Can you do TOO MUCH CARDIO?

[johntaylorny]

Is it possible that too much cardio is not good? I'm 72" tall weigh 177lbs and 18%BF. I'm trying to reduce my BF. I'm going cardio 7 days a week in the form of a bike ride at 13-15mph for 60-80 mins. Some folks tell me this is too much. I haven't started weight lifting yet though.

[Serpens Aeon]

You can do too much of anything. So yes, too much cardio can indeed be a "bad" thing for your goals. I'm almost absolutely certain you'll have to decrease your cardiovascular workload significantly if you start weight training lest you burn out.

[nitrored]

Originally Posted by johntaylorny

Is it possible that too much cardio is not good? I'm 72" tall weigh 177lbs and 18%BF. I'm trying to reduce my BF. I'm going cardio 7 days a week in the form of a bike ride at 13-15mph for 60-80 mins. Some folks tell me this is too much. I haven't started weight lifting yet though.

what are your goals... if you want to get really good at riding a bike at 13-15mph for 60-80 mins, then this might be a good way to go about it.

[msundi83]

i find that even if i'm eating enough to grow, too much cardio just doesn't allow me to hit the gym properly. there is a point where you can eat a ton of food, but it won't be enough to recover you from too much cardio. if you reach that point since you can't remedy it by eating more you'll just have to lower the amount of cardio if you want to make strength and mass gains.

[VikingMan]

Specific adaptation. That's the name of the game. What do you want to be?

A muscle bound monster that carries the strength of ages in his arms?

Or a biking/running weasel, puking his way down the road?

You can't be both.

The choice... is clear.

Go ye therefore lifting heavy ****, in the name of the barbell, the plate, and the power rack.

[jp6v]

Originally Posted by johntaylorny

Is it possible that too much cardio is not good?

Do you know where the our modern day marathon -- the 26 mile race -- comes from? I'm going to spoil the ending: the guy died after running 26 miles.

Yes, it is possible that too much cardio is not good.

[porterror]

Let me just say. I've run cross country for 4 years in high school and we ran every....every day and I was fine and my body fat was below 10% and started around 19%. It was my fall sport though and running got changed up alot, 1 day would be easy jog (very log distance), 1 day would be sprints + short jog, 1 day bleachers and jumping exercies + jogging, etc)

[VikingMan]

Originally Posted by porterror

Let me just say. I've run cross country for 4 years in high school and we ran every....every day and I was fine and my body fat was below 10% and started around 19%. It was my fall sport though and running got changed up alot, 1 day would be easy jog (very log distance), 1 day would be sprints + short jog, 1 day bleachers and jumping exercies + jogging, etc)

Nobody is saying that there is anything wrong with high amounts of aerobic cardio, simply that it is not condusive to muscular body weight gains. Would a large amount of additional muscle have been an advantage or a disadvantage for all your running in high school? As part of the bodies adaptation to the activity, it will drop body weight, both fat and muscle, in order to get better at the stimulus.

Now, of course, one has to weigh what you want more. More muscle? Or better ability to run/bike? If you are truly okay not being as muscular, then keep on running. Cause you will be hard pressed to add much additional muscular body weight while engaging in high amounts of aerobic activity.

[DCU]

Originally Posted by VikingMan

Go ye therefore lifting heavy ****, in the name of the barbell, the plate, and the power rack.

And the people said AMEN.

[sick+tired]

VikingMan, what if the aerobic activity involves high intensity (as in using a weight close to 1RM, not that HIT crap) muscle contraction? IE: Sprints. If I am doing Interval Sprints 2-3 times a week, will this hinder my quest to add muscular bodyweight?

I am still at the linear progression stage of lifting.

[Murphy1979]

Theres no such thing as too much cardio so long as you eat enough that you dont loose muscle mass with the fat.


Go ahead and do 3hrs of cardio on you off days. and make sure it is your off day. Weight training will make you lose wieght far faster combined with cardio alone, thats why fat people who just use the stationary bike stay fat.


and dont be afraid to eat, so long as its clean you cant really over eat(if your lifting hard and doing alot of quality cardio)

[SWW007]

You're tall skinny and fat. When I ran track I was tall skinny and fat like you. I ran and did cardio all the time. Lift weights. Too much cardio at least for me made me skinny fat.

[rugbyman12]

Originally Posted by sick+tired

VikingMan, what if the aerobic activity involves high intensity (as in using a weight close to 1RM, not that HIT crap) muscle contraction? IE: Sprints. If I am doing Interval Sprints 2-3 times a week, will this hinder my quest to add muscular bodyweight?

I am still at the linear progression stage of lifting.

I don't know for sure, but with correct diet i do not think this would hinder your goals. If you look at professional sprinters or rugby players for example they are very well muscled yet must sprint train very regularly.

[VikingMan]

Originally Posted by sick+tired

VikingMan, what if the aerobic activity involves high intensity (as in using a weight close to 1RM, not that HIT crap) muscle contraction? IE: Sprints. If I am doing Interval Sprints 2-3 times a week, will this hinder my quest to add muscular bodyweight?

