Do you think I need to mix up my cardio?

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mariapuhl
mariapuhl Posts: 529 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys, so I have a question:

I do strength training along with my cardio like 2-3 times a week. When I do strength training I do 30 mins of cardio, then 30-45 mins of strength training.

But on the days I don't strength train, I do an hour of cardio. And I ALWAYS do the elliptical. It's one of the total body crossramp ellipticals, so you can change the resistance, incline, etc. I love that thing. But I ALWAYS use it. I switch up the program, from interval training, to fat burning, to cross country, to random, etc. But I still always use the ellpitical. I do it because I can't run (have glass ankles), and the bikes I feel like I don't get a good enough workout no matter how hard the resistance is.

So do you think I should try adding in some walking or something? I'm still losing weight at the same rate I have been, but just have been wondering about that recently.

Thanks guys!

Replies

  • kt2007
    kt2007 Posts: 315 Member
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    I use the Elliptical alot also. I go to the treadmill and do a nice 3 to 3.5 speed with the steepest incline I can do. It burns a bunch of cals and it give me something different to use. Try it out see what you think.
  • beethedreamer
    beethedreamer Posts: 465 Member
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    bump, i'd like to know too!
  • thenebean9
    thenebean9 Posts: 216
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    changing it up is always a good idea. it's good to do different types of cardio because your body needs the difference in the workout - otherwise it's gonna get used to the work you're doing and it will be less effective. try throwing in some running, zumba, spinning, etc. a couple of times a week! :)
  • lesley12345
    lesley12345 Posts: 89 Member
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    I think you are fine. The elliptical is a great cardio machine, it's especially easy on your joints. As long as your doing cardio, and you like it and not getting bored of it, then stick with it. Some people run everyday, some people bike everyday, your choice of cardio is elliptical, and I think that's great!
  • mariapuhl
    mariapuhl Posts: 529 Member
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    changing it up is always a good idea. it's good to do different types of cardio because your body needs the difference in the workout - otherwise it's gonna get used to the work you're doing and it will be less effective. try throwing in some running, zumba, spinning, etc. a couple of times a week! :)

    Well, I just wasn't sure if the changing up the program on there (because they are VERY different, I think) was enough to be "changing it up" or if I should actually do other stuff... if that makes sense?

    Ive been doing it now like this for 11 weeks and haven't hit a plateau so it can't be *too* bad.
  • turbojanem
    turbojanem Posts: 285
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    you should mix up your routine every 6-12 weeks. if you mix it up now, you won't have to fight to get off a plateau. your muscles will get used to that routine and you won't get the full benefit. there are lots of cardio options available other than running. every DVD set from Beachbody has cardio with it. or many cardio workouts. have you tried any of them? they have a person doing low to no impact person in addition to those doing full impact.
    i personally LOVE the elliptical that you use, but found that my Turbo Jam had a well rounded routine, i could do them at home and i was spending LOTS less time doing my Turbo Jam then i was at the Y. i found it to be a time management issue for me.
    Jane
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    You are already "mixing up your routine" by varying intensity, duration, etc. Doing the same machine carries with it a greater risk of overuse injury and possibly some psychological burnout.

    So there are good reasons to try some other cross training activities. Changing because "your body gets used to it and it won't be as effective" is NOT one of them. You are already varying your training stimulus. You just need to be concerned about the overuse syndromes I described earlier.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    you should mix up your routine every 6-12 weeks. if you mix it up now, you won't have to fight to get off a plateau. your muscles will get used to that routine and you won't get the full benefit. there are lots of cardio options available other than running. every DVD set from Beachbody has cardio with it. or many cardio workouts. have you tried any of them? they have a person doing low to no impact person in addition to those doing full impact.
    i personally LOVE the elliptical that you use, but found that my Turbo Jam had a well rounded routine, i could do them at home and i was spending LOTS less time doing my Turbo Jam then i was at the Y. i found it to be a time management issue for me.
    Jane

    I always feared though that doing nothing but TJ was still too much of a routine despite the fact it used more of your entire body then an elliptical for example. I did it for 4 years just to be healthy, not too loose weight. Now that I have 8 lbs to loose I hesitate to rely back on the DVD's that I love since they only helped me maintain over the last 4 years, no drop in weight (that being said I didn't watch my calories during this time but still....)

    TJ hasn’t helped me over the past year loose these 8 lbs so I’ve made the temporary change t o 30 day shred since I need to gain more muscle. We’ll see how it goes.
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
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    I would switch things up. I get bored if I do the same activity for too long.
    Also, I've been told by my trainer and others that you should always do weight training first and cardio after. i can't remember the reason for it though.
  • thenebean9
    thenebean9 Posts: 216
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    an article i found about this...

    http://www.sheerbalance.com/fitness/why-variation-is-so-important-to-a-workout/
  • mariabee
    mariabee Posts: 212 Member
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    I would switch things up. I get bored if I do the same activity for too long.
    Also, I've been told by my trainer and others that you should always do weight training first and cardio after. i can't remember the reason for it though.

    If I'm not mistaken, I believe that "weight training first, followed by cardio" is a personal preference; I don't think there's much benefit in doing it one way or the other. But I agree with you about switching it up, and my feet fall asleep on the elliptical.

    Walking on the treadmill at a steep incline gets your heart pumping, if you can't run....
  • Fineraziel
    Fineraziel Posts: 140
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    I would say : stick with the elliptical if thats what you enjoy the most ! :) Unless you hit a plateau, I wouldnt bother to change. ;)
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    I would recommend doing different cardio in addition to the cardio that you prefer. In the course of a week I do: P90X plyometrics, any given cardio program from Insanity, running on the treadmill, walking on the treadmill at a 9 incline, side skipping on the treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike. By changing it up you're not using the same muscles over and over again without rest.
  • Sassy_Cass
    Sassy_Cass Posts: 408 Member
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    Hey,

    I have a couple of suggestions, first of all the eliptical trainer is all well and good as it provides activity without too much stress on the joints, however... it does not mimic typical bodily behaviour and therefore does not train the body to improve your daily functioning. Some suggest that it is not the greatest exercise though I think any form of physical activity is beneficial.

    In terms of mixing it up - thats a definite. You need to work at confusing your muscles or they will get used to the activties you are doing and you may find you plateau. Going for a jog or looking into doing a cardio class will help to keep your body guessing whats going to happen next.

    Hope it helps :smile:
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
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    Mix it up. I switch back and forth between the stairmaster and the elliptical. i also do 45 minutes when I weight train and 1 hr when I dont.

    I found also that switching it up is good when you are trying to break a plateau as well.
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
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    I would switch things up. I get bored if I do the same activity for too long.
    Also, I've been told by my trainer and others that you should always do weight training first and cardio after. i can't remember the reason for it though.

    If I'm not mistaken, I believe that "weight training first, followed by cardio" is a personal preference; I don't think there's much benefit in doing it one way or the other. But I agree with you about switching it up, and my feet fall asleep on the elliptical.

    Walking on the treadmill at a steep incline gets your heart pumping, if you can't run....

    Unless the trainers I have spoken to are wrong it is not personal preference it is more efficient for your body.
    I'll see if I can find the reason online.
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
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    Here is a good article about the order of exercising. Seems to depend on what you want to accomplish.
    If you want to build cardio endurance, cardio first.
    Build muscle and strength, weight train first.
    Burn calories or fat, either order.
    My trainers highly believed in building muscle to burn fat, which I think is why they recommened the order they did.

    But it sounds like maybe it is more related to what you want to accomplish and personal preference.

    http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/training/a/ExerciseOrder.htm
  • Determinedchica
    Determinedchica Posts: 17 Member
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    I was told by my trainer to "Lift, then Run". Not too sure why...perhaps to prevent injury? Maybe warming the muscles up before you use them--that's just my guess...
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Here is a good article about the order of exercising. Seems to depend on what you want to accomplish.
    If you want to build cardio endurance, cardio first.
    Build muscle and strength, weight train first.
    Burn calories or fat, either order.
    My trainers highly believed in building muscle to burn fat, which I think is why they recommened the order they did.

    But it sounds like maybe it is more related to what you want to accomplish and personal preference.

    http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/training/a/ExerciseOrder.htm

    The main premise behind recommendations that doing weights first-- i.e. you burn more fat while doing the following cardio--is fundamentally flawed. One, most people will not exhaust their glycogen stores during their typical lifting session to make any difference and two, even if you do accomplish an increased "fat burn" during cardio exercise, research has shown that it has no effect on your ability to lose fat or burn more fat over a 24-hr period.

    So, from a fat-burning standpoint, there is no physiological justification for doing weights first. There has been research done that suggests that doing cardio first, then resistance exercise results in a greater post-exercise EPOC that doing the opposite. I just saw the one study on that subject, however, so I would hesitate to make that a definitive statement.

    It's important to keep in mind that, for the beginning or average exerciser, NONE of these questions are very significant. For this group, adaptation and improvement can occur at such a rate that the relatively tiny differences in things like time of day, exercise order, pre-exercise feeding, etc could make are dwarfed by the effects of just following a consistent routine, lifting with proper form, choosing the right intensity, etc.
  • NikkiDerrig386
    NikkiDerrig386 Posts: 1,096 Member
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    Yes you have to switch it up esp if you want dif results. Your body gets use to the same exercise. Why dont you try intervals of different machines; 10 mins stairs, 10 min bike, jump rope, sprints, or a spin class. I usually do my cardio first so it puts me in the mood to work out more and my strength training are very intense workouts (my heart is about 75-95% of my heart rate during strength training) so I do the hardest last.

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