Do you do cardio when bulking?

[swordfish7]

Doing cardio while your bulking is a great way to get the most out of your bulking. I would reccomend 30 to 40 minutes of cardio not more, not less. This is my advise, so don't flame me and say " what do you know".

in my opinion 30 -40 minutes of cardio is very counter productive for bulking. Unless your talking about per week .

It kind of depends on how much you want to put on. Personally I always do about a 10 minute warm up run everyday before I lift. when I'm builking I take a creatine after this warm up, work out and then take my protien shake and that 10 minutes a day is all the cardio i do. When i'm cutting i still do the warm up but then I do a bunch of cardio either in the mornings or night.

[pete89]

what if the cardio workout was swiming im trying to figure out if that would counteract bulking because swiming burns fat while putting on muscle

[ZZ Topless]

I do cardio, partly for the reasons mentioned at the start, and partly because I do other sports and like to keep my lungs and heart in top condition.

[irishbuilder]

what if the cardio workout was swiming im trying to figure out if that would counteract bulking because swiming burns fat while putting on muscle

my question exactly i love swimming and im great at it...wonder what to do hmm...*ponders*

[USA WRESTLER]

i have been lifting for about 2 solid year, i am now 16. I am in bb for pure size and mass only. Therefor meaning i am always trying to pack o the pounds not matter what. So keeping that in mind, i have never done cardio durining a bulking cycle.

[keepemseparated]

Yes.

[Tete]

Thank God for the Advanced Teen Section...excelent discussion

I agree with the guys that say comparing sprinters to marathoners is stupid because it is (whoever thinks marathon runners are running in the "fat loss" zone is truly mistaken)

I still think Sprints are the best way to do cardio (maybe not 4 weeks out or whatever). I say this because of ErickS and Loki's articles and some studies.

That being said DCers do low intensity cardio and most (if not all) have HUGE legs (so I don't think the conversion from fast to slow fibers is that significant)

[Woden]

Yes, let's just ignore that sprints lend to the overtraining of legs, breakdown of muscle tissue, and are worthless as concerning bodybuilders.

Only athletes should be doing it.

WTF?

[Tete]

WTF?

he means that sprints lend to the overtraining of legs, breakdown of muscle tissue, and are worthless as concerning bodybuilders.

Only athletes should be doing it.

[Woden]

I won't argue it is best for fat loss, but it also has a huge problem as regarding muscle loss, especially in larger bodybuilders.

For this reason lower intensity is just more efficient/effective.

Why would sprints catabolize muscle tissue any more than a heavy leg workout? As long as your pre and post workout nutrition are good, there shouldn't be any problems. Besides that, HIIT type training is definately better for fat loss, improving muscle metabolism, and keeping your cardiovascular system healthy.

Of course, to prevent overtraining, you are going to need to reduce leg volume. This is a given, but I feel the benefits by far outweigh the negatives, more so because this type of training in mildy hypertrophic in the first place.

[big fig]

I came up with my own theory on the benefits of cardio while bulking. Give me opinions please:

1. Cardio while bulking might help the body and organs adapt to the rapid weight gain and all.

2. To increase stamina, endurance, and speed. Right now I'm bigger than most other guys plus I'm faster and have more stamina. This in combination with size and strength is a fantastic feeling. I want to keep it.

Alright well I'll do this cardio routine:

Walk a certain distance
Jog back
Run back
Walk back
sprint back
Walk back
Jog back
Walk back
Run back
Walk back sprint back

Somethig like this. This allows my body to move in all ways and speeds making it a superior cardio routine. I will do this 3 times a week for 20 minutes.

[RIPped1484]

Why would sprints catabolize muscle tissue any more than a heavy leg workout? As long as your pre and post workout nutrition are good, there shouldn't be any problems. Besides that, HIIT type training is definately better for fat loss, improving muscle metabolism, and keeping your cardiovascular system healthy.

Of course, to prevent overtraining, you are going to need to reduce leg volume. This is a given, but I feel the benefits by far outweigh the negatives, more so because this type of training in mildy hypertrophic in the first place.

Exactly.

[Arnaoutov]

Alright well I'll do this cardio routine:

Walk a certain distance
Jog back
Run back
Walk back
sprint back
Walk back
Jog back
Walk back
Run back
Walk back sprint back

Somethig like this. This allows my body to move in all ways and speeds making it a superior cardio routine. I will do this 3 times a week for 20 minutes.

If I EVER see anyone doing this in the street then so help me god I will whoop his retarded as$.

[Tete]

regradless of what cardio u do it should be done 2-4xweek

[martymcfly]

no dont do any cardio

[PODNickerz]

If I EVER see anyone doing this in the street then so help me god I will whoop his retarded as$.

Why is this not such a good idea?

[Arnaoutov]

Why is this not such a good idea?

You'll look like a complete idiot. 'Nuff said.

[bigassdude]

Just curious. I have read that a lot of advanced bodybuilders actually do cardio when they bulk for 3 main reasons:

1- keeps fat gains to a minimum (cardio, at the right times/amounts, burns the fat and speeds the metabolism up)

2- with a sped up metabolism the body is hungry more often and you can eat more (this is especially good if you must eat a lot of calories)

3- your cardiovascular stays up to par when you go on a cutting diet


currently i am cutting and do cardio anyways, but I will add some cardio during my bulk to see how it goes. I was always under the impression that you will just lose gains and that cardio was pretty much pointless if you are eating above maintence.

thoughts? expereicnes?

i do cardio 2-3 times a week while bulking, but thats just because i put fat on sorta easy

[RedFiredSoul]

You'll look like a complete idiot. 'Nuff said.

