cardio

[tammyp]

i agree that we all hate it, but we gotta do it. what is your favorite? do you do it off season as well?

i have a love/hate relationship with the step mill. i love it, but despise every second on it.

[Angela123]

i do it still. i like to do some form of cardo 7days a week, but ill admit, the last month, its been more like 5 days. its nothing crazy tho. anywhere frm 30-60 min. low intensity stuff, walking or stairmaster. sometimes i wonder why i do it whn i dont diet. ive been trying to shed some weight...its not helping. im just bitter bc i know the real answer. i know my body. i can do all the cardio my heart desires, but if my diet isnt in check, nothing will happen.

my fav...stepmill is great. i need to get back to doing it. and actually when i was doing keto for my last show, even though i had to do so much cardio, i enjoyed it still bc it was low intensity. i took long ass walks outside. it was relaxing. far cry frm my high intensity interval stuff i had to do when i used a different trainer.

[BigJD69]

You girls should try boxing!

[Kelly Baker]

The stepmill and I have a love/hate relationship. I love what it does for my lower half where all the issues reside, but I hate that I swear that I'm going to die while I'm on it.

[sassy69]

You girls should try boxing!


I hear amazing things about boxing.. would require membership in another gym for me & my shoulder is still bum from bonespur removal so not an option for a while yet. But it has been on my list of things to try for a while now.

[sassy69]

I do all my preWO warmups on the upright bike -- its nice to my knees & gets my heartrate up. I prefer doing steady state cardio on the treadmill at steep angle, but absolutely stepmill comes into play as my weapon of choice for contest prep. It will usually amount to starting at 15-20 min for a week just to get conditioned for it, then mix in treadmill to get to an hour workout + 1 hr steadystate in the morning. And continue adjusting the ratio of stepmill to treadmill as I go. I'm also planning to add road biking in the foothills near my house to the regimen as those are quad burners like there is no other.

[Tuffgirl410]

My favorite is the Arc Trainer or recumbent bike... and yes I have to do it off season- so I do 1 hr first thing in the AM everyday- When onseason I gradually work up t 3 hrs a day

[kiMbergman]

Stairmaster stepper. I've got one in the middle of my living room.

I do treadmill, recumbent bike, and eliptical at the gym from time to time.... but it's the stepper EVERY morning before breakfast.

[carrie ann simmons]

mostly treadmill, I throw some stepmill and stair running in there as well.

[Malika]

I use the X-trainer & the stepper sometimes.

I still do cardio off season to cancel the extra calories!:D

[tammyp]

i do 30 mins every day off season. i dont usually have to go over 80 mins in season. im lucky there.

[corrie79]

You gals should train with Eric. I got down to 12% body fat or less with just 30 minutes of low intensity cardio a day, and I'm not a genetic super freak or anything like that. It was all in the diet and training he did for me. Never above level 4 or 5 on the stepmill or stairmaster and never above 2.7 mph on the treadmill at an incline.
Seriously, I thought I'd have to do hours of cardio to get lean, but nope, only half an hour 5 days a week. The other 2 I'm supposed to do 55 minutes cuz it's off days but I rarely get around to doing that, on Sunday's especially. Wednesdays I usually will however.
Eric is the man!!!

[GirlyMuscle]

You gals should train with Eric. I got down to 12% body fat or less with just 30 minutes of low intensity cardio a day, and I'm not a genetic super freak or anything like that. It was all in the diet and training he did for me. Never above level 4 or 5 on the stepmill or stairmaster and never above 2.7 mph on the treadmill at an incline.
Seriously, I thought I'd have to do hours of cardio to get lean, but nope, only half an hour 5 days a week. The other 2 I'm supposed to do 55 minutes cuz it's off days but I rarely get around to doing that, on Sunday's especially. Wednesdays I usually will however.
Eric is the man!!!How much bodyfat did you lose since training with Eric?

