Can you get to much exercise?

2»

Replies

  • Zekela
    Zekela Posts: 634 Member
    kinda funny that something like this was even said... I should have just left it alone like everyone else... lol
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    That's an awful lot of cardio. Where is the strength training/weightlifting? Too much cardio can start burning muscle along with fat and make you weak and flabby. Incorporate weights into your routine to preserve that lean muscle!

    Yes it was said! Please read! :-p

    Strength training does not always equal weight lifting.
  • Zekela
    Zekela Posts: 634 Member
    ^^apparently it is according to the poster 'strength training / weightlifting' pretty much stands to mean the same thing with the '/' introduced... This is just what written English means. I'm just reading what is written, there is no way for me or anyone else reading this to know what it was intended to mean. My gosh, why am I even bothering with you?! lol
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    ^^apparently it is according to the poster 'strength training / weightlifting' pretty much stands to mean the same thing with the '/' introduced... This is just what written English means. I'm just reading what is written, there is no way for me or anyone else reading this to know what it was intended to mean. My gosh, why am I even bothering with you?! lol

    *shrug* cause you're bored... I know I am :laugh:
  • Zekela
    Zekela Posts: 634 Member
    ^^apparently it is according to the poster 'strength training / weightlifting' pretty much stands to mean the same thing with the '/' introduced... This is just what written English means. I'm just reading what is written, there is no way for me or anyone else reading this to know what it was intended to mean. My gosh, why am I even bothering with you?! lol

    *shrug* cause you're bored... I know I am :laugh:

    You got a nice *kitten* by the way (said in the most non perverted way). How'd you get it? strength training / weightlifting, strength training void of weightlifting or weightlifting solo? then again... could it be genetics?
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    ^^apparently it is according to the poster 'strength training / weightlifting' pretty much stands to mean the same thing with the '/' introduced... This is just what written English means. I'm just reading what is written, there is no way for me or anyone else reading this to know what it was intended to mean. My gosh, why am I even bothering with you?! lol

    *shrug* cause you're bored... I know I am :laugh:

    You got a nice *kitten* by the way (said in the most non perverted way). How'd you get it? strength training / weightlifting, strength training void of weightlifting or weightlifting solo? then again... could it be genetics?

    Thanks :blushing:

    Weight lifting/ Body weight exercises, as well as cardio and a little genetics.
  • GreenEyedTrailMonster
    GreenEyedTrailMonster Posts: 21 Member
    My point is: you do not need to hit the weights room to get the body you want. So stop scaring people about losing muscle mass and becoming flabby if they do not hit the weights room. Totally not true. There are other ways to skin a cat (sorry cat lovers, I also love cats too), lifting weights isn't the ONLY means to the desired end.
    [/quote

    Absolutely!! There does seem to be rather a lot of misunderstanding in this thread about what various forms of physical activity do to the human body. I, like you, am now 100% running. I run off road only, I run very hilly, I run on uneven and challenging round and like you 80-100 miles weeks are not unusual. I have so much muscle in my legs that I have to buy womens trousers from Better Bodies (the body building clothing brand) because my hips and waist are little and my legs have a great amount of muscle mass. This shape cannot fit into almost no off the peg trousers. So it is trackies, sportswear and skirts if I need to look smart.

    I did some lifting a couple of years ago as someone I used to run with became unable to run, pending an operation I shared that time with her in the gym. Whilst there I was able to deadlift 80 kg for 3 sets (that is 176 lbs for you Americans). I didn't do any building to get that, that is simply running for years and years and years.

    I am listening to the voices of the very poorly informed about this. If people wish to lift weights and do minimal cardio then so be it, it's your heart. Live and let live. But there is fundamentally no such thing as too much cardio. It is ridiculous. If you study the evolutionary anthropology, we are physically developed as a wandering species with the capacity for great endurance. Just because we live a modern life, doesn't mean that that capacity has changed. We are still the animal species we always were.

    Lifting is fine for making you stronger (if you strength train) but fitness (as in cardiovascular fitness, the stuff that makes you grow old well) is essential and running counts as resitance training because you are moving your bodyweight.

