Cardio

[trebilcock66]

As of yesterday, I'm 53 years old.

In 2004, I watched the London Marathon on TV and said out loud "I'm gonna run that race one day"

My children nearly wet themselves laughing. Next day, I put on my trainers that I wore to do the decorating and the trackies that I wore to weed the garden and ran round the block (about 4 minutes) no warm up, no warm down.

Speechless with panting, I had to lie down for about thirty minutes to recover. Normally my response to fads like this is to give up and never mention it again. But something appealed to me about running so I kept it up, running a bit further each time. Ran my first marathon in 2006 and have run one a year since then. Plan to run one every year until I'm sixty. Legs are like iron and I've never been fitter. After the first few, painful sessions back in 05, I started to enjoy it. Guess Brucie's the same with his cycling.

So pick something that you'll keep up - sounds like swimming might be your thing. Have an objective - lose wieght, raise money for charity, win a race, whatever.

Good luck, Chico...

 

[chicoazul]

Posted via Mobile Device
Seriously gentlemen, thats great advice and some stirring stuff.
Thank you mucho.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I'll second Trebilcock about enjoying what you do. If you do that then the weight loss and improved fitness becomes a side effect of what you're doing for enjoyment rather than the reason you're doing it.

 

[Seamus Colemole]

I'm tempted to join a gym again but might wait till the season starts again then i can watch the games on the screen while i exercise.

 

[heatmeiser]

I'll second Trebilcock about enjoying what you do. If you do that then the weight loss and improved fitness becomes a side effect of what you're doing for enjoyment rather than the reason you're doing it.

I take you back to my earlier post.

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

Help me out, fitness dudes.

Anyone got any tips for a slightly overweight wool looking to enter the realms of cardio? I have a treadmill, bike and stepper in the gym.

Hi Chico.....

First you gotta build muscle, as muscle eats fat so I suggest that you hit the gym for about 4-6 weeks, modifying your diet during this period to mainly low-fat, and high protein, so kebabs and souvlaki are okay fish/lean meat is however better, but bread, rice and potatoes are not.

next switch to walking, running, and cycling, again for 4-6 weeks, and do not go into cardio mode as you need long periods of steady exercise to enable fat burning, the longer the better.(aim for 3-4 hours at a session, Again modify your diet during this period to consist mainly of low-fat carbs, ie couscous, pasta, bread and rice.

PS....Dont go swimming, as this kicks in some higher level chemical in the brain that gives you the serious munchies after a 30-45 minute swim, and you run the risk of ending up considerably fitter but also fatter as well!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

PS....Dont go swimming, as this kicks in some higher level chemical in the brain that gives you the serious munchies after a 30-45 minute swim, and you run the risk of ending up considerably fitter but also fatter as well!

Couldn't agree more with that. I mean check out these porkers.

BBC SPORT | Other sport... | Swimming | World Swimming photos

For what it's worth, I have a body fat percentage of 5% having swum as my main sport for around 20 years of my life.

Also the idea of long, steady exercise being the best for fat burning is not true.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/cardioworkouts/l/aa022601a.htm

I agree with building up muscle as well though. It's one thing people often neglect as they get older, especially women. It's all about being slim but people forget that you need strength too. Muscle tends to deteriate as we age so it's important to keep strong.

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

Also the idea of long, steady exercise being the best for fat burning is not true.

The Truth About the Fat Burning Zone - Your Target Heart Rate

I think the point I was trying to get across was, if you exercise at a cardio rate say 150+ bpm, then you will not be able to sustain that level for long. However if you aim to keep your heart rate at say 130 bpm you will be able to exercise for longer, and therefore burn more calories and lose more fat.

I take your point regarding swimming, and I agree if you're a fit experienced swimmer, then you will be able to control your breathing, and heart rate, as your technique and fitness will help you to do this. However if you are an inexperienced swimmer like myself, you jump in and start thrashing about wildly, your breathing is all over the shop, and your heart rate soars into cardio range, and as your technique is bad you get tired quicker, therefore you cannot sustain the exercise for long periods and when you get out of the pool you're starving and eat loads of scran, and therefore are actually in danger of putting on weight.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Thing is though, very few people have time to spend 3-4 hours per workout. Assuming you do a few of those a week the hours soon rack up. Plus of course if you're just starting out, do you have the stamina to sustain exercise for that length of time?

 

[chicoazul]

<i>Posted via Mobile Device</i><br /> Cheers. Without sounding like a tit, I go 2/3 times a week already doing weight training so I've got bulk but I want to be leaner so my stomach is flat and all that. I don't know if that makes a difference, I don't think weights give you much fitness benefit as I still get out of breath too easy for my liking.<br /> That's probably the gayest thing I've wrote, I hate myself a bit for this thread.

 

[trebilcock66]

Trust me, Chico, that's not the gayest thing you've ever written ....

Seriously, why not start with brisk walking? Replace one or more of your gym sessions with 30 minutes quick walking. Just take it from there and build up - you'll be running/cycling/swimming before you know it. And no need to drop the wieght training if you enjoy it - keep one trip per week for that.

 

[chicoazul]

Cheers fella. I was up swimming really early this morning.

ITS BEGUN.

 

[Nebbiolo]

I've put one a few too many kilos now, the blame is squarely with mick of nick making me eat loads of food and drink loads of rum.

Im a bit chubby like, hating this over 30 thing.

Plus you look over 40, mate. I'd say you were one of those people that is doomed to live as pudgy pensioner from the age of 40 onwards. Embrace it.

 

[chicoazul]

Plus you look over 40, mate. I'd say you were one of those people that is doomed to live as pudgy pensioner from the age of 40 onwards. Embrace it.

You absolute monster.