3x5 bulk and cardio!!!??!?!?!

[ambiencr2]

okay.

Been lifting for about 6 months now, training programwas based around the basic compound lifts squats, deads, bench, ohp, pendlay rows, etc.

Also did cardio 30 min. on training days at about 80-85% max HR.

Anyways, i'm taking classes again, and the first two months or so have gone by, I only went to the gym 1-2x a week and my appetite started dropping off from stress work school etc. Overall down 10 pounds from when I started lifting 6 months ago.

Started rippetoe's 3x5 system.

Question is, on a bulking diet how big of a deal is 30-45 min's a day 4x a week going to be?

To be honest, I could never give up cardio. I'm addicted to it, it's my favorite part of training (don't get me wrong I love lifting, but without cardio it just doesn't feel right)

 

[soap_dodger]

cardio is great, even when bulking, you just have to eat, eat, eat.

 

[s8nlilhlpr2]

you will simply have to eat more calories. Actually its better for you, will keep you in better shape, and will limit your fat gain.

 

[Cromlech]

Yep. Eating decent regular meals is the best thing to do. If you don't eat enough, your body stores food as fat when you do eat, as a defence mechanism.

 

[luigisacs]

The only issue with the cardio is that it may sap your energy levels for your lifts. If 80% of max is high and it probably will cut into your gains. You may have to lower the intensity of the cardio to see gains in your lifts.

 

[Sim882]

I guess my experience is to some extent showing the dangers of cardio with bulking. I only started doing weights this year, and have made a deliberate plan to bulk for 10 weeks.

I should point out I do way more cardio than you - regular hour sessions of sprint intervals + comp tennis training.

Has has this effect my bulking?

Well, I've managed to improve all lifts but the leg lifts. However, my squats have stalled embarressingly on something similar to the 5x5 programme, while other lifts have progressed. I now weigh 72kg (5'6), and have been able to while bulking (10 weeks, gaining a conservative 3 kg, all LBM):
- increase 5 rep bench from 90 to 115
- increase 5 rep dead from 100-160 (was new to this lift)
- Wide pull ups from 20 pounds weighted to 50 pounds weighted
- but only increase squats from 120-125, which I know is complete shit progression.

Basically, my legs never get a rest, so I know they won't improve. It will be sad if my bench overtakes my squats (the strange thing is, my legs don't look weak, and I have a large looking [and muscular] arse relative to my body)