Lifting legs heavy vs. cardio

[Koaleen]

OKOK,
So I need to pull a lot of weight off my body, mainly lower (suprise suprise). I'm torn between lifting legs heavy to failure so I can get a good post workout metabolism lift or not lifting so heavy with legs because it makes me sore as hell and the intensity of my cardio suffers to no end because of it. I have solid legs and I don't think the problem with them is too much muscle so much as just too much fat. Which way do you think is the most efficient way to whittle them down?
Nutrition wise everything is clean and I'm cycling carbs which has kept my energy fairly consistent and brought off the first 10 lbs...but these legs....

[KP DIVA]

What type of cardio are you doing?? Holding BF in my legs isn't my problem area but I will say I've gotten the best results using the stepmill. I think you should still continue to train legs but if you need to do cardio to reduce BF I think that is most important. I wouldn't go super heavy if it takes you several days to recover and you can't do any cardio at all.

[Shelly]

dont do cardio on leg day-- and kill it the rest of the week!

[Betsy]

i agree with both PP... i woudlnt do cardio on leg day.. train the shit outta them then GO HOME.. But on your other days.. for cardio i highly recommend the stepmill.. esp to bring down ure legs and bootay!

[Koaleen]

The stepmill WRECKS me in the most fantastic way, I do 1 min intervals on it. I try to do most of my cardio with the first 20-30 min being interval wk either on the stepmill or 2 min intervals of run6.5 @ a 6 incline with walk 2min @ 4 on a 1 incline. If I am there during a spin class I will do that, but I'm usually only able to hit the gym either before 5am or after 8 so class time is rare. On days when I'm running on empty I chug on the elliptical and try to do wuss intervals just according to whatever music I'm listening to at the time.

[frannyfran]

Ughhhhhhhh freaking legs~!!!!! :banghead: You're preaching to the choir sister! I have the same problem. I noticed using the stairmill has helped along with skipping stairs and walking on the treadmill at the highest incline possible.

I threw in walking backwards this year and I think that helped too. I'd say keep you leg day workouts faster and maybe not as heavy so you can keep the rests to a minimum.

[Siouxcountry]

Sneaking in here to welcome Koaleen to our board! :waving:

[Erik]

dont do cardio on leg day-- and kill it the rest of the week!

I take the exact opposite approach.

DO your intense cardio (intervals) on leg day, separated from your leg workout by at least 6 hours. Why? So that your legs have more complete rest days per week. Doing them on your ‘Off’ or ‘Upper Body’ days gives your legs less recovery time and you run the risk of localized overtraining of your legs.

[Lynx]

I take the exact opposite approach.

DO your intense cardio (intervals) on leg day, separated from your leg workout by at least 6 hours. Why? So that your legs have more complete rest days per week. Doing them on your ‘Off’ or ‘Upper Body’ days gives your legs less recovery time and you run the risk of localized overtraining of your legs.

I feel like my legs get overtrained a lot by cardio. I don't do intense cardio but nonetheless...

[Erik]

I feel like my legs get overtrained a lot by cardio. I don't do intense cardio but nonetheless...

No doubt. Definitely a pretty common problem.

[FitFighter]

What if you don't have access to a step mill? My gym does not have one. I have these saddle bags that will not go away, but I am happy with my quad size. What should I do?

[Koaleen]

Sneaking in here to welcome Koaleen to our board! :waving:


Hallooooo! Thanks for the welcome! :waving:

[CydneyWalker_etheric]

What if you don't have access to a step mill? My gym does not have one. I have these saddle bags that will not go away, but I am happy with my quad size. What should I do?

once a week i lunged around my neighborhood, yes. i did the city block on thursday. it would take me up to 30 minutes to do it. i trained legs on monday and did no cardio most weeks. if i missed a session, i used my leg day as a make up day for cardio.

[Erik]

What if you don't have access to a step mill? My gym does not have one. I have these saddle bags that will not go away, but I am happy with my quad size. What should I do?

You don't need one.

If it's bodyfat you have to lose, the step mill is nothing more special than the fact that it is very intense and expends a significant number of calories.

You can't spot reduce glute fat just because you're using a step mill. Again, it's effective because it's hard. Might be good for the underlying muscles, but it can't do anything special for localized/targeted fat loss, since there is no such thing based on equipment modality.

Try interval sprints outside. Go to a track and run some 100s, 200s, or 400s.

Or perhaps look up Lyle McDonald's Stubborn Fat Solution book.

[Lisa]

My advice: Heavy weight training, no cardio & a clean diet...nuff said.

