View Full Version : How Much Cardio Is Too Much Cardio?
whodeybaby
02-28-07, 12:39 am
Quick question brothers, is there such a thing as too much cardio, im about 5'11 218 if i had to guess probably 12 to 15% bf and really want to get cut. i like the size i have now just need to lose the gut and love handles. im doing about 2 hours of cardio a day, 1 hr in the am 1 hr in pm.i do my lifting in the evening and then cardio after the lifting. now with all that out there do you guys think im doing too much cardio am i sacrificing muscle for weight loss? any insight and information would be great. only 3 more days until the cage unleashes its rath on c-bus.
karmazon
02-28-07, 12:43 am
Quick question brothers, is there such a thing as too much cardio, im about 5'11 218 if i had to guess probably 12 to 15% bf and really want to get cut. i like the size i have now just need to lose the gut and love handles. im doing about 2 hours of cardio a day, 1 hr in the am 1 hr in pm.i do my lifting in the evening and then cardio after the lifting. now with all that out there do you guys think im doing too much cardio am i sacrificing muscle for weight loss? any insight and information would be great. only 3 more days until the cage unleashes its rath on c-bus.
Of course there is too much cardio. There can be too much of everything, protein, water, oxygen....However, 2 hours a day on a cut doesn't sound like it's "too much." That is, of course, if you're diet is adequate.
never_2_big
02-28-07, 12:55 am
like the post above said if your diet is good then 2 hours a day isn't too excessive, however depending on intensity it clould be.
interval training at a high intensity is a great way to burn far and calories in a short period of time. high intensity cardio uses glycogen stors as well, so to hours of this training would deplete these levels and incease muscle eating cortisol hormone. so bro if youre gonna be doing 2 hours a day keep it low intensity
like the post above said if your diet is good then 2 hours a day isn't too excessive, however depending on intensity it clould be.
interval training at a high intensity is a great way to burn far and calories in a short period of time. high intensity cardio uses glycogen stors as well, so to hours of this training would deplete these levels and incease muscle eating cortisol hormone. so bro if youre gonna be doing 2 hours a day keep it low intensity
Im doing ~30 minutes a day..I feel that more i would start to lose muscle....but when i did +30 minutes...I'd feel like i lost my pump...say bi's for example....anyways im 5'10 223 from 235 in less than 2 weeks...with goals to get down to 200...good luck brutha
i think that 2 hours is too much! your not only gonna burn fat your also gonna burn muscle! that you do not want! 45 min to an hour should be fine just watch your diet!
BitterNdThenSome
02-28-07, 1:23 am
no one touched on the fact that your exertion level is important too. if your goin balls to the wall hardcore cardio for two hours a day thats not good. by the same token, if your lollygaggin around for two hours your wastin your time as well. remember to work smarter not harder, try intensive interval training, plyometrics, new cardio styles, etc. to get the most out of your cut.
doomsdaylover
02-28-07, 1:33 am
It depends. 2 hours at one time sucks ass and is a waste of time unless you are training for a marathon...and even then marathon runners don't do two hours A DAY. When I'm on a serious cutting phase, I'll do like a half hour of cardio in the morning and maybe 20-30 minutes post weight training. Getting cut is mostly diet, and about carb cycling, as almost everyone on here will tell you so.
This sounds may sound goofy but WHAT a difference it's made on my love handles: a type of training known as spot reduction. I do 20 minutes of high-rep low weight ab work, especially back twists, and then do cardio afterwards. The idea bieng that if you focus on building tone and muscle in a particular area, you'll burn more fat there. Really helped the old spare tire.
karmazon
02-28-07, 1:40 am
a type of training known as spot reduction.
......oh jeez....all together now children:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SPOT REDUCTION
IronChin
02-28-07, 1:41 am
I also have a question about cardio....When should I do it? I'm trying to get big, but I also want to trim a bit off the mid-section. I've seen on here that the best time to do it is after I lift. After I lift, shouldn't I be most concerned about feeding my muscles ASAP?
karmazon
02-28-07, 1:43 am
shouldn't I be most concerned about feeding my muscles ASAP?
