Cardio Routines

[ashnpat920]

I was wondering if I need to start mixing up my cardio routines. You see, I use the Billy Blanks Tae Bo DVD’s as my cardio workout six days a week. All these videos are immediate/advanced level ranging 30-60 minutes long. Most are full body workouts, some focus on the lower body, and a couple focuses on the upper body; and half use the resistance bands. So all videos are different, although about everyone include some side kicks, front kicks, back kicks, and punches. I love kickboxing; it gets my heart pumping and body sweating. Should I take some days off to walk/run on a treadmill or would it be okay to stick to my Tae Bo DVD’s (just so long as I don’t do the same video twice in one week)? Any suggestions or comments please! Thanks!!

[reese23]

6 days of cardo for 20-60 minutes? seems like overkill.
what are your goals?
do you lift weights?

[ashnpat920]

My goals are to lose weight and body fat, I've come a long way so far. I've just got more to go. I do lift, but only once a week with light dumbells.

[reese23]

while cardio plays an important role in fat loss, diet is the KEY.
what does your diet look like-- meal by meal, time, amounts, etc.
Weight training will help you to maintain and build lean muscle, which takes up less room on your body lb for lb vs. fat weight. Muscle will also help define your body and increase metabolism. My suggestion would be to train perhaps 3X/week if possible, lifting heavier weights and cutting your cardio back.
Do you mind my asking your current stats?

[ashnpat920]

I follow a pretty strict diet, I rotate each day between 1500, 1600, and 1800 calories. For breakfast it’s mostly oatmeal and ½ grapefruit, mid-morning snack is either blueberries or strawberries, lunch is grilled chicken salad w/ balsamic vinaigrette and ¼ cup almonds, mid afternoon snack is a protein bar, and supper is 4-6 oz lean meat (chicken, beef, pork, salmon, or shrimp) with either a sweet potato, brown rice, whole wheat spaghetti noodles and a cup of green beans, or low fat broccoli and cheese. On Saturday nights I’ll have a cheat meal and eat what I want. My current stats are: I’m 5’7” tall, weight 149lbs, and body fat 26%. I’m also on my third week of Anavar at 8mg each day. It feels as if though since January I’ve been stuck at the same weight and measurements so I’m desperate to find a way to break through this plateau.

[reese23]

wait, you are taking anavar.... what is your reasoning behind this? You are only weight lifting once per week, it would be best if you could do more.
AAS is not for the use of fat loss.

[ashnpat920]

Since I've been stuck at this plateau for the last several months, a close friend that is into bodybuilding suggested taking this to help me break through.

[BADKITTY]

ok-
there's nothing wrong with taking anavar for fat loss. building lean muscle will dramatically increase your metabolism. with that being said you SHOULD be doing more weight-training to aid in building muscle. however, beware that you may not lose much more "weight" even though you will get smaller. don't be obsessed with the scale- muscle weighs more than fat. Supergirl posted up a great article on anavar- what it does and doesn't do:
Anavar defined
now- before you put ANYTHING into your body you should research it!! just because a bodybuilder tells you to do it doesn't make it safe. i have seen a lot of women take drugs because their boyfriends, husbands or male friends told them to, and they ended up with unwanted side effects. you should have started your cycle at 5mgs/day to assess your tolerance. always take the least amount that you see results from.
with all that being said, back to your original question: yes you should be doing different types of cardio. putting an incline on the treadmill will really tighten up the hamstrings and butt area, and sprints will burn a TON of calories in a short amount of time. you should also be weight training 3-4x a week. this site is a wealth of info; don't be afraid to ask if you have more q's... Best of luck to you!
~KITTY

[ashnpat920]

Thanks for the reply Kitty, I did do TONS of research on the Anavar before starting the cycle. And even now, anything new on the boards I read about it. And I know not to really pay much attention to the scales, that's why I judge my progess by how my clothes fit and I also measure myself everyother week. I'll give that a try, switching my cardio routines between kickboxing and using the treadmill at high speeds or inclines. Thanks again.

[BADKITTY]

always welcome glad you joined the board...
~KITTY