Oh for the love of cardio

Options
alexandravictoria88
alexandravictoria88 Posts: 138 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Have been training for 4 days a week since the beginning of December. I am absolutely loving my routine and my strength training programme. I have one day for a cardio session. I have put on 2 kgs since training, mainly muscle as my body has changed in a positive way however, I think I need to incorporate at least one more cardio session in the week to shred a little bit of fat. Thoughts? Xx

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,129 Member
    edited February 2023
    Options
    'shredding fat' is done by achieving a calorie deficit. Cardio is one way of doing that, eating less is another, or a combination.

    Most health organizations recommend 150 min of moderate it 75 minutes of intense exercise per week.
  • alexandravictoria88
    alexandravictoria88 Posts: 138 Member
    Options
    I have started counting calories using MFP, not something I like doing as its too time consuming for me and I did get a little bit too obsessive last time. I do tend to just gauge the amount of calories I am eating/drinking but I am inna calorie deficit. I'm eating around 1450kcal at the moment.

    My cardio is for an hour once a week.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,645 Member
    edited February 2023
    Options
    Adding another session is fine as long as it doesn’t increase your hunger and lower your NEAT.

    An hour is a long session. Think about 2 or 3, 30 min weekly sessions. Shorter and you can bump up the intensity a bit.

    With any type of cardio you still have to consider hunger and NEAT being compromised though.
  • alexandravictoria88
    alexandravictoria88 Posts: 138 Member
    Options
    Great advice, thanks for that! I have never really looked into that. I am not a fan of cardio, but short bursts of moderate to intense cardio would probably be more beneficial. I could be more into recomposition stage at the moment and could start losing some weight at some point, but I know when I add cardio into my programme I do tend to lean out.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,645 Member
    edited February 2023
    Options
    alexandravictoria88 wrote: »
    Great advice, thanks for that! I have never really looked into that. I am not a fan of cardio, but short bursts of moderate to intense cardio would probably be more beneficial. I could be more into recomposition stage at the moment and could start losing some weight at some point, but I know when I add cardio into my programme I do tend to lean out.
    lol, I’d rather put red hot needles in my eyes than do long cardio so I’m a fan of cardio that doesn’t feel like cardio so short 15 minute HIIT sessions.

    Cardi-oh look, weights!

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,910 Member
    edited February 2023
    Options
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    alexandravictoria88 wrote: »
    Great advice, thanks for that! I have never really looked into that. I am not a fan of cardio, but short bursts of moderate to intense cardio would probably be more beneficial. I could be more into recomposition stage at the moment and could start losing some weight at some point, but I know when I add cardio into my programme I do tend to lean out.
    lol, I’d rather put red hot needles in my eyes than do long cardio so I’m a fan of cardio that doesn’t feel like cardio so short 15 minute HIIT sessions.

    Ya, I detest cardio machines at the gym. I prefer getting it outdoors. This time of year I love trail maintenance, where I am hiking and chopping and bending and twisting.

    I'm also getting ready to burn brush, which involves hauling brush from where it was stashed in the edge of the woods throughout the year to near the burn pit.

    I prefer the sense of accomplishment I get from goal-oriented activity, but also bundle up and walk throughout the winter.

    In the spring I garden and summer I swim.
    Cardi-oh look, weights!

    :D
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,198 Member
    Options
    alexandravictoria88 wrote: »
    Great advice, thanks for that! I have never really looked into that. I am not a fan of cardio, but short bursts of moderate to intense cardio would probably be more beneficial. I could be more into recomposition stage at the moment and could start losing some weight at some point, but I know when I add cardio into my programme I do tend to lean out.

    There are roughly 8 gazillion types of activity that can challenge and improve cardiovascular fitness. It isn't just treadmill or other gym-machine stuff, or even just that plus jog/run type things outdoors.

    From the standpoint of CV conditioning and development, all high-intensity all the time isn't optimal. Longer LISS has value. (Said from the perspective of a couple decades of experience plus coaching cert education in a short endurance strength-y CV sport.) I'm not saying you need to be optimal for general health, but the first sentence in this paragraph is still a true statement.

    If you want to do cardio for health, general fitness, or performance improvement, but don't want to lean out too much . . . eat more. Extra calories can be extra nutrition, which is good for a person, too.

    Truth in advertising: It makes me kind of crazy when people talk about "cardio" as if it were all one thing. It's not. The things people call cardio are quite varied in the the useful physiological stress they can create, so differ pretty widely in their effects. Further, there are things people rarely call cardio that create useful CV stimulus . . . and no, I'm not talking about people who claim that lifting is CV exercise because their heart rate goes up.
  • yuliiazinevych787
    yuliiazinevych787 Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    interesting

Categories