How much cardio do YOU do?

brittcody
brittcody Posts: 22 Member
edited November 15 in Fitness and Exercise
How much cardio do you do and how many times a week do you do it?
Trying to get a read on what other people are doing. I understand the amount of cardio you're doing is pretty goal oriented. For a woman who is trying to lose fat and maintain or even (slightly) build muscle while losing fat, what is adequate? I'm reading things like no more than 3 times a week, 30 minutes per session or up to 3 times a week and at least 150 total minutes. So I'm curious, what do you do?
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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited January 2017
    It depends on the season...training for cycling events is a completely different scenario from me maintaining my cardiovascular base.

    Right now I'm just maintaining a good base as I don't have any pending events until summer. It's winter also, so most of my cycling is indoors on my trainer. Mondays are lifting days so I don't ride but I usually go for a 60 minute walk at lunch, Tuesdays I do a 30 minute interval session, Wednesday is a lifting day (walk at lunch), Thursday is a rest day (walk at lunch), Friday I do a 45 minute interval session, Saturday I do a 60 minute ride (about 15-18 miles) and Sunday I do a 90-120 minute ride (25-30 miles).

    When I'm gearing up for an event, my time in the saddle increases exponentially.

    Keep in mind that weight loss and weight management in general is going to be far and away driven more by your diet. Regular exercise provides the bonus of a bit of increased energy expenditure, but it really comes down to your diet. I'm in maintenance and obviously exercise regularly...I maintain because I eat a maintenance level of calories. To lose weight I don't change my exercise up...I eat less.
  • brittcody
    brittcody Posts: 22 Member
    BreonnaQueen wrote: »
    I'm a cardio-*kitten*. I seriously love cardio and if I could I would do 100% cardio and no strength training lol but I realize the importance of both so I try to split it especially with my new body goals.

    I go to the gym about 4 times a week and generally do 20-30 minutes cardio (get my heart rate going) and 30-40 minutes weight training. The only exception is on Saturdays when I run in the park or take hip hop cycling class (1 full hour cycling).

    As far as what may be the best or aqequate, I'll allow other commenters to respond to that.

    Uhh, I'm pretty sure I'd be a 'cardio kitten' too if they offered a hip hop cycling class here!! That's bad *kitten*!!
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited January 2017
    Don't do cardio, besides family walks and such (which is seasonal). Lost the extra weight by only focusing on my calorie intake and I'm now approaching 4 years of maintenance by doing the same thing :)
  • brittcody
    brittcody Posts: 22 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    It depends on the season...training for cycling events is a completely different scenario from me maintaining my cardiovascular base.

    Right now I'm just maintaining a good base as I don't have any pending events until summer. It's winter also, so most of my cycling is indoors on my trainer. Mondays are lifting days so I don't ride but I usually go for a 60 minute walk at lunch, Tuesdays I do a 30 minute interval session, Wednesday is a lifting day (walk at lunch), Thursday is a rest day (walk at lunch), Friday I do a 45 minute interval session, Saturday I do a 60 minute ride (about 15-18 miles) and Sunday I do a 90-120 minute ride (25-30 miles).

    When I'm gearing up for an event, my time in the saddle increases exponentially.

    Keep in mind that weight loss and weight management in general is going to be far and away driven more by your diet. Regular exercise provides the bonus of a bit of increased energy expenditure, but it really comes down to your diet. I'm in maintenance and obviously exercise regularly...I maintain because I eat a maintenance level of calories. To lose weight I don't change my exercise up...I eat less.

