Can you help me optimize my cardio work out?

[Riprorin]

I've been easing myself back into shape by running/walking for 1 hr before breakfast.

I typically run about as hard as I can for 1/4 mile, walk a 1/4, then repeat.

Today, I jogged for about 3 1/2 miles (about 10 minute miles) with about 1 mile walking interspersed.

Now that I'm starting to get into better shape, I'm looking to make this routine more efficient.

Any suggestions?

 

[Blackened]

The only suggestion I have is progressive improvement. Keep a journal of how fast and how long you do
your cardio, and then try to do better at your next workout....try to run that mile faster, or try to run
for a longer period of time during your next session.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Blackened
The only suggestion I have is progressive improvement. Keep a journal of how fast and how long you do
your cardio, and then try to do better at your next workout....try to run that mile faster, or try to run
for a longer period of time during your next session.

Good idea. Or you can follow a set plan. This plan really helped me work my way up to running 4 miles a day, and I got there in just two months. If you are beyond the begining, just move up to where you think you are on the plan.

Another idea is to get a heart rate monitor. Use it to keep your heart rate above your target level. When it gets too high, stop running, when it drops, start running again.

Another thing to do is intervals. If you want to improve speed, try adding a few sprints every so often into one or two of your runs each week.

 

[Blackened]

Excessive running will cause muscle wasting because it depletes glycogen from your muscles -
so another friendly tip I have is to hit the weights once in a while if you don't already.
I've seen many cases of people trying to lose weight through excessive running which works -
but alot of that weight is muscle and leads to a "skinny fat" body type that is small
structured but typically has alot of loose skin around the inner thigh and lower abdomen
areas. Weight lifting will counteract this a bit to help prevent atrophy of the muscles,
and keep your metabolic rate high.

 

[Riprorin]

Originally posted by: Blackened
I'd do a little weight training too - excessive running is notorious for causing muscle wasting.
Since muscle generates heat and heat in turn generates an improved metabolism,
it may be to your benefit to lift weights a few days a week as well.

Right now I'm doing back stretches, crunches, and push ups everyday and curls, reverse curls, presses, and flys with light weights (25 lb dumbells) every other day.

 

[Riprorin]

Should I be monitoring my heart rate?

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Blackened
I'd do a little weight training too - excessive running is notorious for causing muscle wasting.
Since muscle generates heat and heat in turn generates an improved metabolism,
it may be to your benefit to lift weights a few days a week as well.

Right now I'm doing back stretches, crunches, and push ups everyday and curls, reverse curls, presses, and flys with light weights (25 lb dumbells) every other day.

Good start, but you might want to progress on your weights. Do you have the equipment to do so? Do you have the equipment to work out your legs? 25lb dumbells are pretty light for presses. Even for a small guy.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Riprorin
Should I be monitoring my heart rate?

It helps optimize your cardio. Find your target heart rate by typing that phrase into google. There are calcs all over the web.

Then work out on the high end of it if rapid fat loss and fitness is your goal. Keeping your heart rate above the target is key. Once at the target, you can raise it and lower it within this zone in intervals to help build endurance, and burn even more fat

 

[Blackened]

Progressive improvement still applies to weight lifting. Also, you might want to pick up a good
book on weight lifting, I like arnolds bodybuilding encyclopedia quite a bit even though
the diet section is a bit dated.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Blackened
Progressive improvement still applies to weight lifting. Also, you might want to pick up a good
book on weight lifting, I like arnolds bodybuilding encyclopedia quite a bit even though
the diet section is a bit dated.

Good idea. But isn't Arnold's book a little high volume for an amateur? I mean, lately the trend seems to be high intensity, lower volume for natural builders. Am I right?

 

[Riprorin]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Blackened
I'd do a little weight training too - excessive running is notorious for causing muscle wasting.
Since muscle generates heat and heat in turn generates an improved metabolism,
it may be to your benefit to lift weights a few days a week as well.

Right now I'm doing back stretches, crunches, and push ups everyday and curls, reverse curls, presses, and flys with light weights (25 lb dumbells) every other day.

