Too add to the ongoing cardio debate :whistle:

If I was to stick to low intensity cardio...like walking for 45 min per session, do you think I could pull off doing it twice in a day without hurting my muscle gains? Has anyone had any success doing this?

The reason I ask is that I think im going to start walking to work for my cardio...and obviously, if I walk there ill have to walk back :nod:

If it is just walking you should have no problem.

If it is just walking you should have no problem.

I also though it was "just walking" until I did it this morning. Its a lot more hilly than I thought....and I also should have mentioned that I take my 9 month old dog with me and hes not the best on a leash yet :p

I believe that kind of 'low level' aerobic activity is a 'more the better' type of situation.

Compared to our ancestors we are all (even athletes) very sedentary. ANY activity that gets us 'up and movin'' (but not in a 'wipe us out' sense) is very hard to overdo.

I commute to work on my bike (very recent change) and that is a ~30 minute ride to work and a ~40 minute ride home (it is uphill home argh) That certainly qualifies as cardio, but I don't count it as my cardio workout.

I think you'll be fine.

-Allen

I believe that kind of 'low level' aerobic activity is a 'more the better' type of situation.

Compared to our ancestors we are all (even athletes) very sedentary. ANY activity that gets us 'up and movin'' (but not in a 'wipe us out' sense) is very hard to overdo.

I think you'll be fine.

-Allen

I agree completely. Sometimes you can get the impression that the best thing for building muscle is to do the workouts, but then do nothing other than eat and sleep! Personally, I feel a lot better when I'm active, and doing 3-4 miles of walking each day.

Just monitor your strength levels, your measurements, and your energy levels, and make adjustments to your calorie intake and rest accordingly.

Now.... hit the road! :tu:

Too add to the ongoing cardio debate :whistle:

If I was to stick to low intensity cardio...like walking for 45 min per session, do you think I could pull off doing it twice in a day without hurting my muscle gains? Has anyone had any success doing this?

The reason I ask is that I think im going to start walking to work for my cardio...and obviously, if I walk there ill have to walk back :nod:

On my days off from weights I do early morning cardio and then I'll do evening cardio as well. This is also the case during the weekends though my primary form of cardio in the evening is biking during that time. I've found this to be effective for me.

This week I'm doing slow/low cardio both morning and evenings since I'm taking a week off from weights this week. My cardio plan starting next week will be slow/low cardio the mornings of my workouts (M,W,F) and also in the evenings of my off days (T,Th). On the mornings of my off days I plan to up the output to the upper aerobic zone.

The best thing I'm finding when reading the forums is something I already knew just needed to put in practice. Try it, monitor your progress then decide if it's working for you. :gl:

Todd

When it comes to "just" walking - I think P for plenty is the way to go!

It's low impact (atleast if you're using a pair of good trainers/walking boots), and its low intensity i.e your body should be burning fat as you go.

I walk to and from the gym - giving me 2x 50 minutes of walking a day + any other walking (to and from classes etc) I do.

When I first started out I got sore knees, but that subsided after a week or so. Just dont over do it to begin with!

Good luck! :tucool:

I agree that it's difficult to overdo. Overtraining muscles from weights is relatively easy to do, but I've never known anybody in my personal life who overtrained with cardio. Top tier athletes will often do hours of quite intensive cardio a day and the body is very able to handle this.

In terms of catabolic effects of cardio I am sure that any small negatives from that are more than outweighed by a slimmer physique. A few extra pounds of muscle isn't worth much if you're at 20% body fat.