Fitness guys: cardio question

[widebody911]

I'm in a running debate with my g/f and her trainer over what qualifies as 'cardio'.

They say that 'good' cardio has to be some sort of continuous activity - ie running or on some sort of machine, for 30 - 60 minutes.

I play basketball for 2 hours, two to four times a week, and occasionally mix it up with some racquetball or volleyball, but they say that isn't good enough.

Who's right?

I'd rather pound my nuts flat with a ball-peen hammer than spend 60 - much less 30 - minutes on a [stair|elliptical|rowing|pedaling] machine.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Any exercise is good, but I've heard that 30-60 minutes a day at 75%+ of your theoretical max. heart rate is sort of a convention. YMMV.

Go run or bike out on the road. It's far less boring and you actually get to get outside and go someplace! I agree, treadmills & stationary bikes are boring as hell.

[kang]

It depends on how hard you play your games.

Do you get your heart rate up high enough, for a long enough period of time? You didn’t mention this in your post. If so, then you’re fine. If not, well, either play your games harder, or find some other form of cardio exercise.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The "guesstimate" way is to take 220 and subtract your age. That's your theoretical maximum heart rate.

I've also heard that you can do a five minute "zone 3" workout ("zone 3" is basically the maximum effort you can sustain) then push out a 30 second sprint, all-out (anaerobic, sometimes called "zone 4"). Then take your pulse over 60 seconds.

[legion]

As a person who does the machines, I actually think basketball, raquetball, etc. is a better workout.

My reasoning is you are playing a game, want to win, and are putting aside being tired, hungry, whatever to win. It's pretty easy for me to step off the treadmill five minutes early and say to myself: "I'm not in the mood today..."

[lendaddy]

I've also heard that your heart only gets so many beats so use them wisely. I suggest the bedroom over the gym, but sometimes the gym is the key to the bedroom

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by legion

As a person who does the machines, I actually think basketball, raquetball, etc. is a better workout.

My reasoning is you are playing a game, want to win, and are putting aside being tired, hungry, whatever to win. It's pretty easy for me to step off the treadmill five minutes early and say to myself: "I'm not in the mood today..."

Another good argument for running/cycling outdoors and NOT on a machine. You still need to get home, right? You either "push it" a bit and get home quicker and feeling good about your workout or you stop and walk and feel like a failure. It's motivating. At least I find it to be.

[hardflex]

Cardio by definition is aerobic activity, in other words, the energy required is supplied by the heart and blood vessels to the muscles as you perform the exercise. The other is Anaerobic, which is where you go into Oxygen debt for a short period. Finish, you breathe hard until you get enough Oxygen resupplied.

I would bet Basketball and Racquetball get your heart rate up and keep it up, unless they are slow paced games. Vball, not so much, unless it's 2 on 2 beach volleyball or something that is fairly strenous. 8 on 8 rec ball, probably not.

Best way to know is to measure your heart rate while you play. If it's high and stays high, it's good Cardio, IMHO

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by widebody911

I'd rather pound my nuts flat with a ball-peen hammer than spend 60 - much less 30 - minutes on a stair|elliptical|rowing|pedaling] machine.

I ride four times a week for 40 minutes at the heart rate calculated by the Life-cycle machine. I hate it, but I generally have the Black Berry on the dresser and the TV on with remote near.

It just is what is is, unfortunately

If it makes you feel better, I am still able to play basketball once a week at age 51 (albeit with geezers +/- tens years of my age)...since I started the cardio regime even that is better.

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by widebody911

I'd rather pound my nuts flat with a ball-peen hammer than spend 60 - much less 30 - minutes on a [stair|elliptical|rowing|pedaling] machine.

Get a good book... I find that the time I spend on the machines is pretty much the only reading time I get.

[chapo]

I can run on one of those machines at a god clip and feel like a hero. However , when I play in a mens league basketball game twice a week I'm actually a little sore the next day really feel like i got a godworkout. Competition is good, especially when I'm 38 and playing 24 year olds.

[hardflex]

"I've also heard that your heart only gets so many beats so use them wisely."

Never heard that before. Probably because it's not true.

[Joeaksa]

Her doing a BJ for 30 minutes is very good Cardio. Introduce her to this form of excercise!

[kang]

Another difference between ball games and machines is that ball games tend to be more like interval training than machines are, by their nature. You get your heart rate really high, and then you have a period of lower rates, then high again, etc. Interval training is an excellent way to train.

Sometimes I do it on the machines. Once warmed up, raise the level of the machine to a rate that you can barely sustain for 2 minutes. At the end of the two minutes, you should be panting, struggling for air, legs burning, heart rate >160. Now, lower the rate of the machine to a more sustained rate, like say heart rate ~120. Let the lactic acid get removed from your legs, let your breathing become more normal, etc. Then repeat. Do this for your entire 60 minute workout. You may need longer and longer “sustained rate” periods towards the end of the hour, and a lower setting on the machine for the higher intensity portion then at the beginning of the hour.

This can be a killer workout.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by lendaddy

I suggest the bedroom over the gym, but sometimes the gym is the key to the bedroom

I don't think 2 minutes of cardio is going to do anyone any good...

[rcm]

I'd rather pound my nuts flat with a ball-peen hammer than spend 60 - much less 30 - minutes on a [stair|elliptical|rowing|pedaling] machine.[/QUOTE]

That will raise you heart rate.

I think both will give you great results. However, everyday exercise is the key.

[TerryBPP]

Yes you are doing cardio but not enough to lose significant weight. I assume thats what the debate is "enough exercise to lose weight".

Unless you have extremely high metabolism you need to do a minimum of 30 minutes of 75% heart rate cardio a day. Usually equals 3-4 miles of running.

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by hardflex

"I've also heard that your heart only gets so many beats so use them wisely."

Never heard that before. Probably because it's not true.

You should look into getting a sense of humor installed.

[Porsche virgin]

As mentioned, there are many different flavors of exercise. The idea, IMHO, is to do a little bit of each: aerobic, anaerobic, interval.

That said, ANYTHING that gets people off the couch and get their hearts pumping is a really good thing. With all due respect, tell your g/f and her trainer to keep their comments to themselves.

[TimothyFarrar]

I'm going to second the interval training (or sports) over normal cardio. The real question is what is your goal? Loose weight, gain muscle, better your health, have fun, or just increase nut size, all of which can be done better from something other than traditional cardio.

Personally I go with lifting + some kind of sports or interval training (when I'm not trying to increase the size of my beer gut). Getting the heart pumping at its maximum for short bursts is bound to help clear out all sorts of bad crap, kind of like taking your Porsche out and redlining it after every stoplight.

My wife was a die hard cardio queen for a while, until she overdid it and had to stop because of a hip problem. In the time off I got her back into lifting. Now she looks better, more toned, and only hits the cardio once and a while but does intervals a few times a week however.

Cardio eats muscle if overdone...