cardio 2x a day?

justagirl · 05-31-2006, 07:44 AM

hi guys! i've been cutting for almost three weeks and seeing some nice results. i'm not going to be cutting for very long because i feel that i'm very close to my 'ideal' body. right now i do cardio 6x a week. i have a cardio kickbox tape that is actually pretty challenging and i do hiit with my jump rope instead of the dvd about 3x a week. i do it fasted every morning. i do resistance training with an upper/lower body split. lower body 2x a week, upper body 2x a week, abs alone 1x a week (i do abs with my upper body too). i also do yoga atleast 3 nights a week. it's very very light though, i just do it because i'm anxious and it helps me get a good nights rest

i'm eating 1400-1800 calories a day on a usually perfect 40%protein/30/30 split with too little fibre (i'm workin on it). i weigh around 115lbs, i'm 5'4 and pretty small

would doing a second session of cardio be detrimental? i'd like to lose fat as fast as possible WITHOUT losing too much muscle. some loss i know is inevitable and i'm going to be doing a sloooow, clean bulk when i'm done with this cut

i was thinking i would do either two steady 20 minutes sessions, or one steady minute session and hiit in the evening

ahhh sorry this is so long

thanks!

justagirl · 05-31-2006, 07:49 AM

more info here if it helps

http://www.ironmass.com/introductions/7128-hiya.html

**powerman2000** · 05-31-2006, 11:53 AM

I wouldn't recommend more cardio unless you're talking about some more HIIT cardio. I'd be too concerned with muscle wasting. You could also try some HIIT weightlifting, especially on your leg days. Check out my log.

**DJSTARER** · 05-31-2006, 12:45 PM

I'm not a fan of cardio more than 3X per week. Most of the time I use resistance training cardio (HIIT). I find it is more efficient, more muscle sparing, and more fun than other forms of cardio. It allows me to enhance my explosive/dynamic power, while increasing blood and water flow to my muscles. Keeping your muscles clear of junky chemicals and hormones during a cut is essential. Any time I can get a pump during a cut, I take it.

Simply look at the difference between sprinters and moderate to long distance runners. It is night and day. Sprinters and more explosive athletes simply retain much higher amounts of lean mass.

A second option would be swimming. IMO, sprint swimming is effective, but only secondary to a quality HIIT program.

There are many examples of HIIT programs, mine looks roughly like this:

6 power cleans (fast)
30 seconds rest
12 SLDLs (fast)
30 seconds rest
pushups to failure
3 minute rest

Repeat 3 more times.

**powerman2000** · 05-31-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJSTARER

I'm not a fan of cardio more than 3X per week. Most of the time I use resistance training cardio (HIIT). I find it is more efficient, more muscle sparing, and more fun than other forms of cardio. It allows me to enhance my explosive/dynamic power, while increasing blood and water flow to my muscles. Keeping your muscles clear of junky chemicals and hormones during a cut is essential. Any time I can get a pump during a cut, I take it.

:yes: :yes: :yes:

**bubba g** · 05-31-2006, 01:07 PM

I wouldn't reccomend HIIT in a fasted state at all.

The best thing for you to keep muscle while losing fat is one hour brisk walk in the morning, and one hour brisk walk at night... cut out all the other cardio you do, and just do a weight lifting routine.. The one powerman suggested with 30 second rest intervals between sets gets your metabolism cranking too...

when you overdo it on the cardio, at first your body will shed fat, but after a while when your bodyfat % drops to a point, your body will actually start to try to hang onto fat because fat is your bodies emergency fuel source, and when you start to burn it too fast, your body protects its emergency reserves by burning anything but fat for energy..

If you do the brisk (3mph) walk your body wont go into panic mode, and you will be able to obtain a lower bodyfat%.

you could also get on a real bike, and ride for an hour to mix things up..... just shoot for 60 to 70 rotations per minute on the pedals...

DJohnson · 05-31-2006, 01:22 PM

Last 2 weeks maybe if you can keep up the pace. Cardio has a better nutrient partitioning effect over dropping calories through diet so you'll lose more fat than if you dropped the calories an equal amount, period. So yes, it's effective.

The problem is if you want to keep cutting you're gonna overtrain and/or burn yourself out. Make sure you're willing to do a clean bulk afterwards regardless of results.

**skelooth** · 05-31-2006, 04:25 PM

yup, anytime I've done 2x a day cardio I've burnt myself out VERY fast. My own personal experience is that if I try to do it for more than a week all I'm doing is hurting myself.

DJohnson · 05-31-2006, 04:40 PM

Yeah, to tell you the truth, I did cardio 2x daily plus lifting for two weeks at the end of my carb cycling in Feb. I was so burnt out from cardio I didn't do ANY for the 12 weeks of my bulk. Considering that it was a mistake.

I think next time I bulk cardio gets a big thumbs up.

**bubba g** · 05-31-2006, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJohnson

Yeah, to tell you the truth, I did cardio 2x daily plus lifting for two weeks at the end of my carb cycling in Feb. I was so burnt out from cardio I didn't do ANY for the 12 weeks of my bulk. Considering that it was a mistake.