Yes.
It's not really as important when you do it, as just the fact you DO IT. Just don't do it too close to gym time, because you'll have no energy.
You need to make sure you are eating enough and you are getting sufficiant caloric intake bro. If you are doing 2:00 hr cardio you are burning about 300-500 cal depending ono the exercise so in most cases if you are not eating enough where is your body gonna take the necessary calories from you got it muscles protein. You are dealing with millions of years of evolution your body is smart bro find out how many calories you need daily which is about the same as mine to gain I need 3300 to loose I do less you do it in 250 calorie incraments to test the body 3500 cals equal a pound so if you cut out enough in a 7 day period you should see results keep the cardio down to about 30-60 min a day if you need too. make sure you are eating enough or you know catabolism will be your downfall all that work lifting and nothing to show. Hope that helps.
stumblin54
02-28-07, 2:56 am
Im doing ~30 minutes a day..I feel that more i would start to lose muscle....but when i did +30 minutes...I'd feel like i lost my pump...say bi's for example....anyways im 5'10 223 from 235 in less than 2 weeks...with goals to get down to 200...good luck brutha
Well Phenom, to start off, 12 pounds in less than two weeks is NOT VERY HEALTHY, and means you need to be eating more food. Losing weight (fat) gradually over a cut is the goal, not to shed it all in one month. Second of all, you lose your pump after you lift when doing cardio because your blood is not being flushed to that specific muscle anymore, i.e. biceps, and this is not a negative thing at all. Now to the question of doing too much cardio. Two hours a day, in my opinion, is a shit ton of cardio and should only be done in the last couple weeks up to a show. Most BB'ers, including myself, who do two hours a day work our way up to that mark progressively, starting 16-20 weeks out from little or no cardio at all. It's very hard on the body to just jump right into that amount of it, and without being able to tweek the diet to accomodate this much you probably will be losing a good amount of muscle. You will be getting skinnier of course and losing weight, but chances are it's weight that you don't want to be losing. I would say start out at 45 mins. a day and increase that over a 12-20 week period all the way up to that mark, or however much you'd like to be doing. Again, as aforementioned, intensity also plays a role so make sure to pay attention to that as well. Be consistent, eat clean, and get cut. Good luck. Peace.
Stumblin
whodeybaby
02-28-07, 3:12 am
thanks brothers, got some good advice there, will probably cut down a little, usually my morning is a pretty intense run and my evening is a "quick" walk on an incline. thanks for a the advice. keep it coming if you have anymore
stumblin54
02-28-07, 3:25 am
Well in that case, I would at least cut out that "intense run" altogether, because that is too much. Peace.
Stumblin
Well Phenom, to start off, 12 pounds in less than two weeks is NOT VERY HEALTHY, and means you need to be eating more food.
Stumblin
tho there is a good chance that this is true, he might have been holding a lot of water and it is normal to find your most profound gains (or losses in this case) to be within the first few weeks of diet. it is definitely necessary to make sure the diet is correct but it still may be correct only with a lot of water loss because I'm sure (or at least there should be) a pretty big drop off in sodium in the diet.
peterpyper
02-28-07, 5:29 pm
i say burn everything and start off lean,and build everything from there,than go on off season so you already have muscle under the fat,than get shreded easier way
BitterNdThenSome
02-28-07, 6:44 pm
spot reduction does work. to a degree.
