What is the goal of cardio?

[Overload]

That's quite big! I'm 175/200lbs and i'm eating 3200 calories a day now, it's quite nice i love to eat too

Was your last diet for that contest?

I'm an eating machine!

My last "real" diet was for that contest. i still compete in powerlifting so i cut weight to get under 220 but i haven't done a real bodybuilding diet in 5 years. i stay around 10-12% bodyfat year round so i never get too fat.

[Bobby]

Yeah, that's important. I'm currently 180 and going up slowly, only about 500 over maintenance to keep from gaining excess fat.
For the most part i don't gain very much fat, i can gain 20lbs and i get some water weight but very little fat gain. That is if the diet is clean, if it's dirty the fat starts storing immediately.

Powerlifting? hmm do you have any advice for presses? i'm weak on those and strong in the pulling exercises. I can do 160lbs db rows for 20reps, but chest db presses i can do 110s at the very most, for a few reps. Same for delts, 95s at the most there.

[Hedgehog]

1) To raise the metabolism?

2) To burn fat stores?


#1 would entail doing high-interval training, maybe even with some carbs in the belly for energy.  You'd train for 16 minutes (I'm talking maxOT) on a stationary bike, very high intensity on intervals.

#2 would entail doing 45 min of cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.  The body would have no food in the belly so it would use fat stores.  Low intensity cardio.

I believe most people use method #1.  Makes sense . But #2 seems like a better long-term solution, doesn't it?  Thoughts?  Also, an answer like "both" isn't what I'm seeking here.

Let me give you an alternative response, which is basically a version of #1:

To increase the general fitness level.

Doing so through various forms of cardio, and this could be sprints, walks, long walks, shorter walks ,
a game of hoops.

Getting your cardiovascular health primed, will  give you a better fat loss ratio once you keep your calories balance in the negative.

And overall wellness will be   improved, as well as slight quicker  recovery after workouts.

I usually take a brisk walk  for 20-30 minutes in the morning, 2-4 times a week. Not to lose fat, but rather to speed up recovery and get a better overall health.

I can't do high intensity cardio, as I am training for fast twitch muscle fibers only, but I have in the past, and it's very effective IMO.

[Andy Griffin]

1) To raise the metabolism?

2) To burn fat stores?


#1 would entail doing high-interval training, maybe even with some carbs in the belly for energy.  You'd train for 16 minutes (I'm talking maxOT) on a stationary bike, very high intensity on intervals.

#2 would entail doing 45 min of cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.  The body would have no food in the belly so it would use fat stores.  Low intensity cardio.

I believe most people use method #1.  Makes sense . But #2 seems like a better long-term solution, doesn't it?  Thoughts?  Also, an answer like "both" isn't what I'm seeking here.

Good afternoon and happy Veterans' Day...

I am just now getting back into shape after years of neglecting my physical state. 

I personally only do cardio right now (I will be working with someone at my gym on a lifting program soon).  What I have been doing is closer to the first method.  I go to the gym after work (it isn't open yet before I go to work).  I realize it may not be the way to get ripped, etc., but it has (along with some reasonable dietary changes) helped me drop about 20 lbs in 2 months. 

If I could ask you a quick question...what do you think about aerobics?  Could they be useful? 

[slaveboy1980]

Good afternoon and happy Veterans' Day...

I am just now getting back into shape after years of neglecting my physical state. 

I personally only do cardio right now (I will be working with someone at my gym on a lifting program soon).  What I have been doing is closer to the first method.  I go to the gym after work (it isn't open yet before I go to work).  I realize it may not be the way to get ripped, etc., but it has (along with some reasonable dietary changes) helped me drop about 20 lbs in 2 months. 

If I could ask you a quick question...what do you think about aerobics?  Could they be useful? 

yes, as they burn calories. any activity can be useful. choose the type of cardio you like to do.

[JasonH]

The goal of cardio in my opinion is simply to become more aerobically fit - that should be the same goal for anyone who undertakes it regardless of whether they are a bodybuilder or not.

However, for bodybuilding purposes cardio is competely overrated - every time I've tried it it does nothing but to make my legs shrink so I don't bother - wheenver I want to lose bodyfat I just up my reps and drop my fat intake through nutrition - that shifts the pounds better than cardio ever can for me.

[slaveboy1980]

The goal of cardio in my opinion is simply to become more aerobically fit - that should be the same goal for anyone who undertakes it regardless of whether they are a bodybuilder or not.

However, for bodybuilding purposes cardio is competely overrated - every time I've tried it it does nothing but to make my legs shrink so I don't bother - wheenver I want to lose bodyfat I just up my reps and drop my fat intake through nutrition - that shifts the pounds better than cardio ever can for me.

 ..its not a question of being overrated.....its just a tool to create a caloric deficit (when talking about loosing weight/fat)

doing too much cardio isnt good if you wanna retain as much mass as possible,  but you have to use the "cardio tool" correctly, if you choose to do cardio when dieting. you can get ripped without doing any cardio at all, but for most people adding some cardio will be beneficial. (dont do hours of cardio per day tho).

cardio effects local glycogen stores, and yes if you do alot of cardio it will deplete glycogen stores in the legs...(can be "refilled" tho)

[Herc]

cardio can help you loose wieght assuming you dont eat more to replace the calories you burnt.  Also I think it helps give a more vascular(vieny) look.  I just noticed that on myself but maybe its not true.  Its definatly good for your heart too.