how much cardio?

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nehaad88
nehaad88 Posts: 159 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
how much cardio should I do per week to lose weight?

I am doing strength training 3X a week and 15 mins HIIT 3X or 30 mins steady state cardio 2X a week.

TIA

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Somewhere between zero and lots, but it should depend on your fitness goals.

    A calorie deficit causes weight loss, not cardio specifically.
  • BCullari
    BCullari Posts: 33 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Somewhere between zero and lots, but it should depend on your fitness goals.

    A calorie deficit causes weight loss, not cardio specifically.

    YEP
    I do 2 hours per day 6 days per week, and that's about my fitness goals - not weight loss.
    On top of the cardio, I strength train for about an hour as well.

    You must set your own goals about physical fitness, then couple that with a clean, healthy diet to lose weight.
    Good Luck!
  • nehaad88
    nehaad88 Posts: 159 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Somewhere between zero and lots, but it should depend on your fitness goals.

    A calorie deficit causes weight loss, not cardio specifically.

    lol.. I have started from zero and will work it towards lots, but slowly and steadily.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Good plan. :)

    My tip would be doing a form of cardio you actually enjoy as well. Fitness and health benefits plus enjoyment = win/win/win.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
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    Cardio will not help you lose weight. Eating less then you burn, will.

    I do cardio for fitness and to burn more calories then I normally would that day, to compensate for overeating a previous day, or to bank an extra deficit for a planned "cheat" day.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    Calorie deficit for weight loss.
    Cardio for increasing calorie burn and fitness.
    Resistance training for body composition.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
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    nehaad88 wrote: »
    how much cardio should I do per week to lose weight?

    I am doing strength training 3X a week and 15 mins HIIT 3X or 30 mins steady state cardio 2X a week.

    TIA

    Actually, that all looks good. What would be key is your eating at deficit for the weight loss.
  • pdxhak
    pdxhak Posts: 383 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Cardio absolutely helps with weight loss if your diet is on point. No workout will beat a crappy diet.

    How much depends on your goals. I am currently doing two 300 cal burn sessions a week. Plus strength train 4 days per week.
  • SherylAJang1
    SherylAJang1 Posts: 1 Member
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    I do Cardio 6 days a week, I like to feel the burn. I find it help build muscles more then losing weight, it gives an overall effect on my body and mind to the better
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,389 MFP Moderator
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    SherylAJang1 wrote: »
    I do Cardio 6 days a week, I like to feel the burn. I find it help build muscles more then losing weight, it gives an overall effect on my body and mind to the better

    Cardio doesn't really build muscle... it can cause neurological adaptations which drive more efficiency, but no one got big by doing cardio.

    OP, personally, I do 1-2 hours a week. I rather hate cardio unless I can go ride a bike or play some sports.. than I like it.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,676 Member
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    As said above, find an activity you enjoy doing that you will continue to do after you have lost weight. People who exercise regularly are more likely to keep the weight off afterwards.

    I think for good health the current recommendation is 45 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, 5 days a week. That's a good place to start.
  • SR1986
    SR1986 Posts: 92 Member
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    I've found that it depends on your body type. If I do just enough I'll find my fat loss and muscle gain are great. If I do too much it sends me into a spiraling plateau. And the scale and tape measure don't budge. I have an ectomorphic body type where it's hard for me to build and keep muscle. So too much cardio is a big no no for me. If I do a cardio session of plyometrics where I'm getting a muscle workout too, that seems to be what's best for me. Straight up cardio (running, stationary bikes and elliptical machines) seem to have very little benefit for me. I think it really depends on what your goals are and what works for your body. It may take you some tweaking and experimenting with your workouts to figure out what's best for you. Try something, read the numbers and adjust accordingly.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,389 MFP Moderator
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    SR1986 wrote: »
    I've found that it depends on your body type. If I do just enough I'll find my fat loss and muscle gain are great. If I do too much it sends me into a spiraling plateau. And the scale and tape measure don't budge. I have an ectomorphic body type where it's hard for me to build and keep muscle. So too much cardio is a big no no for me. If I do a cardio session of plyometrics where I'm getting a muscle workout too, that seems to be what's best for me. Straight up cardio (running, stationary bikes and elliptical machines) seem to have very little benefit for me. I think it really depends on what your goals are and what works for your body. It may take you some tweaking and experimenting with your workouts to figure out what's best for you. Try something, read the numbers and adjust accordingly.

    If you struggle to gain muscle, it's not because you are an ectomorph, it's because you have a combination of poor training or inadequate nutrition. Somotatypes are an observation on body types. They aren't legit limiting factors and shouldn't be viewed that way. Doing so, would be a disservice to yourself.

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