I do my cardio in the mornings and lift weights in the late afternoons. I have found this to be a very effective pattern. I usually do both the lifting and cardio four days a week, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. But I take an "extra" day off about once a month to aid recovery. I hit a heavy bag in my home gym twice a week (Su, W) and walk outside on the other two days (M, Th). Come spring, I might walk more and hit the heavy bag less so that I can get outside, but I will then hit the heavy bag on days it is raining, as I hate to walk in the rain.

I walk near my home, sometimes going to the right and sometimes to the left. The latter path is more hilly, so those walks are yellowed. My goal distance for each path is determined by how far I can walk without having to cross a highway, which should take about 30 minutes at my current pace. After that, I will gradually increase my pace. If I walk elsewhere, those walks will be indicated in the Comments.

The duration and distance of the walking is measured using the exercise timer and pedometer on my Samsung Galaxy S5 smart phone. The first and last couple of minutes are being done at a slow pace for a warm-up and cool-down, respectively. This lowers the average mph for the entire walk, so my "cruising" speed is a little higher than the indicted mph. I use the S5 when I am wearing pants or cut offs with a pocket to put it in. If I am wearing a sweat suit, I use an old-fashioned watch and a clip-on pedometer. The step count on the pedometer differs slightly from the S5, so they are indicated by an asterisk. The conversion to miles is way off on the pedometer, so I'm not bothering to indicate it. I should get a new pedometer.

On the heavy bag, the first and last couple of minutes are also being done at a low intensity for a warm-up and cool-down, respectively. My goal is to work up to 24 minutes; that will give me 20 minutes of hard exercise. There's no way to indicate my intensity on the heavy bag, so only the time is given.

20-30 minutes of cardio 4x/ week done at a moderate intensity is sufficient for general conditioning. It keeps my blood pressure and heart rate low (BP: 104/64 at my last doctor's appointment; RHR: usually around 50 when I measure it with my S5). It keeps my bodyweight where I want it, and I just feel better doing such cardio. However, kept at that level, I do not believe this amount and intensity of cardio is adversely affecting my powerlifting training or recovery there from. In fact, it is the exact opposite. It gives me better stamina, so I am able to handle a larger workload in my lifting workouts without getting overly tired and to get through my workouts quicker by taking less rest time between sets.

Powerlifting and Back Pain

    The first book is geared towards the beginner to intermediate powerlifter. It presents sound training, competition, dietary, and supplement advice to aid the reader in starting and progressing in the sport of powerlifting. The second book details how I overcame years of crippling low back and was able to return to the sport of powerlifting.

Starting and Progressing in Powerlifting: A Comprehensive Guide to the World's Strongest Sport

Overcoming Back Pain: A Mind-body Solution (Second Edition)

See also this series on Amazon (#ad).