Benefits to intense workouts?
Full4Life
Posts: 172 Member
Hi, I'm starting to feel deficient.
A lot of people on here seem to be doing these long intense workouts - 2 hrs. and burning 1300 cal. Or, 90 min. and burning 900 cal.
What's the deal? Why is that a good idea? It seems excessive to have such intense workouts.
Should I be trying to do the same? If so, I really hate gyms and personal trainers (most of the people who I've noticed doing this employ both) are there any ways to achieve intense workouts doing outdoors activities?
The last time I burned 1100+ cal.in a day is when I climbed up a mountain in three hours (more of a nature outdoors girl :-).
And my question is about the intensity, not the calorie deficit. What are the benefits of including an intense workout, assuming you are eating the calories back?
A lot of people on here seem to be doing these long intense workouts - 2 hrs. and burning 1300 cal. Or, 90 min. and burning 900 cal.
What's the deal? Why is that a good idea? It seems excessive to have such intense workouts.
Should I be trying to do the same? If so, I really hate gyms and personal trainers (most of the people who I've noticed doing this employ both) are there any ways to achieve intense workouts doing outdoors activities?
The last time I burned 1100+ cal.in a day is when I climbed up a mountain in three hours (more of a nature outdoors girl :-).
And my question is about the intensity, not the calorie deficit. What are the benefits of including an intense workout, assuming you are eating the calories back?
0
Replies
-
My understanding is that the more lean muscle mass you have the easier it is to burn fat as your metabolism increases. I hae recently added body resistance exercises to help with this.
When you are outdoors, do step-ups on a rock or log, pressups on a grassy slope, pullups on a tree branch, etc appeal to you? You could walk for a few miles and throw a few of these in as you find apropriate places to do a few. It won't turn you into a muscle bound bodybuilder, just add some tone to your present musculature.0 -
There's no need to exercise more than 30-60 minutes a day.0
-
There's no need to exercise more than 30-60 minutes a day.
exactly, regardless the intensity, i restrict myself to within 30-60 mins a day. mostly because i really don't have the time to do more lol. and also i know myself well enough that if i go on for longer , i will lose interest altogether.0 -
When I started my weight loss journey, I wanted to "kick" my metabolism in gear,. I had always exercised some but clearly I was eating too much and not exercising enough. For the first 10 lbs I lost, I biked for 1 hour every morning and did a very brisk walk in the evening with my dogs. As I started to lose weight, I upped the intensity of my workouts, but decreased the time I was working out. I would do half an hour of HIIT biking every other morning and on the mornings I didn't do that I was biking for 20 min and lifting weights for 40 min. Changing it up like this helped me lose 30 lbs without a plateau ( I also upped my calorie intake with every 10 lbs I lost, as I increased the intensity of my workouts). I now walk the dogs on sorter or more leisurely walks or a fast one in the evening if I want to, depending on time I have. At this point, I am trying to maintain and am biking 3 days a week and bike/ lifting 3 days a week, but am still losing, but VERY slow. I could not maintain working out 2+ hours a day, since I work full time. That is what worked for me to get my metabolism going, but we are all different.0
-
Right, because I already alternate running and walking (haven't timed myself on the running but was recently able to increase my route due to increased strength) and I have a pilates routine that I really enjoy that is challenging without being strenuous.
I was just wondering why people might want to do these kind of workouts. I've noticed it often enough to want to ask this question.0 -
Honestly, that intense of training would not be sustainable for me at this time in my life. When I was single and lived alone I trained for a biathlon and exercised for 2+ hours every day for about a year. BUT, that is all I did, eat, sleep work and exercise, period! Do what fits into your life style now.0
-
I think it depends on what their goals are and what they enjoy. Me? I am in a small-group bootcamp type class that meets twice a week with a personal trainer that tries to kill us each time. The exercises are always tough but always very different. I love that class. Love it. If I have to miss due to schedule conflicts or something, I miss it greatly. I also love to go to 1-2 spin classes per week that also kick my butt and are great fun. And I love to do an occasional cardio-kickboxing class because it's also a lot of fun. And I love to lift heavy 3-4x per week because I enjoy it and for the good effects it has on my body and how it increases my ability to do better in other activities. And I love to go for long bike rides outside of up to 50 miles or just ride my bike around town doing errands, etc. And I love to hike in the woods and walk/jog on the beach. And I enjoy the occasional paddling trips we do on our local rivers.
So if I have a day where I've lifted heavy in the morning and then done a 40-mile bike ride that evening, I'll haev a huge calorie burn and I enjoyed every minute. Or lifted heavy and then done a bootcamp class, or whatever. But, to me, it's all been fun.
