View Full Version : Cardio on a bulk?
BasementBuilder
08-18-08, 12:57 pm
Whats up guys
First let me say im a hardgainer, been about a year and a half now and ive gone from 170lbs to 205lbs and I think ive finally found what my body likes for gainin weight.
My problem is that ive been to 215lbs before and I feel so slow and sluggish, like I have a hard time carrying the weight around.
Im on another bulk for this upcoming winter and im at 210 now and Im starting to feel it again like im too heavy and draggin ass. Would a light session of cardio twice a week help me out? Any other suggestions?
firsthorseman97
08-18-08, 1:05 pm
First off, I wouldn't consider you a hardgainer if you've packed on 35 lbs in a year and a half. Anyways, I think the cardio would be a great idea. You exercise every other muscle why not the most important one, your heart? The low intensity cardio can also help keep the fat off while your on this bulk.
BasementBuilder
08-18-08, 1:18 pm
Cool I didnt want to lose muscle runnin but I guess I should be ok for light sessions. I def need to clean my diet up a bit too.
And to clarify on hardgainer, my normal weight was 185 always at 6'3". I had a little table saw accident that had me casted up sittin home for two months where my body ate itself down to 170 so when I came out of the cast that first 15lbs wasnt too hard to pack back on.
firsthorseman97
08-18-08, 1:21 pm
Cool I didnt want to lose muscle runnin but I guess I should be ok for light sessions. I def need to clean my diet up a bit too.
And to clarify on hardgainer, my normal weight was 185 always at 6'3". I had a little table saw accident that had me casted up sittin home for two months where my body ate itself down to 170 so when I came out of the cast that first 15lbs wasnt too hard to pack back on.
Gotcha! Try to keep your HR in the 130's and you should be fine.
Don't be afraid to post your diet. Everyone here will be more than glad to give you some pointers.
First off, I wouldn't consider you a hardgainer if you've packed on 35 lbs in a year and a half. Anyways, I think the cardio would be a great idea. You exercise every other muscle why not the most important one, your heart? The low intensity cardio can also help keep the fat off while your on this bulk.
in my opinion and thru my experience you have to make a choice... do you want to bulk bulk or do you want to slowly make progress... if your desperate for size, cut out the cardio bro.. feeling sluggish is most likely from your diet (too many carbs or not enough) since your bulking im gonna guess your eatting too much, or you could be eating too much greasy foods which i hope your not doing cuz greasy ass shit stunts muscle growth... also the sluggish feeling could be from the fact that your body just isnt used to being this big.. it takes a little time to get used to but you'll come out of the rut.. when i was 275 i felt the exact same way... if you wanna try to put on a lil mass here and there hit cardio twice a week... its not gonna keep you lean but it will def slow down the fat gaining process.. hope this helps homie
priority
08-18-08, 1:45 pm
if you do the cardio dont do it low intensity, that wont do anything for you unless your doing it 4-5 times per week. Do two 25 min intense sessions, that will get your cardio vascular system going and make it more efficient and it will help your reps too.
OR
Do your weights sessions at a pretty swift pace keep your heart rate up, this will stop you getting 'bogged' down and feeling slow and sluggish.
Also make sure your diet is good, moderate fats, and either more or less carbs (low glycaemic)
BasementBuilder
08-18-08, 2:28 pm
Thanks for the replies guys. I think I am going to sit down and actually plan out a diet and make sure im getting enough of everything. Im kinda new to all this and have just been housin everything in sight tryin to limit my junk a little bit but I think its time to move to the next level.
Im gonna put my diet in check first and if that still doesnt give me a lil more pep in my step during the day ill try the cardio.
Thanks again
Carrying the extra weight around is uncomfortable for a while but stabalise bodyweight and maintain it, your body gets used to the extra weight after a few weeks and adapts, you can then add more weight if needed and then stabalise once again.
Cardio is a good idea, low intensity 3-4 times a week for 30 mins IMO.
I have never been a big cardio fan especially in the "off-season" for that very reason. However, the past two years I have kept the cardio but dropped it to 30 minutes at about 3.5 - 4.0 mph pace, 3x per week first thing in the am. Mostly on the elyptical, sometimes the treadmill. It has made a big difference. Especially now that I am older. What I could do in 12 weeks now takes me about 16 and the cardio in the off season helps.
