Cardio-whats too much or too little?

[givmejst1night]

You know I hear a lot of different theories about cardio that it makes me a little confused


**In the Morn or at Night**
Does it really make a difference some say that really doesn't matter as long as you do it others say do it on an empty stomach does it make that much difference ?

**30 minutes or 60 minutes**
Ok this is the argument I hear some personal trainers and fitness councelors say 20-30 minutes is all you need to burn fat other then that your just burning muscle. Then I talk to bodybuilders who think 45-60 minutes is essential and think that you are burning fat the whole entire time.

**How many a week**
Some say 2-3 is enough others think 5 or more is enough, well which is it. The ones who think 2-3 say that if you do anymore your body will adapt and you wont burn body fat, the bodybuilders that tell me otherwise say you can always burn fat

**Seperate or With workouts**
Again some say that you should do cardio seperatly sometimes on different days then workouts others say do it before or after a work out for 20-30 minutes ? If I do it before a work out wont I use up my testosterone and if I do it after won't I burn muscle ?

Would appreciate some insight

 

[My End Over Mad her]

The time spent on cardio I think is
based on how much calories you would like to burn,
primarily. First thing in the morning
cardio is the most beneficial in my opinion,
because your Glycogen stores are completely empty...
if you do it on an empty stomach later in the same
day I don't think you could burn as much fat.
As far as muscle I don't think there is much to
worry about as long as you make up for it in calories maybe?
A bodybuilder I know runs for like an hour and a half a day
and I havn't seen it hinder his muscles in any way.
I think if your trying to build muscle it would be harder
with more cardio (mainly because of caloric intake)
I think that 3-4 times a week is good.
The more days you do cardio the faster your matabolism
is, and the more fat burnt off. I prefer to do cardio
in the morning, not after my weightlifting as I
have no energy to use (or just want to rest after my workout)
These are my opinions, I would like to hear some more
science, and correct me if I am wrong.

 

[SCHNiKEN]

I think its different from person to person. You have to try and do all these things yourself and see how your body reacts. After trying things for a time you will eventually learn what works best for you and not what you heard. For example maybe someones metabolism is fast and cant run more then 2 or 3 times a week and not loose any muscle. The opposite would be someone who has a very slow metabolism that can run twice a day everyday and still not loose fat. I think all you can really do is take peoples advice from on here and try it. If it works for you great, if it doesnt then move on to something else. Eventually you will find what works for you in all aspects of your training.

 

[gymtime]

I think its different from person to person. You have to try and do all these things yourself and see how your body reacts. After trying things for a time you will eventually learn what works best for you and not what you heard. For example maybe someones metabolism is fast and cant run more then 2 or 3 times a week and not loose any muscle. The opposite would be someone who has a very slow metabolism that can run twice a day everyday and still not loose fat. I think all you can really do is take peoples advice from on here and try it. If it works for you great, if it doesnt then move on to something else. Eventually you will find what works for you in all aspects of your training.

Very well put.

What you are experiencing right now is called "information overload." You have all these testimonials about what works and what doesn't. You now have to take the information and apply it. Pick a program. Try 30 minutes a day, three days a week of am cardio, for example. Give it at least a month and see if you're experiencing benefits. If so, keep going, even try doing more. If not, try something completely different.

I believe that working out and dieting are about 50% research and 50% trial and error.

 

[The mann]

i'm with gymtime cause you are going to have to start somewhere to see what is going to work for you and 30 min a couple timesa week is a perfect start.

 

[_jaap_]

yeah listen to gymtime

 

[FitFossil]

Different strokes for different folks (original I know! ) But really, whether you do cardio for 30 minutes or an hour, morning or at night, or how many days a week, it should be somewhat challenging

I see so many people in the gym doing the same cardio all the time. They never break a sweat and their bodies never improve. They could be sleeping for all the good it's doing them. As your body adapts, you need to keep challenging it.

Just like it's possible to not do enough cardio, it's possible to do too much, where you start burning muscle. Everyone is different, and you just have to use trial and error to find your boundaries. When it starts getting easy, bump up the intensity. If your strength and muscle gains start suffering, cut back.

These boundaries will constantly change as you progress, so you have to monitor yourself all the time. Also, what worked as a beginner might not work later on. That's why there are so many theories, each worked for somebody at some time.