Cardio and Muscles

[witkowsd]

I do 20 min. of cardio twice a week, once after doing legs and once after chest. I am in a bulking stage - will it hurt me to continue to do cardio or do I need to stop it - also, I am trying to get rid of the fat on my thighs - so that was one of the reasons for doing cardio - I don't want to loose muscle by adding cardio after working so hard. Any suggestions?

 

[Realgains]

You can safely do 30-45 minutes of cardio three times per week and not cut into your recuperative powers too much. I would only make one of those sessions intense(ie:anaerobic threshold work)

You cannot be an aerobic machine and expect to gain much if any muscle mass though, even while on steroids.

RG

 

[Realgains]

Agreed....although I'd pick a day other than leg day to do it "after."

Yes, I wouldn't do cardio on leg day....good point.

RG

 

[smoknjilly]

after leg day i don't think I would be able to make them do cardio

 

[Haz]

I swim on leg day. Legs provide only 10% of the forward thrust when swimming, so they aren't taxed at all.

 

[Gladiola]

My coach & team mates are telling me even 2 sessions of cardio per week might inhibit my strength -> a "session" for me would have to be 45-55 minutes, because I usually teach aerobics for cardio & classes are always an hour.

The Olympic Lifting has been raining on my parade! Anyway - I don't think 2 hours per week would be detrimental, but they keep reiterating that you work slow or fast twitch fibers -> strength or endurance & you can't excel at it all (although the OL WILL leave me with a high aerobic capacity).

Anyone know what the truth is, some facts? Where is the point that it's a hinderance? I thought muscle gains were a factor of calories - if I eat enough to fuel the cardio, I don't risk catabolism & it shouldn't hinder my strength?! So I thought.

 

[Haz]

Gladolia, your coach is right. The Russians tried adding some cardio to their weightlifters training program, but their strength started going down almost immediately. I'll try and dig up the article. I'm not sure how much cardio would be enough to hurt your strength, but I'm sure it doesn't take alot.

 

[Gladiola]

Sorry I'm a bit late on this.

My coach & one team mate said not more than maybe 1, 2 at most 30-min sessions per week.

They said you can't be working your slow twitch fibers, when you want to focus on developing fast twitch.

BUT - I said the % distribution b/t fast & slow is set at birth, it's not going to change. So how can working the slow twitch inhibit growth of the fast?? The only detriment I know of is catabolism - burning the muscle tissue for fuel during the cardio exercise.

BUT- I thought that if you ATE enough, you could still have glycogen in your muscles for fuel during cardio & didn't risk the catabolism. I said that to them & it turned into a conversation on eating carbs...
Anyways, they said you can't really excel at both. I don't doubt that if you want to be EXCELLENT at the strength, you've got to make that your #1 focus. I just am not sure of the science myself, & nor were they.

 

[circusgirl]

Sorry I'm a bit late on this.

My coach & one team mate said not more than maybe 1, 2 at most 30-min sessions per week.

They said you can't be working your slow twitch fibers, when you want to focus on developing fast twitch.

BUT - I said the % distribution b/t fast & slow is set at birth, it's not going to change. So how can working the slow twitch inhibit growth of the fast?? The only detriment I know of is catabolism - burning the muscle tissue for fuel during the cardio exercise.

AFAIK there are some muscle fibres (fast twitch type 2?) that can re recruited for either aerobic or anaerobic work, depending on how you train. Check this though.

I also remember reading on a running site that the hormonal env is changed by lots of running making it difficult to gain muscle (it was a distance running guy complaining about being scrawny).

 

[wilson6]

It is the type of neural recruitment pattern that dictates what happens. Chronic repeated bouts of low intensity stim to a muscle will push it toward an aerobic state (capillary density increases, increase in aerobic enzymes, etc.) A fiber under this type of stim will oppose hypertrophy because it is trying to become aerobic, and hypertrophy would be counterproductive as this increases the diffusion time for O2 to get from the cap to the mito.

The differences in hormone concentrations between a natural male runner and weightlifter are not that different unless they are overtrained. Either form of exercise will increase cortisol, GH and EPI during exercise, and could decrease test during chronic overuse. There is some suggestion that test is increased over time with resistance training, but the small increases are unlikely to contribute to hypertrophy differences between runners and weight-lifters.

During explosive movements, all fibers are recruited including slow-twitch. During low intensity movements, mostly slow twitch are recruited, but IIa fibers are involved as well as the exercise bout continues.

It has been shown that the upper limit for cardio is three 30 minute low-moderate intensity sessions per week. Beyond that, there will be strength decrements.

Prolonged walks are best for increasing caloric expenditure (very little muscle glycogen use) and not compromising strenght and muscle mass.

Sled dragging will recruit Type IIs and use muscle glycogen. It could impair recovery from lifting.

While eating enough is certainly important for recovery, it will not offset the effects different neural recruitment patterns on muscle plasticity.

W6