Weights to cardio ratio

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mross410
mross410 Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Serious question: I am showing signs of over training, especially a lack or reversal of fat loss despite extra work and a more concentrated effort to monitor my nutrition. I have been insane about my macros, obsessive about the QUALITY of calories, and lifting 5 times a week, doing cardio 6. Conservatively, I'm burning between 500 (cardio days only) and over 1,000 calories (cardio, weights, and "challenge together) per day. I'm almost at my goal weight and am more concerned about the composition of that weight and want to burn the fat off. What would be a more ideal ratio of weight training to cardio for this goal? Bear in mind, I'm currently running 12-15 miles per week with other cardio mixed in and my pace is waning.... Thanks!

Replies

  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
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    If composition is your goal, I think you would benefit from reducing the cardio.
    Why don't you just do cardio on your non lifting days?
  • mross410
    mross410 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thanks. Do you (or anyone else) think 2 days of cardio is enough? Thoughts on keeping the M-F lifts and changing the M-Sat runs to 2-3 days of runs followed by by 1-3 days off? Should also add that I'm keeping my calorie goals at 1 lbs/wk weight loss and NOT eating back all calories as calculated.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
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    mross410 wrote: »
    Thanks. Do you (or anyone else) think 2 days of cardio is enough? Thoughts on keeping the M-F lifts and changing the M-Sat runs to 2-3 days of runs followed by by 1-3 days off? Should also add that I'm keeping my calorie goals at 1 lbs/wk weight loss and NOT eating back all calories as calculated.

    Enough for what? Are you using cardio to help create you deficit?

    If not then you don't have to do any cardio. As long as you are in a deficit you will lose weight. If you are concerned about losing lean muscle then a good weight lifting program is far more important then cardio.
  • mross410
    mross410 Posts: 8 Member
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    To maintain solid fitness. My fear is that I'll let go some cardio and lose overall fitness. I guess I feel I'm hitting a plateau and wanna power through. Thanks!!
  • jhass80
    jhass80 Posts: 15 Member
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    Maybe try upping tour complex carbs and protein to help build lean muscle.

    If your eating at a calorie deficit you are burning muscle by doing tons of cardio. I would run just 1 mile a day or eat more.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    jhass80 wrote: »
    Maybe try upping tour complex carbs and protein to help build lean muscle.

    If your eating at a calorie deficit you are burning muscle by doing tons of cardio. I would run just 1 mile a day or eat more.

    ??????????????????????

    do I smell broscience
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Wow, it sorta sounds like you're killing yourself here with overtraining and excessive calorie deficit. Doing all that with a 1-lb/week (PLUS those calories you don't eat back from exercise) and lifting nearly every day and cardio pretty much every day? CALM DOWN! Sounds exhausting to me. If you feel like you're hitting a plateau (as you say), then what you're doing IS getting you the results you clearly don't want. STOP.

    What's your lifting schedule, are you doing full-body routines those 5 days per week (hopefully they're some type of split...).

    You do not have to do massive quantities of cardio in order to not face the alternative (lost fitness). You can find a balance. What about doing something like this: three days per week weightlifting doing a simple full-body routine, and do cardio on your off-lifting days, and have one complete rest day? Aim for a 1/2-lb loss instead of a full pound, or just try maintenance for a few weeks, until you build your energy levels back up?

    If what you're doing isn't working....tweak a few things, try that out for a few weeks, then re-assess, repeat, until you find something that meets your goals (which you're not meeting now) and allows you to breathe a little bit and keep up over the long haul.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    mross410 wrote: »
    Thanks. Do you (or anyone else) think 2 days of cardio is enough?

    To maintain your current level of fitness?

    Absolutely.

    To improve it?

    No.

