I found this really great article online about cardio and I had an eye opening moment after answering these questions.
Are YOU a cardio abuser?
If you answer “yes” to three or more of these, then consider yourself a potential cardio abuser. See above for “cardio rehab” ideas.
- Do you try to negate a bad food choice or less than stellar nutritional day with extra steady state cardio session to “even out” the calories? YES
- Is the duration of the session more important to you than intensity (e.g., you’ll choose 50 minutes lower intensity over 20 minutes of intervals)? No, not really I focus more on calorie burn.
- If time is short, do you scratch off resistance training before cardio sessions? YES
- If you want to drop some weight, is your first choice a 10 km or half marathon event? NO {already learned that doesn't work}
- If a coach gives you a goal-specific program, are you quick to ask “where’s the cardio?” or “when will we be adding in card?” Probably
- Do you track and record “calories burned per session” on a stationary piece of equipment? Well, on my heart rate monitor
- Do you feel fat or out of control when you go a day or more without a cardio session? YES
- Do you find your cardio time inching up and up… are you putting in more than an hour a day trying to lose weight or make progress? YES
- Do you find yourself progressing to longer endurance events — eventually hoping that events such as ultramarathons will help you lose fat? Do half-marathons seem like not enough and a full marathon just getting warmed up? NO, 13.1 is still plenty far for me :)
- Do you keep using cardio well beyond when it stops being useful or productive — for example doing cardio many times weekly for months and even years with little or no change in stimulus? YES
- Does the thought of dropping cardio make you feel distressed, fearful, and/or anxious? YES!!!
- Have you even refused to stop doing it after a trainer or health professional expressed concern about what effects so much cardio may have on you? UMmmm, if you consider people telling to slow down, then yes.
- Have you had blood test results that suggest you’re under significant physical stress (e.g. depressed sex hormones, disrupted thyroid, very high or very low cortisol, etc.)? No
- Are you afraid or reluctant to do resistance training, or increase the intensity or frequency of resistance training, in case you “get too big” or “bulk up” — even though endless cardio sessions haven’t helped you accomplish your goal (of reduced weight, body fat and/or girth measures)? No, I like doing weights too just not as much.
So yes I abuse cardio. I think in the beginning it started with trying to work off bad food choices.
Shit, I ate that bag of chips I better go run THAT off tonight.
BUT on the flip side, I love the 'runners high' I get from a good sweat fest.
I have become a slave to my heart rate monitor, going longer and longer at the gym to burn as many calories as I can.
Well, I was stuck at 150 for MONTHS so apparently you can't run off a bag of chips and burning more calories doesn't equal weight loss {Unless you're on Biggest Loser, they workout like all day everyday and drop a load of weight! Must be the magic of Bob and Dolvett whom I love}
I'm trying really hard to cut back on my cardio and adding in more resistance training and weights.
If you know me in real life, then you know I'm super social, I love to be around other people which is half the reason I go to a gym. {other than needing a break from the toddler} Wednesdays are my favorite days and I may have over did it yesterday with a calorie burn of 1420, oops.
Today I'm ONLY going to do 30 minutes of spin and then Body Pump {weight class}.
Baby steps people, baby steps :)
I'm still doing good on my abs!
My little sweaty buddy!
Oh and I totally realized I bought the wrong video, I have the 6 week 6 pack, not the 30 day one.
Oh well, abs are abs and Jillians still hard core :)
I'm also not going to wear my heart rate monitor to the gym everyday so I'm less focused on burn and more on my workout.
Oh, and I FINALLY broke the plateau, 145.8 BABY!!
Here's hoping to keeping it off in a healthy way!