BitterNdThenSome
02-28-07, 6:46 pm
tho there is a good chance that this is true, he might have been holding a lot of water and it is normal to find your most profound gains (or losses in this case) to be within the first few weeks of diet. it is definitely necessary to make sure the diet is correct but it still may be correct only with a lot of water loss because I'm sure (or at least there should be) a pretty big drop off in sodium in the diet.
hes right, a sudden reduction in carbs/sodium, use of stimulants like caffeine or ephedra, intense sweating during cardio, and an increase in protein will all lead to diuresis or the release of excess water. some guys lose up to 20 pounds when they start dieting due to this release of water.
darkside64
02-28-07, 6:59 pm
unless your trying to get to really low bodyfat. (3-5%) two hours of cardio is to much. You will lose a lot of lean muscle mass if you continue you that. I eat about two pounds of meat a day plus two pounds of potatoes. I do 40 minutes of cardio a day and I'm leaning out while getting bigger. You just have to find that sweet spot and go with that.
tho there is a good chance that this is true, he might have been holding a lot of water and it is normal to find your most profound gains (or losses in this case) to be within the first few weeks of diet. it is definitely necessary to make sure the diet is correct but it still may be correct only with a lot of water loss because I'm sure (or at least there should be) a pretty big drop off in sodium in the diet.
check out my animal stack log..I eat 6 small meals per day...I sweat profusely during my workouts..I do 30 minutes of cardio 4-5 times per week..in no way am I overdoing cardio..and no fucking way Im not eating enough..
hey guys, im 19, and i am going to start a new routine come january. i will be trying to cut down, and i got my diet down. I know pretty much what to eat and when to eat it. so my question is what is the most i can do to reach my goal of losing 10% bf. i am about 17% now and would like to get down to 7%, hopefully i will have abs at this low. i am 220 lbs. I know how to lift during a cutting phase, so here are my questions about the things i am really not sure about.
How many times a week should i do abs? and how many sets and reps each time?
How many times a day should I do cardio? and for how long each time?
I was thinking about lifting 5 times a week, doing abs every other day, and doing cardio 6-7 days a week (twice a day- right when i wake up and right before going to sleep) for about 30-50 min each time. Prob slow jog in the morning and high intensity interval training at night. And i would do abs after my morning cardio session.
this will be a four month cut, while i am studying abroad in australia for school Jan 3- April 25. i want to come back looking good for summer here. figure the more you know the better you can help. thanks.
also i wanted to know, if i could handle it, if i did cardio 4 times a day would this help? or would i lose to much muscle mass for the amount of fat it would be helping me burn?
Pizzalamp
12-03-07, 2:12 pm
hey guys, im 19, and i am going to start a new routine come january. i will be trying to cut down, and i got my diet down. I know pretty much what to eat and when to eat it. so my question is what is the most i can do to reach my goal of losing 10% bf. i am about 17% now and would like to get down to 7%, hopefully i will have abs at this low. i am 220 lbs. I know how to lift during a cutting phase, so here are my questions about the things i am really not sure about.
How many times a week should i do abs? and how many sets and reps each time?
How many times a day should I do cardio? and for how long each time?
I was thinking about lifting 5 times a week, doing abs every other day, and doing cardio 6-7 days a week (twice a day- right when i wake up and right before going to sleep) for about 30-50 min each time. Prob slow jog in the morning and high intensity interval training at night. And i would do abs after my morning cardio session.
this will be a four month cut, while i am studying abroad in australia for school Jan 3- April 25. i want to come back looking good for summer here. figure the more you know the better you can help. thanks.
for me personally
i would train abs maybe 2-3 times a week i like to go to failure
for cardio i think 5-6 times a week is good
do it in the morning on empty stomach start at 30 mins and slowly increase over time
i would say when u reach an hour split it into 2 sessions if u need more cardio
if ya doing a low carb diet i would stick w/ modearate cardio all the time
just dont do too much at the start of ya cut so u dont burn out
Pizzalamp
12-03-07, 2:13 pm
also i wanted to know, if i could handle it, if i did cardio 4 times a day would this help? or would i lose to much muscle mass for the amount of fat it would be helping me burn?
and hell NO dont do it 4 times a day
once in the moning is good later in ya diet i would add in a second session if u need it
focus on a smart good diet to make fat loss easier
krazyassmexican
12-03-07, 2:16 pm
you could do cardio everyday if your body can handle it
you just gotta be smart
dont burn your muscles
supplement with aminos before cardio
and forget about runnin
I just started up my Mass cycle and I am already up 8lbs... But I was wondering how much cardio is too much during gaining?? Cause eating that much even if its all 100% clean eating is going to have bad effects....
