# Who bother with cardio?



## DJay (Feb 6, 2011)

*Do you do cardio when trying to gain weight?*​
Only to warm up 1312.75%I regularly do cardio 6058.82%I never do any cardio2928.43%


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## DJay (Feb 6, 2011)

So alot of people seem to work cardio into their workouts when trying to gain weight.

My question is why bother?

I do 2 minutes of cardio before training to get my heartrate up and blood flowing. Since november i have done no jogging/rowing/cycling or any other form of cardo at the gym (except general walking about) I have done a few rides on my bike about 25 miles each but maybe only 3-4 times since november.

A couple weeks ago i got the results of a blood test and everything is fine except my cholesterol is too low! I need more saturated fat in my diet believe it or not.

So if for example you do 30 minutes of jogging and this burns 400 calories then surely you will have to eat 400 more calories in order to make the same gains you would have without doing the cardio.

I can understand marathon runners etc doing cardio to increase their lung capacity etc but why on earth anyone would go neara cardio machine if they are trying to gain weight is beyond me.

So what do you guys say?

Cardio / No cardio and why?


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## Mr Mongol (Mar 20, 2011)

i do cardio 5 min before training and 10min after training

off days cardio for up to hour at low speed

and when i run ,it releases my stress.love jogging though


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## FLEX-ERAZ (Jan 14, 2011)

If you enjoy it or it works for you then go for it!!


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## NickBirch (Jun 5, 2010)

Havent done any real cardio in over a year now, however i do walk to and from the gym takes about 20 mins each way  some people enjoy it, i used to love running and would do insane amounts of cardio each week the calories i burned through cardio were easy enough to recoup.


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## Mr Mongol (Mar 20, 2011)

your treadmills has a tv set ?

watch something and jog,does work very well.


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## bowen86 (Mar 17, 2008)

ahhhh ****, i didnt see the gaining weight bit. minus one vote for the regular!


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## DJay (Feb 6, 2011)

mine doesnt have a TV lol i go to a cheap gym (but its a proper gym nota health club type place)

seems im in the minority here


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## DJay (Feb 6, 2011)

Mr Mongol said:


> your treadmills has a tv set ?
> 
> watch something and jog,does work very well.


Same here when i cut ill definatly be doing cardo but not when bluking, some people at my gym do it when trying to gain and i cant understand it.


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## Glassback (Jun 18, 2010)

Depends what your goals are. If they are to bulk then I hear people talk about not wasting calories but for me Cardio is important to stay healthy which is an aspect I think most neglect.


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## Guest (Apr 18, 2011)

why do it? Becuase its good for you.

There is also a theroy revolving around turning over calories. Basically, the more you turn over the better you get at doing it and bigger/leaner you become as a result. So eat more do more.


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## Dave10 (Feb 24, 2010)

ive had stubborn fat on my for too long now

im starting cardio ! im starting swimming in a few days and it will become regular 3 times a week


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## hsmann87 (Jun 22, 2010)

Since doing cardio ive got bigger, faster, stronger and have lost bodyfat.

Cardio is awesome....many "bodybuilders" use catabolism as an excuse for being lazy cvnts. Unless you are a pro and know your body inside out...


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

I dont bulk or cut, i just workout, I dont do as much (any) cardio as I should.

Once i get some motivation I will as its healthy... Healthy is never bad for you


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## stokey-leroy (Mar 29, 2011)

My missus goes to the same gym as me so if my mate that I train with isnt going, I'll do cardio with her or do Tabata (HIIT) but I dont really enjoy it as much as weights so I usually just do it to warm up for 5-10 minutes at the start of a session.


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## Mingster (Mar 25, 2011)

Guess I'm gonna be in the minority here, but I never do any cardio and never have done.


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## DJay (Feb 6, 2011)

I dont see how cardio is any healthier for you as weight training, they both get your heartrate up and they both get the blood flowing.

People say cardio is healthy but i just see this as an old fitness myth that wont die out.

Sorry to get personal hsmann87 but where do you train? im west london myself


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## hsmann87 (Jun 22, 2010)

But then again look at Clubber Lang off this forum. Dude does NO cardio and is ripped to fvck...each to their own really.


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## JoePro (Aug 26, 2009)

Regular... if your gonna' have muscles they may aswell be in good use. You wouldn't play an organ with dirty pipes.


