Cardio time?

[youngnewbie]

I wanted to add 3 more cardio seessions per week. I lift in the morning. So would i do the cardio after my workout or could i go back in to the gym in late afternoon and do my cardio? I know that its best to be done on an empty stomache in the morning. But since i cant due to my schedule would you just do it after the workout or later in the day?

 

[petpre61]

how long would a cardio session last?

 

[Protobuilder]

The best time to do it is when you can and will do it. If that’s in the afternoon, then great. If it’s after you workout, fine. Just get it done. If you really have the choice, I’d do it in the afternoon, and give your body a few hours of rest after lifting.

Drop that “empty stomach in the morning” mantra. Cardio burns calories. Period. It can burn them in the morning or in the afternoon. Morning probably has some slight advantages but there’s nothing magic happening. Empty stomach, low intensity = mobilize & burn fat. Great. Then you consume food and guess what? Your body tries to replenish its fat stores b/c it’s carb stores are, presumably, full for the most part. So calories go back to fat. Full stomach, low intensity = burn what’s in your gut . . . OK, same ultimate result. Now, instead of pulling fat stores or using muscle glycogen, your body burns through what’s accessible in the gut first. That means those calories don’t go to fat storage, they get used. And the fat that you already have stays there. End result? It’s a wash for the most part. You either burn the fat on your body, and then replace it. Or you keep the old fat hanging around, and burn what’s in your gut, which means those calories don’t go to fat storage and you don’t get fatter. Either way, total calories in vs. out is what matters.

 

[Cynical Simian]

lol, there's some pretty shady physiology in there, PB, but I agree with the general point: it probably won't make a huge difference either way.

There's a decent case to be made that, if you're doing long-duration, low-intensity cardio, not consuming carbs beforehand is advantageous. But since you'll be (I assume) eating after the workout, it doesn't really matter since you'll be doing it on a relatively full stomach anyway.

 

[youngnewbie]

lol, there's some pretty shady physiology in there, PB, but I agree with the general point: it probably won't make a huge difference either way.

There's a decent case to be made that, if you're doing long-duration, low-intensity cardio, not consuming carbs beforehand is advantageous. But since you'll be (I assume) eating after the workout, it doesn't really matter since you'll be doing it on a relatively full stomach anyway.

Ya my meal will be a little over an hour before my cardio in the afternoon. And my cardio sessions will be around 40min. I usually stop eating most carbs around 3pm. BUt since im doing cardio around 1:30 would i eat carbs after my cardio? Or eat the same way i have been thx for the responses.

 

[Cynical Simian]

If you're doing lower intensity stuff, you won't have taxed your glycogen stores much, but carbs afterwards would be fine. 3 pm is pretty early for a carb cutoff anyway.

 

[youngnewbie]

If you're doing lower intensity stuff, you won't have taxed your glycogen stores much, but carbs afterwards would be fine. 3 pm is pretty early for a carb cutoff anyway.

Heres my diet. Ive been eating this way for over a year. And am down 6% bf and up 15lbs from a year ago. My gaol is to get below 10%bf and keep my mass. You can see i cut my carbs around 3pm. So would i just add carbs to my 3pm meal?? Thanks again for the help.

6:35am Meal #1, 2/3 cups of brown rice or sweet potatoe,4-6 egg whites, 2 chicken breasts.

9:05am Meal #2, Protein shake made with water. Using two scoops of Whey isolate, and i put in 4 egg whites and a cup of cooked oatmeal,

12:05pm Meal #3, 8-10 egg whites, 2 cups of oatmeal, cup of steamed broccli, 2 heads of romaine lettuce, handful of almonds

3:05pm Meal #4, 2 chicken breasts or a tuna steak if im lucky,4-6 egg whites, 1 cup of steamed broccli head of romaine lettuce

6:05pm Meal #5, fish or steak, 2 heads romaine lettuce, steamed brussle sprouts, 4-6 egg whites

9:00 Meal #6, whey isolate protien shake, i put in 3-4 egg whites and eat a handful of almonds.

 

[Protobuilder]

lol, there's some pretty shady physiology in there, PB

Don't question. Just accept. LoL

I'm just regurgitating what smart people have said. And I ignore/forget the sciencey stuff. I just remember the take-home message. The long and short of it is that it's all a wash pretty much. The "fat burning zone" exists, no question, but people who think "burning fat" is how you get thin are misguided. It doesn't really matter what fuel you burn during exercise. It's the sum total of calories. Period. That's the take home message.

 

[Cynical Simian]

So would i just add carbs to my 3pm meal??

Sure. Just add more oats or shift some of the oats from the noon meal to the 3 pm one.