    There are just so many different variations when it comes to how people adjust their cardio, lifting and diet. I know it's going to be about what works well for me. Right now I'm just trying to get ideas so I know exactly what that is. I'm having a hard time trying to find some consistency in that I guess. I log my meals, I know my daily caloric intake and have my macros set where I want them, it's just trying to find a gym routine that will allow maximum results. And I guess I struggle with knowing how much cardio I should be mixing in and if I should be eating back those calories or how I need to change up my nutrition on days I do heavy cardio vs days I do lifting. I am feeling like there's definitely an art to getting this down to a science!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I like cardio and am training for a marathon (also like triathlons), so normally do cardio 6 days a week, although I mix it up. Do some weight training too, and if I wasn't addicted (not really) to training for stuff I'd probably focus more on weights. Running is really a stress release for me, though, so I'd probably still do it several times a week.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Purposeful cardio (Leslie Sansone videos) is 45 minutes - hour, 3/4 times a week. Of all the cardio I do, it's about 73 hours a week.
  • brittcody
    brittcody Posts: 22 Member
    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    Don't do cardio, besides family walks and such (which is seasonal). Lost the extra weight by only focusing on my calorie intake and I'm now approaching 4 years of maintenance by doing the same thing :)

    No cardio isn't even an option for me. I have such bad family history of heart disease I don't want that to be my demise. My dad had an 8 vessel bypass back in 09. I work in a cardiac ICU and even I have never seen a bypass with that many vessels. I'd love to skip the cardio, but I know how amazing I feel afterwards and how important it is to my overall health. Congrats on your weight loss
  • brittcody
    brittcody Posts: 22 Member
    Lipsmahoney wrote: »
    I do an hour 7 days a week fasted full incline brisk walk as soon as I wake up. I use a caffeine pill 15 min before I start. I also do a HIIT boot camp three times a week and sometimes add cardio to my other 5 days of weight training. I don't count calories, but have a meal regiment I follow. Down 60 lbs in 7 months with this. ( I am 47 so age is not on my side, but I am getting it done)

    Damn girl, good for you! I'd love to know what that meal regimen is. Trying to find different things that hold my energy after a high intensity cardio session can be a challenge.
  • brittcody
    brittcody Posts: 22 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    Purposeful cardio (Leslie Sansone videos) is 45 minutes - hour, 3/4 times a week. Of all the cardio I do, it's about 73 hours a week.

    Wait, 73 HOURS a week?!
  • Lipsmahoney
    Lipsmahoney Posts: 512 Member
    edited January 2017
    brittcody wrote: »
    Lipsmahoney wrote: »
    I do an hour 7 days a week fasted full incline brisk walk as soon as I wake up. I use a caffeine pill 15 min before I start. I also do a HIIT boot camp three times a week and sometimes add cardio to my other 5 days of weight training. I don't count calories, but have a meal regiment I follow. Down 60 lbs in 7 months with this. ( I am 47 so age is not on my side, but I am getting it done)

    Damn girl, good for you! I'd love to know what that meal regimen is. Trying to find different things that hold my energy after a high intensity cardio session can be a challenge.

    I would be happy to share. I hate eating and don't care what I eat so it is pretty easy for me. I don't use the diary. I eat - at least 6 times a day and sometime 10 or more, so the diary settings don't work for me and are way to much work to keep track. Welcome to add me and I can message from time to time if you like and also pass on some info.
  • brittcody
    brittcody Posts: 22 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I like cardio and am training for a marathon (also like triathlons), so normally do cardio 6 days a week, although I mix it up. Do some weight training too, and if I wasn't addicted (not really) to training for stuff I'd probably focus more on weights. Running is really a stress release for me, though, so I'd probably still do it several times a week.

    I wish I loved running. I love to hate running, and I don't know why. I don't know if that's an acquired exercise use and maybe the more I did it the more I'd like it, I just can't. I opt for the HIIT precor ellipticals, cycling and the rower. I envy you marathon runners, I really do!
  • brittcody
    brittcody Posts: 22 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    brittcody wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    It depends on the season...training for cycling events is a completely different scenario from me maintaining my cardiovascular base.

    Right now I'm just maintaining a good base as I don't have any pending events until summer. It's winter also, so most of my cycling is indoors on my trainer. Mondays are lifting days so I don't ride but I usually go for a 60 minute walk at lunch, Tuesdays I do a 30 minute interval session, Wednesday is a lifting day (walk at lunch), Thursday is a rest day (walk at lunch), Friday I do a 45 minute interval session, Saturday I do a 60 minute ride (about 15-18 miles) and Sunday I do a 90-120 minute ride (25-30 miles).

