Is doing cardio 2x per day a bad idea?

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  • elzianne
    elzianne Posts: 52 Member
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    I think doing it twice a day is a great idea to boost your metabolism - but I would decrease how long / far you're going (for ex: two 20 minute sessions not two 40 minute sessions). If you're training for long distance / endurance, you'll want one long session... but for weight loss quick and frequent is often more effective.

    I read a study awhile ago that recommended doing just 20 minutes of cardio when you first wake up, to help "rev up" your metabolism and keep you energized throughout the day. They recommend following that with another workout in the late afternoon (or for those of us that have a 9-5 job, early evening) because that's when you're body tends to perform best and when you'll be able to push for the most progress. I saw a lot of results when I did this approach, but got away from it when I was training for my first half-marathon. Now that I'm focusing more on weight loss again, I'm back to this type of format most days.

    Just make sure to listen to your body and don't overexert yourself. Like I said, if you do twice a day, don't try to do really long sessions. Two quick, high intensity workouts will help you the most. Intervals are also great - they tend to be more effective than just a steady pace.

    And while cardio is very important, don't forget about strength! You'll be amazed at how much it helps with weight loss.
  • jonesdav254
    jonesdav254 Posts: 99 Member
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    Doing two sessions of cardio in a day is ok...so long as the workouts are reasonable in length and intensity. Using the additional cardio session to kick-start stalled progress towards a weight loss goal is a good change of pace. Playing devil's advocate for a moment, let me offer this bit of info. The body will adapt to the increased level of exercise after a while. That is, the set point of what greater amount of work the body is doing will go up. This will cause the body to tap into the stored energy to feed the requirement for this exercise. The increase in exercise could cause a spike in hunger pangs as the body seeks to replace what it is using during the extra work. Be aware of this and be prepared to counter this reaction by increasing your water intake and having options for lower calorie food (veggies and some fruit) that can supplement your nutrition. I've been doing 2 a day workouts for the past 45 days. The increase in activity helped awaken by stalled weight loss. Best of luck!
  • hawtpep
    hawtpep Posts: 30 Member
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    Do it if you have the energy =) BTW I'm a big guy too. I find it a lot easier to increase incline rather then increasing speed. It also burns higher amount of calories at lower speeds. The other day I did 3miles at 2.5 between 10-13incline ended up burning 1170 calories.

    Good Luck =)

    Agreed
    Seriously? You can increase calorie burn that much with just incline? I have GOT to try this! Thanks for the tip!

    For OP- There is no reason not to work out twice in one day. No real diff between 1 hour now and 1 hour later or just doing 2 hrs now. It's all good.

    Actually, there are theories that splitting cardio (as long as they're not very short workouts) is more beneficial than one long workout in lowering insulin levels and boosting fat metabolism.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    It seems a bit pointless to me. Just go for a walk. The most important thing is keeping moving as much as you can throughout the day. Doing 45 mins on a treadmill is pointless if you spend the rest of your day sitting down.

    This is ludicrous. For instance, how would you advise those of us who work at desks?

    You may think it ludicrous, but it's a basic fact of biology. Unfortunately biology doesn't conveniently match modern life styles. We are designed to move, constantly. There is a lot of study being done on this by sports scientists/human biologists at the moment. If you are in the UK, look out on BBC iplayer for Horizon - the truth about exercise, from last week. It'll finish tonight, so you have to be quick, but it explains a lot.
  • nonafit
    nonafit Posts: 582 Member
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    It seems a bit pointless to me. Just go for a walk. The most important thing is keeping moving as much as you can throughout the day. Doing 45 mins on a treadmill is pointless if you spend the rest of your day sitting down.

    it seems even more pointless spending the day sitting including that 45 mins that you can run on treadmill.
  • bryntevans01
    bryntevans01 Posts: 25 Member
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    Twice a day cardio is a science proven better way to lose weight, there was an article in men's health mag a while back. Pro athletes will always train twice a day and will also improve (I believe) sleep.
    However, as you run at a very slow pace it may be that you don't raise your heart rate enough for it to actually do any good so you would have to lift the incline right up. I also believe that you should excersize at least 3 or 4 sessions per week at least.
  • mama2shi
    mama2shi Posts: 300 Member
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    It seems a bit pointless to me. Just go for a walk. The most important thing is keeping moving as much as you can throughout the day. Doing 45 mins on a treadmill is pointless if you spend the rest of your day sitting down.

