how much cardio/exercise to do?
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@the-MOUSE said in how much cardio/exercise to do?:
@the-MOUSE https://looksmax.org/threads/what-is-the-best-form-of-cardio-that-wont-decrease-testosterone-but-will-debloat.797369/
3 sets of 10 sec full intensity sprint? or even this increase cortisol
Sprints are great, but can be pretty taxing/stressful in the body when you're starting. I would start with very short sprints (4-5 seconds) and just one or two repetitions for the first time. You shouldn't have a big stress reaction with that. Wait a few days, see how you body handles it, and add one repetition next time.
I think sprints are one of the best exercises you can do, if you don't kill yourself. Explosive, but short duration.
Jump rope is also good. You can use nose breathing as a guidance. Breath through the nose until there is some air hunger, but not until you're half dead. I noticed that I improved rather quickly when I did this.
For longer exercise, long walks/hiking or bike rides, where you can also use nose breathing as an indicator. In my opinion, long-distance running is one of the worst sports you can do for your health.
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Imagine thinking that a 30m jog/ run per week raises cortisol. The fear surrounding excessive exercise is valid at much higher levels of exercise, say what professional athletes/ runners do.
But cmon, do you really think being a couch potato is healthier than doing a 30m cardio weekly? -
@the-MOUSE my favorite way to get cardio is playing a sport I enjoy outside with friends. This is peaty
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@GreekDemiGod true jfl
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@the-MOUSE is mike mentzer peaty? @thyroidchor27 maybe cortisol short term but it actually good n doesent efefct long term
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Literally just do any exercise that you enjoy… don’t over complicate it or do anything that hurts/makes you feel worse
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OP, I'd say the golden staples, especially for a beginner, are going to be something like resistance weight training 3x a week, and getting your daily step count up to 10k.
You can do these things gradually to reduce cortisol, but also don't be so afraid of it. Your body will adapt and recover if you're not an idiot. Weight training can start as 3 lifts, such as a push, a pull, and a leg exercise, done as 1 hard set towards failure after a warm-up set of each. That will be like 10-15 minutes in the gym, and honestly will give you 50% of the results as a "full" workout. Super time efficient. Then you can add additional sets, a fourth exercise, etc, as your body adapts. Whatever you work up to, I'd recommend capping your weight sessions at 40-60mins, longer than that and you're probably being time-inefficient or doing too much.
Same with walking or even jogging. These activities are completely fine and you don't need to worry about cortisol at all if you build up gradually based on what your body can handle. Start with 10 minutes of something every other day, then 15 mins, etc.
Use your sleep, energy levels, attentiveness, and body composition to gauge your cortisol response. Don't be afraid of short-term stress, it's chronic stress (e.g. for under-sleeping) that will mess you up. If anything, short bouts of acute stress are actually really good for your overall system ('hormesis').
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I'm glad to see a thread like this. Reading Ray Peat makes me wary of cardio, but for my panic disorder treatment, I need to do 30 minutes daily, both to acclimate to the sensations and to improve my fitness.
I'm exploring concentric-based exercises. I'm still unclear on what counts, but from Georgi's podcast, it seems cycling is preferable to running since it's concentric.
Any additional insights on this?
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dude just go for a jog