I know I get a fair amount of size on my arms and back when doing this but along with that comes the fat on my ass that I cant get rid of without massive cutting later on that defeats the purpose of gaining..... LOL
So how much cardio is too much do you think?? Or should I say the right amount of cardio to help keep the fat gain to a minimum??? Generally I do about 10 minutes of carido before each workout gets me warmed up.... Then I was thinking about adding in an actual cardio session here and there but not so sure if I should....
escholar05
08-08-08, 8:40 pm
I would recommend 15-20 min of moderate cardio (heart beatin fast, but not winded) after you lift 3 or 4 times a week. Just adjust it as you see fit. But that's a good starting point.
shizz702
08-08-08, 8:56 pm
Bro you got to understand that no matter what you do when bulking you are going to gain some fat. Save the cardio for later when it's time to cut. For now enjoy the bulk! You don't get to eat as much or as good while cutting so for now just keep making the gains and when you reach the goal you set for yourself on the bulk, lean out with a cut afterward.
lol do whatever. start low and make it higher if you wanna.
everyone is different.. but keep it regimented. youll see better results in regards to fat gain [less of it]
but remember.. its NOT about the scale. FUCK the scale.
check yourself in the mirror and adjust based on that.
8 lbs of weight means nothing if its just fat. remember what the growth season is for.. MUSCLE GAINS! dont get caught up in the number game
calcaneous
08-08-08, 9:33 pm
i dont do any cardio during a bulk. if i feel like im gaining too much unwanted weight, then i cut back on the calories a little bit. i feel like if i start to do cardio during the cut, the new stimuli will cause my body to burn a little extra because its not used to it.
musclealchemist
08-08-08, 9:58 pm
you will know when you gain to much fat when you feel like a pig. 8lbs is nothing, it will level off and from there you will make steady gains. If you gain about 30lbs, and look fat in the mirror with not that much strength increase, Then you know you gained to much fat. Just eat clean and work hard. The rest will take care of itself.
ficti0n
08-08-08, 10:13 pm
haha I wont add in any other cardio then my 10 min warmup then...!!! that barely breaks a sweat if it does at all, just kind gets me jazzed up and out of that tired feeling.......
Well my 8lbs is not all fat... I got another 1/4 inch on the arms and my chest feels like its going to burst out of my skin right now LOL...... I am just trying to be proactive in attaining as little un needed fat as possible..... But yea I just wont add anymore cardio then i am already doing if your saying its bad.....
Oh but in regards to reaching your goals then cutting... that's my biggest problem... I have done that before where i put on close to 20lbs 3/4 of it muscle like a good full inch on my arms and my back got way bigger, then tried to cut and I watched the muscle go away but the fat stays in the hard to get rid of places.... I am just bad at cutting so I try to avoid it.....
prowrestler
08-09-08, 2:08 am
I just started up my Mass cycle and I am already up 8lbs... But I was wondering how much cardio is too much during gaining?? Cause eating that much even if its all 100% clean eating is going to have bad effects....
I know I get a fair amount of size on my arms and back when doing this but along with that comes the fat on my ass that I cant get rid of without massive cutting later on that defeats the purpose of gaining..... LOL
So how much cardio is too much do you think?? Or should I say the right amount of cardio to help keep the fat gain to a minimum??? Generally I do about 10 minutes of carido before each workout gets me warmed up.... Then I was thinking about adding in an actual cardio session here and there but not so sure if I should....
dude, i consider whipeing my ass to mouch cardio
i do 3 X 20 mins sessions on empty stomach per week and 1 HIT session after legs and iam gaining.
This all depends on age, activity levels during the day, diet, etc etc etc.
I`d continue as you are doing and if need be make slight adjustments in either cardio or diet as needed.
Too many people change things around too quickly if its not working, patience and consistancy is the key IMO.
