Cut back on cardio?

ettawelk · October 2011

Hi! My brother just posted this on my page:

Talking to our trainer here, he suggested cutting down the cardio to 30-35 min. Might want to talk to someone there about the cardio part, as ours told us that after the weight workout, and 30-35 min. you have burnt up all of the sugars and fat, then you are starting to burn into your muscle mass.

Okay, my question is, I am doing about an hour of cardio a day. Is what this trainer is telling my brother correct? Thanks for your replies.

aussie_nic_getting_fit · October 2011

im interested in this.

I do 25 minutes cardio, then my 30 minutes weights, then come back for another 35 minutes cardio?

cant wait to here peoples thoughts on this one!

irisheyez718 · October 2011

I'm no expert, and really just getting started with all of this exercise business, but my wellness coach at the YMCA wants me to do 30-60 minutes of cardio on the days that I'm not doing the weight machines. On the days that I am, I do 10 minutes of cardio to warm up, then do the machines, and 30 minutes of cardio after.

kristilovescake · October 2011

One of my personal trainers told me she doesn't want me doing more than 30 minutes of cardio at a time and to make it more intense rather than last longer. I didn't ask her why though :grumble: sorry!

rdpixie · October 2011

I'm a personal trainer and I either train my clients in mini circuit style with cardio throughout OR warm up cardio, weights and then end with cardio.

I would always recommend doing a shorter amount of time with cardio however do interval training during this time! Interval training will urn more fat as not only do your burn during the cardio but your body will continue to metabolise fat for longer after your workout is over than with steady state cardio. Your body also releases hormones during interval training which mean you are less likely to lose as much muscle. If you are really working hard you should be pretty tired after 20-30 mins!

kgool · October 2011

The best analogy I heard was this. Look at a marathon runner. They are gaunt, very often with stringy muscle, and generally may not look all that healthy. Look at a sprinter, lean muscle and very toned. I was told to be the sprinter which is accomplished in this analogy through high intensity interval training not hours and hours of endurance training.

lisaisso · October 2011

bump for more opinions..
my routine? i do 30-45 minutes of cardio on non-weight training days, and 20 min cardio when i do weights. i'm always switching intensity so no 2 workouts are ever the same.

Azdak · October 2011

That statement goes under the heading of Stupid Trainer Tricks.

There are a lot of "trainers" throwing that advice around now, because they tend to copy each other.

However, just because some trainers say it doesn't mean it's any more valid.

It just means there are a lot of dumb trainers out there.

tameko2 · October 2011

I have days when I do more than 30 minutes - I think the only thing to be careful of with long cardio sessions is that it shouldn't be your ONLY type of workout all week.
Like if you are going to dedicate 1 hour to a workout every day, don't do 1 hour of cardio every day. Set aside 30 minutes or 45 minutes 3-4 days a week to do strength/resistance and do cardio for the remaining time.

Also an hour of cardio daily really doesn't compare to a marathoner I would think - a marathon takes at least 2+ hours to run for a world class runner. The rate of cardio most of us do in an hour would probably be a 4-6 hour marathon.

kandrews24 · October 2011

There are huge differences in folks who are athletes, those who need to lose less than 50 lbs, those who want to tone, and those of us who have a lot to lose. For all, a well rounded workout schedule is the best (cardio + core + strength + stretching). After that, it gets very different for what you are trying to do. If you want to lose a lot of weight, then the more you move, the more you burn and the more you lose.

cirellim · October 2011

Cardio of any sort is nothing more than a means to burn excess calories in order to reach daily/weekly caloric goals. I was thought that doing anything more than 30 minutes of cardio after a weight training session was counter-productive. However having since changed that and adding more cardio into my post workout cardio I've actually noticed positive results. I am by no means losing muscle mass and am certainly leaning out quite nicely. Just because one holds the title of a personal trainer doesn't always mean you should believe and/or listen to everything they say. At the end of the day in fat loss the only thing that matters is your body is in a caloric deficit, so long as this is the case you will continue to lose fat. If that means you need an hour of cardio after your weight training so be it. There is no magical time window of cardio that will burn only fat and no muscle etc. In fact, if you're eating previous to your workout your body will not become catabolic for many many hours after thats a common misconception. Hope that helps if you have any other questions or comments feel free to respond on here or contact/add me personally. Have a great day!

joejccva71 · October 2011

Obviously diet is #1 priority to lose weight/burn fat. For obese people it doesn't matter as much to do alot of cardio but for somewhat lean folks trying to get leaner it matters for a fat mobilization and transport point of view.

PrimalMorningMoon · October 2011

Consider the Primal Blueprint fitness recommendations...

What exactly does cardio mean in your workouts? Is your heart rate between 55% and 75% of max? Are you having FUN? Are you OUTSIDE or pumping away on a machine in a stuffy, stinky, overheated gym room?

tisamg · October 2011

I was told the same thing by a trainer years ago before I started running distance. As I did research on running and endurance, the same topic surfaced - After about 45 minutes of cardio, the body has depleted it's supply and it needs refueled. When I run for more than 45 minutes or an hour, I take fuel with me. I know that I need to because I have experimented and can't keep performing at the level I desire after about 75 minutes without fueling my body.

I also read a study that discovered that women who did more than 50 minutes of cardio per session lost more weight than women who did less than 50 minutes per session. There is a study out there to prove everything... every angle has support. I use my training as my own study. If it works and I feel and look good, I continue. If it doesn't, I put it in the don't-try-that-again column and move on.

I think that changing up your routine is good for you. Our bodies get used to what we put them through and adapt. If you have been doing long cardio workouts, trying longer weight routines or circuit training is a great idea... especially if you hit a plateau.

Either way, good luck with the workout routine!!!

Cut back on cardio?

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