posted Wed, 04/17/2024 - 12:54
327
Is there a difference between more intense cardio or longer cardio sessions in terms of fat loss?
ad
I'm at the point in my fat loss where i don't really want to cut calories much further. So that leaves activity as the way to create a larger calorie deficit. I've been doing 14k steps a day plus 5 miles on the elliptical. I've decided to up the cardio to 6 miles a day. My question is this. Is there a better choice between continuing to do it all at roughly the same speed as i have been doing or would it be better to up the intensity and try to get that extra mile done in almost the same amount of time? I'm generally going between 13-13.5 miles/hr to get those 5 miles done in 22-23 minutes. But i can get up to 14.5+ for an extended period of time and finish 6 miles in roughly 25 minutes.
- Bookmark
- 0
- 0
I did a super quick fat loss dieting and cardio approach with roughly 200-300 miles of cardio being done on a stationary seated cycle with various speeds and resistance and got it done in roughly 2 weeks with a strict clean diet and the help of some fat burner pills (Yohimbine based) - it seemed to help me lose the stubborn fat I was wanting to get rid of but didn't completely lean me out. Getting beyond 15% and into that 12-14 range is out of my diet idea planning, I can't really commit to anything under 3500 calories for very long lol.
Man i wish i could eat even 3000 calories normally. I'm down to 2200 currently. I'm not exactly walking around starving all the time. But i def want to eat more. I think i can cut about another 200 for a short while. But i'd rather move more than reduce food more.
Ill run 6.5 to 7.5mph for about 20min 4 days a week. Typically I stay in the 6.5mph range. If Im feeling fiesty Ill up it to 7.5mph.
Days I don't feel like running I just crank it up to 13degrees and walk at like 3.8mph.
AND NO! Im not those fools that grab onto the treadmill for dear life and lean all the way back negating the incline. Those peopel drive me nuts. If you can't walk on it without holding on to it for dear life its either to steep or to fast or maybe both.
I can tell you without a doubt that doing wind sprints helps a lot. On the track, sprint down the straightaways and walk around the corners, rinse & repeat until you're toast. Pushing and pulling the sled on the fake turf works wonders as well.
It matters, Higher "red zone" areas eat muscle. Longer in zone 2 is better than killing yourself in zone 4 or 5 for long periods of time.
How is one supposed to figure out what their max heart rate is to be able to judge which zone you're in when doing your cardio?
220 take away your age. So if you’re 30 you would take 30 from 220 which = 190.
With that knowledge i now know i've been in the zone 3 to zone 4 range pretty consistently. So i guess i'll have to slow it down just a bit so i stay i the zone 2 to 3 levels.
Thanks
Treadmill 6-9 incline 3 to 3.4 mph swinging arms the whole time. Times doesnt matter to me its the calories burned approximately is what im looking to cut without losing muscle.
This is what I do when I get deep into the cut, and I simply don’t have the energy or ability to recover from my daily runs. Put something on the TV, treadmill to 9% grade, ~3.3-3.5mph and just walk. ~45-60 minutes a day for that last final 3-4 weeks of the cut where your body is clinging on to that last bit of fat for dear life and I’m always tired and hangry.
TLDR: that shit fuckin works
I dont trust calories on a treadmill. There are two kinds of treadmills at the gym. I get on one it says I burn 250calories. I get on the other and it say i burn 500+
Its fun you say this. My gym also. One is 100to 150 more. So i have my wife set her apple watch and find the closest one. And weed out the shitty ones that read the wrong calories
And i dont cheat myself i always go with the lowest number
I get different numbers coming from 3 places at the same time. The elliptical says one thing, my watch tells me another and then my fitness pal tells me something else all together. No idea which is right. I just use the mirror and scale to judge in the end. Seems to be the only reliable method.
Each I imagine, are within the margin of error to the other. Just pick one to be your gold standard to measure progress, the others view as a rough estimate.
I've had days when my watch and MFP are 600-700+ calories apart. They are typically at least 250-300 apart. I just go with MFP as it's always the lower of the 2. I just find it odd as my watch is synced to MFP though it has it's own app and the numbers are still so different.
I have a Polaris chest band, a Galaxy watch, the impedance grip on my peloton bike and treadmill... and my phone. The Watch and chest strap are nearly identical with the watch having a small lag time compared to the chest strap. Also, that technology is much more accurate. There are too many variables that can make the impedance inaccurate, and the phone is using mathematical assumptions. using formulas that calculate mass, time, distance, and speed to guess an approximation.
I think I'll give going by the watch try for a bit and see how that goes.
Thanks
I tried that and accidentally smacked a chicks butt on the treadmill next to me. She just smiled and pretended like it didn't happen.
Lol. I like it
Aerobic vs anaerobic. And yes, it matters
https://www.eroids.com/forums/training-nutrition-diet/workout-exercise/t...
And too restricted cals translates into body holding onto fat
End of the day fat loss is merely a thermodynamics equation. Cals in, cals out, blah blah. How you get to the deficit you need to burn fat is entirely up to you. Once you get significantly leaner than your genetics like, then it gets substantially harder to keep losing fat.
