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is there a point to slow and long cardio?

B

BlahBlahYouToo

Lifer
i'm talking about the people that are on the treadmills/elipiticals for an hour, barely going 3 mph, heart rate at 100 bpm.
they burn at most 200 cal?

other than training for a marathon, i don't see a point. am i wrong?
 
Unless you're training for a very, very slow marathon, you'll be going faster than that.

The people with their treadmills\ ellipticals set to slow, with no uphill\resistance are just there to put on a show.
 
Its really beneficial one or two days per week (though I would submit their HR should be around 120 bpm). But unless they're training to run a 5K or 10K, its not doing them much additional benefit to do this more than two days per week. In fact, too much SS cardio can lead to a break-down of some muscle tissue (and its not even all that great at burning fat or calories after they become acclimated to it).

Still, its 100x more beneficial than sitting in front of the computer or TV and doing nothing.
 
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The debate between LISS and HIIT cardio is always a hot topic. The supposed benefits of LISS is that it promotes "fat" burning, because of the slower pace. HIIT is said to breakdown muscle tissue because it is more physically demanding. There is soo much information regarding fat oxidation levels, afterburn, blah blah blah... For me, I'm taking a break from my normal couch to 5k type cardio, because of a stress fracture in my foot. 300+ lbs beating the hell out of a treadmill will do that to you. So, I'm walking at a slower pace at a high incline on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, until the foot feels better.

Until someone can show proof that actual muscle is either damaged / lost from HIIT, then I would much rather only spend 30 minutes on cardio than an 45-1hr. In the end it's calories in/ calories out.
 
tcsenter said:
Still, its 100x more beneficial than sitting in front of the computer or TV and doing nothing.
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I think that's the key. Exercise isn't necessarily a priority for everyone and if they had a choice between pushing harder or not exercising, they might choose not exercising. Sure, maybe it'd be more productive to work a bit harder for much less time and then go and use the extra time to accomplish something else, but if they enjoy the long walk and it relaxes them, then why not?
 
I've seen talk in the bodybuilding community that this type of cardio is preferential to something more intense like running, as the latter is catabolic and in direct conflict with their goals of getting as big and strong as possible.

Of the bodybuilders I see at my gym who obviously compete, I either see them a) never do cardio or b) do very low intensity work like uphill walking or elliptical. These are the obvious PED monsters...

I tend to agree that intense cardio is counterproductive from a maximum muscular prospective, however seeing as how my goals aren't really in the same ballpark as those guys, I still run. I'm just as interested in being fast and healthy as I am in being strong. As a former competitive soccer player, I don't think there will ever be a day when I won't want to run.
 
tcsenter said:
Still, its 100x more beneficial than sitting in front of the computer or TV and doing nothing.
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Yep. While there are plenty of more efficient uses of their exercise time, its still a lot better than the nothing that most people do.
 
While I don't really care what people do with their own time at the gym(since it's better than nothing), I do have to wonder, why bother walking on a treadmill? I walk too on off days for an hour in the morning but I do it outdoors, the scenery is way better and time flies a lot faster. Sometimes I'd just walk around the supermarket for an hour and read/memorize food labels basically scouting out potential new foods that I can incorporate into my diet. 😛
 
darkxshade said:
While I don't really care what people do with their own time at the gym(since it's better than nothing), I do have to wonder, why bother walking on a treadmill? I walk too on off days for an hour in the morning but I do it outdoors, the scenery is way better and time flies a lot faster. Sometimes I'd just walk around the supermarket for an hour and read/memorize food labels basically scouting out potential new foods that I can incorporate into my diet. 😛
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Obviously podunk has better weather than Seattle.
 
BlahBlahYouToo said:
i'm talking about the people that are on the treadmills/elipiticals for an hour, barely going 3 mph, heart rate at 100 bpm.
they burn at most 200 cal?

other than training for a marathon, i don't see a point. am i wrong?
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Those people are not training for a marathon.
 