I am still at the linear progression stage of lifting.

If it involves high levels of muscular contraction, it is no longer aerobic activity, it is now anaerobic activity and is actually conducive to muscular gains.

Originally Posted by Murphy1979

Theres no such thing as too much cardio so long as you eat enough that you dont loose muscle mass with the fat.


Go ahead and do 3hrs of cardio on you off days. and make sure it is your off day. Weight training will make you lose wieght far faster combined with cardio alone, thats why fat people who just use the stationary bike stay fat.


and dont be afraid to eat, so long as its clean you cant really over eat(if your lifting hard and doing alot of quality cardio)

There is a TON more at stake here than JUST calories expended. It gets into specific adaptation. Why would the body adapt to large amounts of running by getting bigger? It's just not going to happen.

There is a rather VAST amount of real world evidence right in front of you. How many sprinters, soccer players, football players, hockey players, etc. have great BBing like bodies? Most of them. Why? TONS of Anaerobic work. How many long distance runners and cyclists have great BBing like bodies. Almost none of them. Why? Aerobic work.

[Chicken Arms]

I can't believe how many people actually believe(not talking about anyone here) that running, biking, skating etc will make your legs actually grow. I've actually had people tell me that I need to do more things like biking and sports to bulk up my legs. Idiots. And the thing is, none of these guys have even done a squat before. It pisses me off.

Anyways that was my rant, lol

[porterror]

Originally Posted by Chicken Arms

I can't believe how many people actually believe(not talking about anyone here) that running, biking, skating etc will make your legs actually grow. I've actually had people tell me that I need to do more things like biking and sports to bulk up my legs. Idiots. And the thing is, none of these guys have even done a squat before. It pisses me off.

Anyways that was my rant, lol

Um...running/biking will make your legs grow. Where are you getting your info? Obviously not as drastically as doing squats, but still will make it grow muscle better than sitting on the couch.

I've usually only done squats, but since I started running + squats I've seen alot better muscle development and alot more definition.

[msundi83]

Originally Posted by porterror

Um...running/biking will make your legs grow. Where are you getting your info? Obviously not as drastically as doing squats, but still will make it grow muscle better than sitting on the couch.

I've usually only done squats, but since I started running + squats I've seen alot better muscle development and alot more definition.

Sprinting maybe...jogging? No. you are activating the smallest fibers with the least growth potential. Any growth you've seen since you started running (if you mean jogging) is due to some other factor...not the running. Its just a coincidence the two coincideded.

[porterror]

My running is very instense for 5k training, so I wouldn't be jog. But, biking will definitly build muscle. But, its always dependent on how intense you do the activities.

Same goes for lifting weights. You could do squats all day with no intensity at all....and your legs won't grow. Same thing goes for these activities.

[nitrored]

Originally Posted by porterror

Um...running/biking will make your legs grow.

No not really... fine more than sitting on a couch but thats it, they will get too a certain puny size bigger than a couch potato's and then never grow again... end of story.

Further arguement will only go to prove how small your legs are...

[VikingMan]

Originally Posted by porterror

My running is very instense for 5k training, so I wouldn't be jog. But, biking will definitly build muscle. But, its always dependent on how intense you do the activities.

Same goes for lifting weights. You could do squats all day with no intensity at all....and your legs won't grow. Same thing goes for these activities.

Your running might feel very intense, but it's **** for building muscle. It's intense cardiovascularly, but unless your sprinting, the muscular contractions just aren't hard enough to have much impact on muscular size, and in fact, will most likely cause the reverse to occur. Enough aerobic activity, and your body will drop muscular weight so that it can get better at the running.

[Jroe]

Originally Posted by porterror

Um...running/biking will make your legs grow. Where are you getting your info? Obviously not as drastically as doing squats, but still will make it grow muscle better than sitting on the couch.

I've usually only done squats, but since I started running + squats I've seen alot better muscle development and alot more definition.

I read an article recently that stated those who bike as oppossed to run will see up to 8% more growth in there quads....mostly on the outside muscle.

[gfundaro]

Originally Posted by Jroe

I read an article recently that stated those who bike as oppossed to run will see up to 8% more growth in there quads....mostly on the outside muscle.

Yea, actually talking to some figure competitors I've heard that we should avoid the cycling classes if our quads are already large, since it can add size because of the high resistance. I don't know, I do a lot of darn cardio of all types, and my legs aren't getting any smaller lol.

[porterror]

Just cause you body builders have no cardio abilities, doesn't mean you got to bash ;-P j/k.

I completely understand that squats will build thicker muscle quicker than running/biking. But, you can't go saying that these types of exercises don't have any affect on your muscle growth at all.

These two activities squats/running&biking build muscle, but different type is what is being confused. One is fast twitch and one is slow twitch. You guys are confusing visiable muscle growth vs. actual muscle growth.