I think next time I bulk cardio gets a big thumbs up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skelooth

yup, anytime I've done 2x a day cardio I've burnt myself out VERY fast. My own personal experience is that if I try to do it for more than a week all I'm doing is hurting myself.

The 1 hour brisk walk twice a day is also very untaxing on CNS, which is just one more reason I suggest it.

justagirl · 05-31-2006, 06:40 PM

thanks everyone

i don't do hiit in a fasted state, i have a small meal first then my usual pwo meal. i do my kickboxing fasted. both are under 20 minutes and the kickboxing isn't very high impact

i'd love to take walks at night but i've recently moved out of my apartment and in with my father because he's sick. his house is in the middle of nowhere and it's pretty scary to walk around these huge forests

the resistance hiit looks interesting.. is it kind of like circuit training? my issue with that is that i'm really a weak little girl and i can get myself sore without weights a lot of the time, especially doing things like pushups. should i focus on things i can do fairly easily?

about only doing it for the last two weeks of a cut... i'll be completely done with cutting by july 1st, i'm 90% sure, would it be a good idea to alternate? one week of cardio 2x a day, one week of cardio 1x a day? i'm a very anxious/stressed gal right now and cardio really helps keep me calm and centered, and if it helps with fat loss all the better

i'll look for some low intensity cardio dvds in the meantime to use instead of walking

thanks for the input everyone

justagirl · 05-31-2006, 06:44 PM

oh, and a clean bulk will definitely happen. if for some reason i had to stop cutting right now i would still like to bulk, i have very little muscle from years of dehydration, very little protein and then trying to lose the weight i gained from horrible habits as a kid by eating a slice of bread for breakfast etc. i'd love to gain some muscle in my lower body and tummy

**powerman2000** · 06-05-2006, 11:58 AM

A_N_91 · 06-05-2006, 12:20 PM

^^LOL

I don't do cardio in a fasted state at all. Because it comes out to calories in vs. out...to a point. I would just say if you want to do 2x a day, do a brisk walk in the morning and a 1-5 mile jog in the afternoon.

dton · 06-05-2006, 12:26 PM

That avatar is awesome. Ali makes a mockery of the other dudes skills.

05-31-2006, 07:44 AM	#1
justagirl New Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: bc, canada Posts: 14 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	cardio 2x a day? hi guys! i've been cutting for almost three weeks and seeing some nice results. i'm not going to be cutting for very long because i feel that i'm very close to my 'ideal' body. right now i do cardio 6x a week. i have a cardio kickbox tape that is actually pretty challenging and i do hiit with my jump rope instead of the dvd about 3x a week. i do it fasted every morning. i do resistance training with an upper/lower body split. lower body 2x a week, upper body 2x a week, abs alone 1x a week (i do abs with my upper body too). i also do yoga atleast 3 nights a week. it's very very light though, i just do it because i'm anxious and it helps me get a good nights rest i'm eating 1400-1800 calories a day on a usually perfect 40%protein/30/30 split with too little fibre (i'm workin on it). i weigh around 115lbs, i'm 5'4 and pretty small would doing a second session of cardio be detrimental? i'd like to lose fat as fast as possible WITHOUT losing too much muscle. some loss i know is inevitable and i'm going to be doing a sloooow, clean bulk when i'm done with this cut i was thinking i would do either two steady 20 minutes sessions, or one steady minute session and hiit in the evening ahhh sorry this is so long thanks!

05-31-2006, 11:53 AM	#3
powerman2000 The Old Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 4,281 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 199	I wouldn't recommend more cardio unless you're talking about some more HIIT cardio. I'd be too concerned with muscle wasting. You could also try some HIIT weightlifting, especially on your leg days. Check out my log. __________________ Don't forget to periodize Best BP 507 lbs competitive Best Squat 705 lbs competitive Best DL 650 lbs competitive Guns don't kill people, men who come home early do. My workout log http://www.ironmass.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6247

05-31-2006, 12:45 PM	#4
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 3,979 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 113	I'm not a fan of cardio more than 3X per week. Most of the time I use resistance training cardio (HIIT). I find it is more efficient, more muscle sparing, and more fun than other forms of cardio. It allows me to enhance my explosive/dynamic power, while increasing blood and water flow to my muscles. Keeping your muscles clear of junky chemicals and hormones during a cut is essential. Any time I can get a pump during a cut, I take it. Simply look at the difference between sprinters and moderate to long distance runners. It is night and day. Sprinters and more explosive athletes simply retain much higher amounts of lean mass. A second option would be swimming. IMO, sprint swimming is effective, but only secondary to a quality HIIT program. There are many examples of HIIT programs, mine looks roughly like this: 6 power cleans (fast) 30 seconds rest 12 SLDLs (fast) 30 seconds rest pushups to failure 3 minute rest Repeat 3 more times. __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