    When I'm gearing up for an event, my time in the saddle increases exponentially.

    Keep in mind that weight loss and weight management in general is going to be far and away driven more by your diet. Regular exercise provides the bonus of a bit of increased energy expenditure, but it really comes down to your diet. I'm in maintenance and obviously exercise regularly...I maintain because I eat a maintenance level of calories. To lose weight I don't change my exercise up...I eat less.

    There are just so many different variations when it comes to how people adjust their cardio, lifting and diet. I know it's going to be about what works well for me. Right now I'm just trying to get ideas so I know exactly what that is. I'm having a hard time trying to find some consistency in that I guess. I log my meals, I know my daily caloric intake and have my macros set where I want them, it's just trying to find a gym routine that will allow maximum results. And I guess I struggle with knowing how much cardio I should be mixing in and if I should be eating back those calories or how I need to change up my nutrition on days I do heavy cardio vs days I do lifting. I am feeling like there's definitely an art to getting this down to a science!

    I would suggest focusing on your fitness for the sake of fitness...establish fitness goals that our outside of weight management...this will help provide structure as you train to those objectives. Your diet will take care of the rest.

    This is great advice. I turn it into a game. Logging meals and logging exercise. I can see where the obsession could begin to be a bit of a problem.
  • brittcody
    brittcody Posts: 22 Member
    Lipsmahoney wrote: »
    brittcody wrote: »
    Lipsmahoney wrote: »
    I do an hour 7 days a week fasted full incline brisk walk as soon as I wake up. I use a caffeine pill 15 min before I start. I also do a HIIT boot camp three times a week and sometimes add cardio to my other 5 days of weight training. I don't count calories, but have a meal regiment I follow. Down 60 lbs in 7 months with this. ( I am 47 so age is not on my side, but I am getting it done)

    Damn girl, good for you! I'd love to know what that meal regimen is. Trying to find different things that hold my energy after a high intensity cardio session can be a challenge.

    I would be happy to share. I hate eating and don't care what I eat so it is pretty easy for me. Welcome to add me and I can message from time to time if you like and also pass on some info.

    I'd love that, thank you!
  • Lipsmahoney
    Lipsmahoney Posts: 512 Member
    brittcody wrote: »
    Lipsmahoney wrote: »
    brittcody wrote: »
    Lipsmahoney wrote: »
    I do an hour 7 days a week fasted full incline brisk walk as soon as I wake up. I use a caffeine pill 15 min before I start. I also do a HIIT boot camp three times a week and sometimes add cardio to my other 5 days of weight training. I don't count calories, but have a meal regiment I follow. Down 60 lbs in 7 months with this. ( I am 47 so age is not on my side, but I am getting it done)

    Damn girl, good for you! I'd love to know what that meal regimen is. Trying to find different things that hold my energy after a high intensity cardio session can be a challenge.

    I would be happy to share. I hate eating and don't care what I eat so it is pretty easy for me. Welcome to add me and I can message from time to time if you like and also pass on some info.

    I'd love that, thank you!

    I updated my comment. You will notice I don't log foods or workouts, just losses on the scale, but I can still fill you in on what I do.
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
    I do triathlon, so I normally do cardio 5-6 days a week, usually 2 days swimming, 2 days cycling, and 2 days running (usually 1 of those days is part of a "brick workout", where I bike and then run immediately after)...my rest day is sometimes a full rest day, and sometimes yoga. That doesn't change much throughout the year, besides volume. I also try to lift 3 days a week for 30-45 minutes in the off-season, and 1-2 days a week in season.

