Enough Cardio ??

[blastertech70]

Quick rundown... 9 months ago 407 lbs, thru lifting/diet presently at 313 lbs with goal of 230 lbs.

45 min lift routine "every other day" plus walk to the gym which is 5 miles total at a moderate pace (replacement knee) and 1 hr on the stationary bike at moderate pace (14-16 mph)

Off "lift" days - 1 hr on stationary bike, (3) times a day for toal of three hrs at moderate pace (14-16 mph)

Keep in mind I am 313 lbs, is this a decent/exceptable amount of cardio or should I be pushing a little harder?

[freebirdmac]

In my humble opinion, you're already doing too much cardio. Diet is far more important than cardio. Weightlifting is number 2.

[blastertech70]

Originally Posted by freebirdmac

In my humble opinion, you're already doing too much cardio. Diet is far more important than cardio. Weightlifting is number 2.

I keep a daily log at 40-40-20 and aim for around 1800-2000 cals. My best calculation is I am at 2900 cal for maintenance. I have been lagging in calories the last few weeks and probably got to big of calorie deficit but I am trying to eat a bit more and keep it above 1800.

Explain why cardio is not that apparent for me, please.

[Griff79]

If I did that much cardio I would be 5% bodyfat. You are doing great, remember that Rome was not built in a day. It took a while to get to 313 it will take a while to get to 250.

Griff

[freebirdmac]

Originally Posted by blastertech70

I keep a daily log at 40-40-20 and aim for around 1800-2000 cals. My best calculation is I am at 2900 cal for maintenance. I have been lagging in calories the last few weeks and probably got to big of calorie deficit but I am trying to eat a bit more and keep it above 1800.

Explain why cardio is not that apparent for me, please.

Holy crap that's too big of a deficit! I don't know how tall you are but I've got your maintenance at almost 4000 cals. I'd get the cals up between 2500-3000 cals at 40/30/30. A lot of us small women lose at 1800 and more. You want to eat as much as you can while losing fat and keep your metabolism fired up. Don't be in too big of a hurry.

Cardio does not do as much as you think and can be catabolic while at a deficit.

http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/...icexercise.htm
http://www.alwyncosgrove.com/hierarchy-of-fat-loss.html

[blastertech70]

Originally Posted by freebirdmac

Holy crap that's too big of a deficit! I don't know how tall you are but I've got your maintenance at almost 4000 cals. I'd get the cals up between 2500-3000 cals at 40/30/30. A lot of us small women lose at 1800 and more. You want to eat as much as you can while losing fat and keep your metabolism fired up. Don't be in too big of a hurry.

Cardio does not do as much as you think and can be catabolic while at a deficit.

http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/...icexercise.htm
http://www.alwyncosgrove.com/hierarchy-of-fat-loss.html

LMAO..

I am 5'8"" and 313 lbs with 35.7% BF and 195 lb lean mass ( per doctor calculations)

I am sure your right, it's true I am in too much a hurry .... LMAO again.

I'm working on eating more.. when you got a "big Mac" and a "Pizza" in front of your face eating 5000 cal is a sinch.

However when your eating good protein, complex carbs and shooting for 20% fat it isn't so easy and to be truthful I am full as all hell and my appitite is way down.

[ygohome]

i was one of those who thought cardio is the only way. Well, it did help me lose alot of fat, that is for sure. But also muscle. I do less cardio than I was but I still run everyday just because it feels great and I'm working up to do some organized runs (mini/half marathons, triathalons, etc).

now that I'm down to a low low body fat I'm eating even more than before and doing higher weights/less reps. It is really making a difference for me and my muscles are growing instead of shrinking as before.

If you do ALOT of cardio as your cutting be sure to eat alot (appropriate amount) of healthy lean foods too. I eat alot of chicken... so much that I'll probably turn into one. I'm learning alot as I go... I was never really much into the whole bodybuilding thing until recently so don't trust everything I say. lol. just thought I'd comment cuz I was a mega cardio person too but am changing the routine up lately and seeing the benefits

CONGRATS ON YOUR PROGRESS BY THE WAY! Your obviously doing something right if you've lost 100 lbs. wow. Just don't go crazy or someone may find you passed out on one of the cardio machines.

