# Thoughts on Cardio when on a bulk...



## Jordi B (Jan 15, 2010)

Good afternoon everyone,

Am currently on a bulk and just wanted to know everyones opinion on cardio when on a bulk? Have been on a slow bulk for several weeks now and feel good, but am starting to feel a bit bloated...plus past few weeks have not been doing any cardio...should I carry on as I am, or add couple of cardio sessions in?

Any help would be great.

Cheers


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## EXTREME (Aug 5, 2005)

I've posted this til I'm fed up posting the same thing.

Please tell me why you are on "a Bulk"?

Do you think there is a link between getting fat and building muscle?

Have you bulked before then tried to lose the fat and keep the muscle? If so how much muscle did you gain?

Do you understand the hormonal releases made by stored bodyfat?

If truly bulking why are you bothering with cardio?

These questions may make me seem like a pr**k but this pr**k has done it ALL before and I'm trying to make you think when you answer these questions so in turn it makes it easier for me to help you.


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## Jordi B (Jan 15, 2010)

Hello,

Yes I have bulked before but not as serious as I have started this year with diet/meals etc. I want to gain as much muscle as poss but want to remain as lean as I can, so when I start cutting phase I dont have so much to loose...the new workout I have started advises for first phase do no cardio, but I dont like doing none...no just looking for advice etc.

Thanks



Extreme said:


> I've posted this til I'm fed up posting the same thing.
> 
> Please tell me why you are on "a Bulk"?
> 
> ...


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## yannyboy (Jun 20, 2009)

I think the word bulk should really mean controlled overeating

If you are putting on more than 1-2lb a week, you are putting to much fat on as well!

As for cardio, a small amount 3 times a week will be beneficial for health reasons


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## wezo1466868035 (Oct 11, 2012)

I think most people would agree that when there bulking whats the point in cardio

the last thing you wont is working your ass off training and eating then burning your muscle

on a bloody tredmill,i would suggest 15 min walk after each workout..


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## Shambo (Mar 13, 2013)

I used to do alot of cardio but found I was wasting my time and struggling to build muscle while doing lots of cardio, my job is very active too so I found that to be enough and am now making good progress without doing so much cardio


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## Sharp161 (Jan 31, 2010)

I read Mike menzars book a while back he talks about how little cals over maintenence u need to build a pound of muscle and it's a really small amount. Iv been following this sort of philosophy for a while obv put on some fat but still have my Abbs and gaining well. Not saying this works for everyone or is the most effective method but works for me and means I can bulk pretty much 100%of the time and the only cardio I do is sex and bike rides 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2


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## Grandad (Jan 22, 2013)

wezo said:


> I think most people would agree that when there bulking whats the point in cardio
> 
> the last thing you wont is working your ass off training and eating then burning your muscle
> 
> on a bloody tredmill,i would suggest 15 min walk after each workout..


Pretty much thats it in a nutshell.


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## Neil R (Oct 29, 2006)

The point of cardio in a "Bulk" (building phase) is to improve/maintain oxygen delivery to the muscles and aid in the removal of toxic byproducts, which aids recovery. You cannot grow until you have recovered.

It also has the benefit of keeping bodyfat under control, so you can actually see the gains you are making (as opposed to if you care covered in a layer of bodyfat). Personally, I dislike having to diet an extra 6-8 weeks before a show just because i couldn't keep some discipline in the Offseason...I've also noticed that the competitors who are "consistently" in the best condition on stage are also leaner in the offseason.

If you did the math, you'd be suprised at what "bulk" gains actually are!


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## kezza100 (Feb 2, 2013)

30 mins three times aweek id say. you need to do some cardio for health reasons and to keep your weight stable.


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## Max1466868006 (Feb 16, 2010)

I would say cardio is essential when bulking.

It stops you getting too fat, it helps with cardiovascular health which means better recovery from everything and if you are bulking you are overeating which leads to weight gain and other issues so by doing cardio you restrict this.


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## jakal2001 (Dec 18, 2010)

The answer to this question still remains vague. I add good carbs to my diet (oats etc.) andI put on good muscle, but this comes with a price! I also sart adding abit of fat - im doing weights 3x a week and cardio 30-45mins 3-4 times a week. Diet is good, 2-3 extrreme whey + milk per day (by adding carbs i mean adding blended oats x 1 scoop per scoop of whey), i eat clean and all i can think of is to eliminate the oats in my shake to reduce the fat im putting on.


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## Hunnington (Jul 19, 2012)

Ask yourself what are you doing?

You are bodybuilding yes? Which is still a sport if I remember?

So if it is a sport. You will need to train the heart like you train any other muscle in your body all year round im afraid.

Cardio has so many benefits and is vital for recovery and overall fitness which helps you stay under a bar for longer. Equating to increase time under tension=more muscle break down=ned for more food and nutrition to repair muscle.

If Ronnie Coleman does CV all year round why should we not do it year round.

