So what is the strength trainers take on cardio??

[Ashzombwee]

For the past four years my workouts have pretty much consisted of cardio...cardio..and more cardio (mostly in the form of running). It has never gotten me down to the weight I have wanted it to so I've decided instead of focusing on running my ass off maybe I should try gaining muscle (and improving my body composition). So I decided to look into the SL 5x5 program and have just recently started it. Now he recommends doing NO cardio because at the end of your workout you should be too exhausted and on your off days you should allow your muscles to recover. And doing cardio will not only burn fat but the muscle I'm trying to develop. I really enjoy the lifting and prefer doing it to cardio but doing NO cardio at all is making me feel extremely lazy and I hate it. I'm just curious as to what everyone else thinks on this topic??

[bigm141414]

Nothing wrong with cardio. I myself run on most of my non lifting days, because everyone likes a guy who can run a 5k and then deadlift that big rock to save the pretty girl from an impending bear attack.

If you enjoy running, I say continue to do it as long as you don't wear yourself thin (hah! puns, love 'em), and have plenty of rest time.

[spezzy]

I do cardio.

A ton of it.

Just in the form of sprints, burpees, powercleans...

I also do a lot of high intensity workouts.

Anything that works your cardiovascular system is 'cardio'. Not just running distance.

If you do want to run distances - just make sure you eat enough to support it. I eat upwards of 5,000 calories a day sometimes to MAINTAIN.

[Ashzombwee]

@bigm hahaha agreed I wanna be friends with that guy!!

@Spezzy you are a MACHINE!! In your opinion should I do my weightlifting on one day and cardio on another or should I devote one whole day to rest?

[Pat G]

Sorry Bigm... but please give me a scenario where deadlifting a huge rock would save you from a charging bear?

[spezzy]

pick up big rock, throw at bear, grab girl and run 5k.

[spezzy]

@bigm hahaha agreed I wanna be friends with that guy!!

@Spezzy you are a MACHINE!! In your opinion should I do my weightlifting on one day and cardio on another or should I devote one whole day to rest?

If you do your lifting and cardio on the same day, I'd put them in separate sessions at least 4-6 hours apart.

And it really depends on what kind of cardio you're going to do.

You just have to be careful with your body. If you're doing heavy squats or deadlifts one day, you're not going to want to go hard running the next.

And you need to make sure you're resting and recovering enough - everyone's body is different. if I'm sleeping and eating enough, I can handle 2x a day 4 times a week and 1x a day the other 3 days... (yes, with no rest days... most of my rest days are active rest days - I only take a complete rest day once every 2 weeks or so, if that, but my body's used to it and I know when it's time to stop).

I'd slowly add it in, and see how your body reacts. If it wants more rest, give it more rest. If you're not seeing the results you want, give it more rest.

[Loren Wade]

pick up big rock, throw at bear, grab girl and run 5k.

Quote of the month. Seriously.

[js290]

For the past four years my workouts have pretty much consisted of cardio...cardio..and more cardio (mostly in the form of running). It has never gotten me down to the weight I have wanted it to so I've decided instead of focusing on running my ass off maybe I should try gaining muscle (and improving my body composition). So I decided to look into the SL 5x5 program and have just recently started it. Now he recommends doing NO cardio because at the end of your workout you should be too exhausted and on your off days you should allow your muscles to recover. And doing cardio will not only burn fat but the muscle I'm trying to develop. I really enjoy the lifting and prefer doing it to cardio but doing NO cardio at all is making me feel extremely lazy and I hate it. I'm just curious as to what everyone else thinks on this topic??

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiHhc7eLpQY

[qpop]

For the past four years my workouts have pretty much consisted of cardio...cardio..and more cardio (mostly in the form of running). It has never gotten me down to the weight I have wanted it to so I've decided instead of focusing on running my ass off maybe I should try gaining muscle (and improving my body composition). So I decided to look into the SL 5x5 program and have just recently started it. Now he recommends doing NO cardio because at the end of your workout you should be too exhausted and on your off days you should allow your muscles to recover. And doing cardio will not only burn fat but the muscle I'm trying to develop. I really enjoy the lifting and prefer doing it to cardio but doing NO cardio at all is making me feel extremely lazy and I hate it. I'm just curious as to what everyone else thinks on this topic??

Me and a friend did SL5x5 for about 3-4months, and it DID feel really lazy at the beginning, so we'd finish up on the treadmill for half an hour.

By about week 4-6 you'll just be wanting to hit the shower.

Make sure you do proper warm-up sets (at least 2 sets at lower weights before your work-set) and you'll get a good work-out.

Tailing the cardio off (like we did, accidentally) is perfectly acceptable with strong-lifts, i reckon.

When you're squatting 5x5 your bodyweight, you'll be wondering how you were ever able to run immediately afterwards

[This is Seth]

Quote of the month. Seriously.

Seconded. On a serious note, I run to the gym... mainly because it's cold out, but also because I count that as my "cardio" session and most of my warm up.

Other than that, like Spezzy said, if you are doing high reps with little downtime between them, that is cardio by definition.

[Damzie]

I'm just starting out with SL 5x5 too, and it does feel totally weird to not do my typical cardio. But I wear a HRM and my heart rate is way up there, so it's definitely "cardio." And I'm burning as many calories and more as I would have in the same amount of time on the treadmill, says my HRM. At this point I kind of see any additional cardio as a bonus, and I fit it in when I can on the off days but don't stress out if I don't get it in.

[Dio]

Don't underestimate mild-cardio either. You can walk briskly all days (in the mountains uphill bothways) and still lift all you want. A lot of trainers warn against "chronic cardio" where you are increasing your heart rate to 80-90% of max for extended periods.

