Cardio.... Should I ?

hippytee
hippytee Posts: 249 Member
should I be doing cardio on the days I don't strength train?

My schedule is Mon, wed fri strength training
Tues, cardio ( fast walking,jogging on treadmill and an hr's Zumba on a Thurs.)

Bearing in mind I am overweight, by about 21 lbs, (gained my stopping exercise and overeating the past 6 months ,,,,,,before that I was a healthy 9 and a half stone regularly strength trained 3x per week.

So I'm doing the cardio to help shed the excess weight,,, I eat 100g of protein per day, eat good carbs (40%) of daily intake and 30% good fats i.e from extra virgin olive oil, oily fish, nuts, seeds.

I really want to avoid burning the muscle and melt away the fat as my bMi is 29

Replies

  • juuudie
    juuudie Posts: 2 Member
    I hate doing boring cardio but what I've discovered works really well is incorporating HIIT exercises into your lifting routine or instead of resting between sets do lunges, squats, jumping jacks, burpies etc. I think you'll see a significant difference in your weight loss and energy levels.
  • MandaLeigh123
    MandaLeigh123 Posts: 351 Member
    I do cardio directly after lifting.
  • DawnEmbers
    DawnEmbers Posts: 2,451 Member
    You can though it is good to have a rest day or two as well. You don't have to, as nutrition can give enough of a calorie deficit to lose weight, but there are definite benefits to cardio.

    I have goals that include cardio, such as jogging a 5k and getting better at jogging a 5k. So, I do cardio 3 days a week in order to work towards those goals. I also lift 3 days a week to work towards my lifting goals. How much you do will depend on your goals, energy, and schedule.
  • hippytee
    hippytee Posts: 249 Member
    I do cardio directly after lifting.
    Yes I've heard it's best doing it that way,, as the cardio,, limits your performance strength wise
  • hippytee
    hippytee Posts: 249 Member
    juuudie wrote: »
    I hate doing boring cardio but what I've discovered works really well is incorporating HIIT exercises into your lifting routine or instead of resting between sets do lunges, squats, jumping jacks, burpies etc. I think you'll see a significant difference in your weight loss and energy levels.
    Not tried it yet ,,,, the idea of burpees frightens me,,, knee and back problem history
  • DennyB1964
    DennyB1964 Posts: 31 Member
    hippytee wrote: »
    I do cardio directly after lifting.
    Yes I've heard it's best doing it that way,, as the cardio,, limits your performance strength wise

    My son told me that too. He's very into the science behind it all, and he didn't like that I was "warming up" (yeah, I know) with 2 miles of treadmill and then doing all of my lifting. So now I switch it up and do my lifting first. Something about getting the lactic acid out of the muscles?
  • nakima
    nakima Posts: 37 Member
    I strength train Monday,Tuesday then cardio Wednsday and strength training again Thursday,Friday. Saturday and Sunday rest. I also do a short 20 min cardio before workouts. I'm losing fat while maintaining muscle (cut) I've almost reached my goal weight. so soon I will go to maintenance calories before doing a bulk this winter to gain more muscle. Keeping fingers crossed :) hope this helps it seems to be working for me.
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
    I lift mon/wed/fri and sometimes get in a quick cardio workout after, then thu and sat I run. But....I enjoy running it's not boring to me, I love to keep my heart and lungs in shape. I'm also in maintenance so I'm eating a freaking ton.
  • sharonfinley37
    sharonfinley37 Posts: 3 Member
    edited June 2015
    I highly recommend 20 mins of HIIT cardio 2-3 times per week. It saves time and continues to burn fat after you've finished. There are several different ways it can be done so you should be able to find something you enjoy.
  • hippytee
    hippytee Posts: 249 Member
    I've changed my routine a little now, having a day off in between strength training days, still doing Zumba once a week, as I
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    I do 10-15 minutes of HIIT after lifting. Non-weight training days I usually run 5k-7k. I live in SoCal and am lucky enough to be able to run outside year round. I run for the cardio benefits.
  • hippytee
    hippytee Posts: 249 Member
    With being Endomorphic ( body type that puts weight on quick I've read that 20-30 mins of cardio is ok to do after a workout for me . To help the fat burn