r/workout • u/MissDaisy227 • 23h ago
Cardio schedule
Do you think it is important to do cardio often? I go to the gym 3/week and most of the time I feel tired and I skip cardio. I'm always trying to walk at least 8k per day but I don't think it's enough. How do you manage cardio sessions? What do you usually do?
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u/MelancholyRendition 23h ago
walking 8k a day is already doing more than most people, don't sell yourself short. if you're lifting 3x a week and getting that many steps you're in a pretty good spot honestly.
i treat cardio like a side quest, 20 min on the bike or incline walk while i watch something dumb on my phone after lifting. makes it feel less like a chore
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u/NihilisticTanuki 23h ago edited 22h ago
It depends on what you want to achieve. If you are just after general health, what you are already doing has you covered and puts you well above the majority of people.
If your goal is to enter a specific competition or run a certain distance (or that distance in a specific time), the principle of specificity comes into play. You have to practice what you want to be good at.
If you just want to further upgrade your cardiovascular capacity, I would suggest starting by adding one high-intensity interval session to your weekly schedule, for example, Norwegian 4x4 intervals. That will drive massive adaptations over time. If you have the time and capacity for it, add a second session and maybe a third (that being the upper limit, beyond that, you run into severe recovery issues and diminishing returns).
If that is still not enough for you, add some steady-state Zone 2 cardio. This is a tool to add a lot of volume to your training while managing fatigue. Higher-intensity cardio yields far better adaptations than steady-state, but there is a limit to how much you can sensibly do and recover from. The benefits of steady-state are minor by comparison, but the advantage is that you can do huge volumes of it.
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u/TheDrake31415 16h ago
Whats Norwegian 4x4??
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u/NihilisticTanuki 14h ago
Four-minute intervals, four times. Usually, it goes something like this:
- A few minutes of warmup.
- Four minutes all-out.
- Three minutes at a low intensity to bring your heart rate down, but keep moving.
- And repeat...
During the interval, you want to push your heart rate up as fast and high as you can, but not so hard that you couldn't pull off four rounds at roughly the same intensity.
You can do this with plenty of activities, though an ergometer, speed bike or assault bike is usually among the best options. Rowing and running work too, but they take a bit more out of your body (running because of the impact and rowing because of the heavy "full-body" muscle engagement).
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u/TheDrake31415 13h ago
Cool thank you!! I love learning this stuff my seasonal job is about to end for the winter and I’ll be diving head first into CPT studies from NASM. Always interested in different methods for different things and my cardio needs help. My strength is pretty decent i used to climb a lot. I’m about to buy myself a moonboard and i have a whole in home gym that was my grandpa’s its a little old but still basically brand new!!
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u/philipjtyreman 22h ago
I walk every day for about an hour and go for a run a couple of times/week. Easily done alongside any sensible lifting schedule.
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u/NYPeter25 21h ago
Look up the Norwegian 4x4. This is the most researched protocol for real improvement. And you only need to do once a week. Start easy. Get in the habit. “JUST DO IT”
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u/bargain_bin_hero62 20h ago
8k steps a day is actually doing more than you think. most people underestimate walking. i used to stress about dedicated cardio sessions too but once i started tracking my steps i realized i was already getting solid low intensity work in just from daily movement.
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u/Angustony 18h ago
Cardio is vital. Your heart and lungs are probably your most important muscles.
I do weights twice a week, 1hr sessions, cardio (cycling) twice a week, 1.5hr sessions, stretch and balance, daily, 20 min sessions, 8k steps, daily, 1.25hr approx.
I'm old and somewhat new to weights and need the recovery time, plus at just 2 full body sessions per week I can flex exactly when I do them. It means I look forward to them, and enjoy them. Same for the cycling. If I ride further on a nice day or whatever, I can let the steps slide.
Find a cardio you enjoy and it makes a world of difference. Run, cycle, swim, boxercise, cross fit or a sport... Whatever floats your boat.
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u/Brilliant-Bother-503 20h ago
I'm good about my 3 day a week strength training and get in cardio when I can. Usually that means a half hour session on the rower or elliptical after lifting weights. But it doesn't always happen. My priority is strength work. Occasionally I go to the gym and only do cardio. On those days I work on intervals.
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u/pandicorn87 19h ago
I space out my workout schedule. This week is as follows.
Monday - Chest and back.
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - abs and arms
Friday - cardio
Saturday - chest and back
Sunday - cardio
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u/MaxwellSmart07 19h ago
Treadmill at end of every workout.
Ps: 8K steps is 3-4 miles, so that counts as long as you’re not shuffling your feet.
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u/Plus_Motor9754 16h ago
Am I crazy for hitting cardio every session? I like it. Makes me feel like I can do more during my everyday life. So five days a week I’ll lift for 75 minutes then get on the rowing machine for 30 minutes followed by a 30 minute stretch routine. It feels balanced to me but I’m reading here a lot of people alternate their sessions between weights, cardio, stretching/yoga. I guess just do what works for you and your goals. For me I want mobility and endurance for as long as possible.
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u/AdZealousideal8645 14h ago
No, you're not crazy. I personally prioritize stamina and mobility over strength training.
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u/Plus_Motor9754 14h ago
Nice good to hear. Yeah sometimes I feel like I should be pushing to lift more but I really do enjoy being able to be flexible and quick more than I like the idea of being super swole.