Does stronglifts 5x5 incorporate warmup and cool down? Those have been sooooo important to me feeling energized, healthy, and flexible versus before when I would go straight to the weights, lift, shower, home. Not to mention I didn't make any of the gains I'm making now.

[qpop]

Don't underestimate mild-cardio either. You can walk briskly all days (in the mountains uphill bothways) and still lift all you want. A lot of trainers warn against "chronic cardio" where you are increasing your heart rate to 80-90% of max for extended periods.

Does stronglifts 5x5 incorporate warmup and cool down? Those have been sooooo important to me feeling energized, healthy, and flexible versus before when I would go straight to the weights, lift, shower, home. Not to mention I didn't make any of the gains I'm making now.

Mehdi doesn't make a big enough deal about warmups or cooldowns, the same way he doesn't make a big enough deal teaching form. Looking back at my OHP form I know it must have been bad, as I was making linear progressions bench/squat and nada on OHP. That said, it is mentioned, just not prominently enough.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

pick up big rock, throw at bear, grab girl and run 5k.

Considered adding this to my epic quest, but I really don't wanna run a 5k with some chick on my back.

As for the cardio, as others have said, anything that gets your heart rate up is cardio.

If you do like to run on your off days (I do when it's above 50, damn northeastern weather), go for about a 20 minute run. For about the first 20 minutes, jogging is an aerobic exercise. After 20 minutes, you've burned off the leg muscles' gluten (sugar) stores, and it turns into an anaerobic exercise, which is when some muscle starts to burn away. If you only burn off the gluten stores and stop, then the body will break down fat to refill the muscles.

Since I can't run, I've been adding a circuit body weight workout at home on non-lifting days where I'm not lazy. I do 10 body squats, 10 pushups, 10 body squats, 10 sit ups, and repeat a bunch of times. This will burn the gluten stores of all your muscles all over your body instead of just mainly in your legs and core, and will also kick your ass as far as increasing your heart rate and making you sweat.

[bigm141414]

Considered adding this to my epic quest, but I really don't wanna run a 5k with some chick on my back.

What why? This seems like a good opportunity to get to know a girl. You know, "...come here often?", or "What are your thoughts on rampaging bears?" Great conversation starters, trust me.

[Oogiem]

Sorry Bigm... but please give me a scenario where deadlifting a huge rock would save you from a charging bear?

Not Bigm but seriously, grabbing a large rock and throwing it at a charging bear is a reasonable first step, if it is a black bear. We're taught to play dead if a grizzly attacks but fight back if it's a black bear.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Not Bigm but seriously, grabbing a large rock and throwing it at a charging bear is a reasonable first step, if it is a black bear. We're taught to play dead if a grizzly attacks but fight back if it's a black bear.

Those black bears are pansies. Can't really blame them, I'd say they max out at around 300-350 lbs here. We have them all over the place here and as long as they don't have cubs with them, wave your arms and yell at them and they run away. We have a couple apple trees by our softball fields they really like, even when people are playing.

What why? This seems like a good opportunity to get to know a girl. You know, "...come here often?", or "What are your thoughts on rampaging bears?" Great conversation starters, trust me.

The wife would not appreciate this.

[Guest Carjack]

Rip heavy weights overhead for 20 minutes.

Squat or deadlift for 20 more.

Do a weight carry back and forth across your gym.


There are only two kinds of intensity:
Percentage of 1 rep max.
Percentage of max heart rate.

The weight lifting will go above your anaerobic threshold (which is not hit by doing long-slow-distance, WTF) several times and doing anything for 20 minutes or more hits your cardio.

[chairohkey]

I'm a firm believer in that "rest days" are meant just for that, to rest. If you want to integrate some condtioning (the term cardio sucks) into your program it should be the same day as your lifts. If you have access to a prowler that'd be my vote. If not then what Spezzy said. I'm also a big fan of Ross Enamait and his training philosophy and programs. Take a peek at his site here and check out some of his sample workouts.

[andygates]

There's rest and rest. I've been doing heavystuff and nothing else: I am heinously stronger than ever, but I'm also heavily detrained on my bikestuff, and don't even mention running. For me at least, heavystuff isn't enough on its own to maintain general conditioning.

[scotticus]

I'm new to strength training from a strictly endurance background (long runs and triathlons).

These days, I lift. That's it. But I tend towards the skinny side of things, and I'm trying to gain a modest amount of muscle. In order to do that I need some extra calories, and to paraphrase (the beastly) Martin Berkhan, I'm trying to avoid deficit spending.

That said, In the weeks leading up to my tropical vacation I'll probably add in a couple of modest runs each week for some added shreddage.

[Hermione Gainser]

There is so much awesome going on it this thread... I'm glad I stopped by.

I'll add that I'm doing SL and I do the occasional interval training. Sometimes I do it immediately post lift (depending on which workout it was, how much I've eaten, how tired I am, how I feel in general, etc). Otherwise, I'll do some conditioning the next day instead. Usually something short and high intensity. Tabata is my favorite but I'll soon be doing some classes and such. If you have your schedule planned out well enough you can do whatever you feel good doing. I usually lift Mon, do cardio Tues if I didn't do it Mon, rest Wed-for real rest, lift Thurs, rest Fri, Lift Saturday, Rest Sunday. Rinse and repeat.

[Ashzombwee]

Loving all the feedback =D

Thank you so much everyone...I think I'm just going to plan to incorporate some runs into my workout routine but not beat myself up if my body just doesn't feel like it can handle it. I imagine the reason I feel so lazy now is that my lifts aren't that heavy yet...well except the overhead (CURSE YOU OVERHEAD PRESS).

[spatzcat]

I find cardio a little boring. When I was doing it, I preferred to do H.I.I.T. It's more dynamic, more fun, more challenging, and it's done in 15 minutes.....