Cardio Help
cpaoni96
Posts: 1 Member
Hello! First post on the forums and I am wondering how I should approach Cardio while I'm trying to gain mass. I have been working out for probably two months and skimp on cardio way to much, maybe 2 times a week. The result is I am gaining weight but it is not toned at all. Ideally I would like to gain muscle mass and lose body fat.
So on to my question: How often, long, and when should I do my cardio workout (before or after weight training)? I work out at the local YMCA so I would like to make only one trip a day.
So on to my question: How often, long, and when should I do my cardio workout (before or after weight training)? I work out at the local YMCA so I would like to make only one trip a day.
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Replies
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More importantly, I think, are you eating a moderate caloric surplus and are you doing a progressive weight lifting program. Those are the things that are going to be most effective in gaining muscle mass.
Edit to add: I, personally, do a little cardio after weight training a couple days a week. You don't want to do so much cardio that it takes you out of your surplus (although it doesn't sound like that's your problem).1 -
First off, when bulking you will gain muscle as well as fat unfortunately, so you will probably not look as toned as you would like. That's why most people cut after a bulk.
If you are gaining too much fat, most likely your surplus is too high. You can add cardio to counteract the surplus but I find it much easier to just eat less but really it's up to you. If you do cardio I would do it on a separate day ideally, or at least after your strength training since you are trying to gain muscle so that should be a priority.
You don't need to do cardio though, I typically do none when I'm bulking. (In my case I really don't need to be eating more and chasing my surplus)
If you want to gain and lose fat at the same time, then recomposition might be a better option for you.0 -
First off, when bulking you will gain muscle as well as fat unfortunately, so you will probably not look as toned as you would like. That's why most people cut after a bulk.
If you are gaining too much fat, most likely your surplus is too high. You can add cardio to counteract the surplus but I find it much easier to just eat less but really it's up to you. If you do cardio I would do it on a separate day ideally, or at least after your strength training since you are trying to gain muscle so that should be a priority.
You don't need to do cardio though, I typically do none when I'm bulking. (In my case I really don't need to be eating more and chasing my surplus)
If you want to gain and lose fat at the same time, then recomposition might be a better option for you.
I would agree with the recomp option as well pending there isnt a timeline and the OP doesnt mind it taking quite a long period of time (potentially years).
But yea, you dont gain muscle definition during a bulk. Its why many will say bulk until your hate yourself. You will gain both muscle and fat.0 -
First off, when bulking you will gain muscle as well as fat unfortunately, so you will probably not look as toned as you would like. That's why most people cut after a bulk.
If you are gaining too much fat, most likely your surplus is too high. You can add cardio to counteract the surplus but I find it much easier to just eat less but really it's up to you. If you do cardio I would do it on a separate day ideally, or at least after your strength training since you are trying to gain muscle so that should be a priority.
You don't need to do cardio though, I typically do none when I'm bulking. (In my case I really don't need to be eating more and chasing my surplus)
If you want to gain and lose fat at the same time, then recomposition might be a better option for you.
I would agree with the recomp option as well pending there isnt a timeline and the OP doesnt mind it taking quite a long period of time (potentially years).
But yea, you dont gain muscle definition during a bulk. Its why many will say bulk until your hate yourself. You will gain both muscle and fat.
The only thing I disagree with is the lack of cardio, I'm a huge believer that everybody should throw in a couple of cardio sessions a week.
The heart being your most valuable muscle(technically 'muscles') after all.
That said, I agree that recomp is usually one of the best options - my mind-frame during a 'bulk' is terrible. I spend the entire time wanting to be on the other end of it!0 -
AdamAthletic wrote: »First off, when bulking you will gain muscle as well as fat unfortunately, so you will probably not look as toned as you would like. That's why most people cut after a bulk.
If you are gaining too much fat, most likely your surplus is too high. You can add cardio to counteract the surplus but I find it much easier to just eat less but really it's up to you. If you do cardio I would do it on a separate day ideally, or at least after your strength training since you are trying to gain muscle so that should be a priority.
You don't need to do cardio though, I typically do none when I'm bulking. (In my case I really don't need to be eating more and chasing my surplus)
If you want to gain and lose fat at the same time, then recomposition might be a better option for you.
I would agree with the recomp option as well pending there isnt a timeline and the OP doesnt mind it taking quite a long period of time (potentially years).
But yea, you dont gain muscle definition during a bulk. Its why many will say bulk until your hate yourself. You will gain both muscle and fat.
The only thing I disagree with is the lack of cardio, I'm a huge believer that everybody should throw in a couple of cardio sessions a week.
The heart being your most valuable muscle(technically 'muscles') after all.
That said, I agree that recomp is usually one of the best options - my mind-frame during a 'bulk' is terrible. I spend the entire time wanting to be on the other end of it!
While I do agree that cardio is important.. sometimes we have to pick our battles. If I do cardio there is no way I would come close to gaining weight. I'm not about to eat 4000 cals being a 5'7" 126lb woman. No thank you.
Eta: I am pretty active day to day.. chasing kids around, walking my dog. That's gotta count for something, right?
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AdamAthletic wrote: »First off, when bulking you will gain muscle as well as fat unfortunately, so you will probably not look as toned as you would like. That's why most people cut after a bulk.
If you are gaining too much fat, most likely your surplus is too high. You can add cardio to counteract the surplus but I find it much easier to just eat less but really it's up to you. If you do cardio I would do it on a separate day ideally, or at least after your strength training since you are trying to gain muscle so that should be a priority.