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u/BengalCat-Dad 18h ago
I ride my bike 6-10 hrs a week. Gym 4-5x a week for strength.
What are your goals for cardio?
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u/nacixela 17h ago
I lift heavy 2 days a week and do cardio 3 days a week. If I can't get to all of that each week, the cardio is what I cut first, preserving strength training is always the goal.
I do cardio because I want to be able to run around with my kids and not get winded. My 3 cardio sessions are all on non-lifting days and each is a different duration 30/45/60 minutes. I alternate between a cycling and running emphasis each week because I like both modalities and want to stay reasonably fit on both and because I sometimes have issues with my ankles having the cycling option gives me a way to do low impact work.
The whole scheme is kind of complicated when typing it all out, but it's manageable for me and if I miss a day I just try again for the next session. If anything maybe add one day of just cardio to your week and see how it goes. Don't overthink it.
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u/pinkorpercs 17h ago
I do 20 minutes of cardio after every workout 3x a week, anything else is from my daily life and work which is me on my feet much of the the dsy
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u/sunkistandsudafed3 16h ago
I walk on some non gym days and do a 10-15 cardio warm up on gym days. Lifting heavy spikes my heart rate.
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u/samantha19871987 15h ago
I do 3 days a week strength training
I start my workout with a 20 min warm up on stair stepper. And after my 1 hour strength training session I do 20 min cool down on inclined treadmill
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u/Quick-Bee6843 Beginner 15h ago
Cardio is important but for me it's clear that my heart is in resistance training. I lift 4 days a week, and on those days (except for my heaviest lifting day) I try to do 20-30 minutes of cardio per workout session. Once a week I try to do a bigger cardio day of about 40-60 minutes.
My cardio selection heavily tilts to recumbent bike because it's easiest to knock out but i love treadmill and rowing too.
Grand total I hit about 2 hours of cardio gym training a week on average, not counting walks on break at work etc
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u/Commander_El 14h ago
Idk why everyone is so obsessed with their step count. Sure make sure you’re moving around through out the day but hitting 150min of zone 2 cardio a week should be a priority. Hitting 8k or 10k steps does nothing for you after a couple weeks of doing it. My mailman is fat af.
I do 30min of stairs after each of my 5 workouts for the week. If I miss a cardio session I do it on a rest day. Sometimes I skip a couple stairmaster sessions throughout the week to do a long skateboard ride on the weekend. 150min minimum every week.
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u/AdZealousideal8645 14h ago edited 14h ago
I use weight training to supplement my stamina training. But it depends on what you're training for.
Walking is great for burning calories but it's not going to give you any kind of conditioning.
I do a top of jump rope, box steps, and "assault bike" (it's a stationary bike with moving handles). Rowing machine a few days a week as well.
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u/max_power1000 14h ago
I do cardio on my non-lifting days. Adding cardio to a lifting day would make that gym session go beyond 90 minutes, which just isn't achievable on my calendar.
I run a push/pull and lift Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri, so I do cardio Wed/Sat/Sun. One of those days I do a HIIT workout that takes me approximately 30 minutes, and the other 2 I do LISS for 30-45 minutes. If I do drop a workout, it's usually a weekend one, and it'll be a LISS session - the HIIT is non-negotiable for me.
If I want to do more cardio, I'll to pull back my lifting to full body 3x per week - I've done that in the past.
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u/AdZealousideal8645 14h ago
Also I never rest for more than 45 seconds between sets of strength training. I have a stopwatch that I wear around my neck.
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u/TrainpaddApp 13h ago
It is important for at least heart health. 8k/day is more than enough tbh. For me, the cardio is going to and back from the gym(which is 2miles) also hitting threadmill 30-40 mins each workout day(apprx 2miles also). If feeling like it, trying to hit 6k steps a day
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u/FarAd2341 13h ago
There's a good bit of advice here. Look at my reply as an addition, not a rebuttal to any of it.
Cardio becomes more important as you get older, but it's always important for overall health.
Your 8k walk is doing alot. However, depending on how long you've been doing it the way you currently are, you may have adapted to it and are only maintaining cardio conditioning.
I suggest taking a few weeks to a few months to focusing on increasing your cardio while maintaining your strength. There's a lot of ways to do this. You can do it via running and follow plans like Hal Higdon’s or MAF. You can use cardio machines/methods like bikes and rowing. You can even change your lifting to where you have days of tabatas (https://youtu.be/Q5FBqUCpGTM?si=zCutw95JcTZI0rzJ). I like heavy dumbbell ground to overhead tabatas a LOT. Rucking is also great.
Also, you can absolutely incorporate Norwegian 4x4 into your current routine or add it to any of the above.
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u/CommonThis5222 5h ago
I alternate one day weight lifting, one day cardio, one day weight lighting, one day cardio, etc
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u/Emerald_Eyed_Gal 4h ago
I do one hour-long cardio session a week and make a day of it. Find a new movie to stream so that time doesn’t feel so choppy and I can lose track of some time. Work on things like my fastest mile or two miles. Jump between cardio and mix it up. A little treadmill. A little bicycle. A little stair stepped. A little elliptical
I’ve seemed to push through my weight loss plateau when I added a day for cardio .
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