I am confused! about how much cardio to add to my weight training program.

When i have read about cardio, some people do 4 to 6 days a week on top of their weight workouts, some people do 3 to 4, and some barely do any(2 to 1 day a week). I have even read that if some had to do it over again that they would do less cardio and focus more on their weight training to lose fat and shape up. Frankly, i do like cardio but it is a double edged sword for me. I like the way it makes me feel but, (here is the sword) the more i do and the more intense i do it, it just makes me more hungry later in the day and that frustrates me because i am trying to lose the last 10 pounds off my 5'3 130pd frame and stay in an eating deicit and it makes it nearly impossible when i am soooo hungry. I am one of those people that the more cardio i do it seems, over the years, the hungrier i get!

So how much cardio is enough? Is there a rule of thumb to follow? Has anyone else experienced this? Like i said i only am trying to lose 10 pounds of fat. I am 5'3 130 24% body fat and would like to get down to 16 to 18%. I don't think thats to unrealistic.

Like i said, i do like cardio but i am tired of struggling with my appetite when i do it. I am currently doing between 4 to 5 days a week on top of my weight training. Any suggestions?

Thanks Tricia

If your diet and your resistance training are in check, I'd recommend doing no more than 3 sessions/week. Two of these sessions should probably be High Intensity Interval based and the third session could be 20-30 min. of steady state cardio at a brisk but not break neck pace. What are you currently doing for cardio (modality, time, intensity, frequency)? Given your hunger issue, you may want to experiment w/ barbell, db, or kettlebell complexes. A Tabata method may be another option. Complexes and Tabata training are very short but brutal. I've found these training methods to actually curb my appetite (this may be due to the fact that I'm sucking so much wind that hunger is the last thing on my mind).

I am doing step aerobics mostly. Around 40 to 45 min. a session. Mostly in the morning 5:45am and my weight training around 11:00am. Should i be doing my cardio after my weight training? I do not do fasted cardio in the morning i really need someting in my stomach or i have ZERO energy. I usually have a banana or a protien shake. are those some good choices to burn the most fat? "thanks!" for your reply Tricia

Just alittle more information.

another question that i have wondered about, how do you know if you are not eating enough for your activity level? could the extreme appetite mean that i maybe am not eating enough for the activity i do? could that be a clue and if it is how many calories would you recommend i add? 100 to 200 to start? here is what i do on a weekly basis:

Mon Wend & Fri- 7:50 to 9:00am i do 1 hour circuit training with my client. Hitting all muscle groups. at 11:00am i pick one major muscle group (chest- back or legs) and hit them hard. and try to work in some cardio. thats about another hour. On Tues and Thurs are my rest days. And Sat. and Sund. are my long cardio days 40 min to 1 hour. I try to stay in an eating deficit so i try to take in between 1400 - 1600. to be honest i probably end up eating 1600 to 1700 cause of hunger. anyway there is some more info. i hope this helps give you more insight. thanks again for listening!!!!! Tricia

Tricia,

I am not an advocate for long steady state cardio workouts mainly becuase they are NOT efficient for fat loss. At face value it appears as though you are training way too much and not eating enough of the right foods for maximum fat loss. You're body is most likely shutting down any fat loss progress in order to sustain the your current activity level.

I'd stongly recommend that you do some research on the board or speak to a knowledgeable proffessional in regard to establishing an effective fat loss diet and planning a more conducive training schedule.

I can tell that your heart is in the right place and you certainly do not need to improve your work ethic. I personally would start with cutting back on the long cardio sessions and try incorporating more of an interval based method 2-3 times per week. I enjoy a split routine for my weight training and preforming the interval cardio on my off days when training for fat loss. Your diet should and will eventually be the most crucial factor in achieving your fat loss goal. I hope this helps.

Tricia,

The first thing that I noticed in reading your posts, was the amount of work that you are doing...it's way to much. It took me years of trial and error, and learning from a lot of other great people(yea, you guys!)to finally put together a proper training and nutrition plan. I train so much less then I ever did, but with the best results ever. Within bodybuilding, their are so many things to take advantage of to get better results, for instance for cardio, trying interval training or low intensity steady state choosen over those longer steady state sessions. Also, on my weight training days, I complete my training and I'm done, except for maybe some LISS being the exception when needed. The reason...the body needs rest, and your gains will stall without it. On the days you do your circuit training, that should do it for weights for the day, because hitting another body-part hard, that's conterproductive to how the body builds and holds onto muscle. I would do one or the other, not both. I just think that if you lessen up on the training, you'll get closer to the fat loss you're wanting.