Hey, I am trying to bulk up. I am eating enough and I beleive my weight is going up fine (I can’t always tell with fluctuationg). Anyways, weight gain for me always seems comes in flab. I know this is to be expected but I just had an idea of how I could help that.
I am not naturally skinny, so I ran alot to get as skinny as I am. I kept that up when I started lifting and either run intensily or do wome other intense cardio for 30 min before lifting, 3 times per week. Would intense cardio (ex. 3 - 8min miles, heart rate at 155 on elyptical) during a bulking phase be detrimental. I don’t mind if it means I stay lean but bulk slower, just if it means I won’t put on muscle.
You are 5’8" and 123 lbs. That is extremely skinny. As long as you eat plenty and make progress on your lifts, you will gain muscle weight, a lot of it actually. Intense cardio is not what you need. Stop thinking about how much fat you are going to gain (minimal) and start thinking about how much muscle you are going to gain.(a lot).
Ill never forget what Eric Cressy told me once when I asked him this very question.
He said something along the lines of me trying to ride two horses with one ass.
I think I understand that, and that simple advice has helped me alot. I picked one goal and worked on that. In the end I was happy with it, and later tried a new goal.
[quote]dreads989 wrote:
are you afraid of losing your athletic potential or capability to run, or do you seriously wish to train for aesthetic purposes?[/quote]
Exactly what are your goals. Like me im doing strong man Im pressing on eating like a horse trying to go from 240-250 right now but have to keep intense cardio in this as well for the sport. Intense running distance IMO is not intense Im talking hill sprints, drag sled flip tires etc etc etc these translate very well also to gaining strength and size
Do you need to be able to run for your goal?? What are you trying to acheive
Yes you can run and gain size youll need to eat more and it will effect your resistance training
5’8 123 lbs? how old are you? If you are older, the fact that you are that weight alone means your burning a ton of calories or not eating nearly enough.
And how often are you doing that intese of a cardio session 3 8 minute miles? Thats practically endurance training.
The short answer to your questions “Yes” to what you are doing. And “No” to an intense cardio session before weightlifting.
[quote]Airtruth wrote:
5’8 123 lbs? how old are you? If you are older, the fact that you are that weight alone means your burning a ton of calories or not eating nearly enough.
And how often are you doing that intese of a cardio session 3 8 minute miles? Thats practically endurance training.
The short answer to your questions “Yes” to what you are doing. And “No” to an intense cardio session before weightlifting.
[/quote]
Agree here and 140 5’8" fat id love to see that. 123 bro your a twig not flaming but if your looking to really pack it on eat and yes limit the cardio you dont have to go extreme and do none but back off do things that will better fill your goals low LOW intensity just walks for recovery and cardio burn a lil fat not interfere with lifting. maybe a sprint session or two a week remember to recover from these they will effect lower body workouts.
Keep in mind that if you keep your metabolism up, your gains can be mostly lean muscle. This means that you should be lifting with high intensity. Also, your diet should consist of lots of good quality foods (when I first bulked up, fried chicken was a major contributing factor, and I was gaining fat mass and muscle mass at an equal rate).
At 123 lbs, you should be eating probably close to 3000 cals a day. I would personally try to make this amount approximately 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fats (olive oil, fish oils). I’m sure some people will disagree with me on those percentages. I would try and get at least half of your carbs from fruits vegetables, and the other half from whole grains.
Seeing great gains is only 25% workout and 75% diet. Unless your a genetic freak, diet plays a much higher role in muscle development then most give it credit for.
If your in a bulk phase, stick to high calories, but make it lean. Build solid muscle with lean protein like turkey and chicken. Anyone can build mass from fat.
Also, keep your cardio separate from your weight training. Studies show that regular cardio workouts can decrease muscle mass. (cardio has its place, just not when your bulking)
