2018/04/04, 11:10 AM
(Edited:
Rogue203
- 2018/04/04, 03:07 PM)
Should I be doing so much cardio? Before weight training or after...or no cardio at all?
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2018/04/04, 11:24 AM
Welcome Rogue,
It really depends on your goals, which sound like you are interested in putting on some Mass. If that is the case it's best to do cardio on your off days. I believe the worst time to do it is prior to a workout other than a 5 minute or so warmup.
To quote from BB1Fit;
"By doing cardio before weights you are simply reducing the amount of glycogen available that could have been used more effectively to fuel your muscles throughout the weight training session...This point cannot be stressed enough.
Here are the top 3 scenarios for doing weights and cardio in order of importance:
#1 - On non-weight training days
#2 - weights in the am and cardio in the pm
#3 - light-cardio after weights "
There is a sticky in General Exercise and Fitness that goes into when the best time is to mix cardio into your fitness schedule;
https://www.freetrainers.com/forums/topic/cardio-questions-21049/
Sounds like you have been doing well with what you are doing, 3 months is good as well. Keep at it as you continue you will learn what works best for your body. Keep us updated on your progress.
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2018/04/04, 03:10 PM
Thanks for the response. I have read that you should do cardio on your off day. Unfortunatly I'm only able to get to the gym 3 times a week. Should i just back down the treadmill to say 1 mile and do it at the end of my workout?
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2018/04/05, 10:31 AM
Due to your goal being to put on additional muscle, I would stick with cardio afterwards since you are unable to on off days. If you have the time and energy to do more than 1 mile I would personally say go for it. You can always adjust if your body is telling you it's too much or hey this is great lets do some more.
Years ago when I was lifing and I wanted to get Cardio in, I would always do it after my workouts. My primary goal was to put on muscle. I would typically get in about 1 to 1.5 hours of lifting and after would do cardio for approx. 15 minutes. I don't believe this had any negative impact on my lifting. I made great gains and was happy with my over growth and energy.
Fastforward to today and I typically get 3 days in at the gym and have about an hour to lift. I don't have time to do cardio after my workouts without cutting them short. I'm going to attempt getting in some cardio on my off days by jogging through the neighborhood.
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2018/04/05, 11:23 AM
What if the goal is to lose weight? I am a 45 year old female 5'4, 145lbs. I need to lose about 15lbs. The website designed a weight lifting program that does not include cardio. I decided to add cardio myself but am unsure of how much and what type would be suffcient? I am lifting 4 days a week with cardio on the 5th day. Im wondering if I should add more to lose the weight?
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2018/04/05, 01:33 PM
The only way to lose weight is to have a caloric defecit, which is basically taking in less calories than your body uses in a day. That can be achieved by eating less or adding exercise and or weight lifting to your daily/weekly schedule.
There are mixed reviews as to which one is better. Cardio certainly burns calories and can be very beneficial in overall stamina and promoting a healthy heart ect. Building muscle also burns calories. The more lean muscle your body has the more calories your body will burn throughout the day.
Just remember, weight is not always the best way to judge your overall size if you are working out. You may infact lose an inch or 2 around the waist but gain some weight. That's because your body is building muscle yet shredding fat. Muscle is heavier than fat so you may measure smaller but infact be heavier. It's always good to measure your waist, chest, legs and arms if your overall goal to reduce size, the scale could be misleading.
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2018/04/06, 11:00 AM
(Edited:
Rogue203
- 2018/04/06, 11:01 AM) Jac48
The only way to lose weight is to have a caloric defecit, which is basically taking in less calories than your body uses in a day. That can be achieved by eating less or adding exercise and or weight lifting to your daily/weekly schedule.
There are mixed reviews as to which one is better. Cardio certainly burns calories and can be very beneficial in overall stamina and promoting a healthy heart ect. Building muscle also burns calories. The more lean muscle your body has the more calories your body will burn throughout the day.
Just remember, weight is not always the best way to judge your overall size if you are working out. You may infact lose an inch or 2 around the waist but gain some weight. That's because your body is building muscle yet shredding fat. Muscle is heavier than fat so you may measure smaller but infact be heavier. It's always good to measure your waist, chest, legs and arms if your overall goal to reduce size, the scale could be misleading.
---Agreed! I used to chase the weight gain/loss. I dont anymore, I have not stepped on a scale in 3 months. I am going purely on how I feel and look now. I used to work out like a fiend and eat right for a week and then get on a scale and see little or no change on the scale and it used to get me down and burst my bubble. Since I threw the scale away i have never been happier!
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2018/04/16, 09:43 AM
I understand the "weight" factor. I was not planning on measuring overall size via a scale. I was trying to get a workout plan that would be the most efficient in burning fat.
When someone is overweight and wants to lose weight, the culprit is usually fat rather than muscle. It has been 3 weeks of lifting 4 days and 1 day of cardio. I have not seen any results yet. Very frustrating.
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2018/04/16, 12:28 PM
Warp, you previously stated you need to "I need to lose about 15lbs." that is why the comment regarding the scale was made as well as measuring might be better considering you are doing weightlifting.
All that aside, the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories in a day than you consume. A lot of people lose weight without exercising or lifting weights, they are very concious of what they eat. In reality, gaining or losing weight starts in the kitchen. Exercising and or weightlifing enhances your ability to lose weight by burning additional calories throughout the day, but that can all be negated by poor diet. If you are struggling to lose that last 15 lbs. I suggest becoming very concious of what you are eating. If you are not already, write everything down and track exactly how many calories you are consuming during the day. It takes burning approximately 3500 calories to lose a pound of weight.
Those last pounds can be the toughest!!
It would be best to get an estimated figure of how many calories you burn per day. There are calculators online that can help with this. It varies from person to person depending on age, sex, weight, daily activity ect. Once you determine what your daily calorie maintenance is, say 2000 for arguments sake you want to cut that say by 300 to 500 calores a day.
Most people cut calories because it's easier to adjust what you are eating rather then trying to burn off an additional 3 to 5 hundred a day.
Whether you are trying to put on lean muscle or lose those last lbs. it takes dedication and perseverance. I hope some of this helps, I am by no means an expert on diets, but I know if the past when I successfully lost weight I usually didn't lose weight for the first 4 to 6 weeks.
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