    Right now, I'm actually rehabbing a running injury, so I'm only swimming 2-3 days a week, and doing my PT exercises. I was recently released from PT, so I will be gradually adding back some easy biking and some more lifting. I'm actually planning to only race aquabike this season (swim/bike only), so that I can focus on SLOWLY regaining my running fitness (which is now completely gone :disappointed: ) and be back at full strength for the 2018 season. :smile:
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
    Obviously everyone is different, however currently I am doing cardio about 3 to 4 times a week on top of lifting. 2 to 3 days a week I do about 25 minutes of HIIT cardio (jump training, incline treadmill intervals and stair intervals) and then every Saturday I play in Volleyball tournaments (about 6 games). My favorite is Volleyball! However with the other - I would rather lift than do cardio.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    brittcody wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I like cardio and am training for a marathon (also like triathlons), so normally do cardio 6 days a week, although I mix it up. Do some weight training too, and if I wasn't addicted (not really) to training for stuff I'd probably focus more on weights. Running is really a stress release for me, though, so I'd probably still do it several times a week.

    I wish I loved running. I love to hate running, and I don't know why. I don't know if that's an acquired exercise use and maybe the more I did it the more I'd like it, I just can't. I opt for the HIIT precor ellipticals, cycling and the rower. I envy you marathon runners, I really do!

    I hate the rower, so it's all a tradeoff! ;-)
  • rugbyphreak
    rugbyphreak Posts: 509 Member
    I do an hour a day, 5 days a week, so far, very little results in my appearance, but I'm getting more miles in per hour than when I started!
  • beerfoamy
    beerfoamy Posts: 1,520 Member
    rugbyphreak wrote: »
    I do an hour a day, 5 days a week, so far, very little results in my appearance, but I'm getting more miles in per hour than when I started!

    ditto the not much change in appearance, but then have only been logging food for a couple of weeks.
    But I swim 40-60mins 5 times a week (2km/3km)
    play squash 40mins 3 times a week
    Body Combat 50mins once a week
    BodyPump 50 mins twice a week - kind of low cardio
    Bums, Legs and Tums 50 mins once a week
    PoundFit - 45mins once a week (like Bums legs and tumes but with Ripsticks (drumsticks))
    Pilates 60mins once a week - again, not really cardio, til she starts us holding plank for a minute, then I sound like I am trying to sprint up a hill

    so that's like 11 hours a week and want to start strength training outside of Pump classes soon - don't know when...... but hopefully with logging food I should see a difference soon.

  • violetta5345
    violetta5345 Posts: 33 Member
    I'm doing 30 minutes on my stationary bike 6 days a weeks right now along with some weight training. I am trying to build my endurance so I can get back on a real bike again. Cycling is what I enjoy so it makes it easier to commit time to it.
  • aashwill
    aashwill Posts: 64 Member
    edited January 2017
    I cardio to work four to six days a week, either two 10 minute bike rides or two 20 minute runs (I bike ~80%). I run on Saturdays with a group for longer and once on Sundays with my dog for about 20-30 minutes. That way I don't have to spend any time on cardio in the gym, those workouts last long enough at 1hr to 1.5hrs for PHUL.
  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    30 minutes of incline walking after every strength training session, so 6 times a week.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    brittcody wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Purposeful cardio (Leslie Sansone videos) is 45 minutes - hour, 3/4 times a week. Of all the cardio I do, it's about 73 hours a week.

    Wait, 73 HOURS a week?!

    I walk while watching movies instead of sitting on my butt watching movies. I'd rather be sitting, but I like food.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    should this not be moved to fitness and exercise???
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    brittcody wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Purposeful cardio (Leslie Sansone videos) is 45 minutes - hour, 3/4 times a week. Of all the cardio I do, it's about 73 hours a week.

    Wait, 73 HOURS a week?!

    I walk while watching movies instead of sitting on my butt watching movies. I'd rather be sitting, but I like food.

    I walk while I'm reading. My husband thinks it's hilarious, but the calories really do add up (and there are studies to support the idea that sitting for long periods isn't that great for us).
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Steady state for about an hour a day.
    HIIT for 15 minutes a few times a week.
    Play tennis for 2-4 hours 3 to 5 times per week.
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