Good start, but you might want to progress on your weights. Do you have the equipment to do so? Do you have the equipment to work out your legs? 25lb dumbells are pretty light for presses. Even for a small guy.

Not much room for equipment in my house; we converted the basement into living area.

I can join the fitness center at work for $250/year. That's what I'll probably do.

When I was in college, I weighed about 145 lbs and could bench about 225 lbs and did curls with 45 lb dumbells. I'll have to work a bit to get back to that.

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

Try wearing a uniform; that'll fix everything!

 

[Riprorin]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Blackened
I'd do a little weight training too - excessive running is notorious for causing muscle wasting.
Since muscle generates heat and heat in turn generates an improved metabolism,
it may be to your benefit to lift weights a few days a week as well.

Right now I'm doing back stretches, crunches, and push ups everyday and curls, reverse curls, presses, and flys with light weights (25 lb dumbells) every other day.

Good start, but you might want to progress on your weights. Do you have the equipment to do so? Do you have the equipment to work out your legs? 25lb dumbells are pretty light for presses. Even for a small guy.

Not much room for equipment in my house; we converted the basement into living area.

I can join the fitness center at work for $250/year. That's what I'll probably do.

When I was in college, I weighed about 145 lbs and could bench about 225 lbs and did curls with 45 lb dumbells. I'll have to work a bit to get back to that.

Plus, I'll be 43 in a couple of months.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Blackened
I'd do a little weight training too - excessive running is notorious for causing muscle wasting.
Since muscle generates heat and heat in turn generates an improved metabolism,
it may be to your benefit to lift weights a few days a week as well.

Right now I'm doing back stretches, crunches, and push ups everyday and curls, reverse curls, presses, and flys with light weights (25 lb dumbells) every other day.

Good start, but you might want to progress on your weights. Do you have the equipment to do so? Do you have the equipment to work out your legs? 25lb dumbells are pretty light for presses. Even for a small guy.

Not much room for equipment in my house; we converted the basement into living area.

I can join the fitness center at work for $250/year. That's what I'll probably do.

When I was in college, I weighed about 145 lbs and could bench about 225 lbs and did curls with 45 lb dumbells. I'll have to work a bit to get back to that.

You were impressive in college! (weren't we all?)

Yeah, a gym is the best idea. I'd jump on it. Try lifting 3 days a week and spreading it out something like this:

Mon: Chest, shoulders and triceps
Wed: Back, lats and biceps
Fri: Legs and core

I would suggest high intensity, low volume workouts. One warm up (50% of your workout weight) and two heavy sets max per exersice. Make a set goal of 8 reps minimum, work your way to 12, then add weight. It's worked great for me.

Adding some protein suppliments and L-Glutamine will really help your muscles recover.

 

[Blackened]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Blackened
Progressive improvement still applies to weight lifting. Also, you might want to pick up a good
book on weight lifting, I like arnolds bodybuilding encyclopedia quite a bit even though
the diet section is a bit dated.

Good idea. But isn't Arnold's book a little high volume for an amateur? I mean, lately the trend seems to be high intensity, lower volume for natural builders. Am I right?

I think a beginner can grow off of any type of training if their diet provides adequate calories to support growth, but
how one responds to volume in the long term seems to be a very individual thing.
He could try it for a few months to see how he responds, and if he doesn't he may adjust accordingly.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Blackened
I'd do a little weight training too - excessive running is notorious for causing muscle wasting.
Since muscle generates heat and heat in turn generates an improved metabolism,
it may be to your benefit to lift weights a few days a week as well.

Right now I'm doing back stretches, crunches, and push ups everyday and curls, reverse curls, presses, and flys with light weights (25 lb dumbells) every other day.

Good start, but you might want to progress on your weights. Do you have the equipment to do so? Do you have the equipment to work out your legs? 25lb dumbells are pretty light for presses. Even for a small guy.

Not much room for equipment in my house; we converted the basement into living area.

I can join the fitness center at work for $250/year. That's what I'll probably do.

When I was in college, I weighed about 145 lbs and could bench about 225 lbs and did curls with 45 lb dumbells. I'll have to work a bit to get back to that.

Plus, I'll be 43 in a couple of months.