You don't need to do cardio though, I typically do none when I'm bulking. (In my case I really don't need to be eating more and chasing my surplus)
If you want to gain and lose fat at the same time, then recomposition might be a better option for you.
I would agree with the recomp option as well pending there isnt a timeline and the OP doesnt mind it taking quite a long period of time (potentially years).
But yea, you dont gain muscle definition during a bulk. Its why many will say bulk until your hate yourself. You will gain both muscle and fat.
The only thing I disagree with is the lack of cardio, I'm a huge believer that everybody should throw in a couple of cardio sessions a week.
The heart being your most valuable muscle(technically 'muscles') after all.
That said, I agree that recomp is usually one of the best options - my mind-frame during a 'bulk' is terrible. I spend the entire time wanting to be on the other end of it!
While I do agree that cardio is important.. sometimes we have to pick our battles. If I do cardio there is no way I would come close to gaining weight. I'm not about to eat 4000 cals being a 5'7" 126lb woman. No thank you.
Eta: I am pretty active day to day.. chasing kids around, walking my dog. That's gotta count for something, right?
I'm not suggesting burning a huge amount of calories but I genuinely think that adding in a 15-20 minute HIIT session a couple of times a week, keeps everything running smoothly!
Plus, the burn is nice after! I think!0 -
AdamAthletic wrote: »AdamAthletic wrote: »First off, when bulking you will gain muscle as well as fat unfortunately, so you will probably not look as toned as you would like. That's why most people cut after a bulk.
If you are gaining too much fat, most likely your surplus is too high. You can add cardio to counteract the surplus but I find it much easier to just eat less but really it's up to you. If you do cardio I would do it on a separate day ideally, or at least after your strength training since you are trying to gain muscle so that should be a priority.
You don't need to do cardio though, I typically do none when I'm bulking. (In my case I really don't need to be eating more and chasing my surplus)
If you want to gain and lose fat at the same time, then recomposition might be a better option for you.
I would agree with the recomp option as well pending there isnt a timeline and the OP doesnt mind it taking quite a long period of time (potentially years).
But yea, you dont gain muscle definition during a bulk. Its why many will say bulk until your hate yourself. You will gain both muscle and fat.
The only thing I disagree with is the lack of cardio, I'm a huge believer that everybody should throw in a couple of cardio sessions a week.
The heart being your most valuable muscle(technically 'muscles') after all.
That said, I agree that recomp is usually one of the best options - my mind-frame during a 'bulk' is terrible. I spend the entire time wanting to be on the other end of it!
While I do agree that cardio is important.. sometimes we have to pick our battles. If I do cardio there is no way I would come close to gaining weight. I'm not about to eat 4000 cals being a 5'7" 126lb woman. No thank you.
Eta: I am pretty active day to day.. chasing kids around, walking my dog. That's gotta count for something, right?
I'm not suggesting burning a huge amount of calories but I genuinely think that adding in a 15 minute HIIT session a couple of times a week, keeps everything running smoothly!
Plus, the burn is nice after! I think!
Omg HIIT.. tried that with my last bulk twice a week.. I definitely couldn't keep up. At the end I was at 3300 cals without cardio.. and this time add more for the extra nursing. When I cut I will add er back in.. but for now not gonna happen! Burn?? I don't want a burn.. I want to gain!!1 -
People here are talking all about calories, but there is another thing to consider and that's recovery. Weight training and muscle building is likely to need more recovery to be most effective, compared to cardio work. The other possibility is if your cardio is too much, you may be trying to lift with tired muscles. I'm reworking my schedule as a result, for example putting long treadmill runs on the first day when I have 2 days off weights.0
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My idea of cardio is walking a few miles per day, with about half of it wearing a weightes vest. It's actually helped to keep all of my soreness in check (especially in the abs, obliques, and legs, all of which really suck). Other than that, it's definitely doing wonders for my leg composition. Weight's been steadily increasing, but I keep finding new veins on my quads and calves on a weekly basis.
Is it making me have to eat more? Yeap. Worth it? Definitely.0 -
AdamAthletic wrote: »First off, when bulking you will gain muscle as well as fat unfortunately, so you will probably not look as toned as you would like. That's why most people cut after a bulk.
If you are gaining too much fat, most likely your surplus is too high. You can add cardio to counteract the surplus but I find it much easier to just eat less but really it's up to you. If you do cardio I would do it on a separate day ideally, or at least after your strength training since you are trying to gain muscle so that should be a priority.
You don't need to do cardio though, I typically do none when I'm bulking. (In my case I really don't need to be eating more and chasing my surplus)
If you want to gain and lose fat at the same time, then recomposition might be a better option for you.
I would agree with the recomp option as well pending there isnt a timeline and the OP doesnt mind it taking quite a long period of time (potentially years).
But yea, you dont gain muscle definition during a bulk. Its why many will say bulk until your hate yourself. You will gain both muscle and fat.
The only thing I disagree with is the lack of cardio, I'm a huge believer that everybody should throw in a couple of cardio sessions a week.
The heart being your most valuable muscle(technically 'muscles') after all.
That said, I agree that recomp is usually one of the best options - my mind-frame during a 'bulk' is terrible. I spend the entire time wanting to be on the other end of it!
In all seriousness, i would do HIIT for 20 mins 2x a week as long as it doesnt affect recovery and it doesn't affect me from getting into a surplus.2
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