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How Much Cardio when Bulking

soundsgood

By soundsgood
in Bodybuilding & aesthetics

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soundsgood Veteran member

soundsgood

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After a resonably successful cut down to 7% BF its now time for a serious Bulk.

Im getting my diet sorted, but Im not too sure about the cardio side of things.

During the cut I was doing a 30 min road run 3-4 times a week, 20 mins HIIT on treadmill 4-5 times a week and playing an hour game of competitive Basketball once a week.

To do a serious bulk Im obviously gonna have to put on a bit of bodyfat. How much cardio should I look to be doing?

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Nato Member

Nato

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Just train to how you feel.

The fitter you are the faster you recover! The faster you recover the more you grow :grin: and your hard weight trains are eaiser to get through to. But yes...... you dont want to be doing so much that it affects your growth.

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startinfromscratch Veteran member

startinfromscratch

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I love being fit, in fact Im one of those weirdo's who actually enjoy cardio :grin:

but is there an optimum BF % for bulking nato? I know I was way stronger when I had that extra 15kg of fat on me.

this is an excellent question, some say that the lower your bf% is, the ratio of muscle to fat gained is better. but then people say alot of things... :^o ?

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Optimass Veteran member

Optimass

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I love being fit, in fact Im one of those weirdo's who actually enjoy cardio :grin:

but is there an optimum BF % for bulking nato? I know I was way stronger when I had that extra 15kg of fat on me.

this is an excellent question, some say that the lower your bf% is, the ratio of muscle to fat gained is better. but then people say alot of things... :^o ?

The text books tell you 12% - But I grow faster at 15. Your body type ... genetics ... have influence here for sure. if you are putting on weight you are gaining muscle ... just have to manage how much fat you put on. Thats a good reason to keep the cardio going.

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1day Senior member

1day

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man i in the same boat 'soundsgood'. we got till mid june to be bulkin for comp then gives us 12-15wks cuttin etc. i just doin 2x 1hr wlks on weeknd (+ mownin my mungrel lawn mid week witch take hour'ish :shifty: ) and i stil sittin round the 10-11%bf.

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startinfromscratch Veteran member

startinfromscratch

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im on a bulker now, weights finally starting to creep up, current bf is14ish%.

i do no cardio, and the weights alone have kept my skinfolds decreasing over last few months, so i just plan to keep bulking till either:

a) i cant afford enough food to keep bulking :pfft:

b) my bf goes way too high(16%+)

then ill be doin a cut... :doh:

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NZPT Member

NZPT

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Hmmm...

Don't use the I'm "bulking" phase as an excuse to eat shit and get fat. There is no reason why you cant both drop bodyfat and increase lean muscle mass at the same time...or you can just maintain the same bodyfat whilst increasing LBM.

definatly aggree.

Bulking for me is gaining LBM, cutting is getting show ready.

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startinfromscratch Veteran member

startinfromscratch

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No cardio. IMO you're either bulking or cutting. Best to keep things in control with your diet - eat enough to grow but don't use it as an excuse to stuff your face (as tempting as it may be).

this approach is working well for me. Been doing zero cardio for a few months, just lifting low&heavy, and skinfolds steadily decreasing and weight is creeping up (slowly).

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  • 2 weeks later...
Varven Veteran member

Varven

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No cardio. IMO you're either bulking or cutting. Best to keep things in control with your diet - eat enough to grow but don't use it as an excuse to stuff your face (as tempting as it may be).

I firmly disagree.

I think cardio is mandatory (at various intensities all year around).

1. Every since I crossed the 100kg barrier, I've noticed one thing... all activity is a little bit harder.... puzzled me at first.. but sure my heart is heaving a slightly harder time coping... after chucking in some volleyball and cardio this improved.

2. I struggle to eat whole foods... and getting in 250 - 300g of protein a day from whole foods is a LOT easier if I am hungry after having done cardio that day

3. Improved CV fitness = better workouts in the gym and recovery.

Ever spent a high volume session killing your legs with squats... you know 2 days later youll be dragging yourself with your hands... try some "Active recpvery" incline walking and the DOMS dramatically decreases.

I think the only exception to cardio is super skinny ecto's which soundsgood is not....

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Android Veteran member

Android

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Agree.

Bulking = no cardio for Ecto's, if soundsgood is a fat bastard then cardio during bulking would be fine I guess.

Would prefer to switch to high rep and high intensity workouts and use these exhausting sessions instead of cardio. I would try early morning workouts instead for a month and see what happens instead of cardio.

Plus, eat a lot of protein, control food timings (i.e 0 carbs after dark).

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soundsgood Veteran member

soundsgood

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nah no such luck, Im a pretty obvious mesomorph :oops:

I will start the cardio again soon I promise

Reading through the responses Im thinking of throwing in one high volume high intensity train per week, and complementing it with 2 or 3 30-40 mins walks (monitored at the right pace) to go along with my weekly basketball and netball games

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