Best Time to do Cardio?

[mysteriouslady]

I am just beginning to really do cardio. I am trying to get at least 20-30 mins of cardio in 5-7 days a week. Right now I am mainly using my treadmill.
What is the best time of day to do cardio?
Morning?
Afternoon?
Evening?
or Both?

Thank You for you feedback.

Stephanie

[Mnelson2002]

I hear that it is really good to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. That doesn't work well for me. As long as you get it in is all that matters.

[mysteriouslady]

thanks for the input..I try to do cardio first thing in the morning but sometimes I dont get it in.

I was thinking possibly of trying to do cardio twice a day. But haven't managed to get that accomplished yet.

[mysteriouslady]

21 mins treadmill..walking-jogging intervals!!!!!

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by Mnelson2002

I hear that it is really good to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

no it is not. high cortisol levels + 8-hour fast = uh-oh.

do cardio when it suits you. and eat adequately beforehand.

[mysteriouslady]

thxs for the feedback..my man also says its best to do cardio on an empty stomach and first thing in the morning

[CynDaVaz]

I have never been able to handle cardio on an empty stomach. I either feel like I'm going to pass out or throw up.

[mysteriouslady]

I can do cardio on an empty stomach..but i have a hard time getting motivated first thing in the morning.
So i am trying different things.
Like today i weighted til 10 and did it gonna try to hit it again around 3.
But tomorrow I will have to do it first thing in the morning or i probably wont get two sessions in

[mysteriouslady]

I did what I said I was going to do...second session of cardio 21mins 1mil walking-jogging intervals...pat myself on the back


Tomorrow is leg day So I plan on only doing cardio before I work

[xplosivsf]

I find it better to do it mid morning after I have eaten something and hour or two prior, like my usual granola cereal or irish steel cut oatmeal and a protein shake. I read a study recently that people who eat a bowl of muesli cereal before-hand instead of toast and yogurt ended up burning twice as much fat in a 6 week period. I usually do an hour of cardio in the morning or early afternoon(depending on when I get to work) so I have to have some kind of fuel in me. In my experience, I dropped more weight doing it late night than early morning on an empty stomach.

[mysteriouslady]

So how much weight have you lost?

My man still swears by cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. He is a bodybuilder also on this site.

When I can I find it easier to do cardio in the mid morning and afternoon. I am way to busy at night for cardio most of the time.
We take walks during the summer months at night, but in the winter I prefer to use my treadmill. I hate the cold weather.

[xplosivsf]

Originally Posted by mysteriouslady

So how much weight have you lost?

My man still swears by cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. He is a bodybuilder also on this site.

When I can I find it easier to do cardio in the mid morning and afternoon. I am way to busy at night for cardio most of the time.
We take walks during the summer months at night, but in the winter I prefer to use my treadmill. I hate the cold weather.

I went from 180lbs and about 13% bf to 155lbs 7.5%bf. I of course was taking some supplements too and had a clean diet. Just go by when you feel the best after doing it. I find that I feel more motivated the rest of the day if I start earlier. I feel more confident and more energized anytime I do cardio, but more so during the day.

[hope27]

I'm old school and I do cardio first on an empty stomach. I don't know if it matters. It used to be easy because I worked out first thing in the morning - 3:30 A.M. so I couldnt imagine eating. Now I dont make it to the gym till around 11 so I try to leave two hours in between. I don't know if it matters if you have an empty stomach or not. If I eat than I train first and then do cardio but that is brutal. After I am done training, the last thing in the world I want to do is cardio.

If your aiming to try and do cardio twice a day perhaps set a reaslistc goal of maybe doing it three days a week.

[TurbulentFluid]

That sounds like LOADS of cardio to me... specially doing it on your leg day. I mean, if you don't HAVE to do it on a leg day... don't.

[Simpy]

The best time for cardio: a time when you'll actually do cardio. When I'm trying to cut, I usually schedule cardio in the morning and lifting in the afternoon. That way I'll have time for it. I only do this because it suits my schedule, not because it's better for me.

[Shoshona]

I've done cardio both ways, fasted and non fasted.
For me, at least, it depends on the cardio.

If it's HIIT, I have to eat first.

If it's Low intensity, then fasted is fine.

I've read many articles, both pro and con, about fasted vs. non fasted.

I determine how I feel when I wake up (4 a.m.) and then I decide whether or not to eat something first.

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by Shoshona

I've done cardio both ways, fasted and non fasted.
For me, at least, it depends on the cardio.

If it's HIIT, I have to eat first.

If it's Low intensity, then fasted is fine.

I've read many articles, both pro and con, about fasted vs. non fasted.

I determine how I feel when I wake up (4 a.m.) and then I decide whether or not to eat something first.

the whole point of cardio (from dieting point of view) is to create a calorie deficit. you burn calories. in order to burn tons of them you need high intensity which means physical stress which means eat beforehand.

i never understood how people who are fidgety about eating every 2-3 hours to prevent catabolism go and do cardio in a fasted state without a wink.

[Shoshona]

miranda....i AM one of the ones who gets fidgety about eating every two to three hours....and will cardio fasted without a wink.

But what you say makes sense.

So in reality, why do people cardio in a fasted state and swear by it? As I stated before, I've read both pro and con.

It would seem to me, from a common sense point of view, that after sleep, everything is depleted and needs to be replenished.....and, while I try not to follow blindly, I guess that's exactly what I'm doing. Sigh.