[Koaleen]

I think my eyes just dilated. No...cardio...:woohoo:

[powergirl]

Erik i agree with you on this one. Cardio on leg day, let them rest and let your moderate cardio and highly disciplined diet do the rest the remainder of the week. As well, heavy hard intense and focussed weight training for your lower half as well as upper half - to increase your LBM (with an appropriate diet and cardio schedule). I would definitely NOT miss leg day, or start doing only 'hi-rep' aerobic type training for your lower half. You need to stimulate muscle growth and increase your metabolic 'furnace'.

I also notice that each time I compete and diet down I have less and less of this issue so patience, dedication and just consistency...(more patience than anything) are also a solution. Stay focussed and keep at it, you look great...

[mclere]

I like to chime in and say no cardio on legs days either. You shouldn't even be able to do cardio after a good leg workout. IMO. People recover and different rates ya know. Just listen to your body. If you really want to bring your legs down perhaps try some circuit training. Man my BFF is doing that right now & it's freakin intense. She goes through 4 circuits going from one excerise to the next NON STOP. After each circuit she'll do the stairmill or stepper for 5 minutes. You get your cardio in at the same time pretty much. You can ty this and then switch things up and bit after a few weeks & go back to hevier training with no cardio on those days. Good luck.

[Alli]

i agree with both PP... i woudlnt do cardio on leg day.. train the shit outta them then GO HOME.. But on your other days.. for cardio i highly recommend the stepmill.. esp to bring down ure legs and bootay!

or arc trainer if your gym has them- you can crank the resistance up and literally feel the tear in your glutes and thighs...

[Alli]

I take the exact opposite approach.

DO your intense cardio (intervals) on leg day, separated from your leg workout by at least 6 hours. Why? So that your legs have more complete rest days per week. Doing them on your ‘Off’ or ‘Upper Body’ days gives your legs less recovery time and you run the risk of localized overtraining of your legs.

I agree with Erik- do either cardio or weights in the a.m and then whichever you didnt do in the morning hit later on in the day. Remember your legs shouldn't get sore to the point of "not being able to do cardio" until 24-48 hours LATER so that's why I say do hard cardio AND legs in one day...gives them more rest later.

[dvsness]

OKOK,
Which way do you think is the most efficient way to whittle them down?

Diet. ;)

[Patricia Dees]

Diet. ;)

I 2nd that.

[Koaleen]

I 2nd that.
I think one of my favorite quotes from a fitness buff was
" Sure you can lift, but can you diet?"

[Patricia Dees]

I think one of my favorite quotes from a fitness buff was
" Sure you can lift, but can you diet?"

:)

Love your avi btw....very pretty.

[Shelly]

I think one of my favorite quotes from a fitness buff was
" Sure you can lift, but can you diet?"

mnay people CANT..... and there lies the problem

[Erik]

I think one of my favorite quotes from a fitness buff was
" Sure you can lift, but can you diet?"

I like that. I'm going to have to borrow that one ... more than once I'm sure.

[DJudy]

mnay people CANT..... and there lies the problem

If it was easy...everyone would do it:banghead:

[Koaleen]

:)

Love your avi btw....very pretty.

ThankyoU!
It'll wk for now until I replace it with one when I am in all my buff glory...not in the "in the buff" sense, but buff, like...ripped.......yea;)

[Shelly]

If it was easy...everyone would do it:banghead:

good quote deb ;)

[KMS]

I take the exact opposite approach.

DO your intense cardio (intervals) on leg day, separated from your leg workout by at least 6 hours. Why? So that your legs have more complete rest days per week. Doing them on your ‘Off’ or ‘Upper Body’ days gives your legs less recovery time and you run the risk of localized overtraining of your legs.


I completely agree on this one. Besides two days later when my legs are KILLING me... that's the time I wish I was not doing cardio. You know the handicap toilet day.

[SBT]

I think one of my favorite quotes from a fitness buff was
" Sure you can lift, but can you diet?"

Very nicely put!! :cool:

[ISABELLE TURELL]

One of my last places to go is my "rice and bean" ghetto booty when I am getting ready for a show. LOL

I agree with Erik that you still need to do cardio on your leg day. I too like to spread my cardio out not so close to when I train legs. I will do cardio at 5 am and then do legs around 11 am or later. The one thing I don't like doing is training legs and then doing cardio right after. Oh that kills me and is a big no no in my book.

You can get away with doing very little cardio if you are training right and doing everything that is on your diet. Make sure you are drinking your water as thats very important for fat loss. One of my favorite things to do is lunges or stadiums.

When is your show?

[Koaleen]

I'm playing with the idea of doing excalibur on dec 6th.

[Pro Jamie Senuk]

I completely agree on this one. Besides two days later when my legs are KILLING me... that's the time I wish I was not doing cardio. You know the handicap toilet day.


LMFAO!!!! I thought I was the only one who did this!!!!!!