Cardio While Bulking: Should You Do It?

It’s a common practice to increase a calorie intake when in the bulking phase. The calories will supply your body with the raw materials necessary for muscle growth. However, some people may experience an increase in fat instead of muscle gain, especially if your daily intake of calories is too high.

So, cardio while bulking: should you do it?

Based on numerous testimonials, moderate cardio exercise might help you maintain a lean shape while bulking. Apart from that, it’s highly recommended for your health; therefore, you should include a couple of cardio sessions per week.

However, if you are a beginner, trying to put on muscle mass, then you should stay clear of cardio workout. Now, let’s break down the facts and get you through this entire process.

Pros of cardio

Almont, everyone should perform some type of cardio training during the bulking phase. In order to boost your body mass, you need to eat plenty of calories, for that reason, cardio enables you to consume more food, without gaining too much fat.

Cardio While Bulking

Additionally, cardio enhances blood flow, while spreading more oxygen through your muscles and removing waste products, like carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Increased blood flow will enable better muscle building since it delivers fresh nutrients to the tissue, necessary for growth and recovery.

Last but not least, you will probably achieve better performance in everyday activities, once you start lifting weights. For example, you will increase stamina to play various sports, or even climb long stairs. Therefore, cardio exercise will maintain your level of fitness, providing you better performance.

Cardio and bulking at the same time

People with slim and lean bodies are naturally skinny and usually have issues with keeping the body weight and muscle mass. More often than not, they can eat whatever they want without gaining fat. While some may consider this to be a massive benefit, these types of people find it hard to build a muscle mass.

Cardio-strength

If you are one of them, then you probably know all the struggles they are facing. Based on the American Council on Exercise, an individual with a naturally fast metabolism is called ectomorph. However, fast metabolism can stand on your way, when bulking.

For that reason, ACE advises a minimal amount of cardio, necessary for maintaining your cardiovascular health, only three-time per week for 30 minutes. If you fall into this group, which is often referred to as hardgainers, then keep your cardio workout at minimum, for at least eight weeks. Also, high volumes of aerobic exercises can negatively affect your muscle gain.

When should you do cardio?

It mostly depends on your training schedule. For example, people who are on a three-day training schedule should do cardio on their off days. In fact, low-intensity cardio might be great for recovery. On the other hand, if you have a four or five-day training schedule, then make sure to avoid cardio workout on those days.

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Keep in mind that you can perform cardio exercises after lifting, not before, because you want to dedicate the majority of your time to every lift since each one of them counts and will help you gain more significant muscle mass. If you need to do cardio, then consider doing it at least three hours before lifting weights.

This will provide your body an opportunity to recover and put some break between these two sessions. However, the best would be if you could do cardio as far apart from lifting as possible. In this case, you will achieve the best results and avoid losing muscle mass.