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Cardio question
- Thread starter JDid23
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cross training definitely helps.
biking, swimming, and other cardio activities can help strengthen muscles, tendons, and ligaments that are not in use when you run, and vice versa. doing the same cardio all the time makes you use the same areas over and over, and could make you imbalanced and injury prone. sort of like always lifting weight for one bodypart but not any others.
biking, swimming, and other cardio activities can help strengthen muscles, tendons, and ligaments that are not in use when you run, and vice versa. doing the same cardio all the time makes you use the same areas over and over, and could make you imbalanced and injury prone. sort of like always lifting weight for one bodypart but not any others.
Doing, for example, biking will benefit your cardiovascular health and it'll increase your general work capacity. It can decrease your resting heart rate and increase your VO2 max. All of which can help you in running or in other things.
That said, if you are trying to, for example, decrease your 5k time, the best way to do that is by running. Biking wouldn't help you much there, unless you are more toward the beginner end of the spectrum. Generally, the more advanced the athlete, the more specific the training must be to elicit performance gains.
That said, if you are trying to, for example, decrease your 5k time, the best way to do that is by running. Biking wouldn't help you much there, unless you are more toward the beginner end of the spectrum. Generally, the more advanced the athlete, the more specific the training must be to elicit performance gains.
good post cato
Jdid, for me ANY cardio would help, I think a balance of everything would be best for general cardio
Jdid, for me ANY cardio would help, I think a balance of everything would be best for general cardio
CoBra666
Broken
i was curious of the same thing. after some research and q&a i decided on alternating cardio into 'cardio a' and 'cardio b' format. i workout every other day, and in between each lifting day ill alternate from a long slow run upto an hour in length to a much higher paced run for as long as i can go.... sometimes hiit but i havent done that in a while
JDid23
New member
sorry, but this doesn't seem to make sense to me... Am i correct to think you're saying that if i focus only on running and neglect other types of cardiovascular activity that i'm going to increase my likelihood of getting injured? If someone neglects any sort shoulder training and continues heavy chest training, that increases their likelihood of getting injured. However, i've never heard of a swimmer increasing his chances of getting injured because of not running (and vise versa)
that makes sense cato.. thanks
gladiator... i agree.. but mainly i'm wondering if someone who is an avid biker for 6 months can jump into running and be good at it.
That's because elite swimmers don't run at elite levels.. I think if you run competitively then yeah try cycling competitively and you will fall short..
At a level to keep fit.. Injuries not that much of an issue if you only do one type then switch it up, as you won't reach the intensities of an elite athlete
At a level to keep fit.. Injuries not that much of an issue if you only do one type then switch it up, as you won't reach the intensities of an elite athlete
Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying. Don't take my word for it though:
Cross-Train Without Injury From Runner's World.com
Cross-Training Tips for Runners at Runner's World
Cross Training for Runners - AIM Health Group
Pete Pfitzinger - Lab Reports - Cross-Training to Prevent Injury and Improve Technique
Cross Train to Help Prevent Running Injuries! | Nimble Fitness: New York City Personal Trainer
I never do cardio.
Well, I never go to gym and do cardio unless squats is considered cardio. And the occasional punching bag work.
I walk a lot and ride a bike. Play handball. That's it. Too much cardio is a waste, eats muscle and saps energy.
Well, I never go to gym and do cardio unless squats is considered cardio. And the occasional punching bag work.
I walk a lot and ride a bike. Play handball. That's it. Too much cardio is a waste, eats muscle and saps energy.
lol I do way to much cardio 
oh well it pays the bills 
if weight loss is your main goal for cardio find something you like to do. if you want to cut cardio out or not do much then learn to have a really really good diet and train with great intensity and you will not need as much
oh well it pays the bills if weight loss is your main goal for cardio find something you like to do. if you want to cut cardio out or not do much then learn to have a really really good diet and train with great intensity and you will not need as much
Nelson, would you mind expanding on this a little bit? I highly respect your opinion and find it hard to understand that you achieved the physique that I have seen you have in pics by not doing cardio. Ie:low BF% and ripped to shreds such as in your AV?
JDid23
New member
i skimmed these since i have to go soon, but i'll check them out more in depth later... What do you do/recommend for cardio? a mix of everything?
also, one thing i noticed in there is that they said runners can have muscle imbalances. However, for most people on here who lift in addition to doing cardio, that would probably negate most of the muscle imbalances caused by running too much, right? For example, I find it hard to believe that running would cause me to have a weak lower back, especially since i deadlift and do weighted hypers.
I think that strength training is an excellent way to cross train. I just meant that if running is your sole form of exercise then you may have problems.
I always road the bike at the gym for cardio for yeeears. I'd do 30 to 40 min and push myself pretty hard. Then i started dating a girl that wanted to do a 5k together which she only gave me 5 wks notice. I considered myself in pretty good shape cardiovascularly, better than her, and a low bf but i hadn't run since track in HS 10yrs before. She'd been running 2 to 3 miles a few times a week but wasn't a major competitor by any means. I busted my butt getting ready for this damn thing and I about died trying to keep up with her when she was taking it easy at the race. Had some evil shinsplints for weeks after that.
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