Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

Time: 30 minutes per sessionType: AnyORFrequency: 3 days per weekIntensity: VigorousTime: 20 minutes per sessionType: AnyThese recommendations from the ACSM are research-backed for supporting a healthy body and reducing morbidity. Option 2 is great for those with less time and who wish to get the most of their cardio in a shorter timespan; however, this option is much more physically demanding and requires extra time between sessions to reduce risk of injury. Option 1 is much easier to perform, but requires commitment to performing most days of the week.Some combination of both can be performed, and both should be tried for those who are newer to exercise. The best option is ultimately the one you enjoy enough to do consistently.Goal: Lose Weight/Tone UpFor those trying to get rid of extra body fat, or for those looking to escape the stranglehold of being “skinny-fat”.Frequency/Intensity/Time/Type: Same as Adopt/Maintain a Healthy LifestyleI have to clarify one of my biggest pet peeves in health and fitness. There is no such thing as “toning up.” In order to “tone up,” you need to have muscle mass. <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-simplest-way-to-a-flat-stomach-d3bf54e75724">The two most important things you can do to “tone your muscles” (I cannot stress this enough, I bang my head against a wall trying to explain this to my clients and patients) are to strength train and be in a caloric deficit.</a> Strength training increases muscle mass and boosts your metabolism. Calorie deficits result in fat loss. Without both of these two things, you will not have the “toned body” that you’re looking for.Say it with me: “The two most important things I can do to tone my muscles are to strength train and be in a caloric deficit.”Cardio is a great supplement to losing weight and getting toned, since cardio training leads to more calories burned and greater likelihood of being in a deficit. However, doing cardio without strength training and calorie deficits will not result in optimal fat loss. If you do lose weight, you will likely be losing a combination of water and muscle weight in addition to whatever fat stores you lose, leading to the disappointing “skinny-fat” appearance. If you’re skinny-fat or overweight, prioritize weight training and proper nutrition, and use cardio as a supplement to maintain a healthy lifestyle.What if you’re already satisfied with your level of muscle mass? You’re an experienced weightlifter who just finished a bulk and wants to see the results of hours spent in the gym? The recommendations are the same.Using the more vigorous approach to cardio- three days a week for 20 minutes at a time- has been shown to preserve muscle mass to a greater extent than performing longer bouts of low/moderate intensity cardio. However, due to the strenuous effects of strength training, vigorous exercise may be more challenging to perform on a regular basis, and can wear the body down and increase risk of overtraining.For this population, a third recommendation can be made:Frequency: As often as you want or canIntensity: LowTime: >30 minutesType: Any (usually walking is the go-to choice, but any cardi

Options

o that can be performed at low intensity can be used).Cardio training performed at a low intensity for >30 minutes is a good tool for tapping into body fat energy stores and reducing demand on the body. Our bodies tend to switch from glycolytic energy production to oxidative, fat-based energy production once we reach a certain threshold amount of movement. Keep in mind, at a certain point our bodies will also start to break down protein for energy production in addition to fat. With that said, it is important to be mindful not to overdo cardio or undervalue protein when it comes to fat loss with muscle preservation.Goal: Gain Weight/Muscle MassFor those looking to increase their muscle size, or “tone” properly by increasing how much muscle they have.Frequency: 3 days per weekIntensity: VigorousTime: 20 minutesType: Any (High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is my favorite)This is a tricky one, as many clients and friends I’ve worked with who emphasize mass building do not do any cardio at all, or only do one session at most per week. While this is understandable to an extent (and may be necessary for elite lifters in preparation for competition), this isn’t generally recommended for long-term health reasons.The vigorous intensity approach is my recommendation based on the evidence that short bouts of vigorous intensity exercise are better for muscle preservation than longer bouts of low/moderate intensity training. This makes sense, as short bursts of high-intensity cardio utilize the same energy-production systems as resistance training. As a result, you’re far less likely to tap into protein as an energy producer than you are glucose or fat.Once again, keep in mind that vigorous exercise is demanding on the body, especially after long strength-training sessions, so it is imperative that you listen to your body and give yourself ample rest time between bouts of vigorous exercise.When Should Cardio Be Performed?For those who have goals related to weight loss, muscle building or preservation, or general health, cardio should be performed after resistance training, if both are being performed in the same bout. The only time I recommend performing cardio before strength training is if cardio is being used as a warmup, or if your goals are primarily related to aerobic fitness. Therefore, unless you’re training for a marathon or looking to improve your endurance for a race, strength training should come first.BottomlineCardio is something that all individuals should perform as a regular part of their fitness routine and lifestyle. The recommendations provided are extremely similar among different populations, but are valuable for different reasons depending on your goals. Unless you are training for a specific sport or competition, it is best to follow the ACSM guidelines, and tailor those guidelines based on your goals, habits, and things you enjoy. Ultimately, the frequency, intensity, time, and type of cardio that is best is the one that you enjoy doing enough to do it consistently.I write on Medium mostly as a hobby; my primary career is providing online coaching and one-time consultations for busy adults struggling to reach their health and fitness goals. You can learn more about what I do <a href="https://www.strengthandintent.com/">here</a>.</article></body>