LOL

[super_stevecc]

In my case, cardio during bulking is very helpful, meaning it keeps my cardio health intact and increases my appetite. I perform for 30 mins, 2-3 times a week.

[JoeDirtBody]

So we should listen to small people that just read studies instead and have next to no experience? There is entirely too much anecdotal evidence coming from large competitive and non-competitive bodybuilders to prove that lower-intensity and longer duration is your best bet when trying to hold onto as much muscle as possible. I can tell you first hand that myself and others lose more muscle from HIIT and have more other physical problems (i.e., knees, joints, etc) than if we stick to lower intensity.

Like I said, this is both my experience and the experience of many, many other larger bodybuilders. In fact, this is about the only bodybuilding website I've been to that recommends HIIT to any appreciable degree. Even all the contest prep guys that I know of only recommend lower intensity. I believe that guys that are much over 200lbs that have some decent muscel mass are more likely to suffer from these problems. Ones under that weight range seem to do OK with HIIT in terms of the joint and knee problems. When I get every bigger guy telling me that lower intensity is best and every smaller guy telling me that HIIT is best, if I'm a bodybuilder looking to build and hold onto as much mass as possible...who do you think I'm going to listen to? I personally don't give a crap about the scientific literature you're talking about it because for any article that proves HIIT is best, I can find another that disproves it being the best. That's why I rely on practical experience from myself and others to tell me what works best, not a bunch of studies that are most likely flawed anyway.

Science builds the foundation for bodybuilding, there is no denying that. However, experience personalizes it.

i really enjoyed reading this post because basically its what i believe. im a results type of person. why should i listen to brad pitt type of body scientist tell me how to build muscle, when i can talk to a bodybuilder who has been down that road, and knows what it takes.

alot of the studies sometimes are flawed, there are alot of variables u kno? u cant just isolate out one thing and say it builds muscle or doesnt. alot of those HIIT studies might be done on skinny ass punks who just started lifting (which is what alot the studies are done on... "i gained 45 pound in 3 months on so and so plan, but it was my first time ever lifting"... that another story tho)

all this being said, i still do sprints because im an athlete, and need to stay in shape. with my 25" legs it is still uncomfortable, cant imagine what its like at 27+.

i also read an article on BB.com saying men usually deposit with visceral fat(stuff around ur organs) usually get it by not doing cardio, thats why i do it during bulking, no matter if its walking or sprinting.

[joed]

Hey red there...ah, evidence?...which sprinters are you talking about vs. distance runners? Don't give names only; give references that can be checked. Pics would be nice too.

[toughnuts]

"Cardio keeps bodyfat in check, blood pressure in check, and increases appetite." I am an idiot for not doing it during my first "bulk" if that is what you want to call it.

[Tiocfaidh-mo-La]

If I EVER see anyone doing this in the street then so help me god I will whoop his retarded as$.

LMAO

[hardknuckle]

When I'm bulking I don't mind a little bit of cardio at night. It helps to burn off all the useless calories I consume from **** like ketchup, bbq sauce, jam, brown sugar. I do it at night though cuz I've already eaten my meals for the day and I just wanna get rid of the waste. As for cutting, I'd rather do it bright and early.

[BluSilver]

When I'm bulking I don't mind a little bit of cardio at night. It helps to burn off all the useless calories I consume from **** like ketchup, bbq sauce, jam, brown sugar. I do it at night though cuz I've already eaten my meals for the day and I just wanna get rid of the waste. As for cutting, I'd rather do it bright and early.

lol what? Do you understand a thing about metabolism and energy expenditure?

[llamabob]

There is nothin wrong with running or sprinting as a bodybuilder. Why the hell do people underestimate the human body? Your average NFL cornerback is bigger than most of this board, and no it's not because of steroids. If you know what you're doing, there's no reason why you have to sit on the couch after lifting and be disgustingly out of shape. So tired of seeing people waste the chance to go play basketball because they "don't want to overtrain." Wrestlers too are freakin jacked and do more cardio than most sports. But I guess they just don't squat I met Brandon Slay, an Olypmic gold medalist, and his whole body was a solid block of muscle. He told us his training schedule was heavy weight lifting in the morning, followed by hours of conditioning and live wrestling.

If you' don't run the day before or a few days after squating, there is no problem. The human body is far mroe resilient than many people give it credit. While it may not "omptimize" gains, uless you're full out competing, it won't hurt you.

[chad12121]

Don't need it. If i did cardio while bulking it would have a negative effect on my gains. My diet and metabolism are good enough I can bulk for several months without going past 11 or 12% bodyfat.

[snorkles]

How can I include another cardio session in this routine please?

sunday
cardio 30mins

monday
FBWO+abs

Tuesday
Rest

Wednesday
FBWO+abs

Thursday
Cardio 30mins

Friday
Rest

Saturday
FBWO +abs

[h3LLb0y]

If I EVER see anyone doing this in the street then so help me god I will whoop his retarded as$.

LOLLL