Too much cardio when strength training?

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  • sally_jeffswife
    sally_jeffswife Posts: 766 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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: 22,841 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    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.
    ^ Exactly correct, almost. If you continue to operate at a calorie deficit to lose weight you will MINIMIZE muscle loss. Weight loss will still be a combination of fat and muscle. You won't "retain" all muscle.

    Cardio burns fat, it doesn't build muscle. Most of the things you listed as your 1 hour cardio workouts really isn't cardio but more resistance (strength) training.

    If you're truly lifting heavy then you need to let your body recover more. Muscles need 48 hours to fully recover so put a day in between your heavy lifting sessions. Muscle adaptation takes place during rest periods.
  • 1carahmeldiva
    1carahmeldiva Posts: 31
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    Bump for later.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Excessive cardio hurts your gains
  • cljabusc
    cljabusc Posts: 48
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    bump
  • DoingitWell
    DoingitWell Posts: 560 Member
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    THanks for posting this question.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,261 Member
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    bump
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    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?

    A few things:

    1. While excessive cardio can produce an "inhibitory" effect on muscle hypertrophy, the effect is generally overblown for recreational athletes. It's sort of like the new "starvation mode." Yes it exists, but for 95% of the population, cardio will be more likely to help burn fat than stifle muscle growth.

    2. An hour of circuit training that consists of push-ups, burpees, lunges, and squats? WTF? What are you super woman? I would be very concerned that you're simply over training if you truly do that kind of circuit training for an hour every day.
  • 00sarah
    00sarah Posts: 621 Member
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    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?

    A few things:

    1. While excessive cardio can produce an "inhibitory" effect on muscle hypertrophy, the effect is generally overblown for recreational athletes. It's sort of like the new "starvation mode." Yes it exists, but for 95% of the population, cardio will be more likely to help burn fat than stifle muscle growth.

    2. An hour of circuit training that consists of push-ups, burpees, lunges, and squats? WTF? What are you super woman? I would be very concerned that you're simply over training if you truly do that kind of circuit training for an hour every day.



    Good advice. And I ate a surplus to gain.
  • Katiemarie4488
    Katiemarie4488 Posts: 242 Member
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    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?

    You rest, and eat protein
  • Jonesie1984
    Jonesie1984 Posts: 612 Member
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    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?

    What she means is excessive cardio is actually catabolic (muscle wasting) so you are lifting weight to build muscle and doing excessive cardio and wasting/depleating it.

    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:

    ^^^ exactly :angry: If people only knew how hard it was to gain muscle they wouldn't be so afraid of it.

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