Too much cardio when strength training?

anwest20
anwest20 Posts: 17 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So right now I do cardio for 1 hour everyday and weight train mon. Tues. Thurs. Fri. Is this too much cardio? Its circuit training with stuff like push-ups, burpees, lunges, and squats. I also use weights in most of the exersices. Is this kind of cardio ok to build muscle?
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Replies

  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    You won't build muscle unless you're lifting heavy. And, if you're eating at a deficit, you may gain some muslce in the beginning, this will even out, and you will simply be retaining muscle. Once you get past the "newbie" stage, you really only build significant muscle by eating at a surplus.
  • GlutesthatSalute
    GlutesthatSalute Posts: 460 Member
    bump
  • legnarevocrednu
    legnarevocrednu Posts: 467 Member
    I think an hour of just straight cardio is a bit much. You may make better use of your time if you just push yourself hard for 30 minutes. Weight training sounds good though. What type of cardio are you talking about though? I consider cardio anything that gets the heart rate up i.e. elliptical, jogging on treadmill, spinning, zumba etc. Those things you described I would not call cardio.
  • poodlepaws
    poodlepaws Posts: 269 Member
    I was just told by my trainer NO cardio for more than 30 minutes a day! You are more or less undoing all the weight training work and muscle burns more calories.
  • mcfc4tony
    mcfc4tony Posts: 107 Member
    You won't build muscle unless you're lifting heavy. And, if you're eating at a deficit, you may gain some muslce in the beginning, this will even out, and you will simply be retaining muscle. Once you get past the "newbie" stage, you really only build significant muscle by eating at a surplus.
    only build significant muscle by eating at a surplus. Do you mean eating more than MFP says you should eat eg cal + workout cal + more? :huh:
    Sorry if it's a bit of a dumb question :blushing:
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    To build muscle, the common wisdom says you must eat at a level greater than your total daily energy expenditure. You can build a lot of strength on a deficit, but not really bodybuild.
  • tassshhhaaa
    tassshhhaaa Posts: 29 Member
    I was just told by my trainer NO cardio for more than 30 minutes a day! You are more or less undoing all the weight training work and muscle burns more calories.


    How do you "undo" torn muscle fibers, aka all the weight training work? I'm not being rude.. I really just don't understand what you mean?
  • mcfc4tony
    mcfc4tony Posts: 107 Member
    Thanks :bigsmile:
  • kiekie
    kiekie Posts: 289 Member
    bump - I'm interested in this too.
  • spfldpam
    spfldpam Posts: 738 Member
    I usually do a short cardio warm up of 18-20 minutes on the treadmill at 3.5MPH with an incline and then do weight or strength training then do 25 minutes on upright bike and 15 minutes on ellipitical at the gym and do that every other time. The other times I do about 1 hour or so of just cardio and no weights or strength training. Usually 25 min on treadmill, 25 on upright bike and 15 or so on ellipitcal. This is what the trainer at the gym told me to do. Don't do alot of cardio before weights or weight machines but a short warm up to warm up your muscles and then go back after the weights and do as much cardio as you want and to do strength training every other day.
    Good luck!
  • anwest20
    anwest20 Posts: 17 Member
    Ok. I lift heavy on my weight lifting days. My husband has one of those pulley system machines and we workout together. He likes to push me a little :) I have been using the dumbells during my "cardio" to try and not burn off the muscle. I never use a treadmill or anything like that but once a week when we go ride bikes for a few miles for date night :)
  • mcfc4tony
    mcfc4tony Posts: 107 Member
    To build muscle, the common wisdom says you must eat at a level greater than your total daily energy expenditure. You can build a lot of strength on a deficit, but not really bodybuild.

    Thanks for the info :bigsmile:
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    This is an interesting question. I wonder if there are any scientific studies on how cardio affects strength training.
  • paxbfl
    paxbfl Posts: 391 Member
    You still have 28 pounds to lose, so I would make that a priority for now. Do all the cardio you want! But keep lifting too! That will help you keep some of the muscle you currently have.

    When you get to your goal weight, then you can cut back on the cardio, eat more, and lift heavy to gain more muscle.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    An hour of burpees and lunges everyday sounds like a lot, but difficult to say without details. But what's more important is your current goal. I Are you trying to lose weight right now or build muscle? Your ticker shows that you have more weight to lose so if that's your priority, then you want to be in a calorie deficit. You won't be building much muscle, but keep lifting because it's going to improve how you look by a large margin.
  • michelle_00
    michelle_00 Posts: 38
    Ok. I lift heavy on my weight lifting days. My husband has one of those pulley system machines and we workout together. He likes to push me a little :) I have been using the dumbells during my "cardio" to try and not burn off the muscle. I never use a treadmill or anything like that but once a week when we go ride bikes for a few miles for date night :)

