2004/05/25, 02:38 PM
I would like to know how much cardio I should be doing. As I posted before, I'm 5'6", 230 lbs, and 26 years old. I think I have a good weight routine that I am going to start today, but i wondered if cardio should come before or after the weights.
I usually walk about a mile on the treadmill, then ride the stationary bike for 20 or 30 minutes. Is this enough?
I also have been trying the atkins diet with a liitle success (lost twenty lbs) as I said before, but I'm going to try just watching the calories, and adding wieights to my exersise, because I know I have to eat more carbs when lifting, just the right kind.
One of the things I wondered is how much a baked potatoe say once a week, or mashed poatoes will hurt my efforts since white potatoes arent in the bodybuilders grocery list, I don't think. Also if I am working hard at both the weights and cardio, how much would a piece of cake or a candy bar hurt if I limited it to just one piece a week as sort of a reward. I really can't afford the expensive diet candy bars and I'm not real big on some fruits.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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2004/05/25, 03:09 PM
sheryl, try to split cardio and weights up by six or more hours. Even better, lift 3 days a week and do cardio the other 4. 30 minutes on the treadmill is fine.
You definitly need clean carbs .
As far as your diet, many people ease into the diet stuff over a few weeks. It was easier for me to be hardcore and eat from the list. A cheat meal once a week won't hurt as long as it doesn't cause you to slip into a whole cheat day or week.:big_smile:
Hope this helps
-------------- Foolish consistancies are the hobgoblins of small minds.
Charlie
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2004/06/05, 03:02 PM
Two weeks ago I was in your situation- not sure how to divvy up cardio and weight training, and what the right amounts were. Well after reading alot of posts on the message boards I decided to follow everyone's advice: weight training is key, and should be done first. I am following an ft weight training plan to the T. I warm up with 5 mins cardio to get myself going then hit the weights. Now, I know it would be more ideal to do cardio later in the day to break it up, but my schedule doesn't allow for that, so I do 3 miles on the elliptical and 1-2 on the bike after I've finished weights. This seems to be working great- I lost 8 lbs in 12 days! I also have cut carbs from my diet- not following atkins because it was so strict I'd cheat badly. I also found a secret weapon for those cravings you get while bored or watching TV- SUNFLOWER SEEDS!!! low cal/fat/carb all in one~ and since you have to actually work to get to the nut, you'll eat less. Good luck!
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