    How is it pointless? I work at a desk all day, and go to the gym at night and get on the treadmill for 50 minutes. I find it far from pointless.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    It seems a bit pointless to me. Just go for a walk. The most important thing is keeping moving as much as you can throughout the day. Doing 45 mins on a treadmill is pointless if you spend the rest of your day sitting down.

    it seems even more pointless spending the day sitting including that 45 mins that you can run on treadmill.

    I'm not saying sit on your *kitten*. But most people would get more benefit from moving more every day than going to the gym for 45 mins. Seriously, watch the Horizon program, it explains it all much better than I can in a few sentences on here. If you have a desk job you can still move more. Get up and walk around the office and talk to people instead of sending them emails, use the stairs, in the evening, instead of plonking yourself down on the sofa, keep moving around. Things like that.

    I'm not preaching, I am not claiming anything new, this is all common knowledge.
  • Genie30
    Genie30 Posts: 316 Member
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    In the summer I commute by bike (6 miles in about 30 minutes each way) so on those days I do cardio twice a day. If anything I think it aids my weight loss and body shape. It also helps keep my moods and appitite under control.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
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    Do what feels right to YOU!!! Eat enough and enjoy the ride! When the weight starts coming off you will have a better idea of whats right for you:)
  • WendySue75
    WendySue75 Posts: 98 Member
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    DO IT... DO IT... DO IT.. :wink: I do 30 day shred in a.m., then when I'm feelin' it, I jog (5.0mph) on treadmill (cause after the workout, I have energy) then I walk 3.0 miles @ lunch, then most nights I walk 4.0 miles.... CARDIO... is heart afterall, so I don't think you can over do it by doing twice a day... I look at it this way.... I do it in the a.m., to gear my metabolism up for breakfast... then after lunch to burn lunch, then if you do it after dinner, it will work out, not only dinner, but throughout the night while you sleep. I do know they say NOT TO WOKOUT 2 HOURS BEFORE BED... overall, do what your body is telling you, but don't be afraid to push a little, that keeps the body alert & ready for change!!
  • JoshuaL86
    JoshuaL86 Posts: 403 Member
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    Ok, so I'm trying to drop a bunch of weight (45lbs down, another 150 to go) and I've been doing cardio every morning for about 5-6 weeks now. I've started getting used to 45 min at 2.5-3mph but toward the end of the day I still have enough energy for another round on the treadmill, and it's really become my favorite part of my day.

    I am trying to avoid lifting weights until I get closer to my target weight because I'm doing keto, and I really don't want to mess around with carb cycling. I'd really just rather do cardio two-a-days

    So my question is if I do cardio twice a day, am I going to see increased benefits in weight loss and metabolism? Or should I instead stick to doing it once a day but focusing on increasing my distances and speeds? Or something entirely else all together?

    Do it if you have the energy =) BTW I'm a big guy too. I find it a lot easier to increase incline rather then increasing speed. It also burns higher amount of calories at lower speeds. The other day I did 3miles at 2.5 between 10-13incline ended up burning 1170 calories.

    Good Luck =)

    I agree! When I'm on the treadmill, I set the incline to 7.5 % and the speed to 3.3 mph, and I burn about 650+ calories in 45 minutes. It's a good intense workout. I find you will burn more calories with a higher incline than you will with a faster speed.
  • onequirkygirl
    onequirkygirl Posts: 303 Member
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    You know how people on Biggest Loser drop crazy weight? The answer is hours and hours of grueling cardio. HIIT workouts especially will help you burn more calories during the day (Google that.) It's doubtful that you'd have too much cardio.... But don't be afraid to strength train... why not combine large muscles with cardio intervals? That is the most efficient method to burn fat.

    You aren't going to go wrong for two intense cardio sessions lol.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    Yes, it can be. There is a fine line between training hard and over-training. Excessive exercise - especially chronic cardio - is stress and the body will treat is as stress. Too much cortisol is not a good thing. And the body has to recover from exercise so it is stronger the next time. You keep "breaking down" with no time to repair you'll end up injured. And expending too much energy for too long (without taking more energy in which in a nutrition deficiency - which is a calorie restricted diet. Heck even a regular diet with nothing but processed, packaged foods is a nutrition deficient diet - even when you're overeating) isn't a good thing either (that's when starvation mode becomes real).

