Post: #1

TL;DR: I want to find out if I have to do any cardio to improve my fitness and health while I already do strength training 2-3 times a week. I am 35+, skinny, a life-long smoker currently on e-cigs.

I did a search first, found some threads about doing cardio to improve sex performance. Obviously that would be a nice side-effect however I am mostly interested in being healthy and fit.

I don't want the cardio to make me even more skinny. Come September I want to try to bulk-up (I am 5.9"/140lbs, I want to go to 150-160lbs).

I dance socially about 2-3 times a week. I suppose that *could* count against my cardio requirements.

Then again my work is sedentary and come 5pm I feel like shit, like I should just run out of the office and so a lap or two.

How much and what kind is "just enough cardio" for guys my age & older?

Post: #2

Well i`m just about to turn 45 and rarely do any cardio, except maybe walk a couple of times a week - say for 20minutes. I do go to the gym and train pretty intensely 3-4 times a week, eat very clean and lean except for a cheat day every now and then. Pretty lean and have some good muscle, am about 5`8" tall and about 74 kgs. I have been this way for the past 20 years, but have worked at it and have always been a physical active guy - which i`m sure has helped me over the years.

If you want to put on some mass - i really wouldn`t do too much cardio. As it kinda negates the mass building process. But if you want to stay lean and have that fitness model look, which is what i would go for, but everyone has their own preference, then throw in some walking in the morning or after work a couple of times a week and i think you should be fine.

But at the end of the day its 90% diet on how you want your body to look. Just my 2 cents worth.....

Post: #3

Cardio is important because it lowers one's resting heart rate. A lower RHR = a longer life:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/19...life-span/

Post: #4

According to Mark Sisson you should do very low level cardio most of the time mixed with HIIT Sprints once a week. He says that overdoing it, which he calls "chronic cardio", will put your body under constant stress and increase cortisol levels. Just watch the Olympics… Who looks physically better? Sprinters or distance runners?

Post: #5

(07-27-2013 05:13 AM)MikeCF Wrote:  Cardio is important because it lowers one's resting heart rate. A lower RHR = a longer life:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/19...life-span/

Thanks! I vaguely remember reading about it some time ago. From what I've read in the past hour it seems some type of HIIT 2 times a week combined with the weight training I already do should suffice.

Post: #6

You're right about HIIT 1-2 times a week.

Here's the best fitness hack I've found, maybe ever: KETTLEBELL SWINGS

Honestly these are making me into a monster. I wish I'd got on them a decade ago when I started lifting.

I only do ~5 minutes 2-3 times a week. Thye're great conditioning AND they build strength and size.

Benefits:

-Increase aerobic + anaerobic fitness, just like sprints

-Train your posterior chain, give you iron glutes and hamstrings. Mine have massively increased in size and I feel like I'm sort of titanium mechanical piston, haha. It's like the old days of heavy SS back squats - similar glute and ham development. Freaky.

-Actually carry over to strength surprisingly well (surprising given the high reps) - it's because of the explosiveness. They can't be done slowly, every rep is an explosive hip snap. You could do just KB swings for a year and have a respectable deadlift.

-Low/no impact atall. Much better than sprinting for hips and knees.

-Intense, short and sweet. Wont make you skinny - if anything, you'll get bigger.

Good routines:

30-sec swinging, 30 sec rest - 6-8 intervals
40-sec swinging, 20 sec rest for 6 intervals (ntense)
100 swings of a reasonably difficult bell - take maybe 1 break (moderate)

Heavier bells:
3-4 Sets of 20-30 swings with as much rest as you need between sets.
Aim to transition progressively heavier bells to the 30/30 or 40/20 regime.

Disclaimer: You're responsible for learning the proper form. It takes a little practice and instruction to get at the start. There are some good vids from Dan John, Steve Cotter, Mike Mahler, Pavel Tsatsouline, etc.

Post: #7

Cardio is very underrated by a lot of men. You're not going to get skinny or lose muscle by going on a medium distance jog or doing 20-25 minutes of KB swings twice a week. You'll understand the value of cardio when you see someone who is absolutely jacked huff and puff while climbing up stairs.

Post: #8

for anybody who is wanting to maintain or put on muscle mass, cardio can still be incorporated with no issues, however, ensure that it is intensity you push for and not long slogs.

For example rather than an hour say on a bike / treadmill......after a warm up do some good interval training work, also if you do it on a rowing machine / ergo, it will give your muscles a good test too.

Try a pyramid on the rowing machine of 250 metres easy / 250 metres flat out, then 500 / 500, then 750/750, then 1000/1000, then back down at each stage....if done to maximal effort, will give your heart and lungs, and body a good test

Post: #9

I cosign the need for cardio and HIIT. Kettle bells are great, but for traveling players I recommend:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jump-in-...rcuit.html

A speed rope doesn't take up room or weight, and is done in place. You can do it anywhere.

Semper Fi Buddy Lee!

Post: #10

Lots of great suggestions here, also check out Tim Ferriss's "Perfect Posterior" article on how to build a T-handle - which is a much cheaper kettlebell substitute.

One thing I would throw in just because; burpees. Do anywhere from 15 to 100 burpees four to seven days a week, in one set. Great conditioning tool, can be done anywhere, nobody does them because they're hard as hell.

Post: #11

(07-27-2013 04:41 AM)Teekay Wrote:  .

I don't want the cardio to make me even more skinny. Come September I want to try to bulk-up (I am 5.9"/140lbs, I want to go to 150-160lbs). dance socially about 2-3 times a week.
How much and what kind is "just enough cardio" for guys my age & older?

You'r pretty lucky to be that thin. You must have low body fat, which means if you work out, you could get 6 pack abs. I'd recommend doing p90x. You will learn a lot about fitness from it, and have a workout "template" you can modify for yourself after 90 days. There is some cardio in p90x that isn't too taxing. After 90 days, with your height/weight, you are going to look pretty toned and have a 6 pack.

Also, 35 is still pretty young.

I'm

Post: #12

(07-27-2013 04:42 PM)Hades Wrote:  Lots of great suggestions here, also check out Tim Ferriss's "Perfect Posterior" article on how to build a T-handle - which is a much cheaper kettlebell substitute.

One thing I would throw in just because; burpees. Do anywhere from 15 to 100 burpees four to seven days a week, in one set. Great conditioning tool, can be done anywhere, nobody does them because they're hard as hell.

I agree, I hate burpees but I hate them because they work so well especially if you really explode into each part of the movement.

Post: #13

(07-27-2013 04:42 PM)Hades Wrote:  Lots of great suggestions here, also check out Tim Ferriss's "Perfect Posterior" article on how to build a T-handle - which is a much cheaper kettlebell substitute.

One thing I would throw in just because; burpees. Do anywhere from 15 to 100 burpees four to seven days a week, in one set. Great conditioning tool, can be done anywhere, nobody does them because they're hard as hell.

Doing tabata sets of burpees is a great workout. You're a beast if you can do 20 rounds of 20 secs on/10 secs off

Post: #14

Pick a sport you like.

Swim

Ride a bike

Dance more

Boxing/sparring

Have more and consistent sex.

Cardio is just keeping that heart pounding for a period of time, getting the heart rate up for 20-35 mins per day is all you need. The important thing is just doing something you enjoy so it does not feel like it is forced.

Just 20mins a day puts you in the top 10% of Americans for health, your heart will thank you for it down the road. Lastly don't worry about loosing mass/weight. Just eat more food if you notice your dropping mass, or just scale back the intensity.

Post: #15

I wonder how much cardio an older dude like this is doing?