How much cardio do YOU do?

[loracolson]

A lot of people ask me, "How much cardio do you do?" If they only knew? I really don?t do very much! I do 10-20 minutes every other day?Sometimes every 3 days! Quite a change from my old style of working out, and look at my results now. http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/loracolson/

And the blogpost "Quit the CARDIO ADDICTION!!" http://blog.bodybuilding.com/loracol...dio-addiction/

[imzadi]

Oh thank GAWD!!

I hate cardio (well, the kind you do in the gym anyway...hiking anyone?)

Glad to know you can have good results without endless hours on some stationary device that gets you nowhere!!

So...do you do HIT strength training? Can you explain your typical routine/split?

[Peanut_Butter]

30 minutes twice a week

[ntrllftr]

IMO you don't even need the amount of cardio that your still doing.

With proper diet, a certain level of bf can be maintained.
Especially if muscle gain is your main focus, as most of us in here are after.

I don't think it is needed at all unless prepping for a show to get under that BF% that diet alone can not get you to..

And still there are a rare few that will argue that as well.

[agsuper]

I was doing 40 mins 3-4 days a week when I was dropping off the fat. Now I am down to 20 min twice a week. BTW you pics look great good job.

[jdtemple]

I train Mon-Fri:

Mon/Wed/Fri PM:
10 min cardio warmup
Lift
20 min cardio

Tues/Thurs AM:
1 hour fasted cardio (Spin class)

I've only been on this schedule for 3 weeks (coming off a lifting injury), and have been kind of wondering if I'm doing too much cardio. While I was nursing my injury, I was doing fasted cardio every morning Mon-Fri.

Lean mass gains are my goal.

[Wayne Evans]

Originally Posted by loracolson

A lot of people ask me, "How much cardio do you do?" If they only knew? I really don?t do very much! I do 10-20 minutes every other day?Sometimes every 3 days! Quite a change from my old style of working out, and look at my results now. http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/loracolson/

And the blogpost "Quit the CARDIO ADDICTION!!" http://blog.bodybuilding.com/loracol...dio-addiction/

You look great and your hard work has worked well for you.

Cardio....I hate cardio....EXCEPT for on the weekends when I can involve my wife....ahem.

Good luck to you...

[beachguy498]

I'm doing 30 minutes 3 to 4 times per week. Just a nice 3.5 mph x 5 degree jog on the treadmill.

BG

[Raiden1969]

Only "incidental" cardio like stairs, walking far from car, etc...

[loracolson]

I do my HIIT cardio after my weight workout and with the current workout I'm doing, I do 10 minutes. I run on the treadmill on a level 4 incline. I start out at 3 mph for 30 seconds, then 5 mph for 30, then 8 mph for 30, then 3 mph for 30, then 8 mph for 30, and back and forth like that for 8 times doing the 8 mph, then cool down at 3 for a few minutes. It's pretty TOUGH!

[freebirdmac]

I was doing cardio 2x week. I'm currently down to once a week.

[loracolson]

Thanks! Haha! Love your cardio!

[namtrag]

I obviously am not doing enough. lol

It's similar to diet coke...you don't see in shape people drinking diet coke.

You also don't see lean people doing cardio! lol

[loracolson]

Well, what I have learned (took me a LONG time to learn it) is that the HIIT is harder, shorter, and WAY more effective. You want to do your interval training at the intensity to where you think you will throw up! But...You are only doing 10-20 minutes...so anyone can last for that, right? (That's what I always tell myself when I'm dying on the treadmill...Lol)

It's all about metabolism. When you are doing the intense interval cardio, you are jacking up your metabolism to where you are burning fat at a nice rate, ALL DAY LONG...even when you're sitting on the couch...taking a nap!

When you do slow, steady-state cardio, you are only burning some calories WHILE you are doing the exercise. With the HIIT, you are burning fat at an excelerated rate for 12 to as much as 48 hours after the workout!! THAT's return for your work.

HIIT is harder, but it takes a fraction of the time. I LOVE that it's over quick!

[namtrag]

Thanks, and yes, I just started incorporating HIIT, working up to 20-30 minutes!

[htown71]

4*30 per week...Generally slow pace steep incline.

[GnomusMaximus]

Not much, but I think looking at your pictures increases most males pulse rates.

Ok seriously, just started again. I'm doing my first strongman contest and there is a good bit of conditioning involved. Truth is I'm not worried what I look like but I'm going to need to do a whole lot of fast moving with weights in about 10 weeks.

[popmoon]

I think it depends what your current body and goals are ,, I am doing a 5k jog 4 days a week after lifting ..and a 10k 3 days a week when not lifting ... it has worked great as i wanted to cut the fat and keep as much size as possible so down 22lbs and the arms and chest stayed the same size but more defined and dropped 3 inches from the waist ..still want to lose another 10-12lbs than i will cut way back on the cardio .

[IdahoViking]

Formally I do 20:00 twice a week; I figure weekend activities constitute at least a third day.

[DerAlta]

I do 20 minutes before the weights, and 20 minutes after the weights. 4 days a week.

I'm still in fat loss mode, aiming for under 10%. At that time, I'll review what my cardio needs are and how lean I need to be for my goals.

[invega]

I'm in my 6th week of dieting and was gonna start cardio when I first started my cut at at least 2-3 times a week of a 20 min. jog. Well, in the last 6 weeks i've done cardio 3 times and am losing from what I can see, all fat with no muscle loss. I'll stick with no cardio until I plateau I guess. That is, if I plateau.

[bustasinclair]

Originally Posted by namtrag

I obviously am not doing enough. lol

It's similar to diet coke...you don't see in shape people drinking diet coke.

You also don't see lean people doing cardio! lol

You just insulted me while drinking my diet soda and planning my 3.1 mile run for tomorrow.....

[namtrag]

Originally Posted by bustasinclair

You just insulted me while drinking my diet soda and planning my 3.1 mile run for tomorrow.....

let me rephrase: you see a lot of fat people drinking diet coke, and doing hours on cardio

[Guinea-pig]

I hit the bike trail monday-friday one hour after my workout.

[Guff]

Originally Posted by namtrag

let me rephrase: you see a lot of fat people drinking diet coke, and doing hours on cardio

I drink Diet Coke...are you calling me fat????

[Mark42]

I've done no cardio for over 12 months, my BF has barely moved but I've gained 14lb of muscle. It took me a long time to realise that all the cardio I was doing was eating too much muscle. What works for me is a clean diet!

[dutter]

Originally Posted by Peanut_Butter

30 minutes twice a week

i do a 1/2 mile jog & 1/2 mile walk on the threadmill after every workout, mainly for the heart.

[EBA84]

About 2 hours a week off season and up to 5 hours a week precontest. In my opinion, cardio is just as important off season as it is precontest. Definitely keeps me leaner and seems to keep the metabolism humming.

[ironwill1]

Wow....you look fantastic, and when we were kids, we thought 40 was old....HUH!! I'm doing full body workouts 3 days with two cardio days of HIIT on an elliptical. Run til ur gonna die, then slow up for recovery, then run like fool again. Usually 5 min. warm-up, 20 min. HIIT then 5 min. cool down. Usually 4.2-4.6 miles. HR gets to 160ish which puts me well into anaerobic........but I like it. GR8 job. Very inspiring.

[Guff]

Smells a whole like like spam in here.