Building muscle

desiresdestiny

I'm pretty much sedentary (homemaker so cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping etc) but I work out 3-4x a week with elliptical 45 mins and weights 20-25mins. I also do a Pilates video which is about 20 mins long about 4 times a week. I want to build muscle, should I reduce my cardio or continue what I'm doing and eat at maintenance. I eat about 1800-1950 of late been hitting my 1950 cal goal. I'm 5' 10" and about 128. I do have physical restrictions due to my health conditions so I have to be careful with weights. Cardio and Pilates are more manageable.

arditarose

Well if you can lift weights, you'll at least need a bodyweight routine: You Are Your Own Gym, Convict Conditioning, and Strong Curves has a body weight program too.

What you're looking for is a recomp. There is a popular thread on the topic right now.

desiresdestiny

arditarose wrote: »

Well if you can lift weights, you'll at least need a bodyweight routine: You Are Your Own Gym, Convict Conditioning, and Strong Curves has a body weight program too.

What you're looking for is a recomp. There is a popular thread on the topic right now.

Thanks will look into it.. Yes I'm also looking at the recomp thread... The cardio piece is confusing

arditarose

desiresdestiny wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

Well if you can lift weights, you'll at least need a bodyweight routine: You Are Your Own Gym, Convict Conditioning, and Strong Curves has a body weight program too.

What you're looking for is a recomp. There is a popular thread on the topic right now.

Thanks will look into it.. Yes I'm also looking at the recomp thread... The cardio piece is confusing

What are you finding confusing? Are people going back and forth about whether it's necessary or not?

Do the amount of cardio you enjoying doing, that keeps your TDEE at a level where are comfortable eating.

I hate cardio, prefer my food to go toward fueling muscle, and take the 100 calorie TDEE cut.

desiresdestiny

arditarose wrote: »

desiresdestiny wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

Well if you can lift weights, you'll at least need a bodyweight routine: You Are Your Own Gym, Convict Conditioning, and Strong Curves has a body weight program too.

What you're looking for is a recomp. There is a popular thread on the topic right now.

Thanks will look into it.. Yes I'm also looking at the recomp thread... The cardio piece is confusing

What are you finding confusing? Are people going back and forth about whether it's necessary or not?

Do the amount of cardio you enjoying doing, that keeps your TDEE at a level where are comfortable eating.

I hate cardio, prefer my food to go toward fueling muscle, and take the 100 calorie TDEE cut.

Awesome thanks I will and btw you look amazing, keep it up!!!

griffinca2

I do abt 15 - 20 min of cardio after my weight training; too much cardio inhibits muscle growth. If I need to cut my workout short I cut it short on the cardio end. Do only as much as you feel you need to (or follow your doctor's orders). Sometimes less is better.

sijomial

Do as much cardio as you want to, or need to, to support your fitness, health or sporting goals.

Cardio (that's such a broad description for an enormously varied activity!) really isn't an issue for most normal people. You are much more likely to have an impact on gym performance from recovery or compromise training through lack of time than "cardio" itself disrupting muscle growth.

I do a load of cardio (mostly cycling) and biggest impact is that in the cycling season I do very little leg strength work in the gym - partly because I need to keep legs fresh and partly as legs need recovery time after a long or hard ride.

Everything is a compromise unless you are a professional sportsman. So prioritise your activity to support your main goals taking into account your capabilities and restrictions. There isn't one answer that fits all.

desiresdestiny

sijomial wrote: »

Do as much cardio as you want to, or need to, to support your fitness, health or sporting goals.

Cardio (that's such a broad description for an enormously varied activity!) really isn't an issue for most normal people. You are much more likely to have an impact on gym performance from recovery or compromise training through lack of time than "cardio" itself disrupting muscle growth.

I do a load of cardio (mostly cycling) and biggest impact is that in the cycling season I do very little leg strength work in the gym - partly because I need to keep legs fresh and partly as legs need recovery time after a long or hard ride.

Everything is a compromise unless you are a professional sportsman. So prioritise your activity to support your main goals taking into account your capabilities and restrictions. There isn't one answer that fits all.

Thanks

desiresdestiny

griffinca2 wrote: »

I do abt 15 - 20 min of cardio after my weight training; too much cardio inhibits muscle growth. If I need to cut my workout short I cut it short on the cardio end. Do only as much as you feel you need to (or follow your doctor's orders). Sometimes less is better.

I will thanks

47Jacqueline

I'm a bike rider, I have a physical therapy program for my lower body to increase strength for long term balance and I teach aqua aerobics, all of which contribute to both cardio and lower body strength, so I mostly concentrate on formal strength training for my upper body.

I do a combination of free weights for land gym work and resistance exercises with aquatic dumbbells.