My kids are grown and live away from here, I'm only working part-time, I don't do crafts and I've purposely cut down on my community service activities just so I can have more time to exercise because I've decided it's time to be a bit selfish for awhile and spend time on me for a change instead of family/community and neglecting myself. And I'm enjoying the heck out of it.
So, if you see a big calorie burn, it's because I had a lot of fun that day.0 -
Those workouts are great if you can do them, especially for your heart. But, I'd rather have an exercise habit I can continue for life, like walking regularly.
I think a lot of the P90X people will be in trouble when they're not young anymore and never got around to changing their diets.0 -
long intense workouts - 2 hrs. and burning 1300 cal. Or, 90 min. and burning 900 cal.
Unless they were in the Olympics or at least competing nationally in some kind of sport, I'd hazard a guess that the workout may well have been long but certainly wasn't intense. I only do intense workouts (HIIT) and there's no way I could last more than 30-40 minutes. In fact, more recently, I've been pushing and barely manage 20-30 minutes.0 -
I love working out, so the calorie burns you mention are not uncommon for me. Even when I hit goal I will still work out this much. I have also realised that my trips to the gym every day after I have finished work help me lose the stress of the work day (and my job can be very stressful). I didn't start out like this, I worked up to these levels and I generally work out with a smile on my face :bigsmile:0
-
When I was working out that hard, it was more of a mental thing for me. It was a good way for me to release my stress.0
-
When I exercise that long, it's just because I get carried away, honestly. The forms of exercise I choose are a lot of fun and before I know it I've swam fifty laps or cycled through four episodes of Friends.
I don't think anybody forces themselves to work out for hours on end if they don't enjoy it. And if you're having fun, why stop?0 -
Those workouts are great if you can do them, especially for your heart. But, I'd rather have an exercise habit I can continue for life, like walking regularly.
I think a lot of the P90X people will be in trouble when they're not young anymore and never got around to changing their diets.
What? Is there an age cut-off where you're no longer allowed to do P90X?0 -
So, if you see a big calorie burn, it's because I had a lot of fun that day.
Love this!0 -
Entirely agree. I've noticed this on several people's profiles and at the same time notice they are only eating back maybe 50% of what they "burn" and I think "Hmmm...."long intense workouts - 2 hrs. and burning 1300 cal. Or, 90 min. and burning 900 cal.
Unless they were in the Olympics or at least competing nationally in some kind of sport, I'd hazard a guess that the workout may well have been long but certainly wasn't intense. I only do intense workouts (HIIT) and there's no way I could last more than 30-40 minutes. In fact, more recently, I've been pushing and barely manage 20-30 minutes.0 -
There's no need to exercise more than 30-60 minutes a day.
exactly, regardless the intensity, i restrict myself to within 30-60 mins a day. mostly because i really don't have the time to do more lol. and also i know myself well enough that if i go on for longer , i will lose interest altogether.
Both of these!! 30mins a day of activity will help you in many ways - If you want to go intense only do it twice a week or so - not daily. For me though, I lift 3x/wk (30-40mins tops) and walk 2x/wk (2miles/30mins). Don't worry about the burn just do what you enjoy each day. Best of luck to you!! :flowerforyou:0 -
Entirely agree. I've noticed this on several people's profiles and at the same time notice they are only eating back maybe 50% of what they "burn" and I think "Hmmm...."long intense workouts - 2 hrs. and burning 1300 cal. Or, 90 min. and burning 900 cal.
Unless they were in the Olympics or at least competing nationally in some kind of sport, I'd hazard a guess that the workout may well have been long but certainly wasn't intense. I only do intense workouts (HIIT) and there's no way I could last more than 30-40 minutes. In fact, more recently, I've been pushing and barely manage 20-30 minutes.
I think it's easier to judge intensity when doing HIIT simply because as a rule of thumb, if you can do your maximum intensity for more than 30 seconds, it's not really your maximum intensity. :-D0 -
I do because I love it, but there is no need. You can do weights 3 times a week and 2-3 days of cardio, For just one hour a day and it would be just fine.
Seperating out the the two things worked for me:
1) Eat less to lose fat.
2) Exercise to gain or maintain lean body mass.
Ignore exercise calories because it's insignificant when you don't have to worry about starvation mode anymore and it's highly over rated. Of course you burn energy, but not nearly what any of the devices say you do.
If you are not doing a weight training routine you need to start one and do it the rest of your life to ward off osteoporosis.
