cardio-how much is enough

rmartineau9 · 01-26-2009, 02:43 PM

i just recently started working out again. i am looking to drop about 15 lbs and get down to between 15-17% bodyfat. right now i am eating about 1400-1500 calories a day and doing weights 3 times a week and cardio 2 others. should i be doing more cardio? and what is the right amount?

chazzy1864 · 01-26-2009, 02:52 PM

The right amount of cardio is however much you need to reach your goal.

However, going by your numbers, I think your deciding factor is the diet. I'm not great with female diets, but I don't think you're getting enough calories, given 3x weights and 2x cardio. Your body can start storing fat if it doesn't get enough calories to handle the daily duties.

But, given the diet numbers are right(remember I'm more familiar with guys numbers), 3 weights and 2 cardio should work just fine.

GainThis · 01-26-2009, 02:57 PM

You'll want to eat a titch more if you're working that hard to get the results you want. You may put on a bit of lean muscle (while losing the fat), but according to 99.9% of the guys in this board, they find that damned attractive.

It's a win-win in your case.

dkemano42 · 01-26-2009, 03:23 PM

i just recently started working out again. i am looking to drop about 15 lbs and get down to between 15-17% bodyfat. right now i am eating about 1400-1500 calories a day and doing weights 3 times a week and cardio 2 others. should i be doing more cardio? and what is the right amount?

Eat a little more (maybe 1800) and do 25 min interval cardio after every weight workout.

DK

Big_T-Loc · 01-26-2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkemano42

i just recently started working out again. i am looking to drop about 15 lbs and get down to between 15-17% bodyfat. right now i am eating about 1400-1500 calories a day and doing weights 3 times a week and cardio 2 others. should i be doing more cardio? and what is the right amount?

Eat a little more (maybe 1800) and do 25 min interval cardio after every weight workout.

DK

BIG BUMP to that! Interval training is the way to go for cutting body fat and toning up! I did it last summer and lost close to 15 pounds in 3 months, without a fat burner! Just eat right and at the right times and work out hard

joojnla · 06-21-2009, 05:33 PM

I have the same goals. I see most people are suggesting that she eat more calories. How can a person who is trying to loose body fat consume more calories and drop bodyfat??[

QUOTE=Big_T-Loc;279610171]BIG BUMP to that! Interval training is the way to go for cutting body fat and toning up! I did it last summer and lost close to 15 pounds in 3 months, without a fat burner! Just eat right and at the right times and work out hard[/QUOTE]

fishscale4sale · 06-21-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joojnla

I have the same goals. I see most people are suggesting that she eat more calories. How can a person who is trying to loose body fat consume more calories and drop bodyfat??

If you eat too few calories and work out/do cardio a lot, your body will go into 'starvation mode', and it will hold on to as much fat as possible because it thinks you won't have enough food to eat. Basically, your metabolism goes way down...
By upping the calories a bit, the body sees that it is getting proper nutrition and metabolism goes back to normal, therefore allowing you to burn calories much easier.

shawnhafen · 06-21-2009, 09:14 PM

The big bellies are not from stored bodyfat.The swollen belly is due to ascites. A starving person's serum or blood protein levels are so low from the malnutrition the osmotic pressure pushes the fluid out of the vascular system into the intraperitoneal cavity . In other words, hypoalbuminemia and reduced plasma oncotic pressure favor the extravasation of fluid from the plasma to the peritoneal cavity

fishscale4sale · 06-21-2009, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shawnhafen

The big bellies are not from stored bodyfat.The swollen belly is due to ascites. A starving person's serum or blood protein levels are so low from the malnutrition the osmotic pressure pushes the fluid out of the vascular system into the intraperitoneal cavity . In other words, hypoalbuminemia and reduced plasma oncotic pressure favor the extravasation of fluid from the plasma to the peritoneal cavity

Thank you Dr. Shawn for your useless explanation of mumbo jumbo talk.

msm172021121 · 06-21-2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joojnla

I have the same goals. I see most people are suggesting that she eat more calories. How can a person who is trying to loose body fat consume more calories and drop bodyfat??[

QUOTE=Big_T-Loc;279610171]BIG BUMP to that! Interval training is the way to go for cutting body fat and toning up! I did it last summer and lost close to 15 pounds in 3 months, without a fat burner! Just eat right and at the right times and work out hard

[/QUOTE]

if you dont eat enough cals. your body will begin to store a higher % of the cals as fat, rather than use that fat as fuel and burn it off.