should a skinny person do cardio?

skhamiri

let's say a 20 year old guy, 177cm (5'9) weight 60kg (132lbs) with a B.M.I of 19.5 wanted to exercise and tune his body, does he ever need cardio in his life? or should he only focus on bodybuilding?

TavistockToad

Are you trying to gain weight?

jessiferrrb

does he enjoy cardio? if so, i don't see why not. if the concern is that he's underweight and doesn't want to lose any more then i would suggest accurately logging calories in and calories burned to make sure that he's not in a deficit. if he wants to tone then that's going to involve eating at a surplus to build muscle and a progressive strength training program. cardio isn't necessary for that but cardio has other benefits.

Mycophilia

If you care about your cardiovascular health then yes. Just remember that cardio will only steal your gains if you don't account for the extra calorie burn.

lorrpb

Skinny people need strong hearts and that's what cardio does for you.

sardelsa

If he is having problems gaining.. then there is nothing wrong with laying off the cardio for a while especially for a "hard gainer".. I wouldn't recommend forever though since it is good for your heart and health.

I typically don't do any cardio while I'm bulking (other than walking and daily activities).. I don't need to be eating 4000cals a day and chasing my surplus. No thanks.

Pancakes80

30 min of cardio a few times a week is a good amount for in regards to its health benefits and will NOT put you in a major deficit….. I only wish cardio was that effective haha!!

skhamiri

Mycophilia wrote: »

If you care about your cardiovascular health then yes. Just remember that cardio will only steal your gains if you don't account for the extra calorie burn.

no i only care about having a tuned body and not my health so would i need cardio?

TavistockToad

skhamiri wrote: »

Mycophilia wrote: »

If you care about your cardiovascular health then yes. Just remember that cardio will only steal your gains if you don't account for the extra calorie burn.

no i only care about having a tuned body and not my health so would i need cardio?

:huh: :noway:

livingleanlivingclean

skhamiri wrote: »

Mycophilia wrote: »

If you care about your cardiovascular health then yes. Just remember that cardio will only steal your gains if you don't account for the extra calorie burn.

no i only care about having a tuned body and not my health so would i need cardio?

I'd say you should change your mindset, because whilst you may just want to look a certain way now, you might like being healthy in the future when you realise there's more to life than looking a certain way!

sijomial

Cardio and lifting can be complimentary as well as antagonistic.
You can be both CV fit and muscular - especially at your age. You just have to eat enough to support your exercise, recovery and growth.

Do you "need" cardio, no.
But personally I find it quite sad you don't want to aspire to being the best and healthiest you can be.

Rom3oJuli3tt

skhamiri wrote: »

let's say a 20 year old guy, 177cm (5'9) weight 60kg (132lbs) with a B.M.I of 19.5 wanted to exercise and tune his body, does he ever need cardio in his life? or should he only focus on bodybuilding?

Don't skimp out on the cardio. If you're still in your first year of lifting, you'll be able to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. It's hard for a natural to do so, but that first year lays the foundation.

You need to get your nutrition on point first and foremost. Nothing is going to work without having that in check. You can lift all day and still look like trash because of a trash diet.

Once your nutrition is spot on then you really need to focus on good, solid, compound lifts. Don't just go by the YouTube stars. They've been lifting almost as long as you've been alive and have really good gear to help with gains and recovery. A solid beginner program would he the 5x5 or Jim Stoppani's Shortcut to Shred.