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  1. #1
    Registered User Tpz4sheezy's Avatar
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    Why do people on high calorie diets do cardio?

    This is something that I think I may already know the answer to but I’m not sure so i figured I would as you wonderful people on here.
    My question is , I’ve seen many guys who are on bulking diets eating massive amounts of calories (for argument let’s say this person eats 5000cal a day. Let’s say their goal is to get more muscle as well. They are eating way over maintenance. I see people all the time with this goal and eating pattern and Doing 45 min of cardio and it confuses me. Wouldn’t they be better off just saving their time and energy and eat a little bit less? Why do cardio if you are trying to get bigger? Is it just for the cardiovascular benefits?
    Earlier I said I think I may know why and I saved my theory for the end . Is it indeed for the aforementioned cardio vascular benefits and heart health? I still find that odd because a lot of the guys I see are doing huge amounts of gear and im talking huge!! thus it would be like getting a new paint job on your car when the engine is smoking and about to burst into flames.

    Btw this isn’t something I’ve only seen newbs do , I’ve seen ifbb pros do this in the off-season. I know there has to be something to it that’s why I’m asking. Any info would be great.
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  2. #2
    Registered User EiFit91's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Tpz4sheezy View Post
    This is something that I think I may already know the answer to but I’m not sure so i figured I would as you wonderful people on here.
    My question is , I’ve seen many guys who are on bulking diets eating massive amounts of calories (for argument let’s say this person eats 5000cal a day. Let’s say their goal is to get more muscle as well. They are eating way over maintenance. I see people all the time with this goal and eating pattern and Doing 45 min of cardio and it confuses me. Wouldn’t they be better off just saving their time and energy and eat a little bit less? Why do cardio if you are trying to get bigger? Is it just for the cardiovascular benefits?
    Earlier I said I think I may know why and I saved my theory for the end . Is it indeed for the aforementioned cardio vascular benefits and heart health? I still find that odd because a lot of the guys I see are doing huge amounts of gear and im talking huge!! thus it would be like getting a new paint job on your car when the engine is smoking and about to burst into flames.

    Btw this isn’t something I’ve only seen newbs do , I’ve seen ifbb pros do this in the off-season. I know there has to be something to it that’s why I’m asking. Any info would be great.
    I guess many do it for cardiovascular benefits. People on gear also would have greater reasons to be concerned about heart health I suppose.

    Anecdotally it feels like I get better bodybuilding results on high calories and high activity than on lower amount of calories and less activity, even when the calorie surplus is similar. I think this is called the G Flux principle. But I don't know if there is any strong science behind it. Others here will know more.

    Intuitively it makes sense to me that your body would want to partition nutrients more towards muscle building with a given calorie surplus when you have a very high activity level than when you have a very low activity level. Assuming the training volume in the gym can be kept constant between these conditions.
    Last edited by EiFit91; 06-18-2021 at 01:50 AM.
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  3. #3
    Moderator SuffolkPunch's Avatar
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    There is an idea that eating more and doing more is somehow better... it is called G-flux I believe.

    I have doubts over the credibility of this idea and as far as I know there is no clinical evidence supporting it.

    People sometimes do odd things simply because it suits them. Some people like eating and like training I guess. Ultimately, most people try to twist the facts (consciously or subconsciously) to suit their own preferences. This is a well known cognitive bias in research and removing this kind of bias from results is one of the central reasons we design formal studies rather then just relying on anecdotes.

    There are plenty of examples of people that have achieved good physiques with zero cardio and low volume weight training routines.
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    Some do it because they enjoy it, overall health, and or they want to be more active and eat more.

    There are actually benefits that carry over to weight lifting from cardio.

    Lifting heavy, especially for higher reps, more volume, is pretty taxing.

    And even though lifting is anaerobic, the aerobic system is still involved. So some cardio can help with recovery between sets.

    Some people do 8-10 reps of barbell back squats and are completely worn out and breathing so heavily.

    Take someone who has a bit more/better aerobic capacity with the same amount of strength might complete that set of 8-10 and not be so fatigued and be able to handle the following sets better.

    This doesn't mean go do HIIT 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes or starting doing a ton of cardio.

    But just 2-3 days a week of low to moderate intensity, low-impact cardio is what should be done most. It's unlikely to interfere with weight training.
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    “JUST for the cardiovascular benefits “? LMAO, cause who needs a heart and lungs right?
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    They might also be competitive athletes of some sort and have to maintain their speed/endurance for their sport.
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    Registered User air2fakie's Avatar
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    If you really see many guys, both noobs and pros, and huge guys on gear, eating massive amounts of calories and doing cardio - you should just ask them why they do it. You'll likely get different reasons.

    Personally, IDK how many calories anyone I see eats.
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  8. #8
    My pronouns are bro/brah Tommy W.'s Avatar
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    Yes, as mentioned, G Flux principle plus CV health. Guys bulking on too many calories though are doing it wrong. G Flux + cardio should not be adding too much fat when it’s done correctly
    Last edited by Tommy W.; 06-18-2021 at 08:16 AM.
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    Originally Posted by air2fakie View Post
    If you really see many guys, both noobs and pros, and huge guys on gear, eating massive amounts of calories and doing cardio - you should just ask them why they do it. You'll likely get different reasons.