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/chronic-cardio/#axzz1oLTdpn3F
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/case-against-cardio/#axzz1oLTdpn3F
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/chronic-cardio-2/#axzz1oLTsLE1o
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-deal-with-overtraining/#axzz1oLTsLE1o
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-many-calories-does-muscle-really-burn-and-why-its-not-about-calories-anyway/#axzz1oLU2Fdvj
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    One more:

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/health-benefits-moderate-exercise/#axzz1oLU2Fdvj

    The weights will do more for you than any amount of cardio - that's what burns fat. Cardio will just help break down your muscle.
    Try doing cycles of back to back sets of heavy weights. Your heart rate will get just as high - strength is just as good for your cardiovascular system - I would say better - than any amount of stressful cardio

    Get away from carbs, increase your healthy fats, help your muscles re-learn how to use fat for fuel and not only will you not get any lactic acid build up (a by product of glucose burning) you won't have to worry about "carb-cycling".

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-metabolic-paradigm-shift-fat-carbs-human-body-metabolism/#axzz1oLVQqGv4 (our muscles were meant to run on fat, not sugar!!)
  • Graciecny
    Graciecny Posts: 303
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    If you have a desk job you can still move more. Get up and walk around the office and talk to people instead of sending them emails, use the stairs, in the evening, instead of plonking yourself down on the sofa, keep moving around. Things like that.

    I'm not preaching, I am not claiming anything new, this is all common knowledge.
    These ideas are just fabulous - IF they are possible. For some of us, I can assure you they are not. I can't exactly take time off in the middle of a class to wander the halls and chat or climb stairs. I'm essentially leashed to a desk in a very small room for approximately 11 hours on my workdays. It isn't a choice, it's a fact. This just makes me want to beat my head against said desk. It's just super that what I am doing is futile. Faboo way to start the morning. :sad:
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    Ok, so I'm trying to drop a bunch of weight (45lbs down, another 150 to go) and I've been doing cardio every morning for about 5-6 weeks now. I've started getting used to 45 min at 2.5-3mph but toward the end of the day I still have enough energy for another round on the treadmill, and it's really become my favorite part of my day.

    I am trying to avoid lifting weights until I get closer to my target weight because I'm doing keto, and I really don't want to mess around with carb cycling. I'd really just rather do cardio two-a-days

    So my question is if I do cardio twice a day, am I going to see increased benefits in weight loss and metabolism? Or should I instead stick to doing it once a day but focusing on increasing my distances and speeds? Or something entirely else all together?

    Congratulations on your loss and I good luck with your efforts going forward.

    Two-a-days are fine, someone mentioned a spike in hunger pangs which I definitely noticed when I worked out like that. If you enjoy it and it's helping you progress, by all means keep on trucking.

    Can you elaborate on why you're avoiding weights? I think it may help folks understand a bit better and they may be able to provide more accurate advice.
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
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    It seems a bit pointless to me. Just go for a walk. The most important thing is keeping moving as much as you can throughout the day. Doing 45 mins on a treadmill is pointless if you spend the rest of your day sitting down.

    This is ludicrous. For instance, how would you advise those of us who work at desks?

    You may think it ludicrous, but it's a basic fact of biology. Unfortunately biology doesn't conveniently match modern life styles. We are designed to move, constantly. There is a lot of study being done on this by sports scientists/human biologists at the moment. If you are in the UK, look out on BBC iplayer for Horizon - the truth about exercise, from last week. It'll finish tonight, so you have to be quick, but it explains a lot.

    -What- exactly is a basic fact of biology? Incorporating more exercise daily is great if you can (I *think* this is what you are alluding to in a very roundabout way). For instance, I work at a desk. I sometimes take a walk at lunchtime if the weather is nice. Some people can take the stairs instead of the lift, etc.etc.

    But to say that using a treadmill for 45 minutes is "pointless" is a sweeping statement that generates misinformation.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    If you have another 150 lbs to lose, there's no reason whatsoever that you can't lift, even on a keto diet.
  • tanklissa
    tanklissa Posts: 70
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    I don't see why not!

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