Cardio Question about intensity.

[Smurf the little pea.]

I am tired of jogging so I bought a exercise bike with an arm attachment piece a while back. I usually have to peddle for about 30-45 minutes at a fast pace to feel any kind of benefit from it.

My problem is that it is pretty tough mentally to do such a boring exercise every second day at such a high intensity. I was wondering if slowing down my pace to just lightly faster then leisurely would have many negative side effects (less calories burned, less toning, ect...)

Is it worth it to do low intensity cardio workouts?

 

[Cackerot69]

You seem to really be wanting to learn, ace

If you can do the cardi for 45 minutes then it's not exactly high intensity. Try some interval training, 30 seconds as hard as you can, 30 second lighter, and so on...for about 20 minutes. Cardio is anything that get your heart rate up (don;'t worry about the "fat burning zone" BS)....can be basketball, other sports, sex, running anything.....So, if it's really that boring then do something you enjoy moreso.

 

[fhg43]

If you can do the cardi for 45 minutes then it's not exactly high intensity. Try some interval training, 30 seconds as hard as you can, 30 second lighter, and so on...for about 20 minutes. Cardio is anything that get your heart rate up (don;'t worry about the "fat burning zone" BS)....can be basketball, other sports, sex, running anything.....So, if it's really that boring then do something you enjoy moreso.

Okay-
1) there really is a zone where you burn more fat-it ain't BS by any means. Decades of research have proven this beyond a doubt. Cackerot69 has a point though-Don't get to hung up on exercise intensity. Just do it. Ultimately it is calories in vs calories out. Just refuel with good food.

2) Sell your exercise bike and buy a real one. Do anything but be bored. You'll quit cardio or learn to hate it. Plus if you do real cardio (ride a real bike or run outside on a trail) you'll inevitably spend more time doing it and burn more calories.

FHG

 

[big4life]

Like they said try some interval training.
During one workout go at a constant pace,
then the next try interval training.

If you have a park or something around you,
try doing your running there.
Personally I can't stand running on a treadmill,
but if I go to a track, or a park I actually
enjoy running.

Change it up or you will get bored, and find reasons
not to do it.

 

[Cackerot69]

"1) there really is a zone where you burn more fat-it ain't BS by any means. Decades of research have proven this beyond a doubt."

Yes, but it doesn't matter at the end of the day. Thus, it's BS that you should do your cardio in the "fat burning zone". Calories in VS calories out, cardio at a higher intensity than that of the "fat burning zone" burns more calories so it's better for burning fat. Which basically makes the entire idea of the superiority of cardio done in the "fat burning zone" BS.

 

[bignate73]

"Calories in VS calories out, cardio at a higher intensity than that of the "fat burning zone" burns more calories so it's better for burning fat.

nope not exactly. at a rate of 55%MHR, of the total cals you are burning, 50% of them are from stored bodyfat that is mobilized through thermogenesis. @70% MHR the percentage drops to 33%, BUT you are burning more calories. you do burn more overall fat however with that increase in cals burned you run the risk of burning up more lbm than usual because you are teetering on being anaerobic and are dipping more into your glycogen stores which if they are depleted dips into LBM. thats the whole principle of fat burning "zone", its a more efficient training zone for a cosmetic athlete since it preserves lbm more than high intensity balls to the wall cardio. the term slow burn or long duration low intensity is a buzzword among bodybuilders for a reason. thats why.

 

[Skeeter1]

I agree with you on this one Cackerot69

 

[Cackerot69]

I understand where you're coming from bignate, and I do know this.

But think about it, how much impact on your bodyfat does that "fat burning zone" cardio have directly? Very little, insignificant. The reason cardio helps is not because of how much fat it burns directly, but how much calories it burns so at the end of the day you've expended more calories. So, while yes "fat burning zone" cardio may burn more fat directly, at the end of the day intense cardio is more effective for fat loss because it expends more calories (in less time), making it better for fat loss purposes.

 

[edgecrusher]

I've got to agree w/ Cackerott on this one as well. "Fat burning" cardio as it is called burns calories only during the training session itself. Afterwards, there is little to no effects on the metabolism, while cardio of an intense nature (i.e. sprinting or interval programs) ramp up the metabolism to increase caloric usage throughout the day.

One thing I have also noticed in myself and in many of my clients, is that when an individual begins doing intense cardio, it seems to increase there musculature. Also, an argument that was brought up to me one day is compare a mrathon runner to a sprinter. Look at the difference in there bodies. Marathoners are usually quite frail with a higher amount of bodyfat. While sprinters are generally much leaner and have a greater amount of muscle mass on there body.

 

[bignate73]

I understand where you're coming from bignate, and I do know this.

But think about it, how much impact on your bodyfat does that "fat burning zone" cardio have directly? Very little, insignificant. The reason cardio helps is not because of how much fat it burns directly, but how much calories it burns so at the end of the day you've expended more calories. So, while yes "fat burning zone" cardio may burn more fat directly, at the end of the day intense cardio is more effective for fat loss because it expends more calories (in less time), making it better for fat loss purposes.

fat loss yes, im thinking of maintaining as much lbm as possible though. the higher the intensity the easier it is to dip into skeletal muscle as an energy source. im all about keeping size.

as for edgecrusher's analogy. increase musculature...maybe due to an increased ability to recover BUT leaning out tends to give that illusion as well.