How Much Cardio Do You Do?

Training Bodybuilding
1

Just curious how much cardio everyone does. I’m currently trying to cut. I just finished Chad’s TBT and will be starting it again on Monday. I took this week off because we are in Florida on vacation (had to get away from the snow). I have been running everyday though. I’ve either been running outside for 3.5-4 miles or doing HIIT with sprints which ends up being about 1.5 miles.

I’m now weighing 211 lbs and about 11-12% BF. I’ll have to double check when I get back. My goal is to get to 9-10% BF so my abs show better. Once I get there, I want to add lean body mass. My problem is that I need to keep up with the cardio. If I don’t run, my blood pressure shoots way up along with other cardiac problems. I don’t want to end up looking like a skinny runner though.

So my plan is to start Chad’s TBT again on Monday and run three days a week. I’ll take Sunday off unless I miss a workout. My cardio will continue to consist of running 4-5mils or HITT sprints. If I follow this plan long term, do you think I’m doomed to look skinny like a distance runner?

2

Why do you need to keep up with the running. Is it an issue of sports? Or are you simpy into keeping that level of conditioning up?

3

If I lower the amount of running I do my blood pressure shoots way up. I’m already worried that 3x a week may not be enough to keep it under control. I don’t want to have to go back on blood pressure meds.

4

wow, whats the diet like?

plenty of fish oils etc?

or do you have an extreme predisposition to high BP.

Do you have a high carb intake?

5

wow, whats the diet like?

Very clean diet. Low sodium, high fiber, very limited fried foods, no pasta or breads. Carbs come from fruits and veggies.

plenty of fish oils etc?

I don’t get enough. I need to look into supplements for this.

or do you have an extreme predisposition to high BP.

I think so. Heart problems and BP are real bad in my family.

6

LarryJr-

A fellow frozen-assed Michigander here (but, GO BUCKS!!!)… sorry about that, I’m from O, H, 10 country.

Anyway, you have a pretty good chunk of LBM there if you are truly 11-12%. Nice work with that. As far as your goals, if I understand you correctly you have to keep running for health reasons whether dieting or not, you want to trim off a few pounds of flub in next couple months, and finally you want to keep running but not lose all your hard earned muscle mass - preferrably gain some? Is that close enough?

Well, how about the NFL to answer your question. You are about the size of a safety or small running back. Those guys do quite well maintaining sub-10% BF, most are sub 8% I’d guess, while running their arses off daily. How do they keep their size while burning 1500-2000+ calories a day? They EAT, EAT, and EAT some more! The key is what foods and when.

I would always let whole proteins dominate your diet, at least 1.5 X LBM (about 280 grams right now) daily forever. For maintenance cals add about 1.0-1.5 X LBM in carb grams and .5 X LBM in fat grams. IF cutting, I’d knock down the carbs to 0.5-1.5 and fat to 0.3-0.4, until you notice some moderate fat loss. As always, adjust up or down with your carbs until you get your desired goals.

As far as the foods go, always make sure your fats are balanced, getting your 3,6, and 9 omegas in equal parts. And most importantly, eat low-medium glycemic carbs - avoid junk foods. Eating clean even when not dieting will help to retain LBM and keep from putting on flab. Remember, not all calories are created equal.

You have to find the correct combination for your biochemistry. But, as a general rule of thumb: never consume fewer calories than your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and if maintaining, eat just enough additional calories to off-set your running (NFL example). Simply monitor your bodyfat and bodyweight levels every few weeks and adjust if necessary.

As far as your blood pressure and other CV concerns, isn’t your weight lifting 3-4 times a week enough to keep your blood pressure under control? None the less, I’m glad to hear you are solving your problem by increasing exercise rather than medicating. Now if Joe and Jane Public would follow suit, insurance rates would be cut by 3/4!!!

TopSirloin

7

TopSirloin,

Thanks…you hit my goals dead on. I think your advice is dead on too. Where are you in Michigan, I’m in Garden City.

I need to research and understand good fats better. Do you know of any good articles here?

Unfortunately, lifting alone doesn’t bring my BP down. If I miss a few sessions of cardio, my pressure goes back up. Before I started working out again and losing fat, I was on two meds and my pressure stayed 150/110.

I think I’m going to continue what I’m doing and follow your advice. I’ll have to fine tune things as time goes on.

