Who does cardio out there? I used to, but I have been persuaded to avoid doing it often. Also, when should it be done in relation to training? And how should I do in relation to my diet?
beannog: Question. Haven’t you been on the Forum a while? Is this a serious inquiry? (Apologies beforehand if I identified you incorrectly!)
For my cardio I try and get in three days a week. I dont waste my time doing the treadmill or bike for 30-45 mins. I do a workout that looks like this.
8 sets of 50yrd. Hill sprints(1 min rest between sets)
then take a 5 min break
then 8 sets of 50 yrd. sprints on a flat surface.(1 min rest between sets)
I’ve found this really cuts the fat while also filling in “holes” in my legs that squats and deadlifts miss.
I do 20 minutes of cardio after every workout.
I do a little bit of it. Mainly alot of sprints & after the thoses I do about a 20 min. jog. You can do it on your off days or the days you do train. Make sure you do it after the weights.
I run 3.5 miles 6 days a week. I include hills and sprints. It works great for me to keep the fat off and improve endurance. My legs have always been my best asset - I’ve been blessed with naturally muscular legs, so all the cardio doesn’t affect my ability to maintain the muscle. Women have always gone nuts over my legs, even before I got into bodybuilding or running.
I prefer 2-3 days of fun stuff outside (in-line skating, mountain biking, swimming, sprinting, etc). So I try to get outside at least two days a week to do something like that. Since I’ve been trying to get lean, I’ve also added 20 minutes of cardio after my weight workouts. But I have not been consistent with that. My current schedule is like this. Monday: weights and 20 minutes of cardio. Tuesday: mountain biking or other cardio outside. Wednesday: weights and skating at the local skating rink. Thursday: mountain biking or other cardio outside. Friday: weights and 20 minutes of cardio. Sat and Sun: outside fun stuff. I went without cardio for a year, and it only made me feel horrible. I was totally out of shape and had horrible conditioning. I don’t want to be like that ever again, so now I stick to a few days a week of fun cardio stuff outdoors!
I do and have done cardio on a consistent basis. If you want to try something different get a canvas backpack and load it with weight. Use plates, bags of sand, rock etc. Start out with 50 pounds or so and go out for a jog/fast walk. Stop every so often and do squats, pushups, calf raises, etc., with the backpack on. This really gets your heart rate up. Bring it back down by jogging/walking again and keep repeating the cycle for time, e.g. 30 minutes. Be creative with the exercises you do.
Also, I use the backpack and do a series of hill sprints as well. Tough, but I really like it.
You can also do stuff like a farmer’s walk for time, or a heavy sandbag carry for time. This kind of stuff is different from the traditional stationary bike or treadmill, but I like doing it and it works well for me.
I also do 20 min. of cardio after working out 3 days a week. I also fight muay thai and vale tudo style 3 days a week for about 2 to 3 hours. I think that cardio can be fun if you find something you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be just sprints or jogging, find something you like and go all out.