Cardio

[Raider80]

I currently lift for mass and by no means am a monster, more of a farm build with strength behind it. I am gearing up for a cycle and am actually wanting to do it right, so I am sitting with a nutritionist who is helping with my diet. I am 6 foot 260 pounds and could probably use to lose 40 pounds (I don't have a current BF reading so lets just call it thick). I read alot on how cardio can burn up the muscle so my buddy gave me this routine to do 3 times a week after my work out... hit treadmill or elliptical... 3 minute warm up then 20 second balls to wall / 40 second recoup and repeat 10-12 times..

Well, needles to say I can only do it about 8 times right now before I fall off like a dead whale. I am planning 3 cc's of test E a week on this next 10 week cycle and want more then just to pack on muscle, at 31 I wanna lose a lil in the mid section, don't need to be ripped, but rather get rid of this lil bump. I understand where I need to be with my food intake, which I can manage, but I want to make sure I maximize my cardio training while getting the best gains I can on the muscle side of things. Any info on how some of you work cardio into mass building routines or if you just don't I would sure like to get some ideas..

thanks,

[Scrumhalf]

Do 20 sec as hard as you can, then only TEN seconds to recoup - do 8 cycles of these. It will take you only 4 minutes to complete. They are called Tabata intervals and research indicates that they are as good as or better than 1 hour of regular cardio. Be warned - they are really hard to do.

Also, I am sure multiple people will point out that the battle of the bulge is won or lost at the dinner table, so you will need to post your diet to get advice on it.

[Bouncer]

like scrumhalf said.

the largest % of excess bodyfat comes from food. so when you say you know where you need to be with your food intake and then say you need to loose 40lbs of fat.. that tells me you really dont know where you need to be with food intake.

[Raider80]

hahaha, I know where I stand on food and that is I EAT!!!! So I am not saying I know how to put together a plan, that is why I have combined with a guy who is a nutrionist and is going to actual lay it out for me. I could eat rice and chicken 24 / 7 but as you know you need a few more things thrown in. So yes, I am not a health guru, so to speak, but have brought someone on board to help me with that.... so where I stand is, HASHBROWNS ROCK... haha

as for weight lose, me just clarifying... i said "I could probably use to lose 40 pounds" not that I need to. I don't mind being a few pounds heavy, actually feel more comfortable at 230 then 215, as wierd as that sounds.... I just want to try and get everything out of the cycle I can!

thanks for info scrum....... and bouncer for kickn my ass.... ;-)

[Stonecold54]

well at least you are on the right track and seem to have a good grounding in your plan....good for you....I think the cardio is right on track. I do a longer interval. 30 secs all out 1 min recoup and then I do a few 1min all outs and 1 min recoup...around 16 min total. I wouldn't buy into the "Cardio" burns muscle up. If you are eating healthy and enough micro and macro nutrients and AREN'T overtraining. then a good dose of cardio and weight training can be sustained by the body.

[Raider80]

I tried the 20 on 10 off yesterday.... ahhahaha I did it six times.... ish is crazy. I love it though.. thanks for feedback..

[liftsiron]

As for cardio I would just do 30-40 mins at a moderate pace after my weight training. Some times when you try to get to fancy, you defeat your purpose.

[parabody]

im doing 30mitns at 4mph fast walk on 12 perent incline for 5 minutes, then i drop it down to about 3mph no inlcine for about a min and ramp it up to about 6.5 for 3 mins then straight back to incline. I feel that when my heart rate is jumping up and down it tricks my body a little better and i seem to sweat liike hell doing it

[Raider80]

I have been running with this.. this is elyptical, by the way, better on my knees...

5 min warm up 5% incline...

at 5 mins I go 30 hard (240 strides) then one minute at 160 strides

I do this for 15 minutes...

then 5 minute cool down...

its been a couple weeks and I can feel the diffrence... if anything I will keep the same time frame just up the incline.

so ya know...

[beefcake]

Amazingly as long as i'm lifting religiously and eating well, I can still maintain and grow muscle even while doing cardio everyday. And i'm talking horrendous cardio. So I wouldn't be too scared of the muscle burning cardio myth.