Too MUCH Cardio question about weight loss

My brother in law is convinced that the MORE cardio he does the more weight he will lose but he is actually not losing any weight and does 100 mile bike rides, cardio classes, spin classes and areobics. Is too much cardio BAD for you?

The problem might be that you get such an appetite from cardio that you feel like you're breaking even, but you're really eating as many, if not more, calories than you burn. It happens to me every tennis season-- Over the summer I'm happy on a thousand calories a day when I'm doing pilates and a little jogging, but suddenly after a 2-hour intense practice I just want (and feel like I really need) to consume STEAK and POTATOES...

 Running isn't especially healthy despite what Kenneth Cooper would like you to believe - the people who took his advice are dropping dead in their early fifties.

 But keep in mind that running isn't especially dangerous either unless you go to extremes like the people in that article - overdoing it is never really good for you. Which is why it's good to pick a sensible training program to follow, to make sure you aren't pushing yourself too hard- or not enough.

 If your brother-in-law is following a sensible training schedule from an experienced coach, is strict with his nutrition, and gets his antioxidants in there shouldn't be a problem from a health PoV. From a pure fat loss perspective cardio is only mildly useful and can be dispensed with, it's not critical and excessive cardio can be counterproductive in more ways than one; but even if we're on a weight loss site it's kinda myopic to only focus on the weight loss side of things and cardio is good for you.

I think too much is bad. Overtraining can happen and your body needs recovery time in between. Not just true for lifting but for any strenuous activity. Your muscles need time to rest and repair. At least one day a week off is a good idea.

This is my schedule

3 days a week strength training. Mon, Wed, Saturday. Squats and lunges worked into that also

6 days a week cardio. Mixed up

2-3 sprint sessions. Never 2 days in a row

Cross trainer on non-sprint days

Power walking on non-sprint days

General ab, leg, toning, push-ups, sit-ups and so on 5-6 days a week.

You see better results when you have the recover time. Over doing it just makes you weaker.

Extreme cardio without strength training will cause muscle loss.

littleshellys - sounds a lot like my weekly workout routine, except I have been sprint training only 1x per week, but would like to increase that to twice per week.  Starting next week, that is what I'll do! 

What is sprint training? Can someone explain?

Hi Fluffyveed, 2 is really all I can manage. It is a killer. I do 6-8 sprints. But I run 2 minutes before the sprint and then sprint for 1 1/2 minutes so it is a workout. Walking in between and then power walking for about 20-30 minutes after.

Works wonders though. The best shaping, fat loss program there is.

 

Theluckiest, sprint training is interval training. You do sprint sessions. Running as fast as you can (sprinting) then bring it down for a minute or two to recover and then sprint again. It is a great workout. One of the only know ways to naturally release (HGH) Human growth hormone in your body. Builds muscle, strength, endurance, Increases stamina. Reves up your metabolism for days after. Burns calories while you are doing it and for some time after. Similar to strength training you don't want to do it 2 days in a row. Days in between to recover.

 

Read more here.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Sprinting!-The-Powerhouse-of-Running&am p;id=1274132

http://www.healthandfitnessadvice.com/fitness -tips/a-simple-sprinting-routine.html

http://fitnessblackbook.com/aerobic-exercise/ an-aerobic-workout-program-that-forces-your-b ody-to-burn-fat/

http://forums.menshealth.com/eve/forums/a/tpc /f/328101971/m/597101644

Yes, there is such a thing as doing too much cardio. Too much cardio can hinder your muscle gains, which is what you need to speed up metabolism and lose bodyfat. A good lifting program and solid nutrition are the secrets to getting in shape. Cardio is a component. But the secret is doing the right type of cardio that attacks bodyfat, spares muscle, and speeds up your metabolism. HIIT cardio (High Intensity Interval Training) is the way to go. As others have said, it combines fast short bursts (10-30 secs) with slower recovery periods (40-90 secs). You do a 3-5 minute warm-up and then jump into your fast/slow intervals switching off repeatedly between the two for 20 minutes. Then do a 5 minute cool down.

My personal favorite technique for HIIT is sprinting. It has gotten me the best results. I was doing it 3 days a week for awhile. However, I cut it back to 2 because it was getting difficult to work in a good leg workout with weights when my legs would get sore from all the sprinting. Now I do 2 HIIT sessions a week on Wed/Sat (non lifting days), and two 20 minute steady state cardio sessions a week after my upper body lifting sessions. I never do cardio on leg day. My legs are too tired from the workout.

HIIT gives you much better results in both losing bodyfat and cardiovascular health. My resting pulse rate and blood pressure have dropped considerably since I started doing it. I never really got anywhere doing cardio 5-6 times a week @ 45-60 minutes a session.