Deeko said:
Obviously podunk has better weather than Seattle.
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That is why I have rain pants and jacket. I'll just slip on a pair of waterproof hiking boots and my rain gear and head out. I actually enjoy walking in the rain and not having to hold up an umbrella. The ambient noise of the rain make the walk all the more relaxing. It's only a bitch when it snows.
 
darkxshade said:
That is why I have rain pants and jacket. I'll just slip on a pair of waterproof hiking boots and my rain gear and head out. I actually enjoy walking in the rain and not having to hold up an umbrella. The ambient noise of the rain make the walk all the more relaxing. It's only a bitch when it snows.
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Sounds pretty miserable to me. Then again, it rains for 9 months straight here, I get kinda tired of being in it.
 
They would be doing themselves a favor if they just change machines every couple days, or every week. e.g. treadmill, elliptical, cycle, one of those stepper things, whatever. At least they will be challenging some different parts of their body on a regular basis. Even if they're just doing LISS, way better than doing the same machine all the time.
 
I just do LISS currently. Works well for me. 3mph is kind of slow though. I do around 3.8-4 @ 2 incline.

If I have 20 mins or less for cardio I do intervals.

I prefer the treadmill so I can watch tv.
 
Depends. Are we talking people who are fairly fit? Or older folks, or maybe someone with a previous injury/disability?

Like someone already said, something is better than the nothing that most people do. Just like some folks do mall walks. Never going to win any races, but at least they're getting out and stretching/using their muscles, instead of just their gut muscles! :hmm:
 
marvdmartian said:
Depends. Are we talking people who are fairly fit? Or older folks, or maybe someone with a previous injury/disability?

Like someone already said, something is better than the nothing that most people do. Just like some folks do mall walks. Never going to win any races, but at least they're getting out and stretching/using their muscles, instead of just their gut muscles! :hmm:
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i see plenty of fit girls in their 20's and 30's on the treadmills.
 
it's whatever makes them happy...just be glad they're doing something. i've never understood why anyone cares what anyone else does at the gym.
 
brad310 said:
it's whatever makes them happy...just be glad they're doing something. i've never understood why anyone cares what anyone else does at the gym.
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Pride and/or insecurity. But the OPs question is valid. The LISS vs high intensity debate has been around as long as the treadmill...probably longer...
 
OK, I've been doing treadmill since the beginning of the year and have lost around 30 lbs so far (went from 230 down to around 200 lbs right now). It seems I have hit a huge plateau though so lately I've been doing about 1 hour on treadmill at around 3-3.3 mph at 7-8 incline 6-7 days a week. I would sweat like crazy by the end and the calorie counter would tell that I have burned 500+ calories and covered around 3 miles in distance. Would doing this help me lose further weight or should I switch over to jogging/faster walking on treadmill?
 
Binarycow said:
OK, I've been doing treadmill since the beginning of the year and have lost around 30 lbs so far (went from 230 down to around 200 lbs right now). It seems I have hit a huge plateau though so lately I've been doing about 1 hour on treadmill at around 3-3.3 mph at 7-8 incline 6-7 days a week. I would sweat like crazy by the end and the calorie counter would tell that I have burned 500+ calories and covered around 3 miles in distance. Would doing this help me lose further weight or should I switch over to jogging/faster walking on treadmill?
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u should switch over to lifting heavy weights and modify your diet if you haven't already.
 
There's really no "fat burning" zone. Your body uses glucose/glycogen for energy. A certain amount is stored withing the muscles. Once this is used up or nears depletion the body starts converting fat into glucose for use.

Long, slow, hard fast, burns roughly the same calories per mile. Most people can't run fast for any length of time so they go slow for 3 or 4 miles thinking they're burning fat.

Sorry. Not gonna happen. Faster is better. Faster for longer is even better.
 
gar655 said:
There's really no "fat burning" zone. Your body uses glucose/glycogen for energy. A certain amount is stored withing the muscles. Once this is used up or nears depletion the body starts converting fat into glucose for use.

Long, slow, hard fast, burns roughly the same calories per mile. Most people can't run fast for any length of time so they go slow for 3 or 4 miles thinking they're burning fat.

Sorry. Not gonna happen. Faster is better. Faster for longer is even better.
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Not really. Longer faster cardio leads to muscle loss and harder time losing weight. HIIT is where it's at for fat loss:

http://www.fitness-nutrition-weightloss.com/is-your-cardio-a-waste-of-time.html
 
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