[freebirdmac]

Originally Posted by blastertech70

I keep a daily log at 40-40-20 and aim for around 1800-2000 cals. My best calculation is I am at 2900 cal for maintenance. I have been lagging in calories the last few weeks and probably got to big of calorie deficit but I am trying to eat a bit more and keep it above 1800.

Explain why cardio is not that apparent for me, please.

Originally Posted by blastertech70

LMAO..

I am 5'8"" and 313 lbs with 35.7% BF and 195 lb lean mass ( per doctor calculations)

I am sure your right, it's true I am in too much a hurry .... LMAO again.

I'm working on eating more.. when you got a "big Mac" and a "Pizza" in front of your face eating 5000 cal is a sinch.

However when your eating good protein, complex carbs and shooting for 20% fat it isn't so easy and to be truthful I am full as all hell and my appitite is way down.

I can relate! Eating so-called clean food means eating a lot of food. When I first started I had to force feed myself and try not to puke. Literally. And that is what you have to do. It may seem ironic to have to force yourself to eat now, but you do. The good news is you will adjust and your hunger will return. Eating like you are leads to muscle loss and lowering of your metabolism which leads to slower fat loss.

We all would like overnight results. Give yourself a break and permission to do it right over a longer period of time. Time will go by much faster than you realize.

[blastertech70]

Thanks "everyone" keep it coming. The best thing about this site is you get so many great experiences/advice from individuals.

BTW..This site is helping to change and save my life..really !!

[kathyfit]

Another thing about being on that bike for so long is the possibility of burnout. Once you burn out, then its much harder to get to the gym and get your workout in.

Keep eating the right foods and lifting and keep up with some cardio, maybe try breaking your cardio sessions into 2, 30 min sessions a day with day off during the week.

Keep up the hard work!! Congrats on the weight loss!

[kimm4]

Freebird's numbers are correct, def get those calories up.

Diet, weight training and some cardio...in this order.

Congrats nice work, keep going!!

[phil b]

your body will adapt big time to that much cardio, and your catabolic friend cortisol will be kicking in big time. Just look at long distance runners, I know quite a few, and they plateau, and their body is now very efficient at running 10, 15, 20 miles, and NONE of them I know are really that lean, mostly soft with a lack of muscle. Diet is 70-80%

[blastertech70]

Guys ,

9 months ago I could barley get out of the wheelchair and walk 30 feet. I quess I didn't realize ,that what I was doing for cardio was considered a lot.

I decided I will take Sunday (off lift day) and just take a full day off without cardio. And during the other (off lift days) trim my cardio to 2 hrs the same as my 2 hr walk during my lift days.

will see what that does !!

Thanks all

[lauren921]

Interesting thread. I know several people who run marathons and they aren't exactly fit looking. They're not fat, but they don't even look as good as I do. Hope that didn't come off as vain but I figure if you can run for 26 miles you should look better than me

[blastertech70]

Originally Posted by lauren921

Interesting thread. I know several people who run marathons and they aren't exactly fit looking. They're not fat, but they don't even look as good as I do. Hope that didn't come off as vain but I figure if you can run for 26 miles you should look better than me

Wow, you lost 115 lbs ??

you look great, great job !!!!!

[jackfit]

Congrats on the great progress! I think you will eventually break down from that much cardio. I do 80min a day, any more and I start to really feel it. Someone said it before --
kitchen is best place to lose weight.

[snoack]

Originally Posted by lauren921

Interesting thread. I know several people who run marathons and they aren't exactly fit looking. They're not fat, but they don't even look as good as I do. Hope that didn't come off as vain but I figure if you can run for 26 miles you should look better than me

you'd be amazed. I haven't run a marathon yet, but I've run a couple 5ks and some of the people who've passed me have made me shake my head in disbelief.