    Personally, IDK how many calories anyone I see eats.
    I’m guessing the OP setup hidden cameras in everybody’s houses to watch them. Don’t you do that?
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    Originally Posted by desslok View Post
    I’m guessing the OP setup hidden cameras in everybody’s houses to watch them. Don’t you do that?
    I set up a small inconspicuous motion activated camera in an unoccupied furnished house of mine. It was aimed at the front door and HDTV. Camera alerted me to some motion going on. I saw someone crawling around the HDTV. Called police. I saw them arrive in 30 seconds. They arrested the woman that was inside. She went to prison for 18 months. The state took her children away. When she got out of prison she had to take a self pay drug screen every week for 52 weeks in order to get custody of her kids. I work at a medical clinic and get a cut of the fee when someone has to take a drug screen.
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    Aside from what's been mentioned, if someone's on bulking and cutting cycles, keeping your cardio fitness in check during bulking will make it easier to do/continue while cutting.
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    Registered User Strawng's Avatar
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    Haven't you heard? Cardio burns 0 calories, OP. The only way people ever actually lose weight by moving is if they're fidgeting. Just ask Jordan Feiggenbaum

    In all srsness, I'm always doing at least some form of cardio even though I'm constantly slowly bulking:

    A - It actually helps me eat enough. If I don't at least get around 10k steps or some form of activity in, I simply don't feel hungry.

    B - I'm an athlete & I've always loved being active. I wouldn't be able to be as active if only my muscles were strong and not my lungs/heart. Cardio helps with almost everything physical...everything. Giggidy.

    C - I enjoy cardio and it helps with my mood. Most people benefit from cardiovascular activity from a psychological standpoint. I even get the mythical "runner's high" from cardio and it vastly improves my mood. I also love being outdoors and my mind wouldn't be calm without at least some daily walking.

    D - I actually notice better gains with the right amount of cardio. Not only am I able to get more reps, but I generally seem to gain muscle better. I actually seem to retain it better too. This is at the heart of the G flux theory. When I'm away from the gym awhile and active (which happens a decent amount because I travel and like taking time off), even if it's just walking, I seem to barely lose a thing in terms of strength. The few times I took a few weeks off and been sedentary, I lost a lot more.

    All that being said, I strongly believe cardio should be limited to a certain extent for people wishing to gain or struggling to gain weight. I've many times, including recently, noticed huge benefits from dropping down my cardio.
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  13. #13
    team ketchup AdamWW's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Strawng View Post
    Haven't you heard? Cardio burns 0 calories, OP. The only way people ever actually lose weight by moving is if they're fidgeting. Just ask Jordan Feiggenbaum

    In all srsness, I'm always doing at least some form of cardio even though I'm constantly slowly bulking:

    A - It actually helps me eat enough. If I don't at least get around 10k steps or some form of activity in, I simply don't feel hungry.

    B - I'm an athlete & I've always loved being active. I wouldn't be able to be as active if only my muscles were strong and not my lungs/heart. Cardio helps with almost everything physical...everything. Giggidy.

    C - I enjoy cardio and it helps with my mood. Most people benefit from cardiovascular activity from a psychological standpoint. I even get the mythical "runner's high" from cardio and it vastly improves my mood. I also love being outdoors and my mind wouldn't be calm without at least some daily walking.

    D - I actually notice better gains with the right amount of cardio. Not only am I able to get more reps, but I generally seem to gain muscle better. I actually seem to retain it better too. This is at the heart of the G flux theory. When I'm away from the gym awhile and active (which happens a decent amount because I travel and like taking time off), even if it's just walking, I seem to barely lose a thing in terms of strength. The few times I took a few weeks off and been sedentary, I lost a lot more.

    All that being said, I strongly believe cardio should be limited to a certain extent for people wishing to gain or struggling to gain weight. I've many times, including recently, noticed huge benefits from dropping down my cardio.
    I basically agree with all of this.

    For me, I do still need to be careful with the amount and intensity of cardio, but just being ACTIVE is something I can never give up.

    I manage the obsessiveness I have around exercise by simply taking up hobbies that have an active component but are not in and of themselves a cardiovascularly focused endeavor such as golf, climbing, going on walks, relaxed outdoor scenic bike rides... that kind of thing. As opposed to being stair sprints, long runs, cycling events, even stuff like soccer which is more intense... I tend to steer clear of for now.
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  14. #14
    My pronouns are bro/brah Tommy W.'s Avatar
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    Many aren't aware of exactly what G flux is.

    It is the theory that the more nutrients you can take in, the better, however those calories must be offset with more activity to achieve the desired energy balance. More nutrients equals better body composition. Of course there's a limit to how much activity you can actually do and recover from. That will be an individual matter. So basically a 2,000 calorie diet with X amount of activity won't yield the same results as a 2,500 calorie diet with X amount of activity plus another 500 calories worth of activity.
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    Registered User Tpz4sheezy's Avatar
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    Thanks for the serious replies. I never heard of gflux on here so I’m glad I learned something new. Thanks for the Info.
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