Cardio vs Work Out

Hanma · 09-16-2006, 12:10 AM

A question that has been bugging me for a long time now is: Is doing cardio right after or before your workout really detrimental to your mass gains.

I ask this because i have been trying to do both, seperating my work outs and cardio by atleast 3 hours, but this is a hassle, and hard to keep motivated to go to the gym twice a day. So, im hoping someone can tell me that i can do my work outs, then light cardio right after, without losing most of the mass gains ive worked for that day.

I have thought about getting a cardio type machine to do it at work, or get some sort of work out video i can go along to, so i can do my cario at home in the morning, which i think would definately be easier than going to the gym twice a day. If you do this, i would like to know what type of cardio u accomplish at home, so i can get some ideas!

**str8flexed** · 09-16-2006, 02:11 AM

if you eat enough to support the caloric expendature you are probably fine

Super_Beast · 09-16-2006, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by str8flexed

if you eat enough to support the caloric expendature you are probably fine

Or don't eat so much calories then u don't need the cardio

tricky · 09-16-2006, 09:56 AM

buy a heavy leather skipping rope for home. 15-20 minutes will be sufficient although you'll probably have to do it HIIT style cause skipping for that long isn't easy.

**str8flexed** · 09-16-2006, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super_Beast

Or don't eat so much calories then u don't need the cardio

maybe he enjoys it... or wants the metabolic/health benefits from it

JaKKd up · 09-16-2006, 07:00 PM

but if u have some fat around your midsection you are never gonna lose it by just weightlifting you are gonna hafts incorporate cardio in at some point

Mygeeto · 09-16-2006, 11:23 PM

6 packs are gay anyway

Hanma · 09-16-2006, 11:41 PM

Lol, the main fatloss i need IS in the midsection. Its just bloated all the time due to all the protein intake, its not flabby fat. The thing with skip rope is i find it to be hard cardio, i can barely do it 5 minutes without falling of exhaustion lol. Im really out of shape cardio wise. What is HIIT btw. And layne, what do you do? Seperate it or do it right after?

myndgame · 09-16-2006, 11:48 PM

I recently ran a half-marathon and whilst training I read that your body will use the more readily available fat from muscle tissues first with cardio and then switch to use the longer lasting carbs later. (It's been awhile since I read it so forgive the lack of good boring details...)

The point made in the article was that if you are to both weight train and do cardio. This allows the muscles to still have plenty to give when it's required and leaves the carbs, endurance, available for afterwards. It was followed with a direct example of how detrimental it is for those trying to warm up for a workout to spend 30-45 minutes on a treadmill before hitting the weights.

Anyone else have any knowledge of this?

myndgame · 09-16-2006, 11:49 PM

Sorry, The point was to always hit the muscles first and then use what you have left for cardio.

Hanma · 09-17-2006, 12:28 AM

I always figured it was better to hit ur cardio AFTER the work out as a bodybuilder, because ur main focus must go to ur muscle building. So u should use the most of the energy and motivation for the work out.

UnGodly · 09-21-2006, 01:49 AM

Hanam I wouldn't do cardio after a workout because your carb and glycogen levels are very low. If you have no carbs in your body then when you run your body will need to take energy from somewhere and it will take it from your muscle. I only do cardio about 2 times a week and I only run for about 20-30 minutes just to stay lean. I wouldn't recommend running for very long periods of time and I would find a time during the day a good time away before your workout.

Hanma · 09-21-2006, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnGodly

Hanam I wouldn't do cardio after a workout because your carb and glycogen levels are very low. If you have no carbs in your body then when you run your body will need to take energy from somewhere and it will take it from your muscle. I only do cardio about 2 times a week and I only run for about 20-30 minutes just to stay lean. I wouldn't recommend running for very long periods of time and I would find a time during the day a good time away before your workout.

Good point. Thing is, i need to lose some fat, not maintain it, like u do while running twice a week =/ I think imma take up some sport like boxing, kick ass cardio, its fun, and i could seperate it from my work outs. Boxing also requires strength training which is perfect.

Ruhl · 09-21-2006, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanma

Good point. Thing is, i need to lose some fat, not maintain it, like u do while running twice a week =/ I think imma take up some sport like boxing, kick ass cardio, its fun, and i could seperate it from my work outs. Boxing also requires strength training which is perfect.

The main source of energy, after you had depleted your glycogen reserves, is fat, not muscle.

UnGodly · 09-22-2006, 12:02 AM

Lmao why do cardio...if you want to get big then your going to hold some fat. You can't get big and stay ripped no matter how clean you eat. The only people that can are people with fast metabolisms and there called hard gainers. You will never see someone with a real fast metabolism weigh in it 180 pounds. If your still holding that much fat your either not eating right or not working hard enough.

