How long cardio needs to be?

[ZaKaSTeR911]

How long do I need to do a cardio session for cutting, and overall heart health? Don't have the patience to run miles and miles, or ride on a bike for hours, so would like to know if there are any other choices for me. Would be great to hear of your experiences.

 

[stevesmi]

how about hill work?

I don't recommend HIIT because it can really tear up your leg muscles as a weightlifter, but a lot of guys go that route cause they are pressed for time.

 

[Jay Scott]

How long do I need to do a cardio session for cutting, and overall heart health? Don't have the patience to run miles and miles, or ride on a bike for hours, so would like to know if there are any other choices for me. Would be great to hear of your experiences.

personally I do low intensity cardio, which could range from 30 minutes to 2 hours, but other people like to do HIIT which doesnt take more than 15

Its up to your preferences and goals

 

[muskate]

I recommend 30-45 minutes for a single session of cardio. Any more then that in a single session and you really risk getting catabolic and burning muscle tissue. If you need to do more then 45 minutes per day, it's best to split it up into two sessions.

My favourite piece of cardio equipment is the step mill. Very easy on the knees and if you use the machine where the steps actually revolve, it's impossible to cheat.

I would start with 30 minutes on the step mill 3 days per week and slowly increase the duration and number of cardio sessions from there.

 

[MasonicBodybuilder]

^^^step mill is a great option. I do this and drip sweat like crazy. It is definitely worth the time. I see too many people half assing cardio sessions.

 

[Lev Butlerov]

That would depend on the intensity of your cardio training. If it is low-paced approach, then you would need to do roughly 30 minutes of training. However, if you can do your cardio with intensity, then you can half that time, as long as you give 100% of yourself. Personally, that's what I like to do - several 100m sprints all out - works great for me. However, it is still good to do something different from time to time.

 

[fitmiss_]

I normally do 30-45 minutes of moderate cardio body-weight circuit cardio. Most of the time I do HIIT, though.