Should I still do cardio if I am getting into my cardio zone lifting weights?

[jdbaker82]

5'9" 200 lbs 30% BF lifting weights 4-5 times a week.

I noticed that I generally get into my cardio zone throughout the 45min-1 hour I am lifting weights because I am basically doing a circuit type of lifting switching between two muscle groups back to back. My goal is to add muscle (which I have been doing since I started going to the gym 3 months ago) and lose BF%. First month or two I was doing 30-45 min HIIT cardio on days I did not lift weights or on days I did lift weights I would do 20 min HIIT after lifting.

Just wondering if it is really even necessary to do cardio on elliptical/treadmill etc if I am in my cardio zone while lifting weights.

 

[jdbaker82]

Unpopular section

 

[jdbaker82]

Bump

 

[dark-knight]

if i were you i would still do the cardio after lifting, except on leg days where you could get away with a slow cooldown walk

 

[heavydutyhit]

IMO, leave the cardio to first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, after supplementing with some amino acids and/or a little whey protein. I am totally against post-lifting cardio, because this time should be devoted to getting high glycemic carbs and whey protein into your blood stream to accelerate the recovery/growth process (assuming you stimulated growth).

The cardio should NOT be HIIT. It should be 30-60 minutes of LSD (long slow duration) cardio at a pace of 55-70% of your Maximal Heart Rate (220-your age).

Why? Because 85% of calories burned in this HR zone are fat calories. Only 50% of calories burned come from fat calories at a MHR zone of 70-80%, and that number drops all the way down to 15% when you get up to the 80-90% MHR range.

 

[ExtraMile]

The cardio should NOT be HIIT. It should be 30-60 minutes of LSD (long slow duration) cardio at a pace of 55-70% of your Maximal Heart Rate (220-your age).

could you tell me how much of a change there is when done on an empty stomach as opposed to done just at a random time throughout the day?

 

[heavydutyhit]

could you tell me how much of a change there is when done on an empty stomach as opposed to done just at a random time throughout the day?

I would be happy to.

Your body has a homeostatic range for your blood sugar level. Your body is constantly trying to keep your levels within this range. When your blood sugar level gets too high insulin is released by your pancreas to bring it back down. Conversely, when your blood sugar levels are too low your pancreas releases a hormone called glucagon to bring your blood sugar level back up. Glucagon promotes the release of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL), whose job is to break down fat cells to liberate fatty acids and dump them into your blood stream where they can be used as fuel.

In other words, the sooner you can stimulate the release of glucagon and HSL during your cardio, the more efficient it will be at burning primarily fat calories for fuel.

Lets assume you sleep 8hrs per night (as you should). During the night your body is fasting, ie you do not have a caloric intake during this time period. This fasting process has a significant affect on your blood sugar level. The next morning when you awake, your blood sugar level will be low. So when you awake your body is already primed for the release of glucagon and HSL due to the already low level of your blood sugar.

If you take in a few meals early in the day and then do your cardio, you will have a homeostatic, or quite possibly, a high blood sugar level. So a significant percentage of the initial portion of your cardio session will be spent using the sugar in your blood for energy, and bringing it's level down, until it is low enough to promote the release of glucagon and HSL.

Based on these facts it is only logical to conclude that the most efficient times of the day to do your cardio (if your goal is fat loss) are when your blood sugar levels are low. These two times are first thing in the morning, and immediately after your weight training. However, it is highly anabolic to stimulate an insulin spike within minutes after the last set of your workout. Since the release of insulin is in direct opposition of the release of glucagon, it is absolutely counterproductive to do post weight training cardio. Either you have a post workout shake and do cardio, which is pointless due to the insulin spike, or you skip the shake and due your cardio, which does NOT promote muscle growth. Therefore cardio done on an empty stomach first thing in the morning is the preferred method.

10-15 grams of amino acids and/or 15-25 gm of 100% whey protein should be taken before your morning cardio to prevent muscle catabolism.

 

[jdbaker82]

Thanks for the reply but I didn't really see an answer to my question.. Cardio isnt possible in the morning for me at the moment. I was just wondering if circuit weight lifting would suffice for getting my daily cardio in.

 

[heavydutyhit]

Thanks for the reply but I didn't really see an answer to my question.. Cardio isnt possible in the morning for me at the moment. I was just wondering if circuit weight lifting would suffice for getting my daily cardio in.

No because lifting weights is an anaerobic activity which utilizes the body's atp and creatine phosphate systems as the primary fuel sources. Cardio is an aerobic activity and coaxes your body to utilizes fatty acids as fuel.

That is if you are doing cardio to burn fat.

If your idea of doing cardio is just "getting your heart rate up" for the overall benefits to the strength and health of your heart then sure why not.

I really don't know what else to add to my detailed explanations for proper cardio training that I provided above. I am sorry I am not telling you what you want to hear, but the information I posted about this is backed by a plethora of medical study and documentation.

 

[jdbaker82]

Ok thanks bro I get it now.