The issue you’ll run in to doing intense cardio like that is being able to maintain your lifting intensity to preserve all your muscle during the cut. I’m gonna assume you mean you can elliptical 5 miles in 23 minutes. Either way, I run daily and if I push the pace to areas like 5-6 min miles for short distances like 3 miles or even 7 minute miles for distances like 10 miles, then I simply can’t recover enough to also get a legit lift in. If you no longer are truly stimulating the muscles in your lifting sessions due to systemic fatigue from the running, then your body will dump that muscle.
To up your activity, pace around the gym between sets. Don’t be one of those guys sitting on the machine looking at your phone. I get 4-5,000 steps pacing around in between sets while lifting for 60-80 minutes. I get funny looks from the folks sitting on their ass looking at their phone. But you’ve seen my pictures. Which method do you think works?
That speed is on the elliptical. I really doubt i'd be able to manage that running on the street. I lift 6 days a week, hitting all muscle groups twice at a minimum of 12 sets per muscle group which typically takes me 40-50 minutes to finish up. I go with antagonistic muscle groups so i can get in and out of the gym without wasting time. I have been pushing myself just as hard in the gym but now that you mention it i haven't been recovering quite as well as i had previously. I chalked that up to just starting a new routine and i always get more sore for the first few weeks of exercises i'm not accustomed too.
Between what you and Unc have said it sounds like slowing it down and going longer might be ideal. I'm looking to drop another 5-7 lbs total maybe. Looking good and being healthy is the priority.
Just fyi I do the same thing you do. Treadmill, bike, or rowing machine while watching shows or movies. So you’re absolutely on the right track there lol. But if I’m prioritizing lifting, then I definitely drop the intensity of the cardio and do it for longer. Easy 9-10 min mile jogs. Last night I just walked at a 10% incline at 3.5 mph for 75 minutes while watching the Lakers/Pelicans game. Legs felt perfectly fine to hit them hard this morning at 0500. LISS also does build work capacity.
I do still play 5v5 full court basketball once a week for ~2-3 hours though, so I do have one intense session. Leg day definitely doesn’t follow that one.
Just keep burning those calories man. You’ll get there. I’m cutting now too, and I’m at that purely mental point of just gutting through it. Fucking starving and craving everything. Can’t lose sight of the goal.
bro, you're running at olympic speed with 5 miles in 23 minutes. Maybe dump the machine and hit the streets and run.
Fast cardio and HIIT are better for cardiovascular health, strength and burning through glycogen as you're working out, less so for immediate fat loss and more so for burning excess calories.
If you're looking to 'burn' fat, you need to get in to the oxidative stage, which takes about 30 solid minutes of cardio to fully reach and is all about low and slow continuous movement. That's when your body will begin to use fat as a primary fuel source and you'll actually burn fat during cardio. Long distance running, swimming, biking, etc.
Really it comes down to your goals, are you trying to get healthier by cutting fat or are you looking to get shredded for that beach body?
Lifting is the method most go to for burning fat but the way you're going is going to be the healthier method. If you can keep the calories and resistance training up concurrently, you'll have a much more practical and usable build than a lot of us cavemen here.
I agree with you and @Black90tsi I do full body in the gym for almost 2 hours every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. None of that push day pull day bro split stuff. Never have. Hardly any cardio at all except for maybe 5 minutes on the stair stepper or stationary bike. Find out what works for us all and stick to it. We're all a little different to a certain extent.
It's a combination of looking better and cardiovascular health. My BPM is generally between 130-140 when i'm doing the 5 miles. I also walk the dog for at least 1 hour total every day at a fast walk. I hate running and my knees don't really appreciate it. I went with the elliptical for those reasons plus i have a bunch of shows i want to watch but i wasn't willing to just sit around and watch them. So i made the deal with myself that i'd would only watch things when i was doing my cardio. That 23 minutes is the length of 1 episode. I've been keeping my weight training schedule the same as it was prior to trying to lose some of the excess body fat and don't plan on changing that.
It sounds like you're saying if fat loss is the main goal i should go for the longer time at a slower pace. Do you have a recommendation for what kind of heartrate i should shoot for? That would probably dictate the speed i end up going.
That's a good way to cardio. With movies!
Yes, for fat burning go longer, I'd say an hour, depends on your age related maximum heart rate/rhr etc etc but generally between 120-140. Now keep in mind, just because you burn more during, doesn't mean it's more effective.
You may burn more fat DURING your exercise at low intensity but afterwards, you won't burn anything. If you do HIIT for 15 min, you'll be burning fat throughout the day as your body recovers and you'll also be burning glycogen stores but if you need those glycogen stores for lifting later and building muscle, it may be better to do long cardio and lifting.
I don't think there's any one right way to do it. Try going at the same pace for longer and see how you feel, seems like you're already in great shape so good work there.
What's your resting heart rate?
Resting heartrate is typically in the low 60's. I gave slower a try last night. the 6 miles took a bit over 30 minutes and my heart rate was in the mid-upper 120's every time i checked. I certainly wasn't as winded when finished. I could've gone longer. It's just a matter trying to find the time to do so. This isn't a long term thing here so maybe i need to sacrifice an extra 30 minutes of sleep for a little while.
Yoked dropping bombs of knowledge here