Extra Cardio Effecting Muscle Gains?

S

swayzepetsitting

Cathlete
Hello everyone. I am currently doing a rotation that focuses on heavy weights and little cardio. However, I have started incorporating extra cardio at night (20-30 mins) when I eat too many sweets (this usually happens 1-2X a week).

I have read recently on this forum that too much cardio can have a negative effect on how much muscle you gain. How does this work and is an extra hour or so of cardio a week too much?

Also, the extra cardio consists of either kickboxing, running, or cycling (no step). Thanks.

Swayze
 
I'm far from an expert, so take this with a grain of salt. :)

I am trying, like you, for muscle gains, and have stepped (pun intended) back on my cardio so that all the calories that I consume are feeding my muscles. It seems to be working.

I do upper body training one day, then cardio and lower body training the next. Rinse and repeat.

I have actually even lost some body fat since starting this routine. I was a doubting Thomas, until I was forced to reduce my cardio. (That's a whole 'nother story.) I always thought that the more cardio you do, the more fat you burn, but it seems that I was doing too much and my body was storing extra fat for energy. May I take this opportunity to say, "You were right. I was wrong. Thank you, ladies!" This thread is no longer hijacked. :+
 
I am doing Cathe's circuit rotation this month after doing a month of heavy lifting and I am definitely noticing that too much cardio is making me lose muscle. My body fat is much higher this month than last month when I was doing heavy lifting and less cardio. I really love the rotation but am unhappy about the higher body fat. I have decided to scale back one of the cardio days and do some yoga or leg work instead.

Marcy
 
I'm becoming a believer. Why is it sooo hard to cut back on cardio? Is it because we've been told for so long that cardio was the best way to lose fat? I love my cardio (Cathe makes it so fun), but I sure am noticing that I have better leaning results by focusing on muscle building.

. . . But I still have trouble not feeling "guilty" if I don't get some cardio in every day. Please keep the posts coming--you're convincing me!

Carol F
 
Excess cardio can negatively impact muscle gains in two ways:

Cardio burns calories: calories that could otherwise be used for muscle gains.

Cardio cuts into the recovery time that you need for muscle gains.

How much is 'too much' depends somewhat on the individual. If you are a mesomorph (gain muscle more easily) then you can get away with more cardio than could a hard gainer (an ectomorph).

Since the cardio isn't going to compensate much for the extra sweets, and could impede your muscle gains, a better strategy might be finding a healthy alternative for those sweets, like herbal teas or fruit.;-)
 
Less sweets, more tea and fruits...Kathryn, how did I know that would be your advice!!!;-)

Thanks guys. I have also had a hard time getting rid of my cardio. It feels so weird to only do 30 mins of cardio, even though it is really intense (I actually do much better after I lift weights).

I also enjoy my cardio now that I have so many of Cathe's tapes, (especially the dancier step routines). Eating more sweets is really more of an excuse to do more cardio than anything else (by more sweets, that usually means 1-2 mini butterfingers or something small like that).

Anyway, I am starting one of Cathe's lower body rotations in a week and after that I will do a cardio-intensive routine. I will just have to wait till then to get my cardio fix.:)
 
i've cut cardio to only 2 times per week. i'm seeing better definition and strength gains. i do weight training 4 days a week. i find that cardio more than 2-3 days per week makes me super tired and hungry. with both strength and cardio workouts, i give them my ALL for the hour so i can never combine the two on the same day.
 
>Less sweets, more tea and fruits...Kathryn, how did I know
>that would be your advice!!!;-)
Uh oh, I'm too predictable!

}(
 
But Kathryn, if you have a lot of weight to lose, wouldn't weight training and muscle building be counterproductive?

Any advice?

Yvonne
 
Hijacker here ;)

The more muscle you have the more fat you burn baby - so pump that iron!!! :)

Ever noticed that people in general who do cardio cardio cardio but don't do weights can be thin but they don't have "definition" really?? Does that make sense??

Plus I think when losing weight - its going to be more diet than anything.

Cardio is important for your HEART!!! If you ask any doctor whose patient had a heart attack - what is part of their physical therapy?? Cardio - walking on a treadmill, ect.....

Pump pump pump it up :)
 
And - just because you have muscle doesn't mean you have MASS - if that makes sense?? Most women don't have the capability to get HUGE bc of weight lifting.......( unless of course someone is using steroids or something - urggggggahghghhghghg !!! NASTY! )
 
>But Kathryn, if you have a lot of weight to lose, wouldn't
>weight training and muscle building be counterproductive?
>
>Any advice?
>
Combining weight training for it's metabolism-boosting benefits (more muscle means a higher metabolism; and after a weight workout that works the large muscle groups, the increased calorie burn from the workout continues after the workout. Also, weight training (if combined with proper rest) promotes an increase in growth hormone, which is anabolic (builds muscle).

Doing full-body weight workouts 3-4 days a week, with cardio on alternate days, is a good place to start.

I prefer to think of 'fat loss' rather than 'weight loss.'

You want to build muscle (which increases your metabolism) while losing fat. As you gain more muscle, and lose more fat, you may weigh the same, but since muscle is more compact than fat (a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat) and more shapely than fat (muscle has beautiful curves, while fat is just a blob), you will look much better.
 
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