Effects of Cardio Training on Muscle Building

[emuccio]

Hi, Cathe!

Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season!

I have a question about the effects of cardio training on muscle builing. I am interested in adding mass. I do 4-5 aerobic workouts a week (step, floor aerobics, running). I also strength train with heavy weights (8-10 rep max) 4-6 days a week (depending upon the routine I am following at the time). Will the amount of cardio I am doing affect my muscle building? I am finding that I am a hard gainer. I am lean and defined, but the mass just isn't there!

Thanks!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Cardio effects on mass

Generally speaking, high levels of cardio seem to effect the amount of mass one can develop. I have known it to not have as drastic of an effect on some people as it did others, so again, you'll have to see what amount of cardio your body can handle before it interferes with your mass preference. Being that you have stated that the "mass just isn't there", I would assume that 4 to 5 days of cardio is a bit too much for you. I would suggest cutting cardio back to 3 to 4 days. Or if you don't want to cut back, you can try lessening the intensity of your workout, or shortening your workouts to 20 to 30 minutes. There is also the option of combining all of those suggestions. For instance one week do 3 workouts at medium to high intensity. The next week try five workouts at 20 minutes with moderate intensity. The next week try 4 workouts, two of them 20 minutes low intensity, and the other two, high intensity 50 minutes. You see, there are alot of options to try. It may take a while to figure this out but atleast we already know that your current plan has not given you the results you desire, and therefore, you'll probably want to change this particular rotation.

Although everyone is different, I can share with you that for me personally, running has a tendency to lean out my upper body size. I notice this occuring when I run in excess of two times per week.

Good Luck!

 

[Gina D]

Cathe, a question about you...

With you teaching so many classes during the week, how did you manage to keep the bulk and definition that you have? Just curious since you said that a high amount of cardio tends to slim the upper body.

Gina D

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

keeping defined

<center><font size="1" color="#ff0000">LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-99 AT 08:20PM (EST)</font></center>

My genetics tend to lean toward a more muscular frame. Therefore, I find that I can do more cardio than most people and still hold on to size. Also, it is pretty much only running that noticeably "shrinks" my upper body. So if I feel that I am losing too much size, I either cut back on running and/or will lift heavier for upper body.