How much is too much cardio?

[Damon]

Stats - 6'4", 223 lbs., ~20% bodyfat, 2500-2900 calories per day (maintenance is 3300 - 3800). I've cut back lately to just a bit of low-intensity steady state for 15-20 minutes after weights but I want to add more in without killing myself. I start shooting an indie flick on the 31st so I'd like to safely cut as much as I can before that.

A few months ago, my cardio days consisted of doing the Stairmaster for 33 minutes - 5 minute warmup followed by 25 minutes of 2-minutes high-intensity/1 minute low-intensity and then a 3 minute cool down.

After plugging in all the age & weight variables into the machine it would read between 750-900 calories burned in the 33 minutes depending on what levels I could maintain.

Then I'd rest for 5-10 minutes and do HIIT on the treadmill for another 30 minutes - 30 second sprint at 12mph and then 90 second jog/walk. That'd burn another 700 calories or so according to the machine. I was exhausted and a sweaty mess but felt great having burned 1400 - 1600 calories.

If I wanted to add extra cardio during the week, sometimes on my 3x/week weight days (Rippetoe's Starting Strength - kicks my butt, btw) I'd follow it up with 20-30 minutes of the Stairmaster as above.

Too much?

 

[P-funk]

depends on the type of cardio. The 5x5 squat program is a very intense and high volume squat program. You will overtrain the shit out of your legs trying to do that and lots of sprinting.

 

[JOSHBUILT]

I don't know, how much cardio does a wooly mammoth do to stay fat? You be the judge you fucking asshole

 

[Duncans Donuts]

i do HIIT on off days no more than 20 minutes a pop. or games of basketball (full court).

i get extreme neuro fatigue from any kind of HIIT.

 

[CowPimp]

Interval training in combination with high frequency training is tricky business. You have to monitor the ability of your legs and nervous system to fully recover doing a program outlined as above.

 

[jasone]

Swimming sprints the length of the pool and walking back for 30 minutes on non leg days. I have been doing this and it works well. In the past interval training by way of running or stairmaster would cause overtraining and kill my back, knees, and ankles after a few weeks. I have been doing this for several months with no pain and feel strong. Works for me!