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## Conscript (Sep 5, 2010)

I do lots of cardio whether bulking or cutting, can't put a price on healthy heart and lungs, plus what's the point of having muscles, getting attention from ladies and tehn only being able to give them 15 minutes of the good stuff before keeling over in a sweaty wheezing mess...

lots of cv = smashing it in for hours again and again :thumb:


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## JoePro (Aug 26, 2009)

G-fresh said:


> I do lots of cardio whether bulking or cutting, can't put a price on healthy heart and lungs, plus what's the point of having muscles, getting attention from ladies and tehn only being able to give them 15 minutes of the good stuff before keeling over in a sweaty wheezing mess...
> 
> lots of cv = smashing it in for hours again and again :thumb:


Haha, better way to put it than my organ metaphor.

I only do like 2 days when bulking, cutting 4..


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## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

dont do much cardio in the gym but i do love joggin and cycling. prob do far too much tbh


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

To stay lean which in itself brings a whole host of health benefits. to keep fitness levels up, since going from 13 stone to 15 stone, i get out of breath walking up a set of stairs so i do cardio to keep fit, and stay healthy, keep blood pressure down etc. The questions should be 'Why not bother with cardio?'........


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## Fullhouse (Mar 31, 2010)

Cardio only when cutting for me, I don't want to waste any of my Kcals on some stupid machine when I'm bulking. And so what if I put on a little fat it helps me look bigger lol


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## Glassback (Jun 18, 2010)

hsmann87 said:


> But then again look at Clubber Lang off this forum. Dude does NO cardio and is ripped to fvck...each to their own really.


Nooooooooooooo hsmann87.... I thought you had this nailed in your last comment....

You CAN be ripped without cardio.... but the reason for cardio is to be fit cardiovascular wise. Its very healthy to do this. So you need to split the discussion.

Cardio to maintain or get a good physique or to be healthy?

You could be as ripped as you want but if you dont do cardio you wont keep up with me (a fatty in relative terms) on a football pitch or up a mountain. But would that bother you? Probably not.


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

G-fresh said:


> I do lots of cardio whether bulking or cutting, can't put a price on healthy heart and lungs, plus what's the point of having muscles, getting attention from ladies and tehn only being able to give them 15 minutes of the good stuff before keeling over in a sweaty wheezing mess...
> 
> lots of cv = smashing it in for hours again and again :thumb:


Awesome post mate!! and 15 minutes!!! thats a fcuking marathon session for me!!!!!


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## madmuscles (Mar 10, 2011)

JoePro said:


> Regular... if your gonna' have muscles they may aswell be in good use. You wouldn't play an organ with dirty pipes.


On the contrary my friend, my girlfriend plays my organ whether the pipe's dirty or clean, incidentally my "Pipe" is clean as it is "Flushed out" several times a day even when she's not around, nudge nudge wink wink (Thank god for internet porn)

Back to the op's post I do 5 mins of swift rowing to loosen/engorge muscles preworkout, many folk say "Oh bodybuilders might have a good body but how far can they run" saying that cardio=stamina but to be honest when the final zombie/alien invasion happens I'd rather be able to stand and fight to the bitter end than be able to run away like a mincing ponce surviving in a lonely world devoid of the internet, women and beer.


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## DJay (Feb 6, 2011)

kieren1234 said:


> To stay lean which in itself brings a whole host of health benefits. to keep fitness levels up, since going from 13 stone to 15 stone, i get out of breath walking up a set of stairs so i do cardio to keep fit, and stay healthy, keep blood pressure down etc. The questions should be 'Why not bother with cardio?'........


Kieren i gotta say i got alot of respect for you from reading your other posts and i think your knowledgeable about alot of stuff but i flat out disagree with you here.

I do no cardio

my BP is fine

my resting heartrate is low

my cholesterol is even too low

i dont tire easily.

im not as heavy as you im only 79kg atm but im fairly lean and i never do any cardio. Weight training does the same stuff i believe. I just think its one of these old myths that wont die out. Cardio has very little benefit to muscle mass and it consumes calories that could have been used for growth.


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

DJay said:


> Kieren i gotta say i got alot of respect for you from reading your other posts and i think your knowledgeable about alot of stuff but i flat out disagree with you here.
> 
> I do no cardio
> 
> ...


