starter arunner
- Start date
the advice i am about to give you came from a personal male trainer who is in perfect shape.
DOING THAT MUCH CARDIO IS VERY BAD FOR YOU.
Cardio should be 35 minutes to 60minutes that is all your body needs and that is all your body can handle after that your body has no more energy left to use so it starts feeding off your muscle for energy.
Losing muscle will actually make it harder for you to run your marathon and make it hard for you to get in shape. As you will just be thin, flabby and weak rather then lean and full of energy and strength.
When you go to the gym do 10minutes of cardio to get your heart rate going. Then do 30minutes of weights and or machines that will help you build some muscle and help you with strength. After you are done working out with free weights and machines do 35 minutes worth of cardio to 60minutes at the most.
that will not only boost your energy and built strength it will help you get thru those marathons with no problems.
working out for more then 1hour and 30minutes a day will make NO difference in your body the positive way...only negative way so stop killing your self and your body and dont go past 1hour and a half a day.
the only people that need that many hours of work out a day are the people who do body building competitions and are on a lot of steroids.
DOING THAT MUCH CARDIO IS VERY BAD FOR YOU.
Cardio should be 35 minutes to 60minutes that is all your body needs and that is all your body can handle after that your body has no more energy left to use so it starts feeding off your muscle for energy.
Losing muscle will actually make it harder for you to run your marathon and make it hard for you to get in shape. As you will just be thin, flabby and weak rather then lean and full of energy and strength.
When you go to the gym do 10minutes of cardio to get your heart rate going. Then do 30minutes of weights and or machines that will help you build some muscle and help you with strength. After you are done working out with free weights and machines do 35 minutes worth of cardio to 60minutes at the most.
that will not only boost your energy and built strength it will help you get thru those marathons with no problems.
working out for more then 1hour and 30minutes a day will make NO difference in your body the positive way...only negative way so stop killing your self and your body and dont go past 1hour and a half a day.
the only people that need that many hours of work out a day are the people who do body building competitions and are on a lot of steroids.
There are lots of really good books and websites out there that discuss marathon and half marathon training plans. You should check a few of them out. Rest and recovery are very important components of them!
RyanDiCooper
New member
This is helpful and right that we do all need to learn how to get into some rest and recovery. Health issues may come if we don't get into these 2.
I agree with all of you.. Even though you are training for a half marathon you need to build your cardio and heart in other ways. More than an hour and a half of working out kills your body it doesn't strengthen it. Jump starting your day with an A.M. workout is a great idea, it wakes you up and gives your endorphins a good jump start. You will only gain the weight back if you completely stop working out. Cardio + weight/strength/resistance training is the best way to go PERIOD! You shouldn't do one without the other. You're going to gain weight but it will be muscle. This combination of cardio and weight/strength/resistance training is the best way to get you in the best shape for a half marathon and eventually a full marathon and then possibly a triathlon.