Yeah... I'm 35. I'm the youngest of five kids. My brothers (40 and 41) are in great shape. You can do it!

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Blackened

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Blackened
Progressive improvement still applies to weight lifting. Also, you might want to pick up a good
book on weight lifting, I like arnolds bodybuilding encyclopedia quite a bit even though
the diet section is a bit dated.

Good idea. But isn't Arnold's book a little high volume for an amateur? I mean, lately the trend seems to be high intensity, lower volume for natural builders. Am I right?

I think a beginner can grow off of any type of training if their diet provides adequate calories to support growth, but
how one responds to volume in the long term seems to be a very individual thing.
He could try it for a few months to see how he responds, and if he doesn't he may adjust accordingly.

Yeah, that's true. No matter what a newbie does, they see great results in the first few months.

That's what makes it exciting for me when I change routines. It's like being a newbie all over again

 

[Blackened]

Just noticed in another thread that you're doing a low carb diet...IMO...sooo...unnecessary.
If you don't supply your muscles with glycogen (which comes from carbs) you won't be able
to grow, and you may be hindering your ability on the treadmill.

Besides, the right type of carbs consumed at the right times will not make you fat - they will
perhaps make you hold water subcutaneously temporarily. Problem is most americans
eat the wrong type of carbs - the ones laced with sugar and starches...but i've never
seen anyone get fat from plain oats or brocolli.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Blackened
Just noticed in another thread that you're doing a low carb diet...IMO...sooo...unnecessary.
If you don't supply your muscles with glycogen (which comes from carbs) you won't be able
to grow, and you may be hindering your ability on the treadmill.

Agreed. Low carb = bad for your goals.

Just make them quality carbs. Not all carbs are created equal. Moderation is the key to just about everything in life.

 

[Riprorin]

Blackened, here's what I generally eat:

Breakfast: Fiber 1 cereal, milk, fruit or oatmeal, fruit, or eggs and Canadian bacon or whole wheat pancakes with no-sugar syrup or strawberry smoothie (strawberries, tofu, and plain whole yougurt)

Lunch: spinach salad, turkey and ham strips, blue cheese dressing or vegetable soup or Minnestrone soup.

Dinner: Chicken or fish or beef or pork and vegetable and fruit plus 1 glass of dry wine

Snack: pecans, almonds, and/or pistachios, and cheese cubes

I'm planning on eating more carbs once I get to my ideal weight (about 150 - 155).

Right now I'm at 161. I'm about 5'8".

As far as my physique, I have broad shoulders and fairly good traps and lats. I can feel the mucsles in my abs from doing crunches but I'm carrying too much fat (~20%) to see them.

I'd like to get my body fat down to about 12 - 15%.

 

[Blackened]

Hmmm....I'd go crazy on that diet because I usually eat 6x per day and eat huge portions.
But if you're going for fat loss you should see results. Different strokes for different folks I guess..

 

[Riprorin]

Originally posted by: Blackened
Hmmm....I'd go crazy on that diet because I usually eat 6x per day and eat huge portions.
But if you're going for fat loss you should see results. Different strokes for different folks I guess..

I used to eat like a horse too, but as I get older I just can't eat as much.

I'm actually not really hungry with this diet.

 

[Amused]

Stop watching the scale, and go by inches and looks. If you really start a serious weight program (trust me, you should), your muscle gains will weigh more than the fat you've lost. It can look like you're not making progress on the scale, but you are in fat loss.

You have to fine tune your diet through all this. If you're losing fat and gaining no muscle mass, try adding to the diet. If you're gaining muscle but not losing any fat, try subtracting. It's a pain, and it takes time. But it's worth it.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Blackened
Hmmm....I'd go crazy on that diet because I usually eat 6x per day and eat huge portions.
But if you're going for fat loss you should see results. Different strokes for different folks I guess..

Yeah, but you're a body builder and have more to maintain than he does

 

[Blackened]

I actually used to be very overweight - and I found as I lost all that fat and gained muscle
I was able to eat more without worrying about gaining fat. Thats the beauty of metabolism,
it can adjust itself with the right stimuli.

Something you may be able to look forward to....