Question - need validation or nullification

[RhiannonW]

If current cardio rotation is(approx. 180 minutes intense total cardio):
Tue - IMAX
Thur- MIC
Sat - IMAX 2

Then.....if rotation is changed to Intensity Series Body Blast
(Boot Camp(8 min), Cardio & Weights(@30 min), all IMAX 2(@60 min), plus 5 intervals of IMAX2(@30 min)) - (approx. 128 min intense total cardio)

Won't this decrease in total cardio minutes obviously result in a loss of cardio endurance, thus less calorie burning in a given week?
Or, does the body use equal calories while doing weight work as it would use if doing cardio?

Any ideas?

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Rhiannon! Your cardio endurance will be fine and it is good to change things up when you get too used to a particular rotation. You can always add an extra cardio workout in if you really want 180 minutes of cardio every other week. Better yet, make that additional cardio workout be something that you have never done before and only do it for 30 minutes (since your body needs to get acclimated to it). That will take you out of your comfort zone and make your muscles respond that much more due to muscle confusion.

As for calorie burning.... in most cases it may seem that your body burns more calories while you are actively doing cardio activities, but don't underestimate the calorie burning effects of weight training. Even though you may not be continuously moving about or even burning the same amount of calories in a given weight training session, you are still burning calories in the long run. As your body increases its lean muscle mass through weight training, it will also be increasing its metabolism, therefore burning more total calories over the course of a given day/week etc..