Opinions split between daily combined sessions and keeping rest days very light. Most say recovery and personal sustainability decide the amount, with several noting that gentle movement like walking feels better than total inactivity. A few mention hormones or age affecting how hard they can push every day.
What this discussion establisheswhether 21 heavy sets plus an hour of cardio every day is sustainable or advisable for most lifters
Still openhow much cardio actually improves versus harms long-term recovery for natural lifters
Nothing here is advice.
Trying to decide the best spot for cardio while lifting often. Normally see rest days as total rest, yet light cardio might aid recovery without harm. What's preferred: cardio after weights, on different days, or full rest days?
I combine weights and cardio daily, even if most can't keep it up. On a run of 111 days now. Heavy lifting for 21 sets and then an hour or sometimes two of cardio. Really depends on what works for you long term.
Twenty one sets are heavy?
My priorities shift based on what I'm aiming for at the moment and my starting point. Right now getting back to full strength matters most to me though others might focus on building size or improving stamina instead.
My experience shows it really comes down to personal energy levels. Sure, that's probably obvious, yet when I add some light movement and wake up ready to train again, it's positive. Otherwise I cut back a bit. Light activity seems useful to me since our bodies weren't made for constant inactivity.
I push myself to the limit each day without fail. Those two compounds really help sustain my current run.
During recovery days I stroll for distances of two to four miles. This keeps my circulation going.
At 66 I really pushed through the opening two months of my three-month stretch by adding more load each time I trained. The way I handled the start of each day still surprises me. Before this therapy the stiffness would have kept me stuck in bed but now my recovery feels far better than expected. The final stretch has turned difficult though mostly from soreness in the connective tissues after the repeated load jumps. I'll add longer holds and controlled lowering moves near the finish of my workouts to reinforce those spots. Other compounds are in the mix as well. I hope the new approach acts much like static positions which seem to support tendon recovery.
Every single day includes some aerobic exercise for me. When I have strength training sessions I start with short bursts of high intensity to get ready but other times I spend more time on steady state activities. Thirty minutes of alternating effort levels while using the cross trainer feels like downtime to me. Moderate aerobic work like that leaves my recuperation unaffected.
On days when I'm not training, I tend to take a stroll. It's pretty low-key, yet it lifts my mood to be somewhat active rather than remaining idle.
Appreciate everyone's thoughts on this. My current idea is to stick with mild movement like walking during days off and check how well my body bounces back afterward. Doesn't look like there's any reason to make things more involved.
Now I combine all my training into single days three times a week. Before I used to exercise five times every day. Different methods work fine so no single approach is best.
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