Cardio mixing and lifting

[jiggagold]

Im trying to drop some minor belly fat i got over last semester probably around 5 pounds and I've been mixing my cardio up a lot lately. I tend to stairmaster or incline jog for 15 minutes before i lift at medium pace then lift and do the stair master or ellliptical for 25 minutes after. THe stairmaster i do medium and elliptical is pretty intense is there any negative effects on that run/lift plan? Also on days off from lifting i run 2-3 miles at 7-8 speed then either do a mile of on and off sprinting or run the bleachers. Is it ok to run the 2-3 miles then do high intensity sprints? Thanks.

 

[Nathan]

I don't do any cardio personally and maintain a low bf. Probably lower than I should. Anyways, the point is that it's all about diet control. Watch your calories and the types of foods you eat. You need to get an idea of you daily maintenance calories and then cycle what youe at below that and then back up to it over a period of a few months to a year or so. And you can be shredded by the end of that pretty much guaranteed if you give yourself the time and put in the effort. I sound like a tony robbins. I wish I were selling something.

 

[jayinhongkong]

IMO everyone should do some cardio for health. It's important to have a healthy heart. I try to squeeze in 10-20 mins on any of the machines after my workouts, and I walk around a lot too, being that I live in Hong Kong, where like 97% of the population doesn't have cars.

 

[kiosk]

try 20-reps squats...will have your heart jumping out of your throat...no cardio needed

 

[Sculelos]

try 20-reps squats...will have your heart jumping out of your throat...no cardio needed

For some reason deads raise my heart rate more then squats... hmmm. But your right I can get my heart rate up way faster lifting heavy then anything else short of sprinting.

 

[jayinhongkong]

While that may be true, it's important to keep your heart rate up for an extended period of time. I get so winded from heavy leg pressing that I have to sit tight for a while after.

 

[CremasterBlaster]

The secret to cardio is to know when your body STOPS burning fat for fuel and starts to catabolize your lean mass.......muscle glycogen stores are lowest first thing in the morning and immediately post workout........the key is heart rate

Keep your sessions longer but moderately paced at around 135-145 heartbeats per minute.......any faster and you may force your body to convert your hard earned gains to replenish glycogen stores.

For most people a brisk walk at 4.0-4.2 for 30-45 minutes.....throw in a small jog every couple of minutes to maintain the heart rate window for maximum fat burning

 

[Sculelos]

While that may be true, it's important to keep your heart rate up for an extended period of time. I get so winded from heavy leg pressing that I have to sit tight for a while after.

Yea, it's extremely hard for me to get my heart rate up really high though unless I lift heavy, or sprint though, I rode a bike hard for 5 minites today and at the peak I was only at like 140 bpm, thats high but I've got my heart rate up to 190 sprinting and up to 170 lifting.

 

[Sculelos]

While that may be true, it's important to keep your heart rate up for an extended period of time. I get so winded from heavy leg pressing that I have to sit tight for a while after.

Yea, it's extremely hard for me to get my heart rate up really high though unless I lift heavy, or sprint though, I rode a bike hard for 5 minites today and at the peak I was only at like 140 bpm, thats high but I've got my heart rate up to 190 sprinting and up to 170 lifting.

In comparison when at work I'm walking briskly and pushing carts, my heart rate stays between 90-110 most the time, but thats probably cause I'm used to the motion.

 

[ericwahl83]

I was in the situation you're in. I started doing the bike 4 days a week (the days I didn't lift) for an hour each time. I would be as intense as possible on the bike, heart rate up in the 150-170 range. Probably on the high end of that. I lost a good 10 lbs of fat over the course of a month and a half. I didn't lose any strength either, in fact I got stronger during this period. I'm in much better shape these days in terms of strength and aerobic conditioning. If you can kick your own ass on the bike for an hour 3-4 times a week, after a few months there will be a noticeable difference.