How long should workouts be?

[Anonymous]

Is it better to work out on two or three cardio machines in intense intervals where most of the time the workout is very intense, for a total of 40 minutes, or on spend an hour on one machine where you are still sweating but not so intense?

Updates

+1 y

I do 5 to ten minutes of weights as well

[kheserthorpe]

It depends on your goal and current state. They target slightly different adaptations.

Broadly, steady state cardio (perhaps 135-140 bpm) is better for increasing the capacity of your heart and your vein/capillaries. this is a slower adaptation, though useful to get first. As you adapt, you need increasingly longer time periods to achieve further adaptations. You'll also, obviously, need to speed up to achieve the same intensity level.

Interval type (but still aerobic) training is better for increasing the strength with which your heart can contract, and the ability of your muscles to extract oxygen from the bloodstream. This adaptation kicks in faster, though doesn't last as long if you stop doing the exercise.

If you want to push your resting heart rate down, I'd focus on the former, and longer duration is better. If your heart rate is where you want it and you want to be able to shoot up to higher heart rate and output a lot of energy, I'd do more of the latter.

[Asker]

What about weight loss

[kheserthorpe]

First off, diet is probably more important then exercise. I don't mean 'a diet' I mean diet in general, as in what you consume.

Second, its about calories burned - not just in the workout, but over the day.

I'd guess if you simply had one day to work out, probably the longer mid intensity would be burn more calories.

However, over months, doing resistance work and building high intensity over a low intenstiy base will make you more fit. That will let you work out harder, burning more.

[WeaponZero]

Intervals where you go at a sprinting pace and take short rests when needed are the better way to go for calorie burn, steady state is more for building up athletic endurance (marathon training, etc).

Most circuit training workout programs (which combine resistance training with aerobic style interval cardio) have you working out 30-45 minutes typically. I'm guessing there's a reason for that. It must be sufficient.

The real question here is whether or not it's better to split cardio and resistance days or combine them into a circuit training program.

Also, I noticed you only asked about cardio. You should be incorporating some form of resistance training in with your workout too.

[WeaponZero]

5 to 10 minutes of weights isn't really enough to get in a full total body workout.

[curiouschica]

I think the important thing is being consistent with your exercise and eating right as well! If you take care of those areas, you're doing great! I do an hour of cardio where I'm sweating and it's not easy...but the others were right about interval training...It has a lot of benefits too! I guess it depends on how much time you have! Do you have time to do an hour of steady state cardio (but still where you are pushing yourself)? If not go for the interval training (pushing yourself even more in a shorter amount of time)...and yeah maybe try to increase the time you do weights. Also, I don't do the same type of cardio when I go to the gym...I try to alternate the machines to confuse my body!

[madmisskelly]

try about 20 minutes of weight training and abs, followed by about 45 minuts of cardio broken up however you want it.

Don't neglect weight training, because you'll actually tone that way. You need to up your weight training. 5 minutes is nothing.

[martyfellow]

You should alternate longer, less intense workouts with others that are sprint-type activities that are shorter but get your pulse rate higher. Do one machine on one day and the other on the next day. This will also avoid boredom.

[WoIIie]

Intense cardio for about 40 minutes sounds good.

10 minutes of weights is rather short? But it works so... good job.

And no, coasting on a machine and hardly sweating is the worst kind of workout.

[Anonymous]

The simple advice is to just make sure you do enough exercise to expend more energy than you've consumed. This is something you'll have to calculate based on yourself.