How do I approach cardio?
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But CAN I do cardio? I mean, two times a week for about 20 minutes? It won't be detrimental, right, since there is really no reason for me to try and bulk since I need to be on a calorie deficit...
You can do cardio if you want. Just make sure you do not do very long sessions. 20 minutes 2 x a week will not be detrimental.0 -
If you are truly ready for something to happen (ie: fat loss), you will find a way to make it happen (ie: determine a goal, research, get started). until then, you will find excuses (ie: I'm not smart enough to understand what you people are telling me)
Fix your mindset, figure out your goal, and get back to us.
I don't mean for that to sound rude, you seem like nice person. But no one can do this for you or tell you exactly what to do until you know what it is you want to accomplish. It is your efforts that will affect you. For me, I want to lose fat and be strong, healthy and attractive. I've done the low calorie bit, I've walked, I've used machines at the gym, I've done 30-day shred. All of these things helped me to lose 12 pounds and then I stalled. NOW, I'm eating eating more and lifting weights. The weight has begun to move off again. I'm not the most educated person when it comes to fitness, but I've been researching obsessively. I've leaned a lot. There's still plenty I don't know, but I am following a program and learning what I need as I go. YOU CAN DO THIS TOO.
This is an excellent group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress
Go to that link and read the thread with the red pins next to them. Read them again until you think you understand, then join the group and ask questions. They are very helpful. Good luck to you
We appreciate the link to our group, but the OP posted this thread in our group
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If you are truly ready for something to happen (ie: fat loss), you will find a way to make it happen (ie: determine a goal, research, get started). until then, you will find excuses (ie: I'm not smart enough to understand what you people are telling me)
Fix your mindset, figure out your goal, and get back to us.
I don't mean for that to sound rude, you seem like nice person. But no one can do this for you or tell you exactly what to do until you know what it is you want to accomplish. It is your efforts that will affect you. For me, I want to lose fat and be strong, healthy and attractive. I've done the low calorie bit, I've walked, I've used machines at the gym, I've done 30-day shred. All of these things helped me to lose 12 pounds and then I stalled. NOW, I'm eating eating more and lifting weights. The weight has begun to move off again. I'm not the most educated person when it comes to fitness, but I've been researching obsessively. I've leaned a lot. There's still plenty I don't know, but I am following a program and learning what I need as I go. YOU CAN DO THIS TOO.
This is an excellent group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress
Go to that link and read the thread with the red pins next to them. Read them again until you think you understand, then join the group and ask questions. They are very helpful. Good luck to you
We appreciate the link to our group, but the OP posted this thread in our group
OOPS. Sorry. I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention.0 -
But CAN I do cardio? I mean, two times a week for about 20 minutes? It won't be detrimental, right, since there is really no reason for me to try and bulk since I need to be on a calorie deficit...
Sure, do 20 min after each lifting workout for heart and cardio health and burn a tad more in general.
If you feel like doing more, and lifting is focus right now, just make sure more cardio the day before lifting doesn't wear you out so bad you can't lift the same weight. So 30 min should not cause a problem unless you go all out sprinting the whole time. Don't want to do that the day after leg lifting either while muscle is trying to repair. Another easy cardio session is just fine though.0 -
Thanks everyone. Sorry I'm so whiny. I probably understand this stuff better than I think, it's just hard for me to believe that people actually understand it less than I do. I think I know what I need to do, I'm just not ready for certain things, or people think I am talking about something else or someone else's body when I am asking questions.
As for having a goal, my goal would be to weigh 120 pounds, but I wasn't born shaped like that, so after I do lose fat, I will have to try and bulk and gain muscle, because that's the only way I'll ever look...normal.0 -
How tall are you? 120lb for a guy is incredibly low.0
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I don't go any higher than 4.0 mph on the treadmill. I begin by walking on a very steep incline. I'm going to be using a HRM starting this week during these sessions to help me determine where my heart rate is (I have no idea about that sort of thing at all, a device will help me feel more secure in gauging my body) and to figure out exercise calories (even though they will likely be no more than 300 on cardio or strength training days).0
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I'm 5'9". Or 5'10". I was being a bit facetious, though. And yeah, I guess 120 is probably considered incredibly low to a lot of people.0
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I'm 5'9". Or 5'10". I was being a bit facetious, though. And yeah, I guess 120 is probably considered incredibly low to a lot of people.
