Back To Cardio

Hello everyone. Happy October!

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Happy Marvelous Monday!

(Thanks Katie for hosting!)

Well, I'm starting to incorporate more cardio into my routine.

But don't fret! Before anyone freaks out, I'm not doing cardio every day. Since I am at a good weight that I want to be at, I got the okay to start doing some cardio and get the heart pumping. 

I used to do cardio religiously, but I think every girl does before they develop their love for the iron. This was most definitely the case for me. Eventually, though, I become so engrossed in building muscle that I started to believe in that "broscience" that states that one trying to build muscle should never, ever do any sort of cardio.

Broscience. Be right back, laughing too hard. (Source)

This has some truth to an extent. Obviously, if you're doing cardio 5-6x per week and trying to pack on muscle, good luck with that. It's not happening. But if once or twice a week you want to get in a good sweat session while also building muscle, I don't see anything wrong with it whatsoever.

Here's the catch: during these cardio sessions, I don't mean doing an hour of steady state cardio on the elliptical. There may be a time and place for that but not in a muscle-building training program. What I mean is anywhere between 10-30 minutes of HIIT, or high intensity interval training. (If you don't know what that is, click here.) These are highly demanding and I probably wouldn't recommend doing them right after a super intense lifting session. Maybe after a light one, but not a heavy one.

HIIT can actually help you build muscle, if NOT overdone and only done in your best interests. Every body is different: some people respond better to HIIT and are able to build muscle doing it occasionally, while others may notice that they are losing muscle mass, in which case you should A) see how long and intense your HIIT sessions are and then readjust and B) remember that maybe it's just not the best for you building  muscle. And hey, that's okay!

I love this HIIT workout from Electra at Vanilla Bean Lean! (Source)

If you want to build muscle in your legs, I would incorporate plyometrics into your HIIT sessions. When done right, plyos help improve your fast-twitch muscle fibers in your leg, giving you those quadzillas!

Now, before I get anyone attacking me about how this is preposterous, let me just say that if you are underweight and trying to gain in general, please realize that you need to focus on solely gaining weight and abstaining from cardio.

Even if you are underweight and trying to build muscle, you really don't need to be doing HIIT workouts, or any excessive cardio period. 

Well, going back to my personal training, I am adding in two HIIT session per week that are short and sweet. These are subject to change, but typically one will be 20 minutes of intervals on the stairmaster, and 12-20 minutes of intervals involving exercises such as burpees, box jumps, medicine ball slams, lunge jumps, jump squats, etc. 

I really LOATHE cardio now and anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile knows this. But I do think it is important. It improves your heart health which in turn can help you lift heavier and it helps you recover from severe DOMS after a heavy lifting session. Please read this article if you want a great explanation as to why cardio has its time and place.

From that article, I love the quote "If you are seeing all the gains you want in the gym and looking lean and mean, but, you get winded walking up the stairs in your house, there is need for a change." That is SO true. Don't forget to keep your endurance in check and your heart in fighting shape!

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And don't forget, you can incorporate cardio into your rendezvous with the weights: add supersets, trisets, and/or giant sets. After finishing an exercise immediately go to the next exercise and whatever you do, keep that heart rate up! You could also do active rests, like after you finish a weight exercise, during your rest period, jump rope! You don't HAVE to include a cardio aspect into your weights, but for people short on time, this is a great way to get the best of both worlds.

I hope this post was informative. I know I blabbed for awhile. But here's a brief summation of my main points:

1. Don't follow the broscience that if you are trying to build muscle, cardio is forbidden. HIIT may actually increase your gains and help you lift heavier by improving your heart.

2. Don't overdo the HIIT, because too much of anything is not a good thing. If you need to gain weight in general and not muscle, focus on eating more and not doing cardio.

3. Cardio in general will improve the functioning of your heart.With heart disease being the biggest killer these days, this is important. Keep it healthy and strong.

Have a great day. :)

Questions: What's your opinion on cardio? Do you love it or hate it? What's your favorite form?

***Please note that I do NOT in any way claim to know everything about cardio. Please consult with your doctor before you jump to any conclusions. Thank you.***

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