Cardio, How much ?

[vachelle72]

Hi -
I have been reading over the advice and thought maybe I could get some advice of my own on my cardio routine.

I am currently doing 60 minutes of cardio 4-5 days a week , and wanted to know if anyone felt this was excessive. I alternate every other day on the treadmill , elliptical , etc , and the other days I take a kickboxing class ( that really kicks my a** I use to do 30 min. 4-5, but the results were very slow! I was barely eeking out a 1 pound weight loss a week , even along with my diet.

This new routine along with light weight training has stepped up my progress alot. But some are saying I am being excessive. Any opinions ?

Thanks

 

[Sassy69]

Can you give us some additional background about your current stats, your diet, etc? 1 lb / week -- is it muscle or fat or both that you are losing? Are you eating enough protein to support maintenance of muscle mass? etc.

Generally I would say 1 hr cardio / day, 5 days / week is a lot. But it depends on your goals, your current progress, your diet, etc.

 

[vachelle72]

Thanks Sassy-

I have taken great care in researching about diet and excercise. As we all know it is not an exact science , so we must adapt what works for us.

I make sure my diet is rich in veggies and protein , and fortunately I was blessed with the ability to gain and maintain muscle easily. It is just covered by too much fat. I have had my diet evaluated by a nutritionist and I was spot on on my choices of food and intake. But my body will not "let go" so it was either cutting calories way back around 1200-1400 which can not be maintained for very long , plus I would be evil as hell or I could up the cardio. I know that amount cardio with the heavy weight training is excessive. That is why I am concentrating on peeling the "fat " off and doing light weights , low sets , and high reps.

I have quite a bit of weight to take off , I am not looking for a quick fix , but I don't want to drag it out either. So far I haven't had any adverse effects from this program , and thought I would continue the course til my body tells me otherwise. But it is always wise to take in others experience and opinions.

 

[necia]

Hi Vachelle,

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but these ladies here are Fabulous. Post up a typical day of yours. Include your nutrition for the day and your type of workout(s). I'm sure with that, you will get lots of suggestions.

Necia

 

[vachelle72]

Thanks Necia-

I gathered they were fab , that is why asked . I was just asking for a general opinion , and to find out the average time others are spending on their cardio routines.

 

[necia]

Oh well since you put it like that, I do 30 minute HIIT sessions, no more than 3x's a week, and that's a stretch. Usually it's 2 or sometimes even once a week. I've lost 43lbs since January. I still think if you want optimized help and suggestions you should post up your routine, or at the very least take a peek into the logs. The sticky's are a source of information too.

Necia

 

[vachelle72]

Thanks Necia-
Congrats on the weight loss , that is great!!! I have an appointment with a trainer at my new gym , so I am waiting to see what he has to say , and what changes might take affect before posting "in depth" information.

I have read quite a few of the threads , and the info on the cardio has been anywhere from almost two hours 4 times a week to the standard 30 minutes 2-3 times.

This site has been a wealth of info , and nice to see so many women being serious about their health , and not just wanting to be " model" thin.

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Welcome

Like Sassy said it depends on your goals as to how much you should do. I do way more then I ever would recommend another person to do but that is only cause I am getting ready for a comp. Once I am done that I will probably go back to 3 or 4 HITT sessions a week.

 

[Sassy69]

Yep completely depends on what you are trying to accomplish and also what it takes to get your body going. I also build muscle & fat easily. I always train w/ a vengeance but even on a competition diet I have to do double cardio sessions to get significant results. Normally I'd say a couple HIIT sessions/ week at 30 min each plus some steady state when you feel like doign it. Currently I do 2 x 50 min sessions every day - but I'm also 7 weeks out from competition.

When I've cut for competition I rarely have my cals reduced below 1500-1700 because it will cost me muscle. But I do incorporate carb cycling with excellent results. You might check w/ your nutritionist on that instead of cutting cals for any duration of time.

 

[Gymgurl]

Damn Sassy you go girl!!