How much is too much cardio?

[X_Rick_X]

I have a simple program I have been fallowing for the past 3 weeks now.

Monday (Heavy) – Chest / Shoulders / Triceps’s: 30min Cardio

Tuesday (Light)– Back / Biceps / Legs 30min Cardio

Wednesday – Off Day: 60min + Cardio

Thursday (Light) – Chest / Shoulders / Triceps’s: 30min Cardio

Friday (Heavy)– Back / Biceps’s / Legs 30 min Cardio

Heavy days I lift 6/10 reps and 3-4 sets

Light days I Lift 12/15 reps and 4 sets

I have been told that I’m wasting my time with that much cardio; it’s just a waste.

Any Truth to that?

 

[KillahBee]

also, what are your goals? I am cutting right now and do HIIT 4-5 times a week and some then walk on the treadmill for about 45 minutes on the 6th day. But I don't lose the weight too easily (damn metabolism). I was talking to a buddy of mine the other day who "complained" that he can't do more than 2 days of cardio or he loses weight (cry me a friggin river). It depends on the person and their goals, IMO.

 

[WoodyAllen]

I'm probably doing too much cardio right now but I'm absolutely paranoid of gaining fat (former fat guy). I had weeks where I logged over 7500 calories burned on the elliptical trainer. That combined with heavy lifting and no deconditioning periods in over 9 months drove me to what was either overtraining or the brink of it. I'm down to 5000 cals/week now-baby steps.

 

[Musclegirlaus]

l also have that trouble of balancing cardio and muscle gaining. l do cardio ~ 60 min every day (usually in the morning) which is rpm (spinning class) and am paranoid about losing muscle.. l do weights in the afternoon.. is this too much??

 

[USMC fighter]

for me 40 minutes a day is enough to keep my bodyfat% in the single digits, but i keep it real intense, around 170 beats per minute.

 

[cwc73]

Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm Strategic Deconditioning from HST. I am running 2 days on and 1 off. Usually 1-2 miles per day. I am preparing for an AF PFT though. I dropped considerable time off of my run time. The fastest I have ever run the 1.5 mile was 10:53 on an 1/8 mile track. If I didn't skip a lap yesterday, I ran a 10:17. I hope I can beat that today, but I drank 2 beers yesterday afternoon. I'm shooting for less than 9:37 on the 1.5 mile by next summer.

 

[USMC fighter]

hey cwc those are really good times! im still trying to get my 3 mile under 21 mins flat. ive been stuck at 21mins forever

 

[cwc73]

no way in hell do I think I could do that. I give it to you jarheads, you all are in the best shape of all of the services. Air Force Standards are so low, but I guess that is good for me because I don't consider myself fast. With a 10:12 or better run and a max on the pushups, situps, and waist measurement, I will make a 95 out of 100 on the PFT. I just wish I had the stamina or determination of you marines.
Hooah!

 

[triplej220]

I used to do the 2 mile for the Army APFT in 12:30 unfortunately two knee surgeries later i won't be able to run on the track anymore.....oh well there is always an elliptical...

 

[cwc73]

thats freaking flying too. what happened to your knees?

 

[triplej220]

tore the ACL in my right knee in Afghanistan, and apparently when i was at the hospital for that surgery they found out i had bones spurs in my left knee....So i'm limited on the cardio i can do.

 

[cwc73]

that sucks man. Did you get to see combat? Kill any ragheads? Thanks for doing you duty man.

 

[triplej220]

42 confirmed kills so far......Still proudly serving!!!! No problem its something i enjoy doing and it makes my job easier when i get a Thanks from somebody....Much better than being called a "baby killer".....I hate Hippies!!!!

lol

 

[cwc73]

Woah!!!! 42 seriously? I aint gonna F with you. that's for sure? What are you? I minigunner on the side of a chopper?

 

[triplej220]

Saw Gunner.....Its one of the Army's most casualty producing weapons. It wasn't that hard considering my squad was pinned down in Afghanistan......Just squeeze and aim but seriously thanks for the support.

 

[cwc73]

I bet you feel invincible with that weapon. Which did you prefer: short or long burst?

Oh, and sorry for highjacking the thread; this stuff is just too interesting.

 

[Beachbum1546]

i'm such a lazy fuck when it come to cardio. i have been trying to do it everyday this week. last time i ran for 7 minutes and all the other times have been under 10 minutes.

 

[cwc73]

work it up. I started personal running for 1 mi. then 1.25, 1.5 and so forth. I don't care to get over 1.75 mi because of weight loss.

 

[supreme]

Bro's don't sweat the cardio, for most of us its useless!

If you have a job or sport that requires long distance cardio then obviously you have to train for it but for body composition it sucks!!

Cardio produces the most cortisol of any activity , in fact the cortisol levels are so high some times it kills brain cells (Paul Chek told me this personally last week) I guess this explains why aerobics instructors are brain dead bimbos (hot, but brain dead!)

In fact top trainers and caoches like Poliquin and Chek are anti-cardio for all but their endurance athletes for if people train correclty and elevate their heart rate through sports, interval and high intensity weight training they increase their CV fitness.Again it must be relative to their goals / needs NOT what the media or a bunch of doctors tell them.

In fact I would watch out for doctors advice on nutrition and fitness for the research shows the average american live to approx. 78 years old, the avg. US doctor lives to 68!!

Check out these two articles for the real story on cardio:

http://www.charlespoliquin.net/spinning.cfm

http://www.mercola.com/2004/oct/2/cardio_training.htm

S

 

[triplej220]

Interesting articles both of them. It provides an interesting point of view on this subject. Great to point these articles out to the rest of us....

 

[Beachbum1546]

Bro's don't sweat the cardio, for most of us its useless!

If you have a job or sport that requires long distance cardio then obviously you have to train for it but for body composition it sucks!!

Cardio produces the most cortisol of any activity , in fact the cortisol levels are so high some times it kills brain cells (Paul Chek told me this personally last week) I guess this explains why aerobics instructors are brain dead bimbos (hot, but brain dead!)

In fact top trainers and caoches like Poliquin and Chek are anti-cardio for all but their endurance athletes for if people train correclty and elevate their heart rate through sports, interval and high intensity weight training they increase their CV fitness.Again it must be relative to their goals / needs NOT what the media or a bunch of doctors tell them.

In fact I would watch out for doctors advice on nutrition and fitness for the research shows the average american live to approx. 78 years old, the avg. US doctor lives to 68!!

Check out these two articles for the real story on cardio:

http://www.charlespoliquin.net/spinning.cfm

http://www.mercola.com/2004/oct/2/cardio_training.htm

S

so is running a mile everyday bad? what type of exercises does he like? i understood they dont like cardio but what do they like?

 

[supreme]

Read the articles! Especially Paul Chek's for he gives the scientific basis for not overdoing cardio.

Running is not bad if your job / sport requires it but you can gain CV fitness through other types of training that don't elevate cortisol or cause joint pain. Interval weight training gives the best of all worlds, strength, mass, power & CV fitness as long as you have the right program design and that goes back to what I always say" The program is only as good as the assessment & if you are not assessing you are guessing!" (Actually I got these from Poliquin & Chek- but they are right!)

Here is a link to Coach Poliquin's book on interval training:

http://www.cuttingedgenutrition.com/germanbodycomp.html

S

 

[Gigantasor]

And CRACK is good for you as well....