Thanks again.

8

As for fats, go to the Roundtable Discussion page and read-up. While you’re there, I would read all the roundtable articles. Besides that info being timeless and invaluable, there are lot’s of opinions from many credible sources. The roundtables give you a variety of educated opinions, some conflicting, yet they all are healthy.

I’m near the Lansing area, BTW.

TopSirloin

9

the one thing i would add is a running back aint doin 3 miles. hes sprinting (apologies for my lack of pro ball knowledge if this is incorrect) and heavens forbid…the anabolics. but i digress.

If you find that the running helps what must be everyones primary goal, to stay well and healthy then go with that. it’s just that itmay affect the efficacy of you attaing the secondary goal, i.e. lean mass.

do you someke/drink or do a stressful job? Could it be a rebound effect, when you stop running suddenly? As i understood things, resistence exercise plus good effective diet is extremely effective at maintaining BP control so i wonder if it is that you may be a “outlier”, i.e. fairly anomalous in this?

Whatever, good luck and stay well.

10

Hijack on…

[quote]TopSirloin wrote:
A fellow frozen-assed Michigander here (but, GO BUCKS!!!)… sorry about that, I’m from O, H, 10 country. [/quote]

Yes! Go Buckeyes! I agree with this TopSirloin guy. :o)

…hijack off.

11

Its good to see friends from the mitten.

12

Sorry to hijack again, but I attend OSU now and ummm Go Bucks! Also, to be incredibly random, I just saw Justin Zwick at a IM b-ball game and he was looking REAL fat. I also roomed with Chris Gamble and Troy Smith my freshman year and they both put on like 15-20 lbs. (in their case it was ALL muscle b/c of the freaks of nature they are). Just thought I’d be incredibly random and add that OSU football players in the offseason pretty much go on insane bulking diets before spring ball starts.

13

As how miniross mentions regarding lifestlye, this could be the reason why your BP increases. I don’t think your BP would jump up if you miss a few running sessions. Check stress levels etc.

14

Sorry to continue the hijack, but isn’t ohio someplace you drive through to go on vacation;P

Go Spartans

15

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
Sorry to continue the hijack, but isn’t ohio someplace you drive through to go on vacation;P

Go Spartans[/quote]

Haha… drive through OH on vacation, huh. Actually, since the hottest amusment park in Cedar Point is in Ohio, most people drive TO the “Heart Beat of America”!

I’m partial to the Sparty’s as well but did you go to the MSU-OSU game this year? I was at the end where Gynn scored that take-the-lead-back TD. Man was that a great game or what?! :wink:

MUCK FICHIGAN!

TS

16

[quote]RED9 wrote:
Sorry to hijack again, but I attend OSU now and ummm Go Bucks! Also, to be incredibly random, I just saw Justin Zwick at a IM b-ball game and he was looking REAL fat. I also roomed with Chris Gamble and Troy Smith my freshman year and they both put on like 15-20 lbs. (in their case it was ALL muscle b/c of the freaks of nature they are). Just thought I’d be incredibly random and add that OSU football players in the offseason pretty much go on insane bulking diets before spring ball starts.[/quote]

Interesting insider on the Bucks. Are they nice guys, or do they have GIGANTIC egos? Any of them on roids from what you can tell (just curious)?

All I have to say is that Troy Smith could be Vick-like this year if they’d just let him lead the team. I think he is exactly wha OSU needs to get back to the top. Zwick is solid, but Smith can run AND shoot. With a shotty OL we need the later.

TS

17

Well, actually most of them are pretty cool guys. You’d be surprised, most of the white guys are the ones w/ huge egos and assholes. In most cases the assholes are the ones that don’t play much (too many to name, especially since ppl not huge buckeye fans wouldn’t recognize them).

Troy is actually a real cool guy. Did he associate himself w/ boosters? I will not go into any detail but lets just say I was not surprised.

Gamble was actually real shy, never talked much.

Zwick is a douche.

I really could go down the line, but that would take a while. I have a lot of great stories, but like I said, it would take a while, and I am not at liberty to share some of them. Oh, and about the steroids. I am confident that Troy and Gamble were definately not on them. They are both freaks of nature, got their fair share of food and sleep, gained pretty gradually, and had no signs of steroid use (back acne, etc). D’Andrea pretty much destroyed commons on a daily basis.