[Jroe]

Originally Posted by porterror

You guys are confusing visiable muscle growth vs. actual muscle growth.

so if something grows you can't see it grow?

[Random907]

Too much of anything is a possibility.

If you run too much, then you have the possibility of causing severe damage to your knees and possibilities of causing fracture lines to appear in your tibia(s).

Also in regards to the central nervous system and so forth.

[VikingMan]

Originally Posted by porterror

Just cause you body builders have no cardio abilities, doesn't mean you got to bash ;-P j/k.

I completely understand that squats will build thicker muscle quicker than running/biking. But, you can't go saying that these types of exercises don't have any affect on your muscle growth at all.

These two activities squats/running&biking build muscle, but different type is what is being confused. One is fast twitch and one is slow twitch. You guys are confusing visiable muscle growth vs. actual muscle growth.

You sure about that?



If the simulus is LARGE amounts of aerobic work, the adaptation is muscle LOSS. Why? Because as long as there is enough muscle there to perform the work, the ADDITIONAL muscle serves no purpose. It's just extra weight which makes the activity harder. I mean, which would you rather do? Run a marathon with a 100LB backpack on your back, or with just a tee shirt? So the body will literally get rid of the muscle in order to become more efficient at the primary kind of stimulus you are giving it. Go look at some pictures of your typical long distance runner. THEN go look at some pictures of your typical sprinter. VAST difference in the physiques of both.

[Twerp]

Originally Posted by porterror

Just cause you body builders have no cardio abilities, doesn't mean you got to bash ;-P j/k.

I completely understand that squats will build thicker muscle quicker than running/biking. But, you can't go saying that these types of exercises don't have any affect on your muscle growth at all.

These two activities squats/running&biking build muscle, but different type is what is being confused. One is fast twitch and one is slow twitch. You guys are confusing visiable muscle growth vs. actual muscle growth.

Back to the original question. Too much cardio - huh? Well, my 2c is that yes, you can certainly do too much cardio.

Endurance aerobic running is the least effective way to reduce your bf, whereas sprints (high intensity anaerobic interval training, or even HI Aerobic IT training) are much more effective. 3 Cardio sessions a week along with your training should be more than enough.

2nd point - I don't actually agree that aerobic activity increases muscle, but it also doesn't give you the added benefit that training or sprinting does so what's the point?

Explain, what's the difference between visable muscle growth and ACTUAL muscle growth????

[porterror]

Originally Posted by Jroe

so if something grows you can't see it grow?

(Two people)

- One runs/bikes 3x for 9 weeks and do not squat or do any leg exercises

- One squats 3x a week and does no bike/running for 9 weeks.

Both will build muscle in their legs. One will be more "visible" muscle growth in their legs and the other one will look to be less. But, actually both have built muscle just worked a different muscle fibre. One will be lacking muscle endurance while the other will be lacking muscle strength.

The goal in the end is to mix the two if your goal is balance. But, that might not be a hardcore body builders goal.

[gfundaro]

Originally Posted by VikingMan

You sure about that?



If the simulus is LARGE amounts of aerobic work, the adaptation is muscle LOSS. Why? Because as long as there is enough muscle there to perform the work, the ADDITIONAL muscle serves no purpose. It's just extra weight which makes the activity harder. I mean, which would you rather do? Run a marathon with a 100LB backpack on your back, or with just a tee shirt? So the body will literally get rid of the muscle in order to become more efficient at the primary kind of stimulus you are giving it. Go look at some pictures of your typical long distance runner. THEN go look at some pictures of your typical sprinter. VAST difference in the physiques of both.

That does make the most sense, the fast twitch muscle fibers may atrophy from very low use in comparison with the slow twitch muscle fibers. It seems that distance runners to just have the muscle that they need. But are we walking marathon and cross country runners, or your typical couple-miles-a-day runners? A couple times a week I do an hour long cardio session with running, speedwalking, sprinting, and bleachers. It's endurance, but I also incorporate the sprints. Other than that I've been performing my cardio in short bursts around my workout (running there, 20 minutes after lifting, then running back).

[VikingMan]

Originally Posted by gfundaro

That does make the most sense, the fast twitch muscle fibers may atrophy from very low use in comparison with the slow twitch muscle fibers. It seems that distance runners to just have the muscle that they need. But are we walking marathon and cross country runners, or your typical couple-miles-a-day runners? A couple times a week I do an hour long cardio session with running, speedwalking, sprinting, and bleachers. It's endurance, but I also incorporate the sprints. Other than that I've been performing my cardio in short bursts around my workout (running there, 20 minutes after lifting, then running back).

Well, as soon as you add the sprints into the mix, it completely changes the stimulus. Sprinting involved a MUCH higher level of muscular contraction, hitting the fast twitch fibers nicely, because the slow twitch just can't generate as much force. So, that sounds like a perfect conditioning regime for someone interested in retaining muscle and or building new muscle. The higher level of contraction makes the work much more anaerobic as opposed to simply aerobic. And that's the key.