Don’t Neglect Cardio when Building Muscle

Cardio, or cardiovascular exercise, is often seen as being at odds with weight training or muscle building. Many weightlifters and bodybuilders believe that doing too much cardio will interfere with their muscle gains, and so they avoid it altogether. However, this line of thinking is misguided and could actually be hindering your muscle-building efforts. Here's why you shouldn't neglect cardio when trying to build muscle, and how to incorporate it into your routine effectively.

First of all, let's define cardio. Cardio refers to any type of exercise that gets your heart rate up and increases blood flow throughout your body. This can include activities like running, cycling, swimming, and even walking. The main goal of cardio is to improve cardiovascular endurance, which is the ability of the heart and lungs to work together to deliver oxygen to the muscles. Cardio can also have a number of other benefits, including weight loss, improved mental health, and a reduced risk of heart disease.

So, how does cardio fit into a muscle-building routine? The first thing to understand is that cardio and weight training are not mutually exclusive. In fact, combining the two can actually be very beneficial for muscle building. Here's why:

1. Cardio can improve recovery time.

Weightlifting puts a lot of strain on the muscles, and it's important to allow them time to recover and repair in between workouts. This is when muscle growth actually occurs. However, if you're not allowing your muscles sufficient time to recover, you could be hindering your muscle-building efforts. Cardio can actually help improve recovery time by increasing blood flow to the muscles and flushing out lactic acid, which can build up during weightlifting and cause muscle soreness.

2. Cardio can increase testosterone and growth hormone levels.

Testosterone and growth hormone are important for muscle growth, and both can be increased through cardio. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) in particular has been shown to boost testosterone and growth hormone levels. HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by periods of rest, and has been shown to be particularly effective at increasing these muscle-building hormones.

3. Cardio can improve muscle endurance.

Incorporating cardio into your routine can also improve muscle endurance, which is the ability of your muscles to perform repetitive tasks without getting tired. This is important for weightlifting, as it allows you to lift more weight for longer periods of time, leading to greater muscle growth.

4. Cardio can help with weight loss.

If you're trying to build muscle, you may also be trying to lose weight. Cardio can be a helpful tool for this, as it can help you burn calories and fat. This is especially true if you're incorporating HIIT into your routine. Losing weight can also help improve muscle definition, as it can help shed any excess fat that might be hiding your hard-earned muscles.

So, how much cardio should you be doing if you're trying to build muscle? The answer is: it depends. The amount of cardio you need will depend on your goals, your current fitness level, and your diet. If your main goal is muscle building, you may want to focus more on weight training and do less cardio. However, if your goal is to lose weight or improve cardiovascular endurance, you'll want to incorporate more cardio into your routine.

It's also important to consider the type of cardio you're doing. As mentioned, HIIT can be particularly beneficial for muscle building, as it can increase testosterone and growth hormone levels. However, it's also important to mix up your cardio routine to prevent boredom and overuse injuries. This could include activities like running, cycling, swimming, or even just going for a brisk walk.

It's also a good idea to vary the intensity of your cardio workouts. While high-intensity cardio can be beneficial for muscle building, it's also important to incorporate some lower-intensity cardio into your routine. This can help improve overall cardiovascular endurance and provide a break for your muscles.

Another important factor to consider is the timing of your cardio workouts. If you're trying to build muscle, it's generally best to do your weight training first and then follow it up with cardio. This allows your muscles to be fresh for the weightlifting and helps to ensure that you're lifting to your maximum potential. However, it's also a good idea to mix things up and do cardio on its own on some days, especially if you're incorporating HIIT into your routine.

In summary, don't neglect cardio when trying to build muscle. Incorporating cardio into your routine can actually have a number of benefits for muscle building, including improved recovery time, increased testosterone and growth hormone levels, improved muscle endurance, and weight loss. Just be sure to vary the type and intensity of your cardio workouts and pay attention to the timing in relation to your weight training sessions. With a little bit of careful planning, you can effectively incorporate cardio into your muscle-building routine and see even better results.