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Bulking while building endurance?
- Thread starter notno
- Start date
I think I am just going to go as planned.2-3 20minutes+sessions a day,2 of which are light intense(jog/walk) and 1 which is heavy(noon) I will probabally use some 5lbs leg weights(velcro thingS) and 2 little girl dumbells(like 3 or 5 lbs) and move them in a curl like formation while running. Although I will burn some good nutrients/muscle,I will still have some from lifting,assuming its always intense,and with the weights with cardio,it should help tone the endurance fibers very well. I mean I get 2-3000 cals over my maintaince,not trying to burn fat,trying to help my heart/lungs
Tom Treutlein
New member
Don't use the word "tone".
You can't target specific muscle fibers. A good analogy I've heard in the past was that, saying you can target one set without hitting the other is like saying you can reach 1000 RPM and skip 500. You can't do it.
The muscles only know they're being stimulated. If it's under the lactic acid threshold (I guess you could say) it will be able to cause muscular hypertrophy. Above that "threshold" you will begin building towards muscular endurance. The lower reps tax the CNS more and, I think how it goes is, teaches your body to more effectively recruit fibers.
Studies that have been done show reps in the 8-12 range to be ideal for muscular hypertrophy. Nothing is set in stone, however.
I think you can do the cardio just fine. You'll earn yourself some muscle, keep in good shape, and won't put on fat. People grow without eating in a caloric excess (non-beginners, as well) - it just depends how far along they are in their gains. If someone's "minimum" amount of muscle (amount they'd have regardless of training) was 12" on their arms, let's say, I feel they could reach maybe 15.5" or so without a solid diet and heavy cardio, and the body would adapt. To break past that point and grow further, you would then have to really start pushing in extra calories. This is what a lot of bodybuilders tend to do. They need all that excess. The body deems all that muscle useless. A couple inches add to your "bare minimum", though, won't be seen as such and is probably achievable through simply training intensely. Don't worry too much about the other shit. I've seen too many examples showing that this isn't necessary.
You can't target specific muscle fibers. A good analogy I've heard in the past was that, saying you can target one set without hitting the other is like saying you can reach 1000 RPM and skip 500. You can't do it.
The muscles only know they're being stimulated. If it's under the lactic acid threshold (I guess you could say) it will be able to cause muscular hypertrophy. Above that "threshold" you will begin building towards muscular endurance. The lower reps tax the CNS more and, I think how it goes is, teaches your body to more effectively recruit fibers.
Studies that have been done show reps in the 8-12 range to be ideal for muscular hypertrophy. Nothing is set in stone, however.
I think you can do the cardio just fine. You'll earn yourself some muscle, keep in good shape, and won't put on fat. People grow without eating in a caloric excess (non-beginners, as well) - it just depends how far along they are in their gains. If someone's "minimum" amount of muscle (amount they'd have regardless of training) was 12" on their arms, let's say, I feel they could reach maybe 15.5" or so without a solid diet and heavy cardio, and the body would adapt. To break past that point and grow further, you would then have to really start pushing in extra calories. This is what a lot of bodybuilders tend to do. They need all that excess. The body deems all that muscle useless. A couple inches add to your "bare minimum", though, won't be seen as such and is probably achievable through simply training intensely. Don't worry too much about the other shit. I've seen too many examples showing that this isn't necessary.
See,I dont do this to look good or for some show.(Alway looking good is an unfortunate side-effect 
I simply wanna be healthy,and strong. I like muscle,and I agree that I can still make significant gains in size,while doing the extreme cardio,as long as I keep a high cal diet,and lifting.It also allows me to eat more meals(3-4 more) and 2 gallons of water a day is a snap! Heres one thing I hear alot,it may just one of many myths out,but I hear if you do cardio on an empty stomacH(before eat when wake) then you just burn fat.Is any truth to that ?
I always wake,eat,lift,big fuckin prot.shake after,then I stretch real good(10-20 minutes,whole body) and do cardio.
I find that stretching is something I am always doing while resting(tv,etc) but Can you over-stretch?(I dont mean holding a position until *pain*,I mean throughout the day)
I simply wanna be healthy,and strong. I like muscle,and I agree that I can still make significant gains in size,while doing the extreme cardio,as long as I keep a high cal diet,and lifting.It also allows me to eat more meals(3-4 more) and 2 gallons of water a day is a snap! Heres one thing I hear alot,it may just one of many myths out,but I hear if you do cardio on an empty stomacH(before eat when wake) then you just burn fat.Is any truth to that ?I always wake,eat,lift,big fuckin prot.shake after,then I stretch real good(10-20 minutes,whole body) and do cardio.
I find that stretching is something I am always doing while resting(tv,etc) but Can you over-stretch?(I dont mean holding a position until *pain*,I mean throughout the day)
Tom Treutlein
New member
You cannot over-stretch to my knowledge.
I too feel you can make gains while doing all that cardio. It's certainly not impossible. Eating 2-3k over your maintenance probably isn't either. The body's going to grow, regardless. People say the last thing the body uses its resources for is increasing muscle. I don't feel this is true. If anything, I would think the body would follow some kind of plan towards homeostasis and take a little bit of resources away from everything else to compensate for the lack of nutrients necessary for the muscle tissue growth.
I too feel you can make gains while doing all that cardio. It's certainly not impossible. Eating 2-3k over your maintenance probably isn't either. The body's going to grow, regardless. People say the last thing the body uses its resources for is increasing muscle. I don't feel this is true. If anything, I would think the body would follow some kind of plan towards homeostasis and take a little bit of resources away from everything else to compensate for the lack of nutrients necessary for the muscle tissue growth.
Whether or not you can gain mass while doing cardio has a lot to do with how much mass you have already put on your frame. A beginner can do just about anything and grow. In my situation, I am eating as many calories as I can possibly fit in my stomach, and its barely enough to grow. If I did cardio on top of that, it wouldnt be enough calories and i would never grow
Tom Treutlein
New member
Exactly. Needsize said what I've been trying to very simply.