Just get on with it and do it you will see the rewards in the long run.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2


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## EXTREME (Aug 5, 2005)

I keep seeing people saying that cardio burns off muscle, it doesn't. Cardio uses your muscles "aerobically" that means "with oxygen" so your oxygen intake increases a bit as you are working and the heat that is generated is "calories" being burned - or oxidised. A calorie is a unit of energy and generates heat when it is burned/used.

The human body will only start pulling amino acids out of the muscle to be burned for energy once the body has used up or has no fat or glycogen to burn. Glycogen - muscle stored energy, is burned for the first 40 minutes of aerobic activity then the body switched to its fat reserves. So if you are looking to keep fat down when bulking you want to be doing long, low intensity cardio sessions.

People keep saying how they don't like cardio, if you haven't experienced the latter stages of a diet yet, trust me when I say cardio is far easier and more pleasant than a diet where you need to lose fat.


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## jakal2001 (Dec 18, 2010)

Cheers Extreme, so would a 30min on Xtrainer on fat burner mode be classed as high or low intensity?


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## EXTREME (Aug 5, 2005)

It depends on how hard you are working, as long as you can still hold a conversation it's low intensity.


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## mcsp_olif (May 31, 2010)

The only cardio i would possibly do is walking and even that would be few and far between


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## splinter1466867924 (Aug 5, 2005)

HIIT cardio personally for me. 15 mins tops, job done. Best hormonal effect. Might throw in the odd steady state just to cause a slight deficit, but it pales in comparison to HIIT.


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## justheretosnoop (Jun 15, 2012)

Never really done a great deal of cardio full stop before but after these past few weeks of doing rowing intervals it'll be something I'll do throughout the yr full stop. Plus i'll never bulk again per se, biggest waste of my time ever.


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## gingernut (Dec 11, 2006)

I find dietary control better than spending less time in bed sleeping, or an extra 30-40 minutes gym time. I'm also prone to lower body and foot injuries. Since I lift weights 5 days a week, and the sessions involve quite a bit of volume work, some sessions actually contain a component which is so intense it feels like cardio (certainly HIIT-like) I don't feel the need for a great deal of cardio off season, just do the minimum to keep my finger in. I sometimes train with a Martial arts club, their lessons involve 10 minutes of jogging, star jumps, press ups, break falls and the lesson itself might involve throwing or being thrown so I count that as a form of cardio, especially since I often have already powerwalked/jogged there because I'm late (approx 7 minutes).

If bodyfat gets over a certain level I'll bring the cardio back in, find it useful for discipline and appetite control but after that it's mostly out.


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## AChappell (Jun 1, 2011)

Neil R said:


> The point of cardio in a "Bulk" (building phase) is to improve/maintain oxygen delivery to the muscles and aid in the removal of toxic byproducts, which aids recovery. You cannot grow until you have recovered.
> 
> It also has the benefit of keeping bodyfat under control, so you can actually see the gains you are making (as opposed to if you care covered in a layer of bodyfat). Personally, I dislike having to diet an extra 6-8 weeks before a show just because i couldn't keep some discipline in the Offseason...I've also noticed that the competitors who are "consistently" in the best condition on stage are also leaner in the offseason.
> 
> If you did the math, you'd be suprised at what "bulk" gains actually are!


Spot on Neil, I put that point to Stuart last year. I think he could come in diced if he just kept his off season weight down a touch. He has tons of muscle it's not like he's lacking in that department, he just needs to come in cut. I'm sure he'd fill you in on the numbers off season to on season if he see's this post. I've heard many a rule saying around 14 to 20lbs over your contest weight is the max in offseason. Extreme makes a great point about hormonal differences associated with higher bodyfats. Around 12- 15% would put you in this 14- 20lb bracket.

As for the original question, a bulk shouldn't be an excuse to eat dirty food, you shouldn't need to do cardio to keep the fat off because you shouldn't be accumulating a ton of fat. If I was to do cardio I'd do things like H.I.I.T a few times a week. The conundrum is though if you start a diet you then simply can't add cardio to your diet to help with the weight loss.


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## splinter1466867924 (Aug 5, 2005)

lancashirerose said:


> Since I lift weights 5 days a week, and the sessions involve quite a bit of volume work, some sessions actually contain a component which is so intense it feels like cardio (certainly HIIT-like)


Giant sets by any chance? I find those tend to be quite the killer with an almost HIIT like component.


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## justheretosnoop (Jun 15, 2012)

Too many ppl seem to think cardio means jumping on the treadmill...


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## MFM (Jul 25, 2013)

Bulking is a word that should be banned from the gym. It just means gaining unnecessary fat for no reason, and then struggling to lose it later.

You either train to put on lean muscle or to lose fat surely?


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## gingernut (Dec 11, 2006)

splinter said:


> Giant sets by any chance? I find those tend to be quite the killer with an almost HIIT like component.


Something like that. Cardio is mostly out for me, trying to rest my quad and work out what's killed it!


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