    I'd be concerned that the muscles you work on your lifting days aren't getting enough rest if you are working them with lighter dumbbells, push ups etc, on non-lifting days. :smile:
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    There is no such thing as too much cardio if you are properly fueling your body with food.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    You won't build muscle unless you're lifting heavy. And, if you're eating at a deficit, you may gain some muslce in the beginning, this will even out, and you will simply be retaining muscle. Once you get past the "newbie" stage, you really only build significant muscle by eating at a surplus.
    only build significant muscle by eating at a surplus. Do you mean eating more than MFP says you should eat eg cal + workout cal + more? :huh:
    Sorry if it's a bit of a dumb question :blushing:

    Yeah, it's really hard to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. They're typically treated as seperate goals. If you want to build muscle, you have to consume more calories than you burn. If you want to lose fat you have to consume less calories than you burn. With building muscle also typically comes some fat gain.
  • DivaSlimsDown
    DivaSlimsDown Posts: 28
    using your own body weight is definitely a form of strength training but you do want to add in some weights. lifting heavy is an option or use smaller weights but do more reps.
  • _DaniD_
    _DaniD_ Posts: 2,186 Member
    No, it's not too much. It's not necessary, but if you're comfortable with it there is no reason to stop.
  • sally_jeffswife
    sally_jeffswife Posts: 766 Member
    I really like the Kettlenetics dvds cuz they combine cardio with light weights. And they give you toning without bulking you up too much being a girl. But on days that I don't do that one and I do like Billy Blanks Ab Bootcamp or Billy Blanks Jr Dance Party Bootcamp or Sweatin in the Spirit Gospel Workout instead of kettlenetics then I try to do 15minutes of 18lb Kettlebell and 12 lb dumb bells. Just so I am getting some kinda weight in my day but still getting the cardio in. There are days though when am really busy and don't get both in but that is what I'm trying to do. The kettlenetics one though I really like for being a girl cuz it combines lighter weights with the cardio so I can get a little of both and I don't feel like that one totally bulks you up it just tones you out a little better.
  • jedibunny
    jedibunny Posts: 321
    This is an interesting question. I wonder if there are any scientific studies on how cardio affects strength training.

    http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/combining-strength-and-cardio-training-does-it-work
  • walleyebob977
    walleyebob977 Posts: 201 Member
    Im never on the treadmill for more then 30 mins but its enough to burn around 300 cals. I have been doing c25k which seems to help. On my heavy weight days I just started, to use the treadmill 3.5 with like 7% incline to get the legs into a good burn for 10 mins. Seems to get the blood flowing good and get the heart rate up.
  • DostThouEven
    DostThouEven Posts: 148
    If it hinders your progress on adding weight to your lifts (provided you aren't in a stall induced by calorie deficit) or if it makes you feel bad then it is too much. If not, then no. As said though, definitely more than needed.
  • anwest20
    anwest20 Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks for everyones advice. I guess till I loose a little more weight ill just keep doing what i am doing to keep the muscle i already have then start working more on increasing muscles later. Before I started MFP i had already lost 10 pounds without the heavy lifting days. So ill just with it for now :)
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Without knowing how long you've been trying this routine and what results you may have seen, it is realy hard to say what might be a good change up if needed. I do circuit with lots of cardio myself and have been getting good tone and losing weight. That's my goal though, so if you want/need to build more muscle you might experiment with a little less cardio and a more regimented strength training.
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    You still have 28 pounds to lose, so I would make that a priority for now. Do all the cardio you want! But keep lifting too! That will help you keep some of the muscle you currently have.

    When you get to your goal weight, then you can cut back on the cardio, eat more, and lift heavy to gain more muscle.

    This.

    At this point don't over think it, just stay active.
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    I was just told by my trainer NO cardio for more than 30 minutes a day! You are more or less undoing all the weight training work and muscle burns more calories.

    I'm not a "trainer" but this sounds very suspect to me. It doesn't fit with my personal experience.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    I really like the Kettlenetics dvds cuz they combine cardio with light weights. And they give you toning without bulking you up too much being a girl.
    The kettlenetics one though I really like for being a girl cuz it combines lighter weights with the cardio so I can get a little of both and I don't feel like that one totally bulks you up it just tones you out a little better.

    uggghhgg :grumble:
  • MelyndaWaldner
    MelyndaWaldner Posts: 442 Member
    You still have 28 pounds to lose, so I would make that a priority for now. Do all the cardio you want! But keep lifting too! That will help you keep some of the muscle you currently have.

    When you get to your goal weight, then you can cut back on the cardio, eat more, and lift heavy to gain more muscle.

    This.

    At this point don't over think it, just stay active.

    ^^^ this..

    I weight train on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. I do an hour of cardio 6 days a week to improve my endurance and fitness levels. I feel fantatsic :) you have to do what feels right for you. If you want to lose weight then up the cardio and eat at a deficit.

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