Cardio and Strength Training Questions

tracieangeletti

Not sure where to start so I'll give you my schedule first:

Monday: 3 miles on the elliptical, 10 minutes on rowing machine, 30-45 strength training (lifting heavy, well, heavy for me), 30-40 push-ups, 100 crunches, 100 oblique crunches, planks, 25 tricep dips

Tues: 2 miles on elliptical, 10 minutes on rowing machine, 55 minute spin class, push-ups, crunches, planks, tricep dips (same as above)

Wed: 2 miles on elliptical, 10 minutes on rowing machine, 55 minute spin class, push-ups, crunches, planks, tricep dips, 30-45 minute strength training

Thurs: 2-3 miles on elliptical, 60 minute Body Pump class (low weight, many reps), push-ups, crunches, planks, tricep dips

Fri: 2 miles on elliptical, 10 minutes on rowing machine, 55 minute spin class, push-ups, crunches, planks, tricep dips

Sat: 30-45 strength training

Sun: REST!!! :-)

My first question is about cardio. I've been told you can do too much and it can interfere with strength training. What is considered too much?? How does it interfere? I still have about 7-10 lbs to lose. I know I can't build muscle in a deficit but I'm trying to keep the muscle I have for now. Next question is that I was thinking of taking my strength training from Wed. and adding it on to Thurs., so I won't be lifting two days in a row but doing two lifting programs on the same day. Would that be ok? I'm still so confused and don't want to undue benefits from one type of exercise by doing too much or the wrong kind of another. Suggestions???

Justjamie0418

I have no idea, but I want to follow this thread because I am going to start a running routine in wiith my heavy lifting routine and was wondering the same thing... are you seeing good results with what your doing? have you stalled out on your weights?

tracieangeletti

I have no idea, but I want to follow this thread because I am going to start a running routine in wiith my heavy lifting routine and was wondering the same thing... are you seeing good results with what your doing? have you stalled out on your weights?

I'm seeing results, just slowly. I added another thing into the mix and just recently upped my calories so I'm eating closer to TDEE-10% although I still haven't hit the calorie goal because I'm absolutely petrified of gaining weight, so not eating enough still may be getting in the way of faster weight loss. I had no idea that losing weight and getting in shape was so difficult. I'm not talking about the work, I KNEW that was going to be hard!! lol It's just the science stuff and the numbers that go along with it. THAT can be exhausting!! lol The heaviest weights I'm lifting currently in 12 1/2 to 15 lb dumbbells on arms and 25 lb dumbbells for leg work, so I have a long way to go before I stall on weights. :-)

cwolfman13

Too much cardio can interfere with strength gains because you don't have adequate recovery. When you're actively trying to get stronger and/or build muscle, you need recovery...recovery is where the magic happens, not the exercise itself. The exercise is just the catalyst.

On that note, you're not really getting the benefit you could with your pushups, etc...you have no recovery time if you're doing resistance training every day. Also, what kind of a program are you doing? You say "heavy" for you, but a good strength program should be progressive in nature...i.e. you should be pushing to up your weights all of the time (too much cardio interferes with this progression).

I do strength 3x weekly...the only cardio I do on strength days is some easy walking or a mellow bike ride for 45-60 minutes. I jog 2x weekly 3 miles and I do HIIT sprinting 1x weekly. I do those activities on non-lifting days. Also, if I feel like I'm having difficulty recovering, I reduce my cardio...never my strength sessions.

Thorbjornn

All just my opinions: I think it's beneficial for fat loss, and mandatory for c/v fitenss and health. Any sustained activity that has you breathing deeply and using your muscles is cardio. I call grass cutting and general yard work "yardio". I get a good workout from vacuuming the house. If the muscles are working, they are using calories. In the gym I always do weights before cardio. My weight training gets my heart rate up, and gets me sweating and panting like an ox plowing the lower 40. So that's cardio too.

tracieangeletti

Too much cardio can interfere with strength gains because you don't have adequate recovery. When you're actively trying to get stronger and/or build muscle, you need recovery...recovery is where the magic happens, not the exercise itself. The exercise is just the catalyst.

On that note, you're not really getting the benefit you could with your pushups, etc...you have no recovery time if you're doing resistance training every day. Also, what kind of a program are you doing? You say "heavy" for you, but a good strength program should be progressive in nature...i.e. you should be pushing to up your weights all of the time (too much cardio interferes with this progression).

I do strength 3x weekly...the only cardio I do on strength days is some easy walking or a mellow bike ride for 45-60 minutes. I jog 2x weekly 3 miles and I do HIIT sprinting 1x weekly. I do those activities on non-lifting days. Also, if I feel like I'm having difficulty recovering, I reduce my cardio...never my strength sessions.

