Hey, T-men- regarding cardio: What does everyone think of doing cardio during a bulking up phase? Assuming you eat enough cals, will the weight you gain be any leaner or flabbier if you do cardio during your mass building training? Im following Ian King’s ideas and routine, and he doesnt mention a whole lot on cardio training. I like to run 3 or so times a week. I’m guessing he would nix it to avoid overtraining. Anyone have any luck with doing cardio to stay lean while gaining or should I just drop it for a while to add as much mass as I can? Thanks.
I’ve read (here, I think) that Ian King is not so against cardio as some. If you’re interested mainly in strength, it doesn’t help, but he seems to think it has its uses. I bet if you did a search you’d find a useful discussion in one of the Q&A postings here on t-mag.
Do you just want to be big or do you want to have a healthier heart but be a few pounds lighter? Sounds like an easy decision but you would never know it with all the cardio bashers around.
Cardiovascular training has its place in an overall training program. This is true unless you’re a Power Lifter and then it’s a different story. However, the frequency, duration, and intensity of your cardio are the variables that can/should be manipulated. The cardio training will aid in elevating and contribute to a more efficient metabolism, as well as a host of metabolic adaptations that will aid in your quest for your desired physique and future health. I’ve read a few studies and reviews on concurrent strength and endurance training, and the results do indicate that concurrent training may reduce some of the size and strength gains experience by strength training alone, but results can still be accomplished. Make sure you’ve got your nutrition down. By the way, the explanation for why the two components of fitness aren’t completely compatible is not fully understood, but overtraining is a popular conclusion.