Note: This is a reprint of an answer I posted in the comments section of my article on Bodybuilding.com.
Question: How much cardio did you do each day during your transformation?
Answer: According to my BodySpace Workout Tracker (and I tracked everything), I did just over 71 hours of cardio during the Challenge. That is about 51 minutes a day. I mixed it up between HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and LISS (Low Intensity Steady State), mostly according to how I felt. I also changed things as I learned more along the way, and as I got in better shape I could do more. I also changed cardio styles depending on my eating plan. For instance, the last three weeks of the Challenge I started doing Intermittent Fasting, and the recommendation from leangains.com was to do low intensity cardio during the 12th to 16th hour of the fast period, so for the last three weeks of the Challenge I did a 50 minute (that is the length of a Star Trek episode on Netflix) low intensity session on the bike first thing in the morning. Before the last three weeks, I had been doing HIIT, usually in the 10 to 25 minute range, first thing in the morning. I really tweaked things a lot throughout the Challenge. It is part of my personality. I just want to mess with stuff because I think there must be a better way and I just need to find it. I researched stuff almost everyday, so I was often changing things and trying new things. There is too much to cover and still keep this post short. I also got into something I call High Frequency HIIT, which I wrote about on my BodyBlog. Basically it is HIIT, but the burst/sprint periods are very short (6 to 8 seconds) and much more numerous, and the rest periods are short as well (9 to 12 seconds). I learned about it from a website called fitbuff.com. I did the High Frequency HIIT usually at night before bed for 5 minutes, just to burn some extra calories and rev up my metabolism. So this is what I did for cardio during the last 3 weeks of the Challenge while following the Intermittent Fasting protocol: - 50 Minute LISS cardio during the 12th - 16th hour of fast period (Almost everyday except Leg Day) - 5 Minute High Frequency HIIT during the 5th to 7th hour of the fast period (Almost everyday, except night before Leg Day) - 15 to 35 Minute HIIT cardio during the 2nd to 4th hour of the fast period (But not everyday; Only if I felt like doing some extra cardio) I am still doing Intermittent Fasting, but now I am averaging about 2500 calories daily and I have cut way way back on cardio since the Challenge ended. I don't want to lose anymore weight. I am trying to maintain my low body fat while gaining some strength and lean mass. Just to reiterate, I am not an expert. I am a guy who is very curious and knows how to google. I read about stuff and if it sounds worthwhile, I try it out. If I like it, I incorporate it into what I'm doing. I know it's hard to sort through all the differing advice available these days. This will sound like a commercial, but I think BodyBuilding.com is a perfect place to start when searching for information. There are other really good sources out there as well, but I don't think you can go too wrong following the advice and programs found here.
I wish you the best! Have a great day!
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