Doing Cardio While Gaining Muscle?

so i am currently on a mass gaining diet, gettin good protein, carbs, and fats. I hit the gym 5 days a week. Only problem is i want to now incorporate some cardio into my workout as well so while im gaining that muscle i can also burn fat as well.

I go to the gym 5 days from monday-friday. so i am thinking of maybe doing cardio only on saturday and sunday?

and the cardio ima do is actually interval training because i dont want to kill muscle. I got a boxing bag downstairs and i was thinkin of doin some 3 minute rounds wit a minute rest stuff.

and should i do this boxing stuff with a protein shake and a fruit half hour before i start, like i usually do when i strength train, or does it not matter?

Probably doesn’t matter. Are you gaining weight now? Are you lifts increasing in the gym?

The only way you’ll be able to tell if it works is by adding it and evaluating after a few weeks. The only thing you might want to do is up your food intake a bit on the weekends (or whenever you hit the bag/do whatever) to compensate for the additional activity.

good luck.

so i am currently on a mass gaining diet, gettin good protein, carbs, and fats. I hit the gym 5 days a week. Only problem is i want to now incorporate some cardio into my workout as well so while im gaining that muscle i can also burn fat as well.

I dont think you are supposed to mix your goals.

Either bulk or fat loss but dont try to do both. If you want to do Cardio then go ahead and do it. As long as you are not doing it on an empty stomach you shouldnt see a dramatic difference in muscle mass

If you eat clean and hit the gym hard you’ll gain lean muscle. That muscle will eat up your stored fat. This won’t happen over night, it won’t happen in a week, it won’t happen in a month.

If you can stand the test of time, you’ll get there.

Just try to eat clean, lift hard and heavy and you’ll pack on the muscle while burning the fat.

I have heard some very good things about incorporating steady state cardio (done on an empty stomach in the morning) into a muscle-gaining phase. If you are the kind of person who gains fat easily it would definately help.

adding cardio into your routine will not eat into your muscle.

too much cardio and not enough lifting will.
you are fine to add in cardio I like to do low to moderate after the work outs (walking on an incline at like 3 mph or sitting on a recumbant bike) for about 30 mins its a cool down for me
swiming for about an hour feels great after a hard 2 hour session of sweating your butt off.

it is true not to chase after both goals but if you pick one then the other will follow soon enough.
but dont be scared of cardio it wont hinder your gains.
cardio should be your friend

and ya any physical activity you want to eat something before,yes you can do cardio on an empty stomach but really why,you are gaining weight so that isnt good

my suggestion is do a little running before you work out and hit the bag after.
take your 2 days off,after all you will never get bigger in the gym its in the kitchen and your bed.

or work things around where you are working out heavy 4 days a week and then 1 of your days is a boxing/endurance type work out.

I have heard some very good things about incorporating steady state cardio (done on an empty stomach in the morning) into a muscle-gaining phase. If you are the kind of person who gains fat easily it would definately help.

For fat loss this is recommended (check out the Physique clinic) - not sure without checking if you want a completely empty stomach but certainly very little

The OP was talking about some High Intensty boxing cardio though…

His post sounds like (hence my original response) he wants to bulk but maintain a cut look as well… Which are two seperate goals.

He might be better sticking in 15 - 20 minutes after his workouts a few times a week and keeping a few days for complete rest to help prevent burnout…

Rather than do boxing circuits, why not put that energy and effort into carb-cycling? As near as I can tell, that’s the generally agreed-upon way of maintining leanness while gaining mass.

To reiterate some of the points above, you will not have a problem with continuing to gain mass if you add in some cardio. In terms of mixing your goals, I also do not think it is truly impossible to get bigger and leaner at the same time… but with two important caveats.

  1. If you are a beginner, it will probably happen anyway as you body first begins to adapt to serious training.

  2. If you are somewhat more experience, it is still possible to do both, but progress towards both goals will be slower and you will need to be much more precise with your diet and recovery.

Hey guys just a quick body fat question. I have been dieting and doing cardio while lifting for the past two months ( Ive been lifting for about 2.5 yrs just got strict on the diet and cardio) I went from about 212 to now 185lbs (6’2). I just tested my body fat today and im at 11%. I think I need to be down around 7% to get the Lean look I want. Should I try a fat burner like HOT-ROX now for the last 4% or am I still a little to early for that. I am also worried about losing too much muscle and looking more skinny than lean.

Work out routine.
Heavy lifting 4 days a week
Cardio for 30-40-mins 3-4 days a week
Diet has been pretty strict for about 2 months.

[quote]preston0505 wrote:
Hey guys just a quick body fat question. I have been dieting and doing cardio while lifting for the past two months ( Ive been lifting for about 2.5 yrs just got strict on the diet and cardio) I went from about 212 to now 185lbs (6’2). I just tested my body fat today and im at 11%. I think I need to be down around 7% to get the Lean look I want. Should I try a fat burner like HOT-ROX now for the last 4% or am I still a little to early for that. I am also worried about losing too much muscle and looking more skinny than lean.

Work out routine.
Heavy lifting 4 days a week
Cardio for 30-40-mins 3-4 days a week
Diet has been pretty strict for about 2 months. [/quote]

At 6’2" and 185 lbs, you are bound to actually look pretty skinny to begin with, so I am not sure you want to drop even more weight since to get to 7%, chances are you will weigh even less (sure, you could “swap” fat and muscle, but it can be tricky). That being said, you will be “ripped” but also look like a rail.

[quote]boyscout wrote:
Probably doesn’t matter. Are you gaining weight now? Are you lifts increasing in the gym?

The only way you’ll be able to tell if it works is by adding it and evaluating after a few weeks. The only thing you might want to do is up your food intake a bit on the weekends (or whenever you hit the bag/do whatever) to compensate for the additional activity.

good luck.[/quote]

well said. i think cardio is great for weight loss or weight gain. might sound crazy but a healthy heart and lungs will feed your muscles with fresh o2 all day long. an intense short run or a brisk uphill walk is good enough cardio.