Types of Cardio

[thaistyle]

I know this subject has been beat to death, but what types of cardio seems to work best for the master (older) athlete? Running seems too hard on aging joints. I've always love sprint work, but I'm not sure how long my knees will keep up.

[47ronin]

I know this subject has been beat to death, but what types of cardio seems to work best for the master (older) athlete? Running seems too hard on aging joints. I've always love sprint work, but I'm not sure how long my knees will keep up.

For some people with knee issues the stepmill works for them. They go slow enough to where it's minimal impact but even with the slow pace it doesn't take long till your heart rateto become elevated. Hell, climbing stairs at any pace for 30-45 minutes is exhausting.

[DaveV]

Elliptical is very easy on the joints.

[bigdaddyd]

Shoot, we have like 20 at my gym and you can never get on them

[BK]

I would limit the amount of Elliptical you do to no more then 2x a week. It may seem easy on the body, but you are still rotating your hips and shoulders very repetitively which can lead to tight IT bands and overworked shoulders. SLed dragging/pulling and stairmaster work pretty well for me.

[Bennny]

Good ol'fashion walking. Fast walking. Not any of that goofy looking speed-walking shit, I'm talking about regular walking. But at a pretty decent pace for about 45 minutes. First thing in the morning on an empty stomach works best. But really anytime is good.

[esplendido]

Walking.....and ONLY walking. Outside or on the treadmill, 4mph max. You want to keep your HR at 130 or less, otherwise you're burning muscle. Why get a leg workout on the elliptical or stepper????

Cardio is a misnomer. What we are doing, to lose fat and save the legs, is aerobic, not anaerobic. Cardio ranges are anaerobic. Running is useless for the weight athlete over 35. STOP RUNNING! Stop getting your HR into the 150 zone. Walk. It's the only way to lose fat and save muscle.

[sassy69]

My favorite / most productive cardio approach (esp for contest prep) is stepmill + treadmill at a steep angle, walking. I still think HIIT has its place for me and might be the secret weapon to ultimate conditioning because I've not done a lot of it -i.e. it may be the missing piece. My problem is occassionally tweaky knees, but moreso is my tendency towards shin splints. I ran track in HS & Jr H and, coming from the snow belt, we started the pre-season 1-2 months before the snow was gone. So running in the halls at the school did wonders for my shins. I am now good for about 2 rounds of 30 sec sprints on a treadmill before I'm crippled for 2 days.... Still trying to figure this one out.

Generally speaking tho, I think walking is your best bet. Low impact, fat burning heart rate, keeps you warmed up & functionally correct.

I also like the Arc Trainer for good ROM and stretching.

[graybass]

Walking.....and ONLY walking. Outside or on the treadmill, 4mph max. You want to keep your HR at 130 or less, otherwise you're burning muscle. Why get a leg workout on the elliptical or stepper????

Cardio is a misnomer. What we are doing, to lose fat and save the legs, is aerobic, not anaerobic. Cardio ranges are anaerobic. Running is useless for the weight athlete over 35. STOP RUNNING! Stop getting your HR into the 150 zone. Walk. It's the only way to lose fat and save muscle.

Shit, I could not have said it better. I am a certified PT and a sports nutritionist. I'm over 40, and a lot of my clients are too.
You are definately burning muscle at 130BPM and above. Sometimes this is hard to accept, but it's science, not opinion.
Over 40, longer cardio, not harder. I just try to get one of my hot clients to do cardio with me. Makes the time go by!!
GB

[GirlyMuscle]

Wow...I had no idea that cardio over 130 for the over 40 bber/pler was a no-no. I just thought that applied to keto dieting. Good to know. Thanks!

[sassy69]

Wow...I had no idea that cardio over 130 for the over 40 bber/pler was a no-no. I just thought that applied to keto dieting. Good to know. Thanks!

I'll throw in that my knees can't handle anything faster than a steep incline walk either

[HeavyDutyGuy]

Treadmill, and recumbent bike are my instruments of torture, choice I mean choice, lol.

[gman]

I have to incline 7 at 3.5 just to get to 115 so I don't think I will ever top 130 unless I run, which I will never do.

[Dom]

I use the Elliptical, I have a foot problem that can get pretty painful on a treadmill. I used to haul ass on the elliptical , now I cruise on it. It took some time getting used to going at a slower pace but I find it works well and no pain in the foot.

[FLEXR6]

Shit, I could not have said it better. I am a certified PT and a sports nutritionist. I'm over 40, and a lot of my clients are too.
You are definately burning muscle at 130BPM and above. Sometimes this is hard to accept, but it's science, not opinion.
Over 40, longer cardio, not harder. I just try to get one of my hot clients to do cardio with me. Makes the time go by!!
GB

I also agree with both comments.
I'm currently in the middle of comp season (have done 2, with 3 to go - last one is May 30).
I competed last year at 78kg/172lb and have come in at 73kg/161lb and 72kg/158lb in my first two shows so far this year. I'm looking at being around 71kg/156lb this Sunday at my next show.
In the off season I put on around 2kg/4lb of muscle, so I estimate I've lost around 6kg/13lb of bodyfat.
I attribute this to a continual refinement of my diet and fast walking.
Being light also allows me to do a ridiculously slow jog (just above walking pace) and keeps my heart rate at around 100bpm. 40 - 45 mins fast walking/extremely slow jog is working for me.