UnGodly · 09-22-2006, 12:03 AM

And Ruhl no it's actually not. Yes you will burn fat but you will also lose muscle in the process.

Hanma · 09-22-2006, 12:00 PM

I am not working out to gain mass right now, i have tendinitis in both shoulders, which makes it impossible for me to train hard at all. So im trying to lose a bit of fat to look and feel better for the moment, while maintaining my muscle mass. (why do cardio) u should always do cardio no matter what stage ur at, its healthy for you and gets u in great shape. It also increases ur stamina and strength which will help u lift more. Doing cardio while bulking isnt gonna decrease ur growth. Maybe if u run a marathon everything then yes.

UnGodly · 09-22-2006, 10:26 PM

If you have tendonitis in BOTH shoulder than I suggest you take a kineciology course and learn about your body and how to train. And running will not increase your strength. If you look at runners and not just marathon runners there are all skinny with the exception of sprinters. Yes it will increase stamina but really nothing more. So you keep on running....

Hanma · 09-23-2006, 03:17 AM

Running marathon wont increase ur strength, but running for cardio on a treadmill will help increase ur strength overall. U will tired less easily the more in shape u get. And trust me i know exactly how to work with my tendonitis, ive been doing athletic therapy for a long time.

dark_tranquillity · 09-23-2006, 10:51 AM

i dont think after working out legs like with some 500 - 600 lbs u gonna do cardio for 30 mins,if u cld do that u be a superman!!!

Mygeeto · 09-24-2006, 05:15 AM

the stories ive heard about tom platz are just insane.....if i can remember correctly after his defintaly gut-busting leg workouts (and you know how intense and crazy these were) he would ride a bike somehtin like 25km home.
thats just dimented

lithium_09 · 09-24-2006, 11:24 AM

Cardio training improves your lung capacity and makes your circulatory system more efficient. This helps you in terms of strength. Period

UnGodly · 09-24-2006, 11:30 AM

Then go ask a marathon runner to bench up 375 pounds.

Hanma · 09-25-2006, 10:42 PM

Ur using marathon runners an example, which u shouldnt because ur going from one extreme to another. People that do shorter amounts of running have massive, strong legs. Take sprinters for example. Lots of cardio, yet they can leg press a **** load. Obvouisly runners wont excel in benchpressing.

UnGodly · 09-25-2006, 11:19 PM

Sprinters do short bursts using all there energy in a shoert distance then resting. Running in bursts in the best way to burn fat and I believe I also said with the EXCEPTION of sprinters.

kenney · 09-27-2006, 10:43 AM

i always do 15-20 minutes of cardio before a workout to warm up and 10 minutes of light cardio to cool down after. It works for me

5211 · 10-08-2006, 01:22 PM

Hanma

Fat is lost through slow and oxidative exercise which means more powerwalking then running cardio.....

what u need to do is learn to breath during ur training and drink a lot of water, not just during ur exercise but throughout the day.

and as for the question of cardio b4 or after weight training..

the sad truth is u need to intake more energy then u expend during weight gain "muscle" etc etc

but u need to intake less energy then u use during weight loss ..

unless you can follow an extrememly strict diet and exercise regime it is extremely hard to have the best of both worlds

i suggest u concentrate on one thing at a time.. and i propose that you lose the fat first.. cause even if u do bulk up. your fat would cover up ur progress anyway.

quote
"Cardio training improves your lung capacity and makes your circulatory system more efficient. This helps you in terms of strength. Period" unquote

this is not true. u can only constructively improve ur lung capacity when u are in ur growth spur.. the increase in lung capacity when ur older is pretty much useless because ur not increasing the number of Alveoli’s you have.. u are only increasing their size..

Hanma · 10-08-2006, 02:37 PM

By lung capacity i mean cardio vascular ability. Meaning ur be less out of breath during work outs, which is always a good thing.

Nathan Blades · 10-08-2006, 10:40 PM

Boxing will get you cut VERY quickly but it would be hard to hit a heavy bag with bad shoulders. Skiping rope is the awsome cardio and it's low very impact.
I have the oppsite problem which is not expending to much calories (hyper fast matabolism :( ) running is good but it's hard on your knees also.

5211 · 10-09-2006, 10:24 AM

"By lung capacity i mean cardio vascular ability. Meaning ur be less out of breath during work outs, which is always a good thing."

lol they are 2 different things

oh yeh.. one more thing...
i think its been said b4 that atp is used first then muscle starts to burn...

usually u only start to burn fat 20 min into training as u burn atp's first... so if u are doing cardio.. do it after weights..

and do burst training.. e.g sprint for 30 secs.. then power walk for 2 min .. repeat but remember OXYGEN is required to burn fat so don't run like hell and think ur burning fat