This all depends on age, activity levels during the day, diet, etc etc etc.
I`d continue as you are doing and if need be make slight adjustments in either cardio or diet as needed.
Too many people change things around too quickly if its not working, patience and consistancy is the key IMO.
Word, I will keep that in mind!!!
ForearmFreak
08-09-08, 1:13 pm
any cardio is too much cardio when bulking. Just because your not on a treadmill doesn't mean your not getting a cardio workout. Walk on the treadmill (during your cut) and compare that with squatting 405 for 10, now which one do you think your going to breathe harder after??? Yea, i thought so...Vinny G told me that recently at NJ ABC during the nutrition seminar.
any cardio is too much cardio when bulking. Just because your not on a treadmill doesn't mean your not getting a cardio workout. Walk on the treadmill (during your cut) and compare that with squatting 405 for 10, now which one do you think your going to breathe harder after??? Yea, i thought so...Vinny G told me that recently at NJ ABC during the nutrition seminar.
Good point... Which would probably be why workouts with kettle bells have been said to be a better for loosing fat that cardio for some people... cause they get your heart racing even if you arnt running 100 miles.....
shizz702
08-09-08, 6:42 pm
If you ended up losing too much mass on your last cuts just consider going on a "slower" cut next time. Gradually ease off your cals and carbs. Haste makes waste bro just take your time and do it right next time. You already know how hard it is to make them gains so do what you got to do to keep them.
If you ended up losing too much mass on your last cuts just consider going on a "slower" cut next time. Gradually ease off your cals and carbs. Haste makes waste bro just take your time and do it right next time. You already know how hard it is to make them gains so do what you got to do to keep them.
Yea word I busted my ass for months and months on those gains...LOL Been at this shit for about 8 years now.... It's funny how you first start going to the gym and it seems like a chore and later on it becomes part of your life and something you look forward too..... Hardest part is keeping your diet in check with your goals I think....
hatebreedXXX69
08-15-08, 9:02 am
I do a split routine 6 days a week. Before each session, i do 10 mins of cardio (running). ive made gains in muscle and i have noticed that my abdominal fat has decreased. If i flex my abs i can notice them under the layer of fat. If i did 1 hour of cardio on my one rest day, or more would that affect my gains in muscle??ive heard that too much cardio affects your agins in muscle mass. help please. thank you
shizz702
08-15-08, 9:23 am
Bro six days a week is too much imo. If you're making gains cool, but you'd probably be making even more if you cut it down to 5 days a week. Even 5 days is quite a bit of volume. With that said if you plan to sticking to 6 days a week leave that one day alone for rest. Your body needs time to recover and heal in order to grow. Too give you a direct answer to your question though your gains and cardio all boil down to your caloric intake. You can do all that cardio and still make gains but you're gonna have to take in a fuck ton of calories to do so. When doing cardio your burning lots of calories so you're gonna have to take in a lot!
simpleguy
08-15-08, 10:22 am
10 mins pre w/o is ok to get you warmed up... 1hour session - what's that during bulking lol?
Pokoritel
08-15-08, 10:43 am
a poor diet causes loss in muscle mass
i think a light run for 10 mins as a warm up is ok if your trying to gain mass but im with the other bros on this one. 6 days is a TON of training for a bulk.. 4 is ideal 5 is pushing it. Remmeber you make your gains out of the gym brother!!! get rid of the cardio in the offseason dude its just more that your gonna have to do when its time to cut.
a poor diet causes loss in muscle mass
True. It all starts in the kitchen.
I'm "cutting" right now. Doing cardio for 30-1 hr AFTER my workout. That's the key part, when you do cardio, do it after the workout, so you have all the energy possible during your workout.
For bulking, I would recommend only doing cardio 1-2 times a week, for roughly 15-20 minutes.
hatebreedXXX69
08-16-08, 2:36 am
Thanks guys, ok i'll just stick to what i'm doing now and not increase the cardio. I have thought of doing cardio after the lifting but i always drink my protein shake straight after my session, thanks for the info