[KatieK]

I am posting this question in the maintenance section because I feel most comfortable with you wonderful people!!
I am at a great weight for me 119 and have been maintaining for 5 months.
I have realized ( finally!! LOL!!) that on WL days I need to do my cardio BEFORE my WL.
I do 5 1/2 miles power walking three days a week --hope I will be able to get back to running.
On my 3 WL days how much cardio should I do FIRST to warm-up??
And how much AFTER I have done my WL?
Thanks so much!

[Meg]

Hi Katie!

I know you said you've discovered that you need to do your cardio before weights, but it's usually recommended to do the opposite if you're doing cardio and weights on the same day -- weights, then cardio. That way you'll preserve your energy for the weights. Or did I misunderstand you?

Any time you're lifting weights, regardless of when you're doing cardio, you want to do a 5 - 10 minute warmup to get the blood pumping to all your muscles. You can do that with any kind of cardio: walking, running, elliptical, bike, whatever you have access to. I also do one or two warm-up sets before I go on to heavier weights.

As for how much cardio you need to maintain, the answer is really going to be trial and error to see what works for YOU. If you're maintaining with your current routine, then you have your answer! If you find yourself gaining, either add another cardio session, lengthen your existing sessions, and/or increase the intensity.

I was maintaining with an hour of steady-state, moderate cardio per day. Then I read some studies showing better results with less time by using high-intensity intervals. Since I've switched to those, I've been able to cut down to 30 (killer) minutes a day. So you can play with any of those variable: duration, intensity, or frequency.

And congratulations on your five months of successful maintenance.

[KatieK]

Meg thanks so much for replying!!!
I was hoping you would!!
You are a great moderator!!!
No that was my mistake.
I typed it the WRONG WAY ROUND!!!
I was frustrated because the first time I went to post I got timed out!!
Yes I have been doing my cardio before WL and it just finally sunk in that I need to do the WL BEFORE!!
So I had been doing 2 miles on my WL days.
Now I will start with ten minutes of TM walking warm up.
I'm just afraid --lol!!-that after I do the WL --I won't want to get on the TM again -as I am so used to collapsing after my cardio/wl workout -and before I do yoga.
Well I'll have to experiment -- so like me to want to have someone else GIVE me the answer!!!
I am working up to doing intervals as you suggest but I don't think I'm there yet. If I push my body too hard I get a huge adrenalin rush that lasts till nighttime and I can't get to sleep.
BTW I had a harder time with getting my tooth pulled than I expected. Not with the procedure but afterwards-- maybe because I elected to have iv anesthesia.
I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep but they told me I could work the day after so I planned to do that --and even though I work from home it was stressful.
I did not get back to working out till 4 days ( 5 days total) after the procedure. Because as I said I am still pretty much a beginner at WL it did seem to me that I lost some muscle definition in my arms.
Also after 5 days off the TM my center back calf muscles were horribly painful!!
Any idea why???? Meg or anyone?? --That is such a short time off???
Luckily my dear husband massaged my calves and that helped a lot.
Today I did my 5 + miles for the first time since the procedure and my legs seem okay-- so far --they usually are worse in the evening, but before the procedure when I was working out 6 days a week I had no problems.
I always stretch super well afterwards with calf stretches and yoga!