Cardio Days

A forum for anything related to cardiovascular training.

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Tallgirll22T
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Cardio Days

Post by Tallgirll22T »

I like to do some steady-state cardio on days after I do heavier workouts because it seems to help soreness and keep muscles from bunching up and not wanting to move. I like doing low-impact cardio like walking on these days. I usually do 2 days like this a week and that's all I do that day. I aim for about 40 minutes of walking as hard as I can. Granted, I live in hilly country, so walk involves some hill climbing.
Anyway, to get the maximum health benefits, should I be doing 2 cardio sessions on cardio days, one morning, one evening? I'm thinking of joining a gym and have heard of people doing cardio twice a day on cardio days, like on a stepmill or eliptical. Will following suit help me lose more fat? I'm just wondering why so many people do cardio twice a day.
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Boss Man
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Re: Cardio Days

Post by Boss Man »

I can't answer the question why people do cardio twice a day, but it would almost certainly be weight loss related yes, not specifically stamina related.

People sometimes weight train twice a day, I.E. chest morning, triceps evening, to take advantage of two higher than normal protein intake periods post-workout. This is a tactic observed particularly in pro bodybuilding circles.

As for the added cardio, be mindful that more could equal muscle burn and losing muscle would just lessen the quality of your body composition and possibly encourage a bit of fat gain, as gaining muscle creates better fat loss potential in the early parts of a physical tranformation, but losing muscle can encourage the reverse effect.

However for fat loss it could be a workable solution, but if you do it, I'd suggest adding more calories per workout day, to protect against muscle catabolism. Whichever part of a day you did the additional session, I'd suggest another 100-150 calories in your pre and post-workout meals, with some added protein especially in the pre-workout one.
Tallgirll22T
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Re: Cardio Days

Post by Tallgirll22T »

Thanks man. Now I don't feel so worried about having to do more cardio. I think I'll just stick to 2 steady 40 minutes a week and one or two 20 minute sessions of higher intensity like kickboxing. I have also been adding about 5 minutes of cardio intervals in between sets, doing like a circuit.
toddhicks209
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Re: Cardio Days

Post by toddhicks209 »

Doing cardio exercise more than once a day is helpful for those who don't have the time to do it for at least 20 minutes in one session. You can do three 10-minute sessions of cardio exercise a day and reap immense health benefits.
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