How Much Cardio Should You Actually Be Doing?

A Strength and Conditioning Specialist’s Guide to Cardio Training Based On Your Goals

(Consult with your physician or a licensed physical therapist before beginning any specific exercise program).

Cardio is one of the most misunderstood topics in the fitness industry.

Most people (even those who look incredibly fit and lean) don’t do enough of it. Some people do too much of it. Many people don’t like to do it at all. Some people won’t do anything else.

How much should you actually be doing?

The answer is: it depends.

Cardio is certainly something every able-bodied person should be doing on a regular basis. However, trying to decide how much cardio, what type of cardio to do, and at what intensity, is very confusing for the new-to-fitness individual. For those with more training experience, cardio is often underutilized or misdiagnosed in the pursuit of their training goals.

I have worked with athletes of all different sports and experience levels for the last eight years. I have put together this guide using my education and expertise as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Doctor of Physical Therapy. Below, I discuss recommended cardio training dosages for you based on your goals and training objectives.

The FITT Principle

FITT stands for: Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. The structure of cardio training is given using this format.

Frequency refers to the number of days you perform cardio per week.

Intensity refers to the level of difficulty of your specific cardio session. The terms I will use in this article are “light,” “moderate,” and “vigorous.” For simplicity, I will reference this using the Modified BORG RPE intensity scale of 0–10, with 0 being complete rest and 10 being the most intense exercise you’ve ever done. “Light” in this case refers to an intensity of <6, “moderate” refers to intensity of 6–8, and “vigorous” refers to an intensity of >8.

Time refers to how long your specific cardio session is in duration.

Type refers to the mode of cardio. Walking, running, swimming, and cycling are examples, but are obviously not limited to just those modes of exercise.

Goal: Adopt/Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

For those looking to maintain general health or improve physical wellness, this section is for you. You’re not following a specific training regimen, or exercising with any specific sport or aesthetic-related goals. You’re looking to improve/maintain your overall health, from your heart, to your lungs, to your brain, and anything in between. Cardio is one of the best medicines for managing and preventing disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

While any amount of cardio is better than none, specific recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) are provided below.

Frequency: 5 days per week

Intensity: Moderate

Time: 30 minutes per session

Type: Any

Frequency: 3 days per week

Intensity: Vigorous

Time: 20 minutes per session

Type: Any

These recommendations from the ACSM are research-backed for supporting a healthy body and reducing morbidity. Option 2 is great for those with less time and who wish to get the most of their cardio in a shorter timespan; however, this option is much more physically demanding and requires extra time between sessions to reduce risk of injury. Option 1 is much easier to perform, but requires commitment to performing most days of the week.

Some combination of both can be performed, and both should be tried for those who are newer to exercise. The best option is ultimately the one you enjoy enough to do consistently.

Goal: Lose Weight/Tone Up

For those trying to get rid of extra body fat, or for those looking to escape the stranglehold of being “skinny-fat”.