I am also experimenting with high intensity training with no more than 30 - 60 seconds between sets. Had to drop the weight a bit at first but it is now coming back. This also helps keep body fat in check. Remember, intensity comes in different forms. Less risk for injury too. I'm trying to stay a little leaner this year but my BW went back up with no problem after my shows.
Your right about diet too. We still need to eat clean even on a bulk. You may want to try rotating your carbs a bit. Right now I am running about 3-4 low days (150 - 300, not prep low...lol) followed by a high day (600 - 800) with some cheats on every other high day. In my opion and from what I have found, we need to keep our bodies guessing. The metabolism gets bored so to speak with the same ol same ol day in and day out.
I feel that the added cardio during a bulk will allow for more quality gains. It may not show as much on the scale but there are no scales ON the stage.
A lot of good suggestions here. Find what works best for you. Good luck and keep me posted. Post your diet too.
DaveK
BasementBuilder
08-18-08, 3:32 pm
As far as my diet goes (and i know this is bad) I havent been keeping track of anything. I get a pre bed protien shake with milk in, real gains and milk in the am, at least four times a day I eat other than these shakes. pak in the AM and m-stak before lifting, torrent while i lift.
My diet could def be alot cleaner and more thought out.
As far as my diet goes (and i know this is bad) I havent been keeping track of anything. I get a pre bed protien shake with milk in, real gains and milk in the am, at least four times a day I eat other than these shakes. pak in the AM and m-stak before lifting, torrent while i lift.
My diet could def be alot cleaner and more thought out.
It's an on going process. I'm always tweaking this and that. I know eating every couple of hours and tracking every gram is tough with a busy schedule. I try to KISS it as much as possible and add a little bit every couple of weeks. Depending on what your actual goals are, I might try and keep the RG's throughout the day but drop the one before bed. I'm not a big fan of that many carbs at nighttime. Try egg whites and turkey bacon before bed.
Also, if you can afford it, do the BigAnt drink during your workout and keep the Torrent for PWO. Go to BigAnt's workout drink post for more info. It's good stuff and has helped me out a lot.
Later - D
LuvsThePain
08-18-08, 4:19 pm
I believe a little bit of cardio would do you good. Like everyone's said so far, keep it low intensity though. Don't train like you're going to run a marathon. Some low intensity cardio can help you condition your new gains, and thus become more comfortable with your new achieved muscle.
Good Luck!
LTP
Do you ever do cardio when your bulking?
If so what do you do?
Just wondering...
Aggression
10-30-08, 5:25 pm
Do you ever do cardio when your bulking?
If so what do you do?
Just wondering...
I'll be doing cardio when I start my bulk again next week, just 2-3 days/week, low intensity, but thats required for DC training.
When I was doing other workouts during bulk, I still tried to hit some cardio 2-3 times a week, 15-20min on a bike or something. To me, in my head, it made me feel a bit healthier, as opposed to just throwing throwing massive weight onto my frame for months without any cardio.
Yeah I've been doing cardio and this is my first bulk that im doing cardio on, I was just wondering about you other animals
Aggression
10-30-08, 5:31 pm
I think its necessary to do cardio at least 2 times a week when bulking. You gotta understand that adding on all that extra weight puts stress on your heart. Doing cardio a fwe times a week will help, and it will also enable you to stay on the leaner side of the bulking season, instead of looking like ya went overboard.
I never used to do cardio on a bulk but then when I dieted down I realised that if I did then I`d add muscle and keep the fat down when I was gaining.
I will always do cardio for around 30 minutes on a bulk, low level cardio such as walking on the treadmill 3 times a week, on non training days for me.
Mr.Hardcore98
10-30-08, 6:59 pm
2-3x per week for 15mins and a walking pase should be fine thats how i do it
Feel The Power
10-30-08, 8:56 pm
I usually do it 2-3 times per week for 30 mins on the elliptical, incline treadmill walk, or exercise bike. I do more if my belly starts to grow and do less if its in check.
MojoMike36
10-30-08, 11:05 pm
When you bulk you carry a bulk bloat. Basically if you don't mind not looking your best with your shirt off skip cardio for awhile and let you body grow. If you care, try to run every now and then and you'll find you lose your bulk bloat and get vascular quick.
Aggression
10-31-08, 10:04 am
I like to hit up the cardio about twice a week for 15-20min on a bulk. I think its important no matter what type of gainer you