I'm currently doing a program called Chalean Extreme. It is a basic "starter" program to strength training. I am currently using 12 1/2 -15 lb dumbbells on arm work and 25 dumbbells on leg work. I know. Not very heavy, but I started out strength training with 3 lbs so I am improving!! What cardio would you cut out?? Elliptical? Spin? Which gives the most benefit?

tracieangeletti

Is it not good to do push-ups everyday?? Should I rest a day in between?

ninerbuff

Not sure where to start so I'll give you my schedule first:

Monday: 3 miles on the elliptical, 10 minutes on rowing machine, 30-45 strength training (lifting heavy, well, heavy for me), 30-40 push-ups, 100 crunches, 100 oblique crunches, planks, 25 tricep dips

Tues: 2 miles on elliptical, 10 minutes on rowing machine, 55 minute spin class, push-ups, crunches, planks, tricep dips (same as above)

Wed: 2 miles on elliptical, 10 minutes on rowing machine, 55 minute spin class, push-ups, crunches, planks, tricep dips, 30-45 minute strength training

Thurs: 2-3 miles on elliptical, 60 minute Body Pump class (low weight, many reps), push-ups, crunches, planks, tricep dips

Fri: 2 miles on elliptical, 10 minutes on rowing machine, 55 minute spin class, push-ups, crunches, planks, tricep dips

Sat: 30-45 strength training

Sun: REST!!! :-)

My first question is about cardio. I've been told you can do too much and it can interfere with strength training. What is considered too much?? How does it interfere? I still have about 7-10 lbs to lose. I know I can't build muscle in a deficit but I'm trying to keep the muscle I have for now. Next question is that I was thinking of taking my strength training from Wed. and adding it on to Thurs., so I won't be lifting two days in a row but doing two lifting programs on the same day. Would that be ok? I'm still so confused and don't want to undue benefits from one type of exercise by doing too much or the wrong kind of another. Suggestions???

Don't do the same exercises daily. You don't need to do pushups and triceps dips everyday. In fact, you're not giving them a chance to recover. More is not always better.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Thorbjornn

Is it not good to do push-ups everyday?? Should I rest a day in between?

That's another thing I'm of two minds about. Longshoremen, fish mongers, fishing boat crews, or meat packers handling sides of beef and pork never took a day off, except the weekends. They're working the same muscles day to day using heavy weights. I think it's a matter of adaptation. I think if you see positive results and feel like you are recovering, I don't see why not. But the common wisdom is to take a 48 hour break before working a muscle group again. Edit to add: not being a longshoreman myself, I would not do the same exercises every day. That's the other side of my mind.

RllyGudTweetr

Is it not good to do push-ups everyday?? Should I rest a day in between?

That's another thing I'm of two minds about. Longshoremen, fish mongers, fishing boat crews, or meat packers handling sides of beef and pork never took a day off, except the weekends. They're working the same muscles day to day using heavy weights. I think it's a matter of adaptation. I think if you see positive results and feel like you are recovering, I don't see why not. But the common wisdom is to take a 48 hour break before working a muscle group again.

I'm going to wager that most longshoremen, fishmongers, fishing boat crews, or meat packers didn't do those activities with the goal of building lean muscle mass.

Thorbjornn

Is it not good to do push-ups everyday?? Should I rest a day in between?

That's another thing I'm of two minds about. Longshoremen, fish mongers, fishing boat crews, or meat packers handling sides of beef and pork never took a day off, except the weekends. They're working the same muscles day to day using heavy weights. I think it's a matter of adaptation. I think if you see positive results and feel like you are recovering, I don't see why not. But the common wisdom is to take a 48 hour break before working a muscle group again.

I'm going to wager that most longshoremen, fishmongers, fishing boat crews, or meat packers didn't do those activities with the goal of building lean muscle mass.

Well, you don't have to set out to do something deliberately. It can just happen. Sure there are fat longshoremen as well as lean muscular ones, just as there are fat strongman competitors and powerlifters, as well as lean muscular ones. I think it's a matter of "ymmv".

tracieangeletti

How about if I do push-ups and tricep dips only on strength training days? Is it the same for crunches?? Should I do those only 3 times a week too? Should I lower cardio on strength days? By lowering cardio will I need to re-figure TDEE? Sorry for all the questions. Being a noob sorta sucks. lol

Justjamie0418

you can always do abs.

Is training for a 5k probably for a no go for me?

ninerbuff

Is it not good to do push-ups everyday?? Should I rest a day in between?

That's another thing I'm of two minds about. Longshoremen, fish mongers, fishing boat crews, or meat packers handling sides of beef and pork never took a day off, except the weekends. They're working the same muscles day to day using heavy weights. I think it's a matter of adaptation. I think if you see positive results and feel like you are recovering, I don't see why not. But the common wisdom is to take a 48 hour break before working a muscle group again. Edit to add: not being a longshoreman myself, I would not do the same exercises every day. That's the other side of my mind.

Daily use of muscles for labor work will help with muscle endurance. If that's the goal, then keep doing it. For most here though, I believe they are resistance training to change their body composition (less fat, better muscle definition/build).

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Thorbjornn

Daily use of muscles for labor work will help with muscle endurance. If that's the goal, then keep doing it. For most here though, I believe they are resistance training to change their body composition (less fat, better muscle definition/build).

I fully agree. That's why I think it's "ymmv", it depends on the goal. I was just throwing it out there because of that.