A common question many trainers get is – Should I do cardio while bulking? The answer to this question is Yes. Some people think cardio is the enemy of muscle gains, but that’s not the case. In fact, adding cardio into your bulking routine can bring some serious benefits and actually improve you bulk.
Benefits of Cardio During a Bulking Phase
Cardio won’t automatically kill your muscle gains. Cardio can actually help you improve your body composition during a bulk.
By getting in some cardio, you can boost your cardiovascular fitness, burn extra calories, and keep body fat levels in check while holding onto your hard-earned muscle.
Cardio and Body Composition
We all know that bulking means eating in a caloric surplus. But here’s the deal: too much surplus can lead to some unwanted fat gains. That’s going to happen when bulking. And that’s the point if your goal is to maximize gains. You want no shortage of calories to fuel your muscle growth. It’s easier to lose fat than it is to gain muscle. That’s why you should fight for every ounce of muscle mass and eat like a horse during you bulk phase.
If you have your calories dialed in you can do a certain amount of cardio to keep from spilling over too much and gaining excess fat.
As you learn your body and gain experience it’s easier to tweak your exercise routines until you find the right balance between your caloric intake and cardio to build lean muscle while keeping fat gain in check.
Performance Enhancement
Cardio can actually boost your performance in the weight room. By being cardio-fit, you’ll have better stamina, endurance, and work capacity. That means you can crank out more reps, smash more sets, and build some serious muscle. You can put in more volume without getting gassed, and volume is how you achieve hypertrophy.
Cardiovascular Health and Recovery
Cardio isn’t just good for your muscle gains, it’s a key component to maintaining cardiovascular health. It strengthens your ticker, boosts endurance, and makes you an all-around fitter person.
Cardio boosts recovery by increasing blood flow to your muscles, improve oxygen delivery to cells, reducing soreness, and delivering crucial nutrients your muscles need to grow and repair.
Does Cardio Reduce Muscle Gains?
Let’s address some of the common concerns gym-goers share about cardio. Cardiovascular exercise, when done in moderation, is unlikely to significantly reduce muscle gains. However, excessive cardio can interfere with muscle growth to some extent. Here’s why:
Caloric expenditure
Yes, cardio burns calories, and even if you’re already in a surplus, doing too much cardio might mess with your gains. You need the extra calories to support muscle growth, so don’t overdo cardio.
Energy availability
Intense cardio can deplete glycogen stores, which are crucial for fueling your muscles. If your energy levels are low because of excessive cardio it’ll be harder to crush your weightlifting sessions.
Recovery and adaptation
Recovery is key. If you’re doing hardcore cardio all the time, your muscles won’t have adequate time for growth and recovery. It’s important to keep your cardio sessions moderate and give yourself enough rest.
How Much Cardio Should You Do When Bulking?
The amount of cardio you should do while bulking depends on a few factors. These include your personal fitness goals, energy levels, and recovery capacity.
During a bulk, your main focus is on building muscle, right? So, you want to prioritize resistance training and give your muscles enough time to recover and grow to their maximum potential. That’s why it’s important not to go overboard with cardio and risk interfering with your gains.
Timed Sessions
Even if you’re itching to hit the weights, don’t skip out on cardio completely. If you enjoy cardio, then in general, aim for around 2-3 cardio sessions per week. Keep these sessions low to moderate in intensity and duration.
We’re talking 20 to 30 minutes of cardio per session. Just enough to get your heart pumping and burn some extra calories without draining your energy reserves.
Efficient Cardio
I like to use cardio as a warm up. 10 minutes of cardio before a weight lifting session is perfect for me. It gets a sweat going and I feel warm and loose and ready to attack the weights.
I opt for the stair master, treadmill, or rowing machine.
Keep Fat in Check
If you’re in a significant calorie surplus and struggling to keep fat gain in check, you might need to increase your cardio a bit. Just be cautious not to overdo it and compromise your muscle-building efforts. Adjust your cardio based on your progress and how your body is responding.
Listen to Your Body
Always take note of what your body is feeling. If you find yourself feeling lethargic or lacking motivation, then maybe it’s time to dial back on the cardio a bit. Recovery is crucial for those gains, so prioritize that.
Track and Adjust
Experiment, track your progress, and make adjustments along the way. Measuring your progress can guide you on whether you’re on the right track or not. Consulting with a fitness professional or trainer can also provide personalized guidance in your bulking journey.
Best Cardio Exercises When Bulking
When it comes to cardio exercises during a bulking phase, consider low-impact and moderate-intensity activities. You need exercises that elevate your heart rate, burn calories, and engage various muscle groups without placing excessive stress on your joints. Some cardio recommendations for the bulking phase include:
Low-Intensity Steady State (LISS) Cardio
LISS cardio involves performing low-intensity exercises for an extended duration. LISS cardio helps improve cardiovascular fitness without placing excessive stress on the body or tapping to deeply into your energy reserves, making it a good choice for minimizing interference with muscle gains. Examples include brisk walking, light jogging, or cycling.
Incline Walking or Hiking
Walking or hiking on an incline provides an excellent cardiovascular workout while engaging your leg muscles. You can use a treadmill with an incline feature or find hilly terrain outdoors to challenge yourself. Walking or hiking at a moderate pace uphill can increase your heart rate and burn calories without placing significant stress on your muscles.
Cycling
Cycling on a stationary bike or outdoors is a low-impact exercise that can provide an effective cardio workout. Cycling helps improve cardiovascular endurance and leg strength while minimizing the impact on the joints. Adjust the resistance or terrain to increase the intensity.
Stair Climbing
Climbing stairs, either on a stair machine or using a staircase, is an intense cardio exercise that engages multiple muscle groups, particularly the lower body. Incorporating intervals of stair sprints or alternating between stair climbing and walking can add intensity. This elevates your heart rate, burns calories, and can contribute to leg strength development.
Rowing
Rowing is a full-body workout. It targets muscle groups in both the upper and lower body. This makes it an excellent cardio choice. Rowing machines provide adjustable resistance to customize the intensity level. That way, you can keep it moderate yet still improve your cardiovascular fitness, build endurance, and engage the muscles of the back, legs, and arms.
Conclusion
Cardio is your ally during the bulking phase. It helps you build lean muscle while at the same time keeping your body fat in check. Added advantages are the improvement of cardiovascular health, improved muscle recovery, and boosts in performance. Just remember to find that sweet spot between cardio, your caloric intake, and your weightlifting routine.
Stick to a moderate amount of timed cardio sessions per week, keep them in check with your caloric intake, and prioritize recovery. Maximize your muscle gains while reaping the benefits of cardio.
Forget the naysayers: cardio and gains can go hand in hand. Stay disciplined, train hard, and enjoy the benefits of cardio while bulking. You’ve got this!
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