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,809 Member
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    Define "solid fitness". Fit enough to live a normal life, performing chores and not feeling tired? Or fit enough to engage in competitive sports? Fit for life requires far less than you're currently doing, but if you play sports that is something to take into account.
  • mross410
    mross410 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thanks everyone. I'm doing a 5 day split. Super sets, chest-back on Mon, Legs on Tues, Abs Wed, Shoulders-lats Thurs, Arms Fri. The lack of progress/regression started when I wanted to focus on weight training for a bit. Was afraid of losing my cardio gains. Will prolly step back the cardio a bit and see what happens s based on suggestions. Again, thanks all.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,809 Member
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    Keep your rest periods between lifting sets short, and your heart will be racing for sure.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
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    You still haven't really addressed what your goals are, just some references to "cardio gains" and "solid fitness".
    What exactly are you trying to achieve? Better run times? More muscle, less fat? Muscle gain? Just fat loss? Conditioning for a sport?
  • KittensMaster
    KittensMaster Posts: 748 Member
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    4 days of cardio, 25-35 miles on my bike is 1.5-2.25 hours

    2 lift days heavy compound exercises. Zero cardio on those days

    1 day couch surfing, especially during college football season!

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    piperdown44 wrote: »
    You still haven't really addressed what your goals are, just some references to "cardio gains" and "solid fitness".
    What exactly are you trying to achieve? Better run times? More muscle, less fat? Muscle gain? Just fat loss? Conditioning for a sport?

    pretty much this...

    my training changes throughout the year...in the winter I spend a lot more time in the weight room...in the warmer months I like being out on my bike training and participating in cycling endurance events...so pretty much only 1-2x per week in the weight room when I'm cycling a lot...4x per week when I'm not cycling as much....

    IDK...I like working in seasons...it helps prevent boredom, burnout, and over-train.
  • mross410
    mross410 Posts: 8 Member
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    piperdown44 wrote: »
    You still haven't really addressed what your goals are, just some references to "cardio gains" and "solid fitness".
    What exactly are you trying to achieve? Better run times? More muscle, less fat? Muscle gain? Just fat loss? Conditioning for a sport?

    My main goal is fat loss. However, I know I don't have to sacrifice muscle in order to achieve this. Earlier, when I started, I concentrated on cardio due to restrictions from surgery. At that time, my main concern was weight loss. As I recovered, I added some full body weight routines a few days a week. Now that I'm within 5 lbs of my goal weight, I've switched to concentrating in my fat loss and have seriously increased my weight training. My concern stemmed from the fact that the fat loss seemed to reverse a little as I kept my cardio and increased strength training. I don't want to lose the earlier progress on my runs (my pace on 3-5 mile runs improved by over 1 minute per mile) by cutting cardio, though that seems to be happening anyway.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
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    mross410 wrote: »
    piperdown44 wrote: »
    You still haven't really addressed what your goals are, just some references to "cardio gains" and "solid fitness".
    What exactly are you trying to achieve? Better run times? More muscle, less fat? Muscle gain? Just fat loss? Conditioning for a sport?

    My main goal is fat loss. However, I know I don't have to sacrifice muscle in order to achieve this. Earlier, when I started, I concentrated on cardio due to restrictions from surgery. At that time, my main concern was weight loss. As I recovered, I added some full body weight routines a few days a week. Now that I'm within 5 lbs of my goal weight, I've switched to concentrating in my fat loss and have seriously increased my weight training. My concern stemmed from the fact that the fat loss seemed to reverse a little as I kept my cardio and increased strength training. I don't want to lose the earlier progress on my runs (my pace on 3-5 mile runs improved by over 1 minute per mile) by cutting cardio, though that seems to be happening anyway.

    How do you know this?
    I'm asking to try and figure out if you're getting a true body fat measurement, you're going by the scale or body part measurements (or clothes fitting tighter, that works too).

    If, (big IF), you're on track with calories and you've increased weight lifting you may just be experiencing water weight. If you're tracking body fat by some type of resistance machine those can be off by a large percentage.

    Just my take and suggestion. You can lift heavy 3 times a week and run on your non-lifting days. Throw in a day of rest and you've got a complete week. <---this is all assuming you're eating at either a calorie deficit or maintenance (which would be like a body recomp).

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