CARDIO TYPE?

[dirtydog]

45 min low intensity or 20 minute high intensity?.......Everyone has a diff thought on what is best.  Bill Phillips says 20 min total intervals 1min walk, 1 min jog, 1 min run, and repeat cycle.

Feelings?
Thoughts?
Help please!

I've been training monday - Friday, lifting one day, 50min low impact cardio the next. So it is taking me 2 weeks to hit all body parts. Is this a waste?
Just started lifting after 6mos off, want to lost some of that holiday flab hence the extra cardio...

[Rance]

start at low intensity for 1-2 minutes, go high intensity for a few minutes and when you start feeling fatique slow down and go low intensity until you don't feel tired anymore - that's when you start getting the high (endorphins production effect) - at this point you an speed up a little bit and enjoy the high. the highter you run the better you'll feel. slow down when you feel tired again.

this way you can do a lot of cardio while feeling good 

[JAM]

It totally depends also on your diet and metabolism.  For example if you respond with hardly any cardio (high metabolism) and can loose flab easy then maybe you don't need to mess with it and can just adjust your diet, that is unless you really want to just for some health perks.  On the other hand if you gain weight real easy you will most likely have to tighten up your diet and add in cardio as well.

What is your current diet like?  (total calories per day)
What is your training goals?  (loose 5lbs, 10lbs, 50lbs, etc)

Also for cardio to be of any real benefit you typically have to do at least 20 mins of an elevated heart rate.  Do a search on the net for this and you will find listing of what heart rate for what age, height, weight, etc.  Lastly consistency is key, stick with it for a few weeks / a month before deciding to drastically change something.  Get a good baseline that way where your at. 

 

[dirtydog]

I'm tall, 6'3.5 @ about 250lbs, i would like to get down to 215lbs. Diet has been pretty good, really can't give you a calorie count. I've been keeping carbs low Mon-Fri. I do tend to gain weight very easy, in the 6mos i took off from gym i packed on about 25lbs. I was eating like an animal and being Italian around the holidays, i was out of control, so i packed on the pounds easy.

right now my diet is this.
Gym first thing in AM
8:30-zero carb protein shake after gym w/ half cup skim milk, tblsp yogurt, tblsp PB, 4 strawberries & banana
10:30 orange or apple
12:30 2 cups lettuce w/ protein (can of tuna, piece of chicken etc.)
3:30 pure protein bar
7:30 greens & protein

[dirtydog]

start at low intensity for 1-2 minutes, go high intensity for a few minutes and when you start feeling fatique slow down and go low intensity until you don't feel tired anymore - that's when you start getting the high (endorphins production effect) - at this point you an speed up a little bit and enjoy the high. the highter you run the better you'll feel. slow down when you feel tired again.

this way you can do a lot of cardio while feeling good 

For how long? The entire 50 minutes?

[John O]

Most of the time when I'm on my treadmill I warm up 5 minutes ( slow walk up to fast walk) then 20 minutes Med intensity ( which for me is a mild jog) then 5 minutes cool down (fast walk down to a slow walk) = 30 minutes

[sync pulse]

Start out with 4 minute session, increasing the length one minute every session every other day...at the end of two months you are at thirty minutes...Use a cardio monitor...then start to increase the intensity at the end of each week five beats a minute.  at the end of a couple of months you are doing thirty minutes at a good cardio rate...

A USMC drill instructor told me this regimen...he said the saying "no pain, no gain" is a bullshit saying they tell recruits because they want military training to hurt for psychological reasons...for civilians, if it hurts you are doing something wrong.

[WOOO]

Right now I'm doing 30 minutes of elliptical when I wake up at a moderate intensity (about 120 BPM) and then at night I go for the full hour at about 130 BPM (still in the fat burning range, but more intense)... I do this 6 days a week

http://www.myheartmonitors.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/heart-rate-zones.gif

The type and quantity of cardio you do should be based on a set goal... in my case I'm just trying to stave off obesity and old age... 

[dirtydog]

Start out with 4 minute session, increasing the length one minute every session every other day...at the end of two months you are at thirty minutes...Use a cardio monitor...then start to increase the intensity at the end of each week five beats a minute.  at the end of a couple of months you are doing thirty minutes at a good cardio rate...

A USMC drill instructor told me this regimen...he said the saying "no pain, no gain" is a bullshit saying they tell recruits because they want military training to hurt for psychological reasons...for civilians, if it hurts you are doing something wrong.

Wait, you are saying start out doing only 4 min today, 5 min Friday, 6 min sunday etc? By increasing intensity, would that mean speed or resistance? Forgive the ignorance.

thanks for help.

[JAM]

I'm tall, 6'3.5 @ about 250lbs, i would like to get down to 215lbs. Diet has been pretty good, really can't give you a calorie count. I've been keeping carbs low Mon-Fri. I do tend to gain weight very easy, in the 6mos i took off from gym i packed on about 25lbs. I was eating like an animal and being Italian around the holidays, i was out of control, so i packed on the pounds easy.

right now my diet is this.
Gym first thing in AM
8:30-zero carb protein shake after gym w/ half cup skim milk, tblsp yogurt, tblsp PB, 4 strawberries & banana
10:30 orange or apple
12:30 2 cups lettuce w/ protein (can of tuna, piece of chicken etc.)
3:30 pure protein bar
7:30 greens & protein

You really need to start tracking what you eat.  Otherwise it is very easy to loose track throughout the day and over eat in calories.  I like to use myfitnesspal.com for an electronic way to track stuff because I can write it down on my computer or phone.  But a good old piece of paper will work too.

Figure out the calories you are taking in first.  Also try to track and be consistent with your cardio.  For example if your treadmill says you burned 300 calories (even if it is not real accurate) do the same cardio routine so that you can get a baseline.  Then see where you are at with regards to your goals.  After you discover this then you can adjust (more cardio/less cardio ... more food/less food, etc).

 

[Donny]

start to go walking at a fast pace. If you have the time 1 hour 3 to 5 times a week. when you get in shape jog/walk...  Cut down a little on each meal and surprise surprise ..weight loss. I myself do not think you need to make it complicated. You know yourself if you are eating too much crap.

[JAM]

That is true don't over complicate it.  But... I have to track what I eat and portion it out or I'll eat too much.  I'm one of those guys who if you give me something even if it is healthy, I can just eat a ton.  Buffet is not my friend!  ha ha ha ha   

[Donny]

That is true don't over complicate it.  But... I have to track what I eat and portion it out or I'll eat too much.  I'm one of those guys who if you give me something even if it is healthy, I can just eat a ton.  Buffet is not my friend!  ha ha ha ha   

Start walking. Do not think fast walking is for old men. this is an exercise you can do from the beginning to the end of your life.

[JAM]

Yeah I typically always did elliptical machines when trying to cut down lots.  Nowadays to maintain without trying for a big loss light cardio like walking does great.   

[sync pulse]

Wait, you are saying start out doing only 4 min today, 5 min Friday, 6 min sunday etc? By increasing intensity, would that mean speed or resistance? Forgive the ignorance.

thanks for help.

Yes...increase the length of the session by just as you said...after you can do thirty to forty minutes nonstop...
Increase the average heart rate slightly each session...