CAn you post a pic of what you want to look like? Find someone else on the internet and post a pic of what you would ideally want your body to look like.0 -
I don't go any higher than 4.0 mph on the treadmill. I begin by walking on a very steep incline. I'm going to be using a HRM starting this week during these sessions to help me determine where my heart rate is (I have no idea about that sort of thing at all, a device will help me feel more secure in gauging my body) and to figure out exercise calories (even though they will likely be no more than 300 on cardio or strength training days).
Don't worry about wearing the HRM while strength training - invalid data, so really useless and inflated anyway.
Cardio will be good if curious, but better to see heart health improvement over time, HR should lower at same pace and incline and weight over time, showing you can provide same needed oxygen with less heart beats.
Resting HR should also lower over time.
Stay in bottom of aerobic HR zone as general idea that you aren't adding more load to muscles you hopefully already overloading with the weight lifting.
http://www.calculatenow.biz/sport/heart.php?0 -
I'm 5'9". Or 5'10". I was being a bit facetious, though. And yeah, I guess 120 is probably considered incredibly low to a lot of people.
Considering my race weight with 5% BF was 155 in my 20's, yay, that is incredibly low.0 -
CAn you post a pic of what you want to look like? Find someone else on the internet and post a pic of what you would ideally want your body to look like.
I think I would find that horribly embarrassing.0 -
CAn you post a pic of what you want to look like? Find someone else on the internet and post a pic of what you would ideally want your body to look like.
I think I would find that horribly embarrassing.
Can you PM it to me?0 -
I am pretty sure I need to do cardio at least four times a week, because of what I guess my "goals" should be right now--mostly focusing on losing fat. But how long do I need to do cardio? How hard should I be working? Is the "fat burn zone" real or a myth?
Didn't read replies.
You don't need to do cardio 4 times a week unless you're training for a specific event that is cardio centric in nature. Even then 4 times a week might be too much?
There is no fat burn zone. Its a myth. It all balances out.
If your goal is fat loss, create your deficit with your diet, sprinkle in some cardio for added benefit, lift weights and eat a high protein diet for best body composition results.0 -
I'm 5'9". Or 5'10". I was being a bit facetious, though. And yeah, I guess 120 is probably considered incredibly low to a lot of people.
Considering my race weight with 5% BF was 155 in my 20's, yay, that is incredibly low.
OP I sort of want to give you a hug. I'm not sure you even could weigh 120 at your height unless you're ready to start sawing off bones. I am 5'2", female, and quite "small" and my 'healthy weight' range according to the doctor is between about 105-130lbs. I have been 120lbs and even though I wanted to lose weight and trim up from there I didn't look 'fat' per se (now between 108-110). I worked with a guy the same height as me who was about the 120 mark, and he was so so tiny and no muscles at all, and you're taller than him. Are you completely sure you have a realistic idea of what various weights look like on men with different frame sizes?0 -
OP I sort of want to give you a hug. I'm not sure you even could weigh 120 at your height unless you're ready to start sawing off bones. I am 5'2", female, and quite "small" and my 'healthy weight' range according to the doctor is between about 105-130lbs. I have been 120lbs and even though I wanted to lose weight and trim up from there I didn't look 'fat' per se (now between 108-110). I worked with a guy the same height as me who was about the 120 mark, and he was so so tiny and no muscles at all, and you're taller than him. Are you completely sure you have a realistic idea of what various weights look like on men with different frame sizes?
Yeah, I kind of mentioned I was being facetious...even my "goal weight" of 135 I have listed on here is a joke. The lowest I've ever been was 165, and while I admit it was a 165 with very high body fat, I didn't feel like I looked anywhere close to what I expected at that weight. I really have NO idea where I should be at all, and the whole lifting weights thing makes things even more complicated--I realize I can't gain any real muscle on a deficit, but I think someone who does weight training and weighs X and someone who doesn't do weight training and weighs X looks totally different. I am not even sure I should HAVE a goal weight, because I literally have NO idea how my body would look under 165. I've tried to use calipers to calculate body fat myself, but honestly--scales, tape measures, etc. seem absolutely imprecise and useless to me. I am more going for just seeing how things look in the mirror at different weights, but that seems to complicate things too...so I don't know.0 -
Thank you for all the information. Do you have access to a gym?0
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Yes, but it's very small, and I'm not sure they have all the equipment I might require. I DO think they probably have the stuff I would need for something like Stronglifts 5 X 5--I downloaded some information on it yesterday, and TRIED to begin to get it (I have information processing issues). The only thing is that I would like to get through the thing I am doing right now (a lot of machines, isolation exercises) which has about 4-5 more weeks.0
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The main piece of equipment that you need that they may not have is a squat rack - but this part can be modified.0
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I think they have that--I will ask when I go tomorrow to make sure, though.0