[lauren921]

Originally Posted by blastertech70

Wow, you lost 115 lbs ??

you look great, great job !!!!!

Thanks so much! I'm not saying all endurance athletes look that way, but I've always wondered how some people can run/exercise so much and still not look that great. One of my friends does several marathons a year so she runs at least 15-20 miles on the weekends, plus does bootcamp almost everyday. I asked her if she had to eat like a horse and she said "actually, no."

[shlape]

Originally Posted by blastertech70

Off "lift" days - 1 hr on stationary bike, (3) times a day for toal of three hrs at moderate pace...

Sounds a little excessive with the cardio but I don't know your goals. I'll tell you what I'm doing and let all scrutinise - the feedback might be good for me :-D

I'm assuming you are an Endomorph body type (prone to putting on body fat). I have a few questions for you though:
How you you feel after finishing the 3rd 1hr session? What's your body 'telling' you? Losing energy/strength over time and lower libido are good warning signs of overdoing it.
What are you goals in the gym? Bulk? Tone? Weight loss only?

I consider myself an Endomorph body type, and having looked up several articles about training for this body type, it appears the general conclusion is my routine needed to be aerobic, i.e. high intensity.

For my routine (attempting to bulk up) I aim at a 45 minute max. routine. From what I've read, approx. 45mins is the point when testosterone drops off. This is of course an approximate. I train 2 days with weights, followed by a cardio day, followed by 2 more weight days, followed by a day off... then repeat.
On my weight days, I do a HIT routine which wraps up in approx. 20 to 25mins. Straight after I do cardio at 80% max heart rate (I use a HRT monitor) making up the remaining 45 minutes. On a cardio day, I do 40mins at 80% max heart rate followed by some ab work.

I take in about 3400cals with a protein-carbs-fat ratio of approx 35-35-30. Starchy carbs up until about mid day. Fibrous carbs toward the evening.

At the moment I'm off the caffeine for a while. From what I read, caffeine increases cortisol secretion. Cortisol promotes fat storage and make your liver unhappy. Your liver is your best training partner when attempting to gain muscle size; I found out personally what it means to 'push the limits'. In time I'll see what effects come out of it.

As mentioned, feel free to critique the routine. I just thought I'd provide some ideas for your own routine.

[blastertech70]

Originally Posted by shlape

Sounds a little excessive with the cardio but I don't know your goals. I'll tell you what I'm doing and let all scrutinise - the feedback might be good for me :-D

I'm assuming you are an Endomorph body type (prone to putting on body fat). I have a few questions for you though:
How you you feel after finishing the 3rd 1hr session? What's your body 'telling' you? Losing energy/strength over time and lower libido are good warning signs of overdoing it.
What are you goals in the gym? Bulk? Tone? Weight loss only?

I consider myself an Endomorph body type, and having looked up several articles about training for this body type, it appears the general conclusion is my routine needed to be aerobic, i.e. high intensity.

For my routine (attempting to bulk up) I aim at a 45 minute max. routine. From what I've read, approx. 45mins is the point when testosterone drops off. This is of course an approximate. I train 2 days with weights, followed by a cardio day, followed by 2 more weight days, followed by a day off... then repeat.
On my weight days, I do a HIT routine which wraps up in approx. 20 to 25mins. Straight after I do cardio at 80% max heart rate (I use a HRT monitor) making up the remaining 45 minutes. On a cardio day, I do 40mins at 80% max heart rate followed by some ab work.

I take in about 3400cals with a protein-carbs-fat ratio of approx 35-35-30. Starchy carbs up until about mid day. Fibrous carbs toward the evening.

At the moment I'm off the caffeine for a while. From what I read, caffeine increases cortisol secretion. Cortisol promotes fat storage and make your liver unhappy. Your liver is your best training partner when attempting to gain muscle size; I found out personally what it means to 'push the limits'. In time I'll see what effects come out of it.

As mentioned, feel free to critique the routine. I just thought I'd provide some ideas for your own routine.