Thanks but i didnt mean it as a general rule of thumb, i explained what i do out of preference. My blood pressure isnt that great when i dont do cardio, my bodyfat isnt as low as yours, i tire easy if i dont do cardio, each to their own but i do always advocate cardio (especially if your like me and unfit if you dont.......)


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## Mingster (Mar 25, 2011)

G-fresh said:


> I do lots of cardio whether bulking or cutting, can't put a price on healthy heart and lungs, plus what's the point of having muscles, getting attention from ladies and tehn only being able to give them 15 minutes of the good stuff before keeling over in a sweaty wheezing mess...
> 
> lots of cv = smashing it in for hours again and again :thumb:


15 minutes!! I'm finished, had a snack and sleeping soundly long before I would keel over and the only people I've seen in a sweaty wheezing mess are doing so post cardio.


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## DJay (Feb 6, 2011)

Id say were similar from your pic im ~16% bf but i have always been so slim, im kinda an ectomorph my body refuses to put on weight unless i force it lol.

You a Barnsley fan? i was up there on tuesday for the game ^^ QPR here!


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

DJay said:


> Kieren i gotta say i got alot of respect for you from reading your other posts and i think your knowledgeable about alot of stuff but i flat out disagree with you here.
> 
> I do no cardio
> 
> ...


Find a big hill and sprint up it a few times (unless its a really, really big hill) and tell me you can get that same effect by lifting weights, i dont believe you can.


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## DJay (Feb 6, 2011)

MarkFranco said:


> Find a big hill and sprint up it a few times (unless its a really, really big hill) and tell me you can get that same effect by lifting weights, i dont believe you can.


neither do i but that has nothing to do with my goals, im trying to put on lean mass not 100m sprint in under 10 seconds or anything like that. Im not going for cardiovascular fitness i only want to gain mass and not become unhealthy as a result.


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

DJay said:


> Id say were similar from your pic im ~16% bf but i have always been so slim, im kinda an ectomorph my body refuses to put on weight unless i force it lol.
> 
> You a Barnsley fan? i was up there on tuesday for the game ^^ QPR here!


No mate, not a Barnsley fan lol!! That pis was when i was about 11 stone and about 10% bodyfat lol. Im alot more now being 15 stone.


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

DJay said:


> neither do i but that has nothing to do with my goals, im trying to put on lean mass not 100m sprint in under 10 seconds or anything like that. Im not going for cardiovascular fitness i only want to gain mass and not become unhealthy as a result.


You said

"Weight training does the same stuff i believe. I just think its one of these old myths that wont die out."

So now your saying its not a myth?


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## martin brown (Dec 31, 2008)

If you're so unfit you cant run up a flight of stairs you should do cardio no matter who you are.

Assuming you can:

Cardio (NOT ENDURANCE) is good for you no matter what your goal. I don't care if you have to eat a little more it's still better. It makes your whole system run and work better, it makes you more capable of training with a higher intenisty and a faster recovery rate. It even helps you recover between sessions. It can also benefit muscle growth (high intensity work) due to the demand for blood flow and the possible increase of capillary size etc.

Does weight lifting do similar? Yes and no. To some extent it does - but most people's training isn't good enough to reap the full benefits really unless your training strongman stuff.


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

martin brown said:


> If you're so unfit you cant run up a flight of stairs you should do cardio no matter who you are.
> 
> Assuming you can:
> 
> ...


Great post Martin! And another benefit, sets the apetite up and gets you hungry.....


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## 1Tonne (Jun 6, 2010)

1hr every othersay low intensity Cardio. Healthier fitter and leaner. And still improving on lifts and gettin gradually stronger. So yes.

Wouldn't go back to anything different now.


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## Young (Mar 14, 2011)

I do intense Cardio for 50mins twice a week. I like the discipline and i put back what I take out, so still putting on 2lbs a week, naturally. Im 15% BF roughly so no real definition but the endorphin rush I get is insane!


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## eddiem (Dec 21, 2010)

i only do 5 mins warm up probaly should do more but


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## paul81 (Jun 3, 2010)

gonna start doing 20 mins cardio afte every weight session for a while, need to trim up for the hols but screw eating less food!


