Advice please to cardio or not to cardio

bigvin73 · 10-29-2009, 07:02 PM

I am working on trying to put on size as my frame is so large 6-6 280 not hard yet not fat and shape is coming along nice; however, I am torn. I do need to drop body fat but I am afraid doing cardio will hurt my muscle gains or at least slow them. I train with a tad more volume then most and i train very instinctivly (i go more on feel then on set routine, I know witch body part for the day but i will do a little more or a little less of certain excersises depending if i have a good connection with it, so my routine is always changing). I guess my consern is while i would love to get leaner faster will adding a couple days of cardio hurt my overall gains. I eat a ton of protien minimum of 340 grams a day and my calorie intake is around 42-5k daily and yes i eat as clean as possible( hard to eat enough clean to get that kind of calorie intake)
Thanks in advance for the advice
Oh yeah I am trying to get into body building i did the power thing when i was younger my joints don't like it anymore.

AKMass · 10-29-2009, 07:08 PM

You are a big guy, bigger than I. I was as heavy and heavier than you at one time. I found that cardio, at least running on a treadmill, was really hard on my knees until I trimmed down some weight. Consquently, I did very little cardio. IMO-Its not absolutely necessary and you can lose fat fine without doing it. Cardio just speeds up the process a little as long as you have your diet in check.

IMO-If you lift hard and eat right, cardio is not necessary to lose fat. To get to sub 10% bf you may need to add it in to speed up your metablism and continue to lose.

bigvin73 · 10-29-2009, 07:15 PM

thanks I use the eliptical thingy cause i have bad knees to begin with so squats hurt a bit but hell its leg day so it should hurt. I train very very high intensity a friend of mine just gave me something new to try has me going on just a 1 min rest between sets and it is pumping me like crazy and absolutly wearing my ass ou, maybe its enough...shrug

Most Muscular · 10-29-2009, 07:48 PM

The problem in seeking advice is that everyone is a bit different in what works for them... you have to find out what works for YOU.

Some can do a lot of cardio and not lose any muscle mass while others will start shedding mass with very little cardio. It becomes trial and error to find the perfect balance for YOU.

In the end the amount of calories taken in or burned will determine the amount of weight you gain or lose. HOWEVER, I typically do not do cario to burn the calories from the cardio itself but rather (as I"ve gotten older) I do it to help speed up my slowing metabolism. I've found for ME that doing cardio in the morning kick starts my metabolism and allows me to eat more without gaining as much fat compared to when my metabolism is slower... but that's just me.

nuff said...

stayfit2008 · 10-29-2009, 07:54 PM

I'm currently in a mass stage of my game now,..I'll keep cardio in,..but at a light 30 minute pace,..not moderate,..but light,..keeping my heartrate around 95. If your prone to gaining fat easily,..you may want to bump the intensity,...get to know your body.

bigvin73 · 10-29-2009, 07:55 PM

Thanks MM i don't post a lot here but i do read a lot and I was hopping one of you guys would chime in. I have to do a lot diffrent due to my body size i am just looking for some opinions really. I have tried the cardio in the am thing but if i don't eat first I have real problems i tend to get a bit hypoglycimic (sorry i spell for crap) I am thinking of trying it just to loose some extra fat. I am not a big beliver in the bulk cut thing. My uncle was a big time ameture in the late 80s-90 and he said he never did much cardio but man them old timmer work outs are brutal so i see why.
I also have a hard time putting size on my legs due to hieght so cardio worries me there as well

Fifty+ · 10-29-2009, 08:06 PM

Performing some type of moderate physical work (cardio) for 20-30 minutes in between your workouts is healthy. You increase your heart beat, send fresh oxygenated blood cells to the muscles you worked the day before, and according to the wonderful world of magazine science, helps to combate DOMS. I get my 20-30 minutes in twice a week because I believe it is HEALTHY. It's worth 2% of my off day to help my sore muscles recuperate. .

freebirdmac · 10-29-2009, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigvin73

Thanks MM i don't post a lot here but i do read a lot and I was hopping one of you guys would chime in. I have to do a lot diffrent due to my body size i am just looking for some opinions really. I have tried the cardio in the am thing but if i don't eat first I have real problems i tend to get a bit hypoglycimic (sorry i spell for crap) I am thinking of trying it just to loose some extra fat. I am not a big beliver in the bulk cut thing. My uncle was a big time ameture in the late 80s-90 and he said he never did much cardio but man them old timmer work outs are brutal so i see why.
I also have a hard time putting size on my legs due to hieght so cardio worries me there as well

The guys have already said it, a caloric deficit brings fat loss. Cardio is not needed. Cardio is good for the CV system though. A deficit, no matter how you create it can and will slow or completely stop gains. The smaller the deficit the less impact it has on muscle gains. You need to pick which has priority.

EBA84 · 10-29-2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Most Muscular

I typically do not do cario to burn the calories from the cardio itself but rather (as I"ve gotten older) I do it to help speed up my slowing metabolism. I've found for ME that doing cardio in the morning kick starts my metabolism and allows me to eat more without gaining as much fat compared to when my metabolism is slower... but that's just me.

nuff said...