    It is important that people realise the difference between being stronger and being fit. They are different things. Some gym work is of course fine for what it does but outdoor physical activity is a complete package. Running strengthens your core implicitly and works on your muscles all over. You use all of your body to run. It makes your heart bigger and stronger. Breathing outdoor air is better than breathing processed indoor air and the psychological aspect of getting out of yet another indoor space and connecting with the world outside is tremendously powerful. There are obvious direct effects and more latent effects.

    :flowerforyou: Peace out :flowerforyou:
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    I went from Marathon running to obstacle races and I've got to tell you, running does not give you an even full body work out... My goal for next year is to get over those 8 foot walls unassisted and that's not going to happen without doing some specific upper body training.

    That said - I still don't go to the gym... I do various HILT based outdoor training or what I've dubbed 'adventure running' which is somewhere between free running and HILT training (i.e. making obstacles from the scenery but also using it for training - lifting logs & Boulders, pull ups on branches, step ups on benches etc.)

    In summary, horses for courses.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    My point is: you do not need to hit the weights room to get the body you want. So stop scaring people about losing muscle mass and becoming flabby if they do not hit the weights room. Totally not true. There are other ways to skin a cat (sorry cat lovers, I also love cats too), lifting weights isn't the ONLY means to the desired end.

    Absolutely!! There does seem to be rather a lot of misunderstanding in this thread about what various forms of physical activity do to the human body. I, like you, am now 100% running. I run off road only, I run very hilly, I run on uneven and challenging round and like you 80-100 miles weeks are not unusual. I have so much muscle in my legs that I have to buy womens trousers from Better Bodies (the body building clothing brand) because my hips and waist are little and my legs have a great amount of muscle mass. This shape cannot fit into almost no off the peg trousers. So it is trackies, sportswear and skirts if I need to look smart.

    I did some lifting a couple of years ago as someone I used to run with became unable to run, pending an operation I shared that time with her in the gym. Whilst there I was able to deadlift 80 kg for 3 sets (that is 176 lbs for you Americans). I didn't do any building to get that, that is simply running for years and years and years.

    I am listening to the voices of the very poorly informed about this. If people wish to lift weights and do minimal cardio then so be it, it's your heart. Live and let live. But there is fundamentally no such thing as too much cardio. It is ridiculous. If you study the evolutionary anthropology, we are physically developed as a wandering species with the capacity for great endurance. Just because we live a modern life, doesn't mean that that capacity has changed. We are still the animal species we always were.

    Lifting is fine for making you stronger (if you strength train) but fitness (as in cardiovascular fitness, the stuff that makes you grow old well) is essential and running counts as resitance training because you are moving your bodyweight.

    It is important that people realise the difference between being stronger and being fit. They are different things. Some gym work is of course fine for what it does but outdoor physical activity is a complete package. Running strengthens your core implicitly and works on your muscles all over. You use all of your body to run. It makes your heart bigger and stronger. Breathing outdoor air is better than breathing processed indoor air and the psychological aspect of getting out of yet another indoor space and connecting with the world outside is tremendously powerful. There are obvious direct effects and more latent effects.

    :flowerforyou: Peace out :flowerforyou:

    Yeah.. no. :flowerforyou:
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    In summary, horses for courses.

    QFT!
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    In summary, horses for courses.

    QFT!

    Quantum Field Theory? If you say so x
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    In summary, horses for courses.

    QFT!

    Quantum Field Theory? If you say so x

    DYEI?
    q-f-t-quoted-for-truth-77738447.jpg
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    This is my exercise schedule a the moment, is this too much?

    Monday - Zumba 60mins
    Tuesday - Spinning 30mins followed by circuit training 60mins
    Wednesday - Body Balance 60mins
    Thursday - Yoga 60mins
    Friday - Metafit 30mins
    Saturday - Circuit Training 45mins
    Sunday - Rest Day

    I also walk my dog over an hour a day and sometimes do a Jillian Michael's DVD in the mornings. I love going to classes at the gym and would rather do that than sit on my bum watching tv while stuffing my face but some people have said I'm doing to much and should take more rest days, should I?