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## hsmann87 (Jun 22, 2010)

There is a lot of talk of being "healthy"

Please. Define "healthy". A lot of people talk about doing cardio and hence being "healthy" when at the same time they are pumping drugs into their system, highly overeating, stressing body organs and above all completely messing with their reprroductive organs.

Not that i have a problem with this. But i just think its a bit silly when people are talking about being "healthy" and then completely contradciting themselves by living the whole "bodybuilding" lifestyle :confused1:


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## Guest (Apr 20, 2011)

used to run 10k each day, 5 days a week..weight fell off me, dropped to 18st in not ime..but it was more size than ****e weight that dropped..i still looked the same shape but smaller....i love cycling, gonna get a bike this summer and will cycle to and from gym. now i have got my diet much better, more disciplined, im hoping this will enable me to lose the **** weight i carry and maintain the muscle....for me, cardio is hard to get motivated for, but it is important, and it does work...


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## Dezw (May 13, 2009)

When I bulk and do not do cardio I get fat.

When I bulk and do some cardio it keeps the fat away whilst still allowing me to gain well.

Bulking and eating very clean does not seem to do much for me, so this is why I prefer to eat more and do a little cardio.


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## DJay (Feb 6, 2011)

great post desz, i guess you got to tailor it to your personal situation.


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## Dezw (May 13, 2009)

DJay said:


> great post desz, i guess you got to tailor it to your personal situation.


Finding what works for you is what it is aqll about mate.

Too many people read up and try to copy what works for others, when really you should just experiment and finds out what works best for you as an individual.


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## quinn85 (Jul 30, 2010)

my warm up at the gym is a 5min go on either the treadmill or the crosstrainer, but that's just a warm up. If im after some weight loss then ill run before breakfast, if im not fussed about weight loss then ill run at a later time in the day. I usually do roughly 4 mile, and make sure im fcuked by the end of it. each to their own though


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## -Jack- (Sep 28, 2009)

running burns 400 more cals then eat 500 more cals.

Cardio is vey important


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## Incredible Bulk (Sep 19, 2007)

i dont understand why people dont do cardio.

at the weights some of us walk around its the difference between weezing like an old bulldog or looking healthy and sounding it too.

at 250lbs i was able to run up stairs and not be out of breath, i could walk up stairs and not clutch the hand rail and loom for an elevator.

think long terms, the heart has to cope with massive weight fluctations and putting on a lot of size without cardio IMO is not wise


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## Cedrick (May 9, 2011)

Hi All,

I do 30 minutes of cardio on treadmill while listening songs on my iPod.

Cardio exercises helps in getting your heart rate up and increases blood circulation throughout the body.

Cardio exercises are good for health and improve your metabolic system and hormonal profile in body.

Orem recreation center


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## Jux (Jul 23, 2008)

Believe it or not but your HDL levels might rise if you do some moderate cardio throughout the week.

Not to mention if you have a poor CV system it wont be able to meet the ATP demand of your ever-growing muscles, leaving you feeling very lethargic with a list of health related ailments.

This might not be the case now, but it would be wise to use cardio as both a future prevention tool and a performance boost.


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## Tom90 (Jan 29, 2010)

My cardio is rugby training on a Monday, a union game on Wednesday and a league game on a Saturday

I think all that is adequate enough to keep my CV fitness up


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## Tom90 (Jan 29, 2010)

My cardio is rugby training on a Monday, a union game on Wednesday and starting to play league on a Saturday

I think all that is adequate enough to keep my CV fitness up


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## Unlucky Luke (May 15, 2011)

I see the point of why you should do cardio and im honestly tempted but rinning on a treadmill just gets me down  might start again when im back home from uni and i can run through the country lanes again.


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## nnathanw1983 (Sep 19, 2010)

I bn dieting doing cardio 30mins 3 x a day..After August il be bk on a bulk and il still be doing 30 mins of cardio 3 x a day..

Il just eat more cals to make up for the difference which suits me coz i love eating..

also..doing cardio at about 65 percent will burn fat..so in theory doing all that cardio will keep burning fat and eating more cals will make up for the loss of cals from cardio...keep burning fat whilst gaining muscle..makes sense..


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## Jalapa (Mar 18, 2010)

As the my workout intesity is increasing I am finding that I finally need to give in and do some cardio. I'm hoping that the result will be felling less like puking after squats and deads and feeling generally more sprightly through the week.


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