Frequency/Intensity/Time/Type: Same as Adopt/Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

I have to clarify one of my biggest pet peeves in health and fitness. There is no such thing as “toning up.” In order to “tone up,” you need to have muscle mass. The two most important things you can do to “tone your muscles” (I cannot stress this enough, I bang my head against a wall trying to explain this to my clients and patients) are to strength train and be in a caloric deficit. Strength training increases muscle mass and boosts your metabolism. Calorie deficits result in fat loss. Without both of these two things, you will not have the “toned body” that you’re looking for.

Say it with me: “The two most important things I can do to tone my muscles are to strength train and be in a caloric deficit.”

Cardio is a great supplement to losing weight and getting toned, since cardio training leads to more calories burned and greater likelihood of being in a deficit. However, doing cardio without strength training and calorie deficits will not result in optimal fat loss. If you do lose weight, you will likely be losing a combination of water and muscle weight in addition to whatever fat stores you lose, leading to the disappointing “skinny-fat” appearance. If you’re skinny-fat or overweight, prioritize weight training and proper nutrition, and use cardio as a supplement to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

What if you’re already satisfied with your level of muscle mass? You’re an experienced weightlifter who just finished a bulk and wants to see the results of hours spent in the gym? The recommendations are the same.

Using the more vigorous approach to cardio- three days a week for 20 minutes at a time- has been shown to preserve muscle mass to a greater extent than performing longer bouts of low/moderate intensity cardio. However, due to the strenuous effects of strength training, vigorous exercise may be more challenging to perform on a regular basis, and can wear the body down and increase risk of overtraining.

For this population, a third recommendation can be made:

Frequency: As often as you want or can

Intensity: Low

Time: >30 minutes

Type: Any (usually walking is the go-to choice, but any cardio that can be performed at low intensity can be used).

Cardio training performed at a low intensity for >30 minutes is a good tool for tapping into body fat energy stores and reducing demand on the body. Our bodies tend to switch from glycolytic energy production to oxidative, fat-based energy production once we reach a certain threshold amount of movement. Keep in mind, at a certain point our bodies will also start to break down protein for energy production in addition to fat. With that said, it is important to be mindful not to overdo cardio or undervalue protein when it comes to fat loss with muscle preservation.

Goal: Gain Weight/Muscle Mass

For those looking to increase their muscle size, or “tone” properly by increasing how much muscle they have.

Frequency: 3 days per week

Intensity: Vigorous

Time: 20 minutes

Type: Any (High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is my favorite)

This is a tricky one, as many clients and friends I’ve worked with who emphasize mass building do not do any cardio at all, or only do one session at most per week. While this is understandable to an extent (and may be necessary for elite lifters in preparation for competition), this isn’t generally recommended for long-term health reasons.

The vigorous intensity approach is my recommendation based on the evidence that short bouts of vigorous intensity exercise are better for muscle preservation than longer bouts of low/moderate intensity training. This makes sense, as short bursts of high-intensity cardio utilize the same energy-production systems as resistance training. As a result, you’re far less likely to tap into protein as an energy producer than you are glucose or fat.

Once again, keep in mind that vigorous exercise is demanding on the body, especially after long strength-training sessions, so it is imperative that you listen to your body and give yourself ample rest time between bouts of vigorous exercise.

When Should Cardio Be Performed?

For those who have goals related to weight loss, muscle building or preservation, or general health, cardio should be performed after resistance training, if both are being performed in the same bout. The only time I recommend performing cardio before strength training is if cardio is being used as a warmup, or if your goals are primarily related to aerobic fitness. Therefore, unless you’re training for a marathon or looking to improve your endurance for a race, strength training should come first.

Bottomline

Cardio is something that all individuals should perform as a regular part of their fitness routine and lifestyle. The recommendations provided are extremely similar among different populations, but are valuable for different reasons depending on your goals. Unless you are training for a specific sport or competition, it is best to follow the ACSM guidelines, and tailor those guidelines based on your goals, habits, and things you enjoy. Ultimately, the frequency, intensity, time, and type of cardio that is best is the one that you enjoy doing enough to do it consistently.

I write on Medium mostly as a hobby; my primary career is providing online coaching and one-time consultations for busy adults struggling to reach their health and fitness goals. You can learn more about what I do here.