    Sounds a lot but if you have the time, are doing it for fun rather than punishment and don't feel any ill effects then it's obviously right for you. I do hope you eat back your exercise calories though? My guess is that you're like me and don't like your gym to make too much money from your membership ;-)
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Can you get too much exercise? Yes.

    Are you? No. Unless you find your recovery shot. i.e. some, or all, of the following things start to happen:

    1) Your sleep patterns suddenly go wonky.
    2) Appetite unexpectedly dips.
    3) Resting heart rate first thing in the morning is higher than normal.
    4) Grip strength suddenly deserts you.
    5) Sex drive falls off a cliff.
    6) Performance at your workout sessions gets worse (not just for a single session - that's just a bad day) and the more you show up and the harder you try the worse it gets. A short time away leads to dramatically improved performance again.
    7) Moody beyond all belief. Overreacting and snappy to the most innocuous of situations.
    8) Simple tasks (such as walking up a set of stairs or a short hill) that you can usually carry out without issue become suddenly more difficult than they should be.

    I'm sure there are others. Some people experience just one or two of these, but it seems to be particular to the individual. (4), (6) & (8) seem to be my indicators, for example.
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
    I went from Marathon running to obstacle races and I've got to tell you, running does not give you an even full body work out... My goal for next year is to get over those 8 foot walls unassisted and that's not going to happen without doing some specific upper body training.
    Try Dirty Weekend, they have 3 of those 8ft walls stacked on top of each other for the last obstacle, our boys made it look easy, I was more like a TMNT on too much tequilla!!
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    This is my exercise schedule a the moment, is this too much?

    Monday - Zumba 60mins
    Tuesday - Spinning 30mins followed by circuit training 60mins
    Wednesday - Body Balance 60mins
    Thursday - Yoga 60mins
    Friday - Metafit 30mins
    Saturday - Circuit Training 45mins
    Sunday - Rest Day

    I also walk my dog over an hour a day and sometimes do a Jillian Michael's DVD in the mornings. I love going to classes at the gym and would rather do that than sit on my bum watching tv while stuffing my face but some people have said I'm doing to much and should take more rest days, should I?

    Certainly need to count the 1+ hour daily dog walks as exercise (certainly can be counted as active recovery exercise). And the Michael's DVD that you "sometimes" do in the AM. There is nothing wrong with a 5-6 day a week exercise program as long as you are getting proper nutrition, hydration, with rest & recovery built in (which includes active recovery).

    Your sample week looks good (even with the dog walks and occasional DVD workout thrown into the mix). I like the 2 days of weights mixed in, along with a rest day. It does not look like too much - IMO. It all depends on your goals.

    Another typical phase training strategy is every third or fourth week, take what is known as a "rest & recovery week". It doesn't mean you don't exercise that week. You do exercise. However, it means you shorten the durations, and in some cases shorten the intensity sessions - or lower the intensity level for that week. Then you come back to the next training block and hit it hard for 2 or 3 weeks before the next "rest and recovery week". An R&R week can be 5 days, 6 days, or if one is really recovering from a difficult 3 week block - can even be 7 days. That all promotes growth, and heading for a peak in performance by allowing the body to heal, and the muscles to grow.

    "Work out hard. Rest harder." - is the motto for growth and improvement. As another poster mentioned - listen to your body. If you get really run down, catch a cold, feel like sleeping all day, etc... - then you know it's time to dial it back and recover.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    I went from Marathon running to obstacle races and I've got to tell you, running does not give you an even full body work out... My goal for next year is to get over those 8 foot walls unassisted and that's not going to happen without doing some specific upper body training.
    Try Dirty Weekend, they have 3 of those 8ft walls stacked on top of each other for the last obstacle, our boys made it look easy, I was more like a TMNT on too much tequilla!!

    I've done Dirty Weekend for the last two years (13 miles first time, 20 the second)... first year that obstacle had those sort of curved vertical slopes - I think that was harder because there was no way anyone could give you a bunk up, although once you master the technique (run forward not up) they aren't too bad... didn't help that the person before me dislocated her shoulder on it! Now if I can do all three walls unaided in 2015 I'll feel like a total legend!!!!

Categories