100% agree. I do the exact same thing. Sucks to get old...lol

Most Muscular · 10-30-2009, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigvin73

Thanks MM i don't post a lot here but i do read a lot and I was hopping one of you guys would chime in. I have to do a lot diffrent due to my body size i am just looking for some opinions really. I have tried the cardio in the am thing but if i don't eat first I have real problems i tend to get a bit hypoglycimic (sorry i spell for crap) I am thinking of trying it just to loose some extra fat. I am not a big beliver in the bulk cut thing. My uncle was a big time ameture in the late 80s-90 and he said he never did much cardio but man them old timmer work outs are brutal so i see why.
I also have a hard time putting size on my legs due to hieght so cardio worries me there as well

If you do a HIT type of cardio you can keep your sessions short (20 to 30 minutes tops) which will give your metabolism the kick start it needs and minimize the amount of muscle mass you lose (if any in that short period of time). While I like to do my cardio on an empty stomach there are those who feel you should have something to eat first. I hate cardio so I've found that this short and efficient system is what works for me.

nuff said...

x-trainer ben · 10-30-2009, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigvin73

I am working on trying to put on size as my frame is so large 6-6 280 not hard yet not fat and shape is coming along nice; however, I am torn. I do need to drop body fat but I am afraid doing cardio will hurt my muscle gains or at least slow them. I train with a tad more volume then most and i train very instinctivly (i go more on feel then on set routine, I know witch body part for the day but i will do a little more or a little less of certain excersises depending if i have a good connection with it, so my routine is always changing). I guess my consern is while i would love to get leaner faster will adding a couple days of cardio hurt my overall gains. I eat a ton of protien minimum of 340 grams a day and my calorie intake is around 42-5k daily and yes i eat as clean as possible( hard to eat enough clean to get that kind of calorie intake)
Thanks in advance for the advice
Oh yeah I am trying to get into body building i did the power thing when i was younger my joints don't like it anymore.

Depending on your goals(compete or look good for beach) you have plenty of time to tinker with things and truly see what works. I am a big believer in trial and error because of the variance between all of us. I love to do cardio and my body does really well keeping my gains. Running distance is the only thing that "eats" my size so test yourself out for 1 week and report back.

induced_drag · 10-30-2009, 08:47 AM

Some good advice above.

I will share a mistake that I made. I decided to cut out all cardio in an effort to gain as much mass as possible. Over a period of 4 months I successfully gained a good deal of mass without really putting on much bf.

While I surly gained a good deal......I felt like crap. I also dont think the lack of cardio is why I gained. I think it was just a excuse to be lazy for a while. I dont do any other activity in my daily life, and cutting cardio was a BAD idea for me.

I am 2 weeks into doing cardio again and already feeling better. I also on a slow 'cut' (diet wise) as I 'bulked' up to almost 14-15%bf. (not comfortable for me)

I decided to integrate two 30min LISS sessions per week on a Concept II rower. As I said, I am already feeling better and may add a third session in. I do it on my off days as I have one at home. I have found it does not interfere with my recovery from my workouts which are all focused on heavy basic exercises.

My advice to anyone >35 would be for general health and well being, you should get some form of cardio.

FlexinMike · 10-30-2009, 09:58 AM

I do 15 min on elliptical at the end of each workout. My training is pretty intense so I do not need to do much cardio.

joatmon · 10-30-2009, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EBA84

100% agree. I do the exact same thing. Sucks to get old...lol

Much better than the alternative my friend!

irishpitbull · 10-30-2009, 10:06 AM

Walk on a steep incline.

drjoe · 10-30-2009, 10:29 AM

I'm bulking right now and have not been within 20 feet of any cardio equipment. Performing cardio will definitely interfere with bulking. If I get to the point where I am putting on more fat then muscle, I usually will cut back my calories or possibly add three 30 minutes cardio sessions per week. Bulking is bulking and cutting is cutting. You can't do both at the same time.

bigvin73 · 10-30-2009, 11:46 AM

Thanks for all the advice I will probably throw in some HIIT cardio on my off days just cause i am getting old I appreciate the advice and will keep you all informed as to progress and before anyone askes I will throw up some pics as soon as i can afford a camera and talk my wife into letting me do it (she isnt crazy with the idea of me posting pics of myself on the internet took a month for a facebook pic with 3 of my kids in it lol )

DaddyR · 10-30-2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjoe

I'm bulking right now and have not been within 20 feet of any cardio equipment. Performing cardio will definitely interfere with bulking. If I get to the point where I am putting on more fat then muscle, I usually will cut back my calories or possibly add three 30 minutes cardio sessions per week. Bulking is bulking and cutting is cutting. You can't do both at the same time.

^^^^^ Can't argue with a guy who looks that good. Since you're wanting to lose fat, a moderate amount of cardio would be good for now, and 3 x 30 minutes per week is a reasonable description of "moderate amount" without making it too complicated.