05-31-2006, 01:22 PM	#7
DJohnson IMPC Contestant Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 964 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 44	Last 2 weeks maybe if you can keep up the pace. Cardio has a better nutrient partitioning effect over dropping calories through diet so you'll lose more fat than if you dropped the calories an equal amount, period. So yes, it's effective. The problem is if you want to keep cutting you're gonna overtrain and/or burn yourself out. Make sure you're willing to do a clean bulk afterwards regardless of results. __________________ Age: 21 Height: 5'10.5" Mar, 2001: 135lbs @ ~14% Nov, 2004: 245lbs @ ~40% Feb, 2006: 188lbs @ 20.1% - Hydrostatic Tested Dec, 2006: 168lbs @ 5.5% - 7 Point Caliper Tested BULKING FOR A LONG TIME NOW Long Term Goal: Over 200lbs @ 8%

05-31-2006, 04:25 PM	#8
skelooth eh heh heh Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Behind you Posts: 8,041 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 160	yup, anytime I've done 2x a day cardio I've burnt myself out VERY fast. My own personal experience is that if I try to do it for more than a week all I'm doing is hurting myself. __________________

05-31-2006, 07:49 AM	#2
justagirl New Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: bc, canada Posts: 14 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	more info here if it helps http://www.ironmass.com/introductions/7128-hiya.html

05-31-2006, 01:07 PM	#6
bubba g Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,179 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 178	I wouldn't reccomend HIIT in a fasted state at all. The best thing for you to keep muscle while losing fat is one hour brisk walk in the morning, and one hour brisk walk at night... cut out all the other cardio you do, and just do a weight lifting routine.. The one powerman suggested with 30 second rest intervals between sets gets your metabolism cranking too... when you overdo it on the cardio, at first your body will shed fat, but after a while when your bodyfat % drops to a point, your body will actually start to try to hang onto fat because fat is your bodies emergency fuel source, and when you start to burn it too fast, your body protects its emergency reserves by burning anything but fat for energy.. If you do the brisk (3mph) walk your body wont go into panic mode, and you will be able to obtain a lower bodyfat%. you could also get on a real bike, and ride for an hour to mix things up..... just shoot for 60 to 70 rotations per minute on the pedals...

05-31-2006, 04:40 PM	#9
DJohnson IMPC Contestant Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 964 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 44	Yeah, to tell you the truth, I did cardio 2x daily plus lifting for two weeks at the end of my carb cycling in Feb. I was so burnt out from cardio I didn't do ANY for the 12 weeks of my bulk. Considering that it was a mistake. I think next time I bulk cardio gets a big thumbs up. __________________ Age: 21 Height: 5'10.5" Mar, 2001: 135lbs @ ~14% Nov, 2004: 245lbs @ ~40% Feb, 2006: 188lbs @ 20.1% - Hydrostatic Tested Dec, 2006: 168lbs @ 5.5% - 7 Point Caliper Tested BULKING FOR A LONG TIME NOW Long Term Goal: Over 200lbs @ 8%

05-31-2006, 06:40 PM	#11
justagirl New Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: bc, canada Posts: 14 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	thanks everyone i don't do hiit in a fasted state, i have a small meal first then my usual pwo meal. i do my kickboxing fasted. both are under 20 minutes and the kickboxing isn't very high impact i'd love to take walks at night but i've recently moved out of my apartment and in with my father because he's sick. his house is in the middle of nowhere and it's pretty scary to walk around these huge forests the resistance hiit looks interesting.. is it kind of like circuit training? my issue with that is that i'm really a weak little girl and i can get myself sore without weights a lot of the time, especially doing things like pushups. should i focus on things i can do fairly easily? about only doing it for the last two weeks of a cut... i'll be completely done with cutting by july 1st, i'm 90% sure, would it be a good idea to alternate? one week of cardio 2x a day, one week of cardio 1x a day? i'm a very anxious/stressed gal right now and cardio really helps keep me calm and centered, and if it helps with fat loss all the better i'll look for some low intensity cardio dvds in the meantime to use instead of walking thanks for the input everyone

05-31-2006, 06:44 PM	#12
justagirl New Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: bc, canada Posts: 14 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	oh, and a clean bulk will definitely happen. if for some reason i had to stop cutting right now i would still like to bulk, i have very little muscle from years of dehydration, very little protein and then trying to lose the weight i gained from horrible habits as a kid by eating a slice of bread for breakfast etc. i'd love to gain some muscle in my lower body and tummy

06-05-2006, 11:58 AM	#13
powerman2000 The Old Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 4,281 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 199	Here's what I think of doing any cardio __________________ Don't forget to periodize Best BP 507 lbs competitive Best Squat 705 lbs competitive Best DL 650 lbs competitive Guns don't kill people, men who come home early do. My workout log http://www.ironmass.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6247

06-05-2006, 12:20 PM	#14
A_N_91 Pro Stature Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 849 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 11	^^LOL I don't do cardio in a fasted state at all. Because it comes out to calories in vs. out...to a point. I would just say if you want to do 2x a day, do a brisk walk in the morning and a 1-5 mile jog in the afternoon.

06-05-2006, 12:26 PM	#15
dton Pro Stature Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 222 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 5	That avatar is awesome. Ali makes a mockery of the other dudes skills. __________________

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