Cardio 1hr30mins too much?

[promiscio]

Hey guys
My girlfriend is doing cardio every day for 1hr 30 mins on the eliptical and burning 1100 calories according the the computer. She keeps her heart rate alternating between 150 and 170. She is strictly trying to lose weight and tone. Is this a good regimen? Is there a better method for her?

[Big Poppa Pump]

maybe a girl or someone else could answer better?...but I'd say possibly cut the cardio down to an hour and use that half hour to do some light weight training.

[SwoleCat]

90 minutes is a great way to shoot cortisol through the roof and lose a lot of lean muscle tissue.

Better to do two 45 minute sessions am/pm, but have an IMPECCABLE eating protocol to accompany that intense activity.

The goal is FAT loss, not "weight" loss (muscle and fat)

~SC~

[promiscio]

She is eating a higher protein low carb diet. If she could only do one 45min workout would that be better than the 1hr30 she is doing now?> She has been doing the hour and 30 mins plus some light weight training.

[promiscio]

Increase her intensity to the max for the 45mins once a day to control the cortisol levels?

[Jerzey]

This is why I don't get on the scale every day like 99.9% of the women I know do....

I gained 10lbs since April (i just got on the scale) but lost inches all over...

She should focus just as much on toning as she should on cardio... maybe you should suggest a book, Body For Life by Bill Phillips... it's great for how to eat and also HIIT (high intensity interval training).. if she's really pushing herself for 45 mintues, there's no reason why she should be doing 1 1/2 straight hours of cardio. If she wants to drop that fast, she should do 45 in the a.m. and 45 in the p.m., not all at once like that, she's going to burn muscle. Just my .02.

[justin2305]

i would drop cardio to 45mins like said above in the am on empty stomach, then do a light pm weights followed with say 30mins of cardio for a cool down

[Giantz11]

You need to get her to understand it ain't about countin calories at all.....1.5 hours at that intensity without the proper eating, is real real bad for any type of weight loss, cause its gonna be mainly muscle....And since she's not eating any types of carbs she's prolly got little to no glycogen stores, very bad IMO. Running at that intensity for that duration should be treated like a weight lifting session with pre and post work out nutrition.