Hey guys, im 16 years old, 176 pounds, and just started Starting Strength. I was wondering if I should be doing cardio along with SS. If so, when and what kind? My goal right now is to increase my strength as much as possible.
I don’t get a lot of activity throughout the day, so I was wondering if jogging on the treadmill for 15 minutes or so would be helpful to adding strength, or at least helpful for getting my body into good condition.
What would be a good to do cardio, before or after lifting? How long should I be jogging, and should i do it on off days?
[quote]fisch wrote:
Hey guys, im 16 years old, 176 pounds, and just started Starting Strength. I was wondering if I should be doing cardio along with SS. If so, when and what kind? My goal right now is to increase my strength as much as possible.
I don’t get a lot of activity throughout the day, so I was wondering if jogging on the treadmill for 15 minutes or so would be helpful to adding strength, or at least helpful for getting my body into good condition.
What would be a good to do cardio, before or after lifting? How long should I be jogging, and should i do it on off days?[/quote]
If you goal is to increase your strength, you don’t need cardio.
Jogging in the treadmill for 15 minutes won’t have any noticeable effect on you whatsoever unless your previous lifestyle has been completely sedentary.
Endurance is, imho, an important part of being in “good condition” and feeling fine, but 15 minutes of steady-state 3x a week won’t cut it.
If you decide to do cardio, do it on your non-lifting days. If that is not an option, do it after your weight training. It’s recommended to get around 6 hours of rest between lifting and another physical activity.
Another aspect regarding cardio and weight training that is rarely mentioned but very important is the effect on your ability to recover. Although cardiovascular endurance does not increase strength and training it can even be detrimental to the strength training itself, a high GPP will shorten your recovery time considerably, which helps you indirectly with your strength training because it allows for greater workloads.
Do it on the 2nd off day. Dont over do it, but get your heart rate up to target for 20-40 minutes after your warmup. Thats what I do. One day a week, works for me just to keep my cardio in shape.
Petrichor is right. If you are looking for strength then cardio is not your best option. It really depends on your specific goals. If you are a complete newb, which it sounds like you are, then you will be able to get stronger just by hitting the iron. It’s possible you could kill two birds with one stone by decreasing your rest intervals between sets to increase your conditioning while also getting stronger. This will increase your overall GPP and strength. You won’t be able to do this forever though because linear progression for a newb eventually plateaus. Focus right now on hitting the iron hard and fast. Be that guy in the gym catching his breath between sets not talking on a cell phone and you should be fine. And don’t forget, if there are any questions come back here and you will find them. Good luck
I agree with Petrichor, especially his last point. Doing, but not over doing, cardio will help your body become more efficient in the long run, which will lead to better workouts and more strength. Doing easy cardio after Leg Day will also get those muscles lose and help them recover faster. Always remember to stretch!!
[quote]fisch wrote:
Hey guys, im 16 years old, 176 pounds, and just started Starting Strength. I was wondering if I should be doing cardio along with SS. If so, when and what kind? My goal right now is to increase my strength as much as possible.
I don’t get a lot of activity throughout the day, so I was wondering if jogging on the treadmill for 15 minutes or so would be helpful to adding strength, or at least helpful for getting my body into good condition.[/quote]
In another thread from just last month, you said you’d played basketball all your life.
If strength is your focus right now, I’d just try to get a pick-up game with your buddies or whoever, a few times a week. That should take care of things just fine.