[corrie79]

How much bodyfat did you lose since training with Eric?
about between 10-15% body fat. You can tell in my before pics I was around 25% or thereabouts, now I'm around 12 or less. At least according to those who are pro's and check out my pics. I haven't calipered in ages. When it's closer to contest time I'm going to do hydrostatic testing. but yeah, I dropped all that in 5 months with him. He took my friend Renee from being 183 lbs off season to 10% body fat in 8 months time and she took home 2nd place in her comp, which is in Canada but at a National level...that's how I knew I would do great with him. he's a miracle worker...

[tight booty]

My fav cardio is brisk walking either outdoors or on the treadmill. Off season I don't do as much, just enough to keep myself from getting too fat...haha
On season it varies from 1-3 hours everyday, depending. Obviously I will break the sessions up. Today I did a spin class for variation and really enjoyed it, especially the 15 sec sprints. I will try and keep one of those in per week.

[Kell0509]

How much cardio is good for someone just beginning an excercise regime?

[BadAssBarbie]

UGH! Cardio!!! I have a love/hate relationship with cardio in general...especially the step mill. I use the elyptical sometimes, but I usually stick to the dreadmill...I do some fun and challenging stuff on there though. Just plain walking gets old really fast...esp when you're doing it 2 or more hours/day. Once in a blue moon, I will ride a recumbant bike, but I think somethin just ain't right about doing cardio while sitting on your ass! LOL

[corrie79]

Wow, you guys do a lot of cardio! Makes me feel lazy only doing 30 minutes a day at a low intensity...gotta ask my trainer if he's going to kick it up a notch now that we're 16 weeks out...I hope so/don't hope so...cardio sucks but it feels good after you do it...damn cardio to hell!!!

[GirlyMuscle]

Wow, you guys do a lot of cardio! Makes me feel lazy only doing 30 minutes a day at a low intensity...gotta ask my trainer if he's going to kick it up a notch now that we're 16 weeks out...I hope so/don't hope so...cardio sucks but it feels good after you do it...damn cardio to hell!!!Why would you care? What others do shouldn't matter to you and your goals. If you're lucky enough to be able to lean out on 30 min a day don't look for more work. Don't fix what isn't broken. Just thank your god you don't have to do 2 hours a day. And by the looks of your pics you don't have to do 2 hours a day. Besides, if you did more you won't put on your 10 pounds of muscle.

[corrie79]

Why would you care? What others do shouldn't matter to you and your goals. If you're lucky enough to be able to lean out on 30 min a day don't look for more work. Don't fix what isn't broken. Just thank your god you don't have to do 2 hours a day. And by the looks of your pics you don't have to do 2 hours a day. Besides, if you did more you won't put on your 10 pounds of muscle.
This is true...truer words were never spoken...I just feel lazy is all LOL!! Doesn't seem fair you know? Like you girls are busting your ass and I'm just la la la la...this is too easy...Just doesn't feel right if you know what I mean??:p

[GirlyMuscle]

No need to rub it in, Corrie. LOL

[corrie79]

no need to rub it in, corrie. Lol
lmao!!!!!!

[Valkyrie]

Cardio allllll the time. My cardio is more to keep my trail conditioning up. So I'm doing some sort of cardio at the very least 4 times a week.

I mix it up.
For outdoors: Power walks, trail runs, snowshoeing, and this year I'll be adding my mountain bike in the mix.

Indoors:
Stepmill, treadmill, elliptical. I often wear a weighted vest or backpack during the winter months to keep my upper body acclimated to carrying weight for my backpacking season.

And...I get bored, so I also kick box and have a heavy bag hanging in my cellar so I can do upper and lower body conditioning drills. I belly dance. And sometimes I will use a dance based or kick boxing based video/DVD when I'm tired of being on the hamster wheel.

I train in Chinese martial arts (4 nights a week and cardio conditioning is part of our training.) as well as Budokon, so I will often work through my forms for speed as a cardio drill.

[Suzanne]

off season right now 30 min 4Xwk on my stepmill that Santa brought :D

[IRONURSE]

I am doing cardio 5 days a week at 30 min sessions. Usually alternating between the stepmill and treadmill.