I go into more detail here but you do not need to workout so much if you don't enjoy it. It is not necessary to do so much to lose weight, in fact you should ignore the exercise and focus on the food deficit to lose weight, especially if you have fat reserves. If you have fat reserves the exercise is insignificant.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout0 -
Yeah, I'm one of those people who's profiles are always like 1800 calories burned doing this and that. I walk alot, I go to the gym 4 times a week and I do competitive kickboxing. Some of these may fall on the same day but I don't do a consecutive 300 minute workout. It's just the way MFP presents them. I usually don't work out for more than 60 minutes at a time. And I usually don't train more than two days in a row as I start to feel really run down if I do.0
-
You will benefit by exercising but you need not exercise for 2 or 3 hours at a time when you don't enjoy it. The best way to sustain a healthier lifestyle is to continue to do those activities you find enjoyable and to continue to eat foods that you like and that fuel your body with high quality nutrients.0
-
I think it's more that I get intimidated by people with your activity level. I am trying to go back to school right now for a scholarly degree, while at the same time I have a freelance business to run and some part-time work I do to keep the bills paid on time. I need my mind focused and on point and in the game for most of the day.Yeah, I'm one of those people who's profiles are always like 1800 calories burned doing this and that. I walk alot, I go to the gym 4 times a week and I do competitive kickboxing. Some of these may fall on the same day but I don't do a consecutive 300 minute workout. It's just the way MFP presents them. I usually don't work out for more than 60 minutes at a time. And I usually don't train more than two days in a row as I start to feel really run down if I do.
I get workouts, but about an hour a day of varying intensity.
As such, I HAVE increased my running routine and do pilates more frequently, but then I look at what I've done and feel kinda... deflated.
"1800 calories!" I say, and then I look at my mere 500 and feel I didn't work hard enough.0 -
I think it's more that I get intimidated by people with your activity level. I am trying to go back to school right now for a scholarly degree, while at the same time I have a freelance business to run and some part-time work I do to keep the bills paid on time. I need my mind focused and on point and in the game for most of the day.Yeah, I'm one of those people who's profiles are always like 1800 calories burned doing this and that. I walk alot, I go to the gym 4 times a week and I do competitive kickboxing. Some of these may fall on the same day but I don't do a consecutive 300 minute workout. It's just the way MFP presents them. I usually don't work out for more than 60 minutes at a time. And I usually don't train more than two days in a row as I start to feel really run down if I do.
I get workouts, but about an hour a day of varying intensity.
As such, I HAVE increased my running routine and do pilates more frequently, but then I look at what I've done and feel kinda... deflated.
"1800 calories!" I say, and then I look at my mere 500 and feel I didn't work hard enough.
I get what you are saying but those long sessions can have a down side to them. To exercise at anything but low intensity for more than about an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and half and you can become catabolic losing lean muscle mass. I am a firm believer in intensity over volume. I'll do HIIT for 20 to 30 minutes or an intense weight routine for 45 to 60 minutes 3 to 4 times per week. The intensity causes Central Nervous System and metabolic and hormonal adaptations that are beneficial and keep out of the catabolic zone. Also, in those long sessions, to some degree, you get what you get for a burn but will shorter, more intense sessions you get the benefit of EPOC or afterburn for hours afterward making the net burn about the same.0 -
I honestly do not track my food or exercise anymore. I limit the amount of hours that I eat and I eat healthy. I love to run and probably burn about 500 plus calories a workout but none of that is important to me. What is important, is that I can keep this up for life, that I can stay active and healthy, and that I feel good within my skin. I am not doing this for anyone else. When I recorded all the numbers, I kept pushing and pushing just to see bigger burns on my HRM. Competing with myslelf each time. It became a little ridiculous and I started not listening to my own body and sustained some yucky injuries that I am still dealing with today. I prefer to listen to what my body is telling me now. That is the most important.0
-
You shouldn't focus on calorie burn estimates, which may be overstated. You should do the kind of workout that you enjoy and from which you benefit. Intense workouts are fine if you're physically up for them, but they take a lot out of your and can make you vulnerable to injury.0
-
I tell you, I kept seeing these crazy 1K or better burns, and I felt like I must be such a slacker, burning a mere 300 or so every OTHER day (I do cardio on M,W,and F). But then I played tennis w/ my hubby for an hour. He is doing mfp too. We both logged in tennis singles 60 min. He burned twice the calories I did. So, Ive concluded that the more weight you have on you, the more calories you'll burn doing the same activity as someone who doesn't have quite so much to lose. I already knew that to be true, but didn't realize the difference would be so large.
That said, I no longer worry about it. I just continue to NET 1200 cal. each day. Once I reach my goal, I would imagine some adjustment will be made.
:happy:0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions