Addicted to cardio!
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Replies
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You definitely can overdo it. But overtraining is not that common. It takes a lot of work, discipline and motivation to dig yourself into such a big hole. Certainly possible.
I rode my bike 20 hours last week. 18the week before, and 15 and 17 the previous two. I do have a plan, built with the help of a coach. The longest single ride in that month was 6 hours. This is relatively common for competitive cyclists. Ironman triathletes require even more volume to be competitive! I don't take that many days off completely, but at least 1 or 2 days a week will be devoted to active recovery - very low intensity.
I love riding. MFP and weight management are simply accessories to ride better. So no lifting beyond some basic core workout and plyometrics to develop explosive power. Not a big deal - I simply found something I like doing. Seems you did, too. And for what is worth, the most amazing weight loss I witnessed was on a former manager at my work who found he loved riding a bike and lost about 100 lb in a year - iron will: a modest amount of oatmeal would be his breakfast every single day, and salad with tuna or chicken would be his lunch. He did not give up alcohol, though
But he rode his bike lots, and that was the motivation he found. 0 -
Op you may want to check out this article.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
If you are training for an endurance event, I dont think a couple of hours a day of cardio is excessive, but that also assumes you are eating to fuel those workouts.
For weight loss alone, I really don't believe excessive cardio is the way to go, especially when paired with a lower caloric intake like you are doing.
So yes, I do believe that you can do too much under certain circumstances.
You mention it depends on the person and goals - what are your goals?0 -
I'm actually similar ... I do an hour of elliptical pretty much every day. I've discovered Zumba and am loving that, doing it for an hour each morning. I'll also throw in a little treadmill, sometimes stationary bike as well. I also do a full body weight workout twice a week.
For me, yes, I love the exercise and the endorphins. I actually feel more tired if I don't work out. I also like to eat ... I struggle to keep calories around 2000 (my estimated burn for the day is often around 3000). Still, sometimes I'm not having much of a deficit at weeks end. I haven't been losing much lately, maintaining for a few months now. Not quite at goal but close (5'6" and 150 pounds). At least not in the "overweight" category anymore.
I guess some of it would depend on why you are doing it, are you enjoying it, and what intensity. I personally am more quantity than quality I know. I'm not "leisurely" when on the elliptical, I am working up a sweat. The bike ... that is pretty low intensity for me, it's my excuse to read my book and not feel guilty about it. My elliptical time is my TV time, it's the only time I watch. Zumba I completely enjoy (but I do really try to keep my heart rate up). Jogging ... that is only for a workout.
I would suggest getting some weights into your workout too. It is as important as cardio! Enjoy the exercise but stay in tune with your body's needs, and do take a rest day every now and again (I have to remind myself to do that too.)
The endorphins is a major thing for me, and my body crave a good sweaty, heart throbbing workout. I don't feel right if I don't workout. I have recently started lifting five pound weights (ten sets of ten to be exact) and recently purchased a pull-up bar to do leg raises. My goal weight is one hundred and fifty pounds and I think that I'm a little to anxious to get back into my size 7/8. I will take the advice I have received and slow it down some, because the last thing that I would want to do is harm myself.
I have been doing 3.0 on the treadmill for sixty minutes ( usually burning three hundred calories), level five on the stationary bike for sixty minutes (burning four to five hundred calories), and a hour and a half on the elliptical (burning two hundred calories). Some days I eat back my calories, some days I eat half of my calories back, and some days I don't eat any of the calories burned back. Any advice is greatly appreciated Thanks0 -
Check Dean Karnazes0
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Check Dean Karnazes
Karnazes was also eating 5000-7000 calories a day during his 50 marathons in 50 days.0 -
I despise cardio-- i am addicted to not doing it.
I used to be the same way, but now I get such an endorphin rush and sleep much better at night.0 -
if you believe in moderation I would take that into your workouts as well. There is no need to do cardio for 3.5 hrs per day. What is your goal???? You must have other things in your life? Job? Family? Hobby?Thanks for all of the replies to this question, as I'm new to exercising and could use all of the advise I could get. I use the elliptical machine for one hour and thirty minutes, stationary bike for one hour, and treadmill for one hour, seven days a week. I eat fourteen hundred and fifty to fifteen hundred calories on most days; on occasion I may go a little over by one hundred to two hundred calories. I don't believe in dieting, but I believe in everything in moderation and I try to choose healthier food options. I'm 5'4 and 192 pounds. Please keep the advice coming.
When I spoke of moderation I was talking about my caloric intake. I recently started exercising, so I didn't know any better. lol
I guess I'll be cutting back now. I'm a stay at home mom, married twelve years, and my hobbies are reading/working out.
It's fine to have that as your hobby but just decrease it a bit and take a day or two off.......and maybe add in some lifts
Lifting is amazing and addicting also. Does wonders to the body :flowerforyou:
Good luck!
Recently started lifting five pound weights (ten sets of ten three times a week) Thanks for the advice0 -
Op you may want to check out this article.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
If you are training for an endurance event, I dont think a couple of hours a day of cardio is excessive, but that also assumes you are eating to fuel those workouts.
For weight loss alone, I really don't believe excessive cardio is the way to go, especially when paired with a lower caloric intake like you are doing.
So yes, I do believe that you can do too much under certain circumstances.
You mention it depends on the person and goals - what are your goals?
That's the best starting point. I come here and people say "I want to lose weight" when their real goal is often "I want to look better".
Weight loss is certainly a component of that, but they also want to be toned and shapely. Simply losing weight wouldn't be enough to achieve that.
Athletic goals are a different thing - I like athletic bodies but I would be the first to accept some look weird. As an example, elite road cyclists look weird very often. Pigeon chested, no arm musculature, insane tan lines and you can see the outline of every vertebra in their back and sometimes even the internal organs. Yikes. Look for a photo of Michael Rasmussen a.k.a. " the chicken".
For most of us there will be a point where that pursuit is no longer worth it. I want to get faster on a bike, but also want to be able to toss my kids up in the air.0 -
You definitely can overdo it. But overtraining is not that common. It takes a lot of work, discipline and motivation to dig yourself into such a big hole. Certainly possible.
I rode my bike 20 hours last week. 18the week before, and 15 and 17 the previous two. I do have a plan, built with the help of a coach. The longest single ride in that month was 6 hours. This is relatively common for competitive cyclists. Ironman triathletes require even more volume to be competitive! I don't take that many days off completely, but at least 1 or 2 days a week will be devoted to active recovery - very low intensity.
I love riding. MFP and weight management are simply accessories to ride better. So no lifting beyond some basic core workout and plyometrics to develop explosive power. Not a big deal - I simply found something I like doing. Seems you did, too. And for what is worth, the most amazing weight loss I witnessed was on a former manager at my work who found he loved riding a bike and lost about 100 lb in a year - iron will: a modest amount of oatmeal would be his breakfast every single day, and salad with tuna or chicken would be his lunch. He did not give up alcohol, though But he rode his bike lots, and that was the motivation he found.
Thanks, sounds great and inspiring.0 -
Op you may want to check out this article.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
If you are training for an endurance event, I dont think a couple of hours a day of cardio is excessive, but that also assumes you are eating to fuel those workouts.
For weight loss alone, I really don't believe excessive cardio is the way to go, especially when paired with a lower caloric intake like you are doing.
So yes, I do believe that you can do too much under certain circumstances.
You mention it depends on the person and goals - what are your goals?
That's the best starting point. I come here and people say "I want to lose weight" when their real goal is often "I want to look better".
Weight loss is certainly a component of that, but they also want to be toned and shapely. Simply losing weight wouldn't be enough to achieve that.
Athletic goals are a different thing - I like athletic bodies but I would be the first to accept some look weird. As an example, elite road cyclists look weird very often. Pigeon chested, no arm musculature, insane tan lines and you can see the outline of every vertebra in their back and sometimes even the internal organs. Yikes. Look for a photo of Michael Rasmussen a.k.a. " the chicken".
For most of us there will be a point where that pursuit is no longer worth it. I want to get faster on a bike, but also want to be able to toss my kids up in the air.
Thanks for the advice and I will look him up.0 -
Op you may want to check out this article.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
If you are training for an endurance event, I dont think a couple of hours a day of cardio is excessive, but that also assumes you are eating to fuel those workouts.
For weight loss alone, I really don't believe excessive cardio is the way to go, especially when paired with a lower caloric intake like you are doing.
So yes, I do believe that you can do too much under certain circumstance
You mention it depends on the person and goals - what are your goals?
Thanks for the advice and I'll try to cut back on the cardio; due to my caloric intake. My goal is to be one hundred and fifty pounds by September and tone my body in the process.0 -
Check Dean Karnazes
Karnazes was also eating 5000-7000 calories a day during his 50 marathons in 50 days.
Will check this person out0 -
My fitness pal suggest that I burn six hundred and sixty calories a day. Should i go over that amount; and If so how much over? Should I eat my exercise calories back?0
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first of all, if you're doing all that you say you're doing, at your height and weight, I would guess you're burning way more calories than 600-some. I go on a low estimate of calories burnt and I easily burn what 500-600 in a single hour of high-intensity cardio. Second, if you've got that big of a deficit and you're working out three hours, you need to be fueling your body better by eating back calories. How long have you been doing this, and have you seen any results?
Also, cardio alone, let alone that much is NOT the best way to lose weight and get a better body. A few hours of cardio a week is really all you need. Strength training will do more for your weight loss and toning, and if you do it right, it'll still get your heart pumping and the sweat running. There are plenty of studies floating around that show too much cardio can actually hinder your weight loss. I fell into this trap early in my weight loss journey--I was working out 7 days a week, doing 30 day shred, then 20-30 minutes of cardio, then 20-30 minutes of cardio. I lost a lot for a few weeks, then stalled out. Now I run 3 days a week for about 30-35 minutes and doing strength training 3x a week for an hour each, and I'm losing about 1-2.5lb a week.0 -
How much have you lost and how fast??? I guess if it's worth it to you ?? I personally know I can't work out 3-4 hrs a day and maintain that. I work part time and have 2 busy kids. I spend time doing other things. You can come up with a good quality workout in 1 hour. And if I was going to work out for 3 hrs I would not do cardio the whole time. 10 lb weights are ok but I'm guessing you can lift a lot more!!!0
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Not the best way to lose weight. If your nutrition isn't right with that duration of cardio, then lean muscle will be lost. And that LOWERS your metabolic rate. A lower metabolic rate will happen with weight loss and calorie deficit already, but this would accelerate lowering the rate even more. And with hardly any strength training (5lbs weights aren't really strength training and all those sets are geared towards endurance) lean muscle loss will be also accelerated leaving you with a higher fat/lower muscle ratio composition (also known as skinny/fat).
