How Important is Cardio?

sarzee2
sarzee2 Posts: 14 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How important is it to do cardio every workout day?

I've been working out steadily, anywhere between 4 and 6 days per week, for the last 7 weeks or so. My normal schedule has been abs and arms twice a week, legs twice a week and then 2 days of just cardio. I have been doing at least 30 minutes of cardio, but sometimes up to 45 minutes or 60 minutes on the strength training days.

I don't have much weight to lose, but my goal is to lose weight and fat and tone up overall. So how important is it to keep doing cardio every day? And if I start to decrease it a little bit, what is a good goal?

Thanks for your help!!

Replies

  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    weight lifting IS cardio if that's what you're getting at.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    Depends on your goals honestly. But in general, cardio every day probably isn't necessary-especially on weight training days, two or three days per week should be more than enough. But if you are close to goal, you may benefit more from a heavy lifting program consisting of compound lifts . At a calorie deficit you are NOT going to build big slabs of muscle, but you will keep what you have meaning the weight you lose will be fat, which sounds like what you are trying to accomplish.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    Cardio is important for a few reasons. (1) Cardiovascular health ('nuff said right there to keep doing it). (2) Creating a caloric deficit which is maintainable--there is no way I could only eat 1200-1500 calories so if that was my goal I would need to do cardio so that I could eat more. (3) Fun. Biking, dancing, hockey are my go-to cardio exercises, which I do more because I enjoy them than reasons 1 and 2.
  • sarzee2
    sarzee2 Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks for the replies! My reason for wanting to cut down is literally just time...on days when I do abs, arms and cardio for example, I'm not home until 9 PM and I just don't know how much longer I can maintain a schedule like that. I don't do anything complicated with lifting, but I've been working up my strength a LOT, which has been great. I think I'll try to just do 3 days a week of cardio and see how that works out.
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    to cut body fat percentage: diet>resistance training>cardio.

    Cardio increases stamina a bit, but it's not as beneficial to your overall bodily health as lifting.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    If you want to cut down on the time you're spending at steady state cardio, try HIIT. Google "high intensity interval training" and try some of that. You can get a more effective cardio workout done in less time--20 mins. tops.
  • elainecroft
    elainecroft Posts: 595 Member
    If you are short on time, try combining some of your strength training with cardio. There are a ton of ways that you can work abs/arms that include cardio - combined arm/leg exercises, classes like Body Pump, Jillian Michaels programs, etc. Or do quick cardio intervals between sets if you like more traditional exercises.
  • Unknown
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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Cardio is important for a few reasons. (1) Cardiovascular health ('nuff said right there to keep doing it). (2) Creating a caloric deficit which is maintainable--there is no way I could only eat 1200-1500 calories so if that was my goal I would need to do cardio so that I could eat more. (3) Fun. Biking, dancing, hockey are my go-to cardio exercises, which I do more because I enjoy them than reasons 1 and 2.

    Agreed.

    However, if your ONLY concern is scale weight, then it isn't important at all.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Cardio is important for a few reasons. (1) Cardiovascular health ('nuff said right there to keep doing it). (2) Creating a caloric deficit which is maintainable--there is no way I could only eat 1200-1500 calories so if that was my goal I would need to do cardio so that I could eat more. (3) Fun. Biking, dancing, hockey are my go-to cardio exercises, which I do more because I enjoy them than reasons 1 and 2.

    Agreed.

    However, if your ONLY concern is scale weight, then it isn't important at all.

    Thirded....

    If you're just doing cardio because you want to lose fat and you don't enjoy it.... good news, you can lose fat by diet or weights alone.


    However, if you enjoy it (things can be their own reward, after all) or you're interested in building endurance/maintaining heart health, then go for it.

    I would note that good heart health does not require cardio 5-6 times a week though ....
  • sarzee2
    sarzee2 Posts: 14 Member
    I definitely do enjoy cardio but it's hard to enjoy it sometimes after a long day at work, an hour on the subway, 20 minute walk to the gym, etc :D

    I've done some interval training (on the treadmill and elliptical) but I'm not sure if was necessarily high intensity. I'll definitely look into that some more to cut some time during the week and then save my longer cardio for weekends or when I'm able to get to the gym early.

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