Cardio or No?

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smc864
smc864 Posts: 570 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I want to hear from people that have lost weight doing cardio and those who did it without. I am very torn as to whether I should continue doing cardio. Currently I do strength training 3-4 times/week and usually add some cardio 2-3 times/week. I don't want to lose too much lean mass but I don't want my weight loss to stall. Opinions? Discuss.

Replies

  • jayaprathappsg
    jayaprathappsg Posts: 60 Member
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    I believe thats a good ratio. I like to mix it up on the same day.

    I use a schedule something similar to this: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kris-gethin-12-week-daily-trainer-week-1-day-2.html

    I start with cardio on a treadmill or elliptical for 15 mins. Then go do strength traing for 45 mins. In between each set(example squats, bicep curls, deadlifts), I jog for a quick minute just to get my heart rate up and continue.

    If I have more time I will finish with a 10 minute intense cardio..
  • stt43
    stt43 Posts: 487
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    If you are strength training, consuming enough protein, and your calorie deficit isn't too low, then cardio will help you lose fat and won't make you lose muscle.
  • stormcarey
    stormcarey Posts: 5
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    i would keep what you got and if you do change it maybe another cardio? i know when i do cardio strength i also make sure i take weekends off so the body can rest and get where it is supposed to be
  • Routerninja
    Routerninja Posts: 201
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    I do strength training 3 days a week with a cardio warmup (About 10-15 minutes) and a cardio chaser, usually about 30 minutes, and the other 2 days I do straight cardio for an hour. My loss has been averaging about 3-5 pounds a week but I know I am not typical due to my size.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Cardio is not necessary to reach your goals from an aesthetic point of view. However, incorporating it does allow you to get away with not being AS anal retentive about nutrition, and it IS beneficial (and arguably necessary) for overall health. Cardio doesn't have to come from running for an hour a day though. There are many ways of getting cardio in.
  • smc864
    smc864 Posts: 570 Member
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    If you are strength training, consuming enough protein, and your calorie deficit isn't too low, then cardio will help you lose fat and won't make you lose muscle.

    I eat around 1200-1500 calories/day depending if I work out or not. My TDEE - 20% = 1470


    I keep my macros at 35% protein, 35% carbs, 30% fat. I'm wondering if I should increase my protein intake.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    However, incorporating it does allow you to get away with not being AS anal retentive about nutrition, and it IS beneficial (and arguably necessary) for overall health.

    Exactly ^ - do it for the health benefits if nothing else. Everyone should do a bit of cardio IMO for this reason.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
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    I probably eat +/-600 calories a day below maintenance, average around 100g of protein every day, lift 3x a week, and run a couple miles 3x a week .. no negative impact on muscle mass.
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
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    inb4 CARDIO KILLZ UR GAINS
  • pittsjg
    pittsjg Posts: 46 Member
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    Yeah, why not? I usually do it to burn some calories while watching a movie, then I can eat more during the day and still hit may calorie goals. The intense stuff to improve performance. If I had to make a choice I'd take weight training or circuit style training over cardio for appearance goals.

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