Cardio 3x per week, 5x per week? How much is too much??

[Nic5]

Hey all my beautiful body space people!!!! I need some help. I am 136lbs and I wish to be 125. Should I be doing cardio 3,4,5x per week? I have heard that doing too much cardio can negate your weight training results. Is this true? How do I find a balance? Should I be weight training 3x per week and cardio 5x? Please help. Give me sound advice... I am so lost....thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!!! XOXOXO.

[Sylvo]

Hey girl!

You and I are very comparable. I'm *ahem* 30, 5'4" and probably about 135 right now. My competition weight a few months back was 118. It is most definitely true that you can start burning right through that hard earned muscle if you do too much cardio. Currently, while I'm in off season (building muscle), I do only about 25 min of cardio 3x/week.

Are you just wanting to get down to that weight even if you lose muscle.

Diet plays a huge part (like 70%+) in what your physique looks like. What does your diet look like?

For me right now more weight training and little cardio. The cardio just keeps me in check for those extra calories I'm taking in right now.

[amystar5o]

Hey I just started a 12 week program Iam 48/f wish me luck!!

[Ronnie Rowland]

Originally Posted by Nic5

Hey all my beautiful body space people!!!! I need some help. I am 136lbs and I wish to be 125. Should I be doing cardio 3,4,5x per week? I have heard that doing too much cardio can negate your weight training results. Is this true? How do I find a balance? Should I be weight training 3x per week and cardio 5x? Please help. Give me sound advice... I am so lost....thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!!! XOXOXO.

Can you provide us with more information please.

It depends on a few things:

1) The length of each cardio session.

2) The length of your weight training sessions.

3) The intensity of your cardio sessions.

[Nic5]

Hi there! Thanks for the reply. Well no I do not want to lose the little muscle that I just put on. Should I focus on losing the 10 lbs first and then build muscle after? How do I do it simultaneously? Do you think 25 minutes per day is enough cardio for me to lose the 9 lbs.. along with a clean diet?

Originally Posted by Sylvo

Hey girl!

You and I are very comparable. I'm *ahem* 30, 5'4" and probably about 135 right now. My competition weight a few months back was 118. It is most definitely true that you can start burning right through that hard earned muscle if you do too much cardio. Currently, while I'm in off season (building muscle), I do only about 25 min of cardio 3x/week.

Are you just wanting to get down to that weight even if you lose muscle.

Diet plays a huge part (like 70%+) in what your physique looks like. What does your diet look like?

For me right now more weight training and little cardio. The cardio just keeps me in check for those extra calories I'm taking in right now.

[Nic5]

Good luck!!! Wish me luck as well.

[Nic5]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Rowland

Can you provide us with more information please.

It depends on a few things:

1) The length of each cardio session.

2) The length of your weight training sessions.

3) The intensity of your cardio sessions.

Hello! How are you?! Ok I usually do 45-60 minutes of cardio 3x per week. I walk on incline 10 for 45 minutes, or I run alternating between 3 and 5 speed. Or sometimes I just walk on speed 3 or 4 for 45-60 minutes.
My weight training sessions are about 30-45 minutes long.. I rotate now from upper body one day to lower body the next. I am doing that 2-3x per week. Should I focus on losing 10 lbs first with cardio only or can I do it simultaneously?

[Ronnie Rowland]

Originally Posted by Nic5

Hello! How are you?! Ok I usually do 45-60 minutes of cardio 3x per week. I walk on incline 10 for 45 minutes, or I run alternating between 3 and 5 speed. Or sometimes I just walk on speed 3 or 4 for 45-60 minutes.
My weight training sessions are about 30-45 minutes long.. I rotate now from upper body one day to lower body the next. I am doing that 2-3x per week. Should I focus on losing 10 lbs first with cardio only or can I do it simultaneously?

Nic, you should always continue weight training when losing weight or most of the weight lost will be in the form of muscle-hence slow down your metabolism. Remember muscles are what increases the rate at which you burn calories while you sitting around doing nothing.

For now, I think you should keep your weight training to 45 minuites 3 days per week and do 45 minutes of moderate intensity cardio after each training session. Put more effort into eating a clean diet high in protein, replace healthy fats with hi GI carbs, consume less over-all carbs with an emphasis on lower GI carbs. And steer clear of HIT or HIIT cardio. Stay around 70% vo2 max.

Feel free to post a sample of your daily diet for me to look at.

Keep me updated!

[Nic5]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Rowland

Nic, you should always continue weight training when losing weight or most of the weight lost will be in the form of muscle-hence slow down your metabolism. Remember muscles are what increases the rate at which you burn calories while you sitting around doing nothing.

For now, I think you should keep your weight training to 45 minuites 3 days per week and do 45 minutes of moderate intensity cardio after each training session. Put more effort into eating a clean diet high in protein, replace healthy fats with hi GI carbs, consume less over-all carbs with an emphasis on lower GI carbs. And steer clear of HIT or HIIT cardio. Stay around 70% vo2 max.

Feel free to post a sample of your daily diet for me to look at.

Keep me updated!

Ok I have a question- What is HIT or HIIT cardio?? I will switch what I've been doing and check back again soon with results.. Thanks and have fab day! Thanks a million!

[saint sinner x]

Originally Posted by Nic5

Ok I have a question- What is HIT or HIIT cardio?? I will switch what I've been doing and check back again soon with results.. Thanks and have fab day! Thanks a million!

This is right up on my turf. HIIT (High intensity Interval Training), The most supreme cardio work out you'll ever have. One minute slow, the next fast, or switch it around two minute slow the next two minute fast, when I say fast I mean full speed. The maximum you should do would be 30 minutes, I was doing 4 days a week of HIIT cardio and it did slowed down my muscle gain, however I only do hiit on non weight training days. It is also very important that you do it on an empty stomach, or that you do it after weight training to tap into the store bodyfat.