Should I leave out cardio altogether?

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ashleearoha
ashleearoha Posts: 165 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys, I am trying to build more lean muscle while losing some body fat. I am wanting to get down to about 16 to 18% body fat (I am between 19 to 22% at the moment). Ive been concentrating on intense strength training an hour at least 5 times a week. Lately I have been trying to incorporate some cardio such as HIIT and interval training but I have heard that I should avoid cardio if i am trying to increase lean muscle?
Does anyone have any ideas? Anyone with similar goals?
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Replies

  • 6ronXtreme9
    6ronXtreme9 Posts: 416 Member
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    well u don't have to do much cardio...just drop carbs, get on a strict diet, and hit the weight room hard :)
  • HawkeyeTy
    HawkeyeTy Posts: 681 Member
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    well u don't have to do much cardio...just drop carbs, get on a strict diet, and hit the weight room hard :)

    Why?
  • 6ronXtreme9
    6ronXtreme9 Posts: 416 Member
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    well u don't have to do much cardio...just drop carbs, get on a strict diet, and hit the weight room hard :)

    Why?
    ask scott heman,josef rakich,joe donnelly or any other certified trainers.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    Reasonable amounts of cardio won't cause you to lose lean muscle. You are already quite lean, and can easily lose muscle. Consistent hard strength training, adequate protein, and avoiding an excessively large calorie deficit will help you keep the lean mass you have. LISS cardio will allow you to eat more, and has some health benefits. But it won't affect your lean muscle mass to a large degree, positive or negative.

    Regarding HIIT, I wouldn't do it at all, because it is difficult to program correctly with strength training, and frankly not worth the trouble in my opinion. However, many people say they are doing HIIT, but they mean they just run a little faster sometimes. For example, if you can do it for 45 minutes, you are certainly not doing HIIT.
  • HawkeyeTy
    HawkeyeTy Posts: 681 Member
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    well u don't have to do much cardio...just drop carbs, get on a strict diet, and hit the weight room hard :)

    Why?
    ask scott heman,josef rakich,joe donnelly or any other certified trainers.

    I don't want to, I am asking you.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    I know of at least one certified trainer who would disagree with the carb dropping comment ... I am not a trainer so I am not speaking of myself-- I have just seen multiple posts that disagrees with that concept.

    Now back to the original question. Moderate cardio will serve to help reduce body fat (by increasing calorie burn and enhancing a calorie deficit which is essential in the body fat reduction equation)... now, cardio is not essential... it will just help. If you are keeping it to a moderate level, by all means do it... It does the heart good and it is really about fitness anyway. By all means, lift heavy.
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
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    well u don't have to do much cardio...just drop carbs, get on a strict diet, and hit the weight room hard :)

    Why?
    ask scott heman,josef rakich,joe donnelly or any other certified trainers.

    I don't want to, I am asking you.


    Don't drop carbs!! How fast and far is your car going to go with no fuel. The body is not that much different.

    Cardio is beneficial for your heart and well being for sure, but not the backbone of any lean muscle building program.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
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    No, you should do some type of conditioning. I dunno why you're lifting 5+days a week on a deficit.
  • BurnBabyyyBurn
    BurnBabyyyBurn Posts: 79
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    I honestly don't do cardio o.o We should though.
  • MissGamerGirl
    MissGamerGirl Posts: 187 Member
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    No, you should do some type of conditioning. I dunno why you're lifting 5+days a week on a deficit.

    I have to agree with this. It sounds a little excessive. :/
  • ashleearoha
    ashleearoha Posts: 165 Member
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    Thanks guys!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    No, you should do some type of conditioning. I dunno why you're lifting 5+days a week on a deficit.

    I have to agree with this. It sounds a little excessive. :/

    lifting five days week is excessive??? Care to clarify why that is?

    I lift five days a week with minimal cardio …
  • Omar_USAF
    Omar_USAF Posts: 27 Member
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    nothing wrong with working out 5 days a week? along as your not overdoing it & getting in all your meals. & i say stick to cardio, adjust the amount of cardio as necessary . Good luck
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    I really notice the difference in my lifting when I'm cardiovascularly fit. Having muscular and anaerobic endurance really goes a long way to an excellent lifting session.

    Saying that, I avoid too much over lactate threshold cardio now on bulks for three reasons.

    It is possible I am burning muscle rather than fat.

    I am not recovering properly from heavy lifting.

    I try and bulk as clean as possible (little fat gain as poss), and that requires pretty exact numbers. The more activity I do, the harder it is to get the numbers right. Muscle needs excess calories to build. I don't want to risk being at maintenance or accidental cut. I also don't want to over do it and gain too much fat.

    It's still debatable whether I can recapture my previous fitness after this winter of bulking. I thought it would make me a better athlete, yet at the moment I am not.
  • florentinovillaro
    florentinovillaro Posts: 342 Member
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    It depends on you. I can't lift a straight week without gaining. So I mix it up with cardio. If I do too much cardio, I look like a skeleton with a saggy skin on it.
  • MissGamerGirl
    MissGamerGirl Posts: 187 Member
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    No, you should do some type of conditioning. I dunno why you're lifting 5+days a week on a deficit.

    I have to agree with this. It sounds a little excessive. :/

    lifting five days week is excessive??? Care to clarify why that is?

    I lift five days a week with minimal cardio …

    My initial reaction is that having only two rest days per week from heavy lifting seems a bit minimal for muscle recovery, let alone adding cardio on top of that.

    However, I am open to hearing other perspectives on the subject that differ from mine. I am still new to lifting so perhaps I am wrong. I don't have an issue with being corrected with respect and learning from others.
  • mimixtine
    mimixtine Posts: 1
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    well u don't have to do much cardio...just drop carbs, get on a strict diet, and hit the weight room hard :)

    Why?
    ask scott heman,josef rakich,joe donnelly or any other certified trainers.

    I don't want to, I am asking you.


    Don't drop carbs!! How fast and far is your car going to go with no fuel. The body is not that much different.

    Cardio is beneficial for your heart and well being for sure, but not the backbone of any lean muscle building program.

    Depends on your fuel. Not everyone chooses to run on carbs.
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
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    well u don't have to do much cardio...just drop carbs, get on a strict diet, and hit the weight room hard :)

    She's trying to increase lean mass. Why would she drop carbohydrates???
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
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    No, you should do some type of conditioning. I dunno why you're lifting 5+days a week on a deficit.

    I have to agree with this. It sounds a little excessive. :/

    lifting five days week is excessive??? Care to clarify why that is?

    I lift five days a week with minimal cardio …

    My initial reaction is that having only two rest days per week from heavy lifting seems a bit minimal for muscle recovery, let alone adding cardio on top of that.

    However, I am open to hearing other perspectives on the subject that differ from mine. I am still new to lifting so perhaps I am wrong. I don't have an issue with being corrected with respect and learning from others.

    No 5 days a week is not excessive, that's about the average frequency for most.
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
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    Don't focus on it if you're trying to gain. I'd just do the minimal required for heart health. Personally, I do it once a week at most at the moment.

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