I am trying to build a little more size before I pick a show to do. Would 5 days a week be too much? I have hit a plateau and I wonder if this is the cause. (I am keeping the hr down and already changed up my lifting routine) Ideas????

[BigA]

No more than 25 mins. I have no patience for cardio anymore.

A.

[tammyp]

im at 50 mins a day lately..trying to drop a few for shoots at the AC

[Suzanne]

prep starts sunday so cardio going up thank God for stepmill in my living room :)

[BadAssBarbie]

I ENVY you, Tammy!!! Only 50 min/day!!! Dave has me doing 2 hours and 10 min every day now! This morning, I did all 2:10 in one shot cuz I had too many things to do today, and I knew I'd never make it back to the gym. OMG! It sucked though.

[Allifit]

I BARELY do cardio in the offseason, if ever. I enjoy running a lot so sometimes I run outside, and occasionally I'll do a machine here and there but I rarely do it. Something I need to work on, however even if I do i'll only do like 30 min a day 3 days a week.

Pre contest I do an hour in the a.m empty stomach, then 30 minutes after my lifting. Doing tons of cardio (like 3 hours + per day) really messes with your metabolism. No thanks:)

I prefer track and running outdoors if I can. This prep was through winter so it wasn't an option so I mostly did the Arc Trainer (LOVE that thing) and the elliptical or stairmaster. An occasional treadmill incline walk.

[tammyp]

you stay pretty lean off season too dont you alli?

i could never do that much cardio...i would be so worried about muscle loss..and mental breakdown!

[fitbody]

i've been begging the gym i work at for 4 yrs to get a step mill
not giving up though

[Allifit]

you stay pretty lean off season too dont you alli?

i could never do that much cardio...i would be so worried about muscle loss..and mental breakdown!
Eh I gain like 20 lbs. I've been a heavy as 155 in my offseason and as low as 147.... but either way I'm about 130 contest so its still about 20-25 lbs.

I just find if you DONT do as much cardio in the offseason your body responds even more to the cardio you do pre contest.... because its not used to the extra activity.

I hear ya on that mental breakdown....

[GirlyMuscle]

I like your thinking Alli. I haven't done cardio in weeks since I decided not to start dieting yet.

[Allifit]

I like your thinking Alli. I haven't done cardio in weeks since I decided not to start dieting yet.
I used to be a cross country runner- competitive and so my body handles cardio well and acclamates easily, therefore I try to do less in the off season so it shocks my system more come contest time.

This time around I want to try to do some offseason, but keep it to things I enjoy like a run twice a week and maybe a spin class, no machine work or cardio over like 40 minutes a session.

[mshrdbdy]

Cardio 6 days a week. Sunday is the holy refeed day:)
I looove the stepmill! Mon-Fri I do 40min before breakfast and 30-40min PWO(I train at night)
Sat morn is sprints at the track and bleachers w/ the girls(60min)

[MsGuns]

Can yall post cardio workouts?
I get bored easily...

[cheddar cheese]

My feelings about cardio :D

[Ninja Loco]

i agree that we all hate it, but we gotta do it. what is your favorite?
MMA conditioning drills and core work. Nothing is better in my opinion, and they are far from boring because they are creative, and it's all interval training. Five minutes of jiu-jitsu will burn more bodyfat than 45 minutes of anything else listed here.

[Suzanne]

My feelings about cardio :D

ditto!

[Suzanne]

Can yall post cardio workouts?
I get bored easily...

cardio=boring!!

ask j for cardios if he wants you to do something besides just steady state he may not

[Sistersteel]

I love my BJJ classes. The cardio is crazy. I would do that daily if I did not have anything I needed to get in shape for within a certain time frame. BJJ never did much for my physique though. I am just one of those people who have to do cardio year round. And the best part of that is that I enjoy it tremendously, the stepmill being my favorite. The only time I will lay off cardio is about ten days before a meet. As much as I love cardio it kills my strength. Need my strength and my carbs when I compete.

[tight booty]

I have been breaking my cardio up into 2 sessions a day. One during the day and then another session in the evening before I close the gym up!