Cardio kills GAINZ?

Lorix94

I'm doin a leg push pull routine (6 time a week) is it optimal to add cardio on pull and off days in order to avoid gaining too much fat while bulking?

skywa

I honestly don't think its necessary to add cardio when bulking if you have a hefty weight lifting routine. It's hard enough to eat in a surplus w/o the additional calories burned by cardio.

TheRealBruceWayne

I honestly don't think its necessary to add cardio when bulking if you have a hefty weight lifting routine. It's hard enough to eat in a surplus w/o the additional calories burned by cardio.

Hard to eat a surplus? What the problem is?

You should do some light cardio and conditioning just to maintain general health but it shouldn't impact whether or not you gain fat. If you have to do cardio to minimize fat gain then you're eating too many calories and you simply need to eat a little less.

ilovedeadlifts

Adding cardio isn't going to prevent fat gain, it just means you're gonna have to eat more if you want to gain weight.

If you want to do 2 cardio sessions a week for the health benefits or just not being out of shape, go for it.

izWHATitIz

Gaining fat while bulking all depends on how clean you keep your diet. If you are having problems getting in the calories throughout the day I would suggest adding thing like Chia seed (high fiber and protien for serving), coconut oil (medium chain fatty acid and is immediately use for energy), and peanut butter to your protien shake if you drink them. And to the contrary fat doesn't make you fat, infact it's a key ingredent to the production of testosterone.

But as for cardio during bulking I would do intervals. 20 mins 1min on 1min off. Sprint your fastest for 1 and walk at 3.5 for 1. I also find I get best results when I do this after a fasting day. This way my glycogen has been depleted and my body taps into fat for its fuel. But if you're not experienced with fasting DO NOT try it this way. Would hate for you to pass out on the treadmill.

Just one opinion of many.

GymRatGirl13

I tried to "bulk" for two years while worrying about "getting fat", so I continued to do cardio a few days a week on top of my intense lifting program, while eating very clean and balanced...the result? None. No change in two years, except the occassional up a few pounds, looking full, down a few pounds, looking ripped. I have increased calories again (700 over the last 9 months) and quit doing cardio (unless I go mountain biking,....but I will take in an additional 500-800 calories on those days) for the past four months and have put on four solid pounds and remained in the same pant size (that is where I hold my weight, so I measure fat gain there). You look extremely lean, so I would let go of the fear of putting on fat, lift in a baggy sweatshirt for the winter, and forget about abs for awhile, so you can pack on some real muscle. After you have added mass, you will have something to show when you cut down the few pounds of fat you may add, natrually. Go for it man. :-)

Snow3y

Cardio can help staying leaner, but wont stop fat gain all together.. You'll need to still eat back the calories burnt bud

astronomicals

From experience, minimizing cardio can be bad during a bulk. My conditioning went to **** and my lifts suffered. I would sweat a lot more and had trouble doing things I had done before. Just make sure you're gaining weight at the proper pace and don't go insane with cardio.

I was running 2 miles three times a weeks when I had my issues. I suspect that small amounts of interval training may have sufficed, but, I often get injuries when doing interval stuff. I just push too damn hard.

jacksonpt

Adding cardio isn't going to prevent fat gain, it just means you're gonna have to eat more if you want to gain weight.

If you want to do 2 cardio sessions a week for the health benefits or just not being out of shape, go for it.

Agreed.

andresconejo

Bump!

Live4theLift

Cardio will only free up calories, you need to eat excess to gain muscle so if you do cardio and dont eat back the calories then you wont gain muscle unless you are still in a surplus.

funforsports

I like to decrease cardio but I do not eliminate it. Just make sure you eat back those calories that you burn but I find it good practice to keep your cardiovascular system in good shape year round. I tend to do more HIIT training than anything. Not a big fan of the 10 mile runs.

Leadfoot_Lewis

I personally think everyone should do a little cardio - it's obviously good for the heart, lungs, etc. I do enough to "stay in shape" and be able to do the things I enjoy (bike riding, sled pulling, etc.) Like others, I just simply eat more on days I do cardio.