Cardio & Gaining Muscle

[PaganPunkstress]

Hi!
I was wondering how much cardio is ok for me if im trying to firm up and gain muscle.
I dont wanna lose weight..(i weight about 105)
I wanna do enough cardio to stay lean but not over do it and lose weight in the process or something...

any advice?

 

[PaganPunkstress]

*bump*

 

[The Shadow]

I would do little to none

 

[*Bunny*]

I'm no expert but I would think forgetting the cardio and stick to the weights?? anyone?

 

[PaganPunkstress]

really?
but I love cardio lol

 

[jenscats5]

Listen to the Shadow, young grasshopper -- he's the all-knowing Cult Guru 'round these parts.....

And we are a fit cult

 

[PaganPunkstress]

lol

 

[PaganPunkstress]

I would do little to none

so how much is little?

 

[Sassy69]

1-2 x/week? I think some cardio is good to just spark the system a little. I also do 6-10 min warm up on cardio machines prior to my workouts.

 

[The Shadow]

so how much is little?

depends on how many cals you eat.

 

[*Bunny*]

really?
but I love cardio lol

Trust me I have always LOVED cardio, but too much hurts more than helps me ...so I had to cut back and find other ways to release my stress etc.

My little cardio bunny in my sig gives me hope

 

[PaganPunkstress]

Gotcha! thanks sass

 

[jenscats5]

depends on how many cals you eat.

I remember Shadow telling me once: "If you don't eat it, you don't have to burn it off."

I try to remind myself of that everyday...

 

[PaganPunkstress]

Trust me I have always LOVED cardio, but too much hurts more than helps me ...so I had to cut back and find other ways to release my stress etc.

My little cardio bunny in my sig gives me hope

 

[The Shadow]

I remember Shadow telling me once: "If you don't eat it, you don't have to burn it off."

I try to remind myself of that everyday...

EXACTLY right......cardio willkill muscle gains if taken to extremes OR even in moderation on a restricted cal diet due to the bump in cortisol

 

[PaganPunkstress]

I remember Shadow telling me once: "If you don't eat it, you don't have to burn it off."

I try to remind myself of that everyday...

yea thats a good way of putting it.
I try to eat 5 meals a day sometimes 6.
but I hate counting calories

 

[The Shadow]

yea thats a good way of putting it.
I try to eat 5 meals a day sometimes 6.
but I hate counting calories

get used to it...that and havinf a pich test done at LEAST once every 01-14 days...otherwise - you are like a ship with no compass

 

[PaganPunkstress]

I will have to.
thank you dear shadow

 

[Fit Freak]

Im really no expert, but i have found that cardio and weight trainig do work - both to help build muscle - of course your gains wont be huge, but you will definately get defintion....

Day 1 - Weights
Day 2 - Cardio
Day 3 - Weights
Day 4 - Cardio
Day 5 - Weights
Day 6 - Cardio

 

[The Shadow]

Im really no expert, but i have found that cardio and weight trainig do work - both to help build muscle - of course your gains wont be huge, but you will definately get defintion....

Day 1 - Weights
Day 2 - Cardio
Day 3 - Weights
Day 4 - Cardio
Day 5 - Weights
Day 6 - Cardio

the def comes from thew diet...nothing more


and I wouldnt recommend that spilt personally

 

[PaganPunkstress]

thanks for the advice shadow

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Day 1 - Weights
Day 2 - Cardio
Day 3 - Weights
Day 4 - Cardio
Day 5 - Weights
Day 6 - Cardio

I personally like this split ...... but do *not* recommend it for the original poster. She is already low weight, and wants to build muscle, even a LITTLE muscle. ONLY way I would recommend this for building muscle is if the Cardio days are actually HIIT days.

This split tends to work well for beginners to working out, or people who come back after a lay off (deconditioned). Or simply for maintenance.

In the original poster's situation, I would recommend cardio 1-2x a week, for no more than 30 min at a time. You could even try HIIT instead of steady state.

 

[PaganPunkstress]

thanks Daisy

 

[Daisy_Girl]

No prob ....

Seriously, I would recommend doing HIIT a couple times a week and cutting out other cardio.

Might be tough to wrap your mind around doing less cardio, but seriously, try it for 4-6 weeks, no cheating .... see the results, THEN decide how it is working.

 

[Sassy69]

And find out how much OTHER fun stuff you can do with the time you save doing 20 min x 3/week HIIT instead of hours on end of regular cardio...!

 

[PaganPunkstress]

thanks girls,
how do I do HIIT,
ive heard of it but have never taken the time to try it out or even understand how to do it, lol

 

[Sassy69]

Here's a good description from the Shadow's Project thread:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4347318&postcount=33

You can do whatever cardio machine but follow that cycle of warm up, intense, recover, intense, recover, etc.... , cool down.

 

[Fit Freak]

Hey Daisy

Yep, I was doing it with HIIT cardio - 20 minute KILLER!!!!

Right now my goals have changed, Id like to keep muscle definition, but Im aiming to lose more body fat. Its around 24 now I need to get it down to at least 18.

Currently Im following a different routine:

Day 1
Super Set 1: Back/Chest Super Set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 2: Back/Chest Super Set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 3: Back/Chest Super set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 4: Calves/Shoulders (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
20 Min Cardio

Day 2
Super Set 1: Legs Super Set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 2: Legs Super Set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 3: Legs Super set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 4: Shoulders/Shoulders (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
20 Min Cardio

Day 3
Super Set 1: Bis/Tris Super Set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 2: Bis/Tris Super Set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 3: Bis/Tris Super set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 4: Shoulders/Shoulders (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
20 Min Cardio

Day 4
Super Set 1: Legs Super Set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 2: Legs Super Set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 3: Legs Super set (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
Super Set 4: Shoulders/Shoulders (3 sets @ 12 REPS, 1 MIN rest between supersets)
20 Min Cardio

Day 5 - Same as day 1
Day 6 - Same as day 2
Day 7 - Rest

Start the following week at day 3 (for instance).

Ive been doing this routine for 6 days now and its going really well, I can feel my muscles burning and they hurt like hell the next day I cant really say if its working becuase I havent taken my stats and also my diet is not 100%. But from monday I plan to prove this program can work - so Ill take the stats and so on

 

[Miss24k]

Trust me I have always LOVED cardio, but too much hurts more than helps me ...so I had to cut back and find other ways to release my stress etc.

My little cardio bunny in my sig gives me hope

I laugh everytime I read on this forum about you little cardio bunnies and how you love your cardio.... *blech*

Just like to let y'all know that I HATE IT...and got to force myself to do it... lol

Yea I'm feeling alittle fiesty this morning can you tell...lol

Pagan, we are similar in stats, stick to what Daisy, Shadow, and Sassy said, 1-2 times a week, for 30 minutes (a 10 minute warm-up, and 20 minutes HIIT)
And GO HEAVY with the weight, to build that muscle

Keep us posted girl.

 

[PaganPunkstress]

I laugh everytime I read on this forum about you little cardio bunnies and how you love your cardio.... *blech*

Just like to let y'all know that I HATE IT...and got to force myself to do it... lol

Yea I'm feeling alittle fiesty this morning can you tell...lol

Pagan, we are similar in stats, stick to what Daisy, Shadow, and Sassy said, 1-2 times a week, for 30 minutes (a 10 minute warm-up, and 20 minutes HIIT)
And GO HEAVY with the weight, to build that muscle

Keep us posted girl.

I sure will