I've seen this scenario many many times because I've had so many prior clients attempt the same. Unless you're training for an event, or are a competitor for endurance events, there really isn't any reason to do cardio for more than an hour. Yes you'll burn more calories, but there's a line on how the body responds to burning energy based on nutritional intake. And honestly, it doesn't sound like you have that down correctly.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Thanks for all of the replies to this question, as I'm new to exercising and could use all of the advise I could get. I use the elliptical machine for one hour and thirty minutes, stationary bike for one hour, and treadmill for one hour, seven days a week. I eat fourteen hundred and fifty to fifteen hundred calories on most days; on occasion I may go a little over by one hundred to two hundred calories. I don't believe in dieting, but I believe in everything in moderation and I try to choose healthier food options. I'm 5'4 and 192 pounds. Please keep the advice coming.
Seeing that just leaves me with one word ....
Why?
I had no idea of how much exercise I should be doing, so I'm glad to have a place to ask questions and get good advice.
Step back and figure out what your goals really are then base your nutrition and exercise plans to reach those goals. It takes some homework and thought.
A lot of exercise is not necessarily a bad thing but there needs to be a logic behind it along with proper fueling. Not knowing what or how much to do and jumping straight to doing a lot of everything does not look like a plan.0 -
Thanks for all of the replies to this question, as I'm new to exercising and could use all of the advise I could get. I use the elliptical machine for one hour and thirty minutes, stationary bike for one hour, and treadmill for one hour, seven days a week. I eat fourteen hundred and fifty to fifteen hundred calories on most days; on occasion I may go a little over by one hundred to two hundred calories. I don't believe in dieting, but I believe in everything in moderation and I try to choose healthier food options. I'm 5'4 and 192 pounds. Please keep the advice coming.
Seeing that just leaves me with one word ....
Why?
I had no idea of how much exercise I should be doing, so I'm glad to have a place to ask questions and get good advice.
Step back and figure out what your goals really are then base your nutrition and exercise plans to reach those goals. It takes some homework and thought.
A lot of exercise is not necessarily a bad thing but there needs to be a logic behind it along with proper fueling. Not knowing what or how much to do and jumping straight to doing a lot of everything does not look like a plan.
I agree with this.
If it is the endorphins that you like, switch up long cardio with shorter but more intense sessions.
There is no need to look up people like Dean Karneze. He is simply an example of someone who does a lot of cardio. He is an extreme case example and it isn't exactly relevant to your situation. He wasn't trying to lose weight and, as mentioned, was eating to fuel those workouts.0 -
How much have you lost and how fast??? I guess if it's worth it to you ?? I personally know I can't work out 3-4 hrs a day and maintain that. I work part time and have 2 busy kids. I spend time doing other things. You can come up with a good quality workout in 1 hour. And if I was going to work out for 3 hrs I would not do cardio the whole time. 10 lb weights are ok but I'm guessing you can lift a lot more!!!
I've lost thirty pounds in sixty days. I guess I'll be doing a lot of cutting back, thanks to the advice I've received here. I do other things too, but I have learned to take care of myself too. I became fat by always giving my all to everyone else, while losing myself. I have been lifting five pound weights, now I think I'll try the ten pound weights. Thanks for your advice0 -
Thanks for all of the replies to this question, as I'm new to exercising and could use all of the advise I could get. I use the elliptical machine for one hour and thirty minutes, stationary bike for one hour, and treadmill for one hour, seven days a week. I eat fourteen hundred and fifty to fifteen hundred calories on most days; on occasion I may go a little over by one hundred to two hundred calories. I don't believe in dieting, but I believe in everything in moderation and I try to choose healthier food options. I'm 5'4 and 192 pounds. Please keep the advice coming.
Seeing that just leaves me with one word ....
Why?
I had no idea of how much exercise I should be doing, so I'm glad to have a place to ask questions and get good advice.
Step back and figure out what your goals really are then base your nutrition and exercise plans to reach those goals. It takes some homework and thought.
A lot of exercise is not necessarily a bad thing but there needs to be a logic behind it along with proper fueling. Not knowing what or how much to do and jumping straight to doing a lot of everything does not look like a plan.
I agree with this.
If it is the endorphins that you like, switch up long cardio with shorter but more intense sessions.
There is no need to look up people like Dean Karneze. He is simply an example of someone who does a lot of cardio. He is an extreme case example and it isn't exactly relevant to your situation. He wasn't trying to lose weight and, as mentioned, was eating to fuel those workouts.
Thanks for the advice.0
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