Sounds like you have a solid plan, I am nobody to be criticising others attemps and accomplishments. LMAO

I'm no doubt an endomorf, but I have always had (when younger) good body mass and muscle. When I progressed into my forty's I managed to get into the 250 lb range and I slowly progressed to 300 plus pounds as I neglected myself and became less active. Had a industrial accident loss part of my left hand/ tendon an nerve damage, knee replacement, depression...long story. But thats behind me and this is now.

My goals is no doubt "fat loss" and I know many say concentrate on one thing at a time either fat loss or building muscle. I'm not taking that advice well, weight lifting has been my "motivator" and I beleive that I can still build muscle /mass and look good enough to accomplish what I want. I do not wish to have washboard ab's with 6% body fat.

I have always been big armed/chesty and I think if I get down to an axcepptable weight I will look fine and be happy enough to meet my goals. I don't expect to look like Jay Cutler but I can have some mass/muscle enough to look good at 50 yrs old and feel healthy.

This is a pic a few years old and I was around 285-290 lb in the pic and was on a weight routine at the time. I'm the one in the blue t-shirt in the middle. But it gives you an idea of my build, I still have the basic build just a few lbs heavier at the moment.

[shlape]

Originally Posted by blastertech70

I'm no doubt an endomorf, but I have always had (when younger) good body mass and muscle.

Sounds like you're somewhere between endomorph and mesomorph (athletic build). If that's your case be careful about going too extreme on the cardio. As a rule of thumb (as I've read about it) ectomorph = little to no cardio, mesomorph = moderate cardio, endomorph = workhorse! Obviously most of it comes down to trial and error too.
From experience, an endomorph couldn't really describe themselves as having a 'good body mass and muscle'. They're more likely to be nicknamed doughboy. :-)
That wasn't my nickname when I was young but I have a picture (somewhere) of me 'bursting at the seams'. It's different these days at approx. 10-12% BF. It takes some work though.

Let us know how your routine goes.

[Mucmor]

Originally Posted by shlape

Sounds like you're somewhere between endomorph and mesomorph (athletic build). If that's your case be careful about going too extreme on the cardio. As a rule of thumb (as I've read about it) ectomorph = little to no cardio, mesomorph = moderate cardio, endomorph = workhorse! Obviously most of it comes down to trial and error too.
From experience, an endomorph couldn't really describe themselves as having a 'good body mass and muscle'. They're more likely to be nicknamed doughboy. :-)
That wasn't my nickname when I was young but I have a picture (somewhere) of me 'bursting at the seams'. It's different these days at approx. 10-12% BF. It takes some work though.

Let us know how your routine goes.

Hiya,
sounds like you have got the weight moving off, so you doing great.
On your walk to the gym, perhaps try doing interval training; going faster for 1 minute, then regular pace for a minute, then faster again for a minute.
Slow build up until you are going fast for 5 minutes, slower for 5 minutes, faster for 5 minutes and so on.
I think this interval type training can really help.
G'luck now.

[blastertech70]

Originally Posted by Mucmor

Hiya,
sounds like you have got the weight moving off, so you doing great.
On your walk to the gym, perhaps try doing interval training; going faster for 1 minute, then regular pace for a minute, then faster again for a minute.
Slow build up until you are going fast for 5 minutes, slower for 5 minutes, faster for 5 minutes and so on.
I think this interval type training can really help.
G'luck now.

Thats a great ideal, I never thought of incorperating that into my walk. !!!!

[blastertech70]

Originally Posted by shlape

Sounds like you're somewhere between endomorph and mesomorph (athletic build).

At some point in time when I was younger I would say deff yes. As things are now, I am an "endo" but I do have a tendancy to be stocker with a little more muscle then most fat guys, lol

[shlape]

Originally Posted by Mucmor

On your walk to the gym...

Walk? To the gym?? In this weather???
It was -5C (23F) this morning. I was so cold parts of me felt feminine.
I can recall summer and that 46C (114F) day. Summer, o' how I miss thee! ;-(