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by Shoshona

why do people cardio in a fasted state and swear by it? As I stated before, I've read both pro and con.

oh . . . because you use more fat as fuel during fasted cardio.

it's not about what you burn and when you burn it. it's about calories.

you're in a pretty vulnerable state first thing in the morning. a big bowl of oatmeal . . .ahhh . . .

[Shoshona]

Originally Posted by Miranda

oh . . . because you use more fat as fuel during fasted cardio.

it's not about what you burn and when you burn it. it's about calories.

you're in a pretty vulnerable state first thing in the morning. a big bowl of oatmeal . . .ahhh . . .

Not trying to be argumentative, but wouldn't that be the desire? To use more fat as fuel?

:::::loves oatmeal. Running to make some now. ::::::::::

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by Shoshona

wouldn't that be the desire? To use more fat as fuel?

of course. but if you have a calorie deficit you continuously burn fat.
how you create the deficit is not really important.

simply put, you're either fed or fasted. in the fed state (after a meal) you utilize and store fuel. in the fasted state (after the meal has entirely been digested) you use your energy stores. when you're dieting - getting less calories thus at a calorie deficit - you spend more time in the fasted state, burning fat.

[stella summers]

Wonderful posts. I've been pondering the famous argument of fasted cardio for a very long time.

[Shoshona]

and there are so many articles and threads devoted to fasted vs. fed...and good reasons given by those who do and those who don't.

One thing you said, Miranda, that does have resonance for me, is that the body, upon awakening is in a pretty vulnerable state....thinking out loud here, the few extra calories one might burn doing a fasted state cardio may not be worth the stress placed on the body first thing in the morning.

[fitqueeen]

I hope you're lifting weights too- if not, cardio until you turn blue, you'll be dissappointed! I wouldn't do cardio any more than 5 days a week- you gotta give your body a little rest or you'll burn out! Depending on your metabolism type, you may want to perform either low level, long duration sessions or shorter, high intensity sessions, or a little bit of both. I'd hire a qualified personal trainer to help if I were you.

There is a lot of debate about when is the best time to do cardio...The answer is, whenever you feel the most energetic! If you aren't really a morning person and you drag yourself to the cardio machine first thing, you're probably not going to have the same intensity that you would if you picked a time when you're alert and energetic. For some people, the morning is best. Others do better in the afternoon. You're going to get the biggest bang for your buck if you train whenever you can do so the most intensely- the greater the intensity, the better the overall calorie burning effect.

[mysteriouslady]

Thanks for all the wonderful post to my forum. Everyone seems to have there opinion on fed or fasted..so i will simply do what my body feels like. Most likely I will do both.

LOL I did not do cardio this morning..stayed in bed haha. I am not a morning person at all.

My man is a competitive body builder and tells me I need to do cardio everyone morning if i want to lose weight. But then again I do not always listen to him.(shame on me!) LOL he will tell you that tho.

Yes I do always do weight training..4 days a week right now..planning on adding one more day cuz I want to start hitting bis and tris. As for needing to hire a personal trainer LOL i basically have on at my beck and call and choice to listen to him half the time!

Having advice from others helps me too. When someone is your partner you tend to not always like what they have to say, its easy to say heck no I don't or can't do that when your not paying for there time. I do listen to him for the most part and watch him in the way he trains and implement some of what he does into my own training.

Once again thanks for the input all.

[pgb2006]

Originally Posted by mysteriouslady

Thanks for all the wonderful post to my forum. Everyone seems to have there opinion on fed or fasted..so i will simply do what my body feels like. Most likely I will do both.

I`d recommend walking,rowing or dancing to music Inside if it is really freezing cold so you won`t get sick and outside stuff if it is still nice and cool but not getting blustery and freezing for a slow burn cardio for first thing in the morning. Common sense will dictate your actions on this. There is difference between feeling like total crap and needing a snack before you go and waking up just a little sleepy and the sun comes out after you get going.

I`d have a glass of water first thing sipped gradually over about 10 minutes (because dehydration will make you feel awful)then bring some energy drink mixed with water and bring some little snack to have handy just in case. It is important to properly hydrate your body. I wouldn`t recommend having coffee especially if it makes you have to poop and you don`t want to have to hide behind trees(hopefully there Are trees and shrubs???!!!) a mile away from home. Another thing is with things getting the way they are I won`t go past my own property where I can be seen from the house and I have my attack dogs with me at all times and I have someone with me or waiting up on me in a car outside.

I have always had good energy reserves on my morning slow burn cardio as long as I have my vitamin/energy drink my body seems to draw out reserves and I feel as though I have had coffee by the time I get finished in 45 minutes to an hour. I do eat a full breakfast including protein and complex carbs right afterwards.

[mysteriouslady]

thxs for the input!

[NancyDavalos]

Dear Group,
Is it okay to do cardio twice a day? I purchased DVD's from Beachbody.com and am doing the Slim in Six program. These exercises are approximately 1 hour. I was wondering if i do them twice a day will that help me burn fat faster.
Thanks, Nancy

[asheee]

Originally Posted by CynDaVaz

I have never been able to handle cardio on an empty stomach. I either feel like I'm going to pass out or throw up.

I've had both of those things happen to me... Ugh, not pretty!

[dvsness]

Morning/fasted cardio - take some amino acids first to protect muscle

PWO - great for onseason or offseason