The Best Cardio After Weights?

Training Bodybuilding
21

I think the C2 rower is a vastly underutilized piece of cardio equipment in gyms that have them.

Try doing 3-4 500m intervals at a ‘this sucks’ pace, w/ 1-1.5 minutes rest. For bang for the buck, I think it is the best way to go.

2000m in 8-10 min is a pretty competitive pace depending on your BW, if you want to go straight through for the time. The heavier you are, the faster your times usually are.

If you are doing super low carbs the 500m intervals may be a little too glycogen intensive, but the duration is pretty short, so I don’t think its much to worry about unless you are running on empty.

22

[quote]postholedigger wrote:
Running suicides (shuttle runs?) for 10 to 15 minutes
Jumping rope
Running hills

I personally prefer running suicides but switching up the methods (running, skipping, high knee running, butt kick running).

Jumping rope I usually do for about 20 minutes, starting with 100 double unders, and moving to regular jumps and repeat the 100 double unders on the 5 minute marks.

Running hills: the steeper the better.[/quote]

Dam i wish i can do those DAM duoble unders… hard to master but im working on it!

but i definitley agree with the above, every morning (atleast i try every morning) i do 20-25 of the following in no specific order for one minute each alternating with only rest as needed

  • jump rope
  • burpees
  • box jumps
  • mountain climbers
  • suicides
    and whatever else pops into my head like jumping lunges if i havent done legs, etc.

only thing i consume is HOT-ROX and 15g MD prior

23

[quote]Silvergoat 66 wrote:
If its just 10-15mins your looking to add, Id ignore any kind of dedicated cardio. Just increase the intensity/ volume of your current workout. 10-15mins of steady state or hiit isn’t going to match a solid hour of intense lifting.[/quote]

What if the volume and intensity is already bang on?.. because the thing is, it should already be bang on.

Id suggest you do some steady state cardio.

The thing is though i dont do cardio (getting big)… plus when i do cut i wont do cardio after weight sessions, that sucks real hard! Ill do cardio at different times to when im lifting.

24

[quote]SSC wrote:
ParagonA wrote:
IMHO, the best cardio after weight is NO cardio.
If you’re trying to cut, I’d just go to the gym, lift some weights, and the go home and let your diet do the rest.
No form of cardio will make up for a poor diet.
Cardio messes with the endicrine environment for building/maintaining muscle mass.
90% of the people would be better off just dropping it. But you have to make sure your diet is in order.

Srew crossfit, by the way…

Agree… kind of.

Honestly, to the OP, do Fasted Morning Cardio for a while.

Don’t eat fats + carbs 4-5 hours prior to sleep. Wake up in the morning, chug 8-12 oz of water, and go do some intense walking for 45-60 minutes.

Watch fat peel away.

Watch strength stay the same.

Thank Dante later.[/quote]

Am I honestly the only one that thinks fasted state cardio is a TERRIBLE idea?

I’d at least have some whey/ground oats and maybe a piece of fruit.

25

I read that your body can burn lactic acid as fuel during exercise, in the presence of higher oxygen intake. So…

If you do something like metabolic pairings - really, I just call this circuit training - to build up lactic acid, then perform slow but steady cardio so you can intake more oxygen and burn that accumulated lactic acid…well, I’d think this is the best way to go for burning fat and keeping metabolism high.

26

[quote]elViolento wrote:
postholedigger wrote:
Running suicides (shuttle runs?) for 10 to 15 minutes
Jumping rope
Running hills

I personally prefer running suicides but switching up the methods (running, skipping, high knee running, butt kick running).

Jumping rope I usually do for about 20 minutes, starting with 100 double unders, and moving to regular jumps and repeat the 100 double unders on the 5 minute marks.

Running hills: the steeper the better.

Dam i wish i can do those DAM duoble unders… hard to master but im working on it!

but i definitley agree with the above, every morning (atleast i try every morning) i do 20-25 of the following in no specific order for one minute each alternating with only rest as needed

  • jump rope
  • burpees
  • box jumps
  • mountain climbers
  • suicides
    and whatever else pops into my head like jumping lunges if i havent done legs, etc.

only thing i consume is HOT-ROX and 15g MD prior
[/quote]

Heck I only learned to jump rope when I was 26 and I’m 29 now. Back in the day I couldn’t jump regular 5 times in a row to save my life. Got the hang of it though. I originally learned how so I could lose weight. I recommend it over treadmills any day.

@elViolento
The double under is all about timing. I heard of a trick that helps with the coordination and makes the double under easier to achieve. Try a few rounds of clapping. That’s right. Clapping. Clap while you jump. Without a rope, jump in the air and clap twice before you hit the ground. Repeat as if you were trying double unders.

Naturally, you need to jump higher than if you were jumping rope regularly. But by practicing by clapping rather than swinging a rope, you get the rhythm down. Jump, clap, clap. Jump, clap, clap. Then imagine each clap is a whip of the wrist swinging the rope. It’ll help you translate it into Jump, whip, whip. Jump, whip, whip. This helped me alot in the beginning stages. Give it a shot.

27

Oh and wear long sleeves. I had welts all over my tri’s after a massive series of fails.

28

For me the best cardio after workout is walking home to get a meal. :o) it takes about 15 minutes to get back home…

29

[quote]postholedigger wrote:
Oh and wear long sleeves. I had welts all over my tri’s after a massive series of fails.[/quote]

LOL… i also get fucking lashes on my arm from when the rope gets caught on my feet cause it samack the fuck outta my forearm…

thanks for the advice tho, im definitely gonna try that tomorrow when i get off of work

30

[quote]Chi-Towns-Finest wrote:
SSC wrote:
ParagonA wrote:
IMHO, the best cardio after weight is NO cardio.
If you’re trying to cut, I’d just go to the gym, lift some weights, and the go home and let your diet do the rest.
No form of cardio will make up for a poor diet.
Cardio messes with the endicrine environment for building/maintaining muscle mass.
90% of the people would be better off just dropping it. But you have to make sure your diet is in order.

Srew crossfit, by the way…

Agree… kind of.

Honestly, to the OP, do Fasted Morning Cardio for a while.

Don’t eat fats + carbs 4-5 hours prior to sleep. Wake up in the morning, chug 8-12 oz of water, and go do some intense walking for 45-60 minutes.

Watch fat peel away.

Watch strength stay the same.

Thank Dante later.

Am I honestly the only one that thinks fasted state cardio is a TERRIBLE idea?

I’d at least have some whey/ground oats and maybe a piece of fruit.
[/quote]

Do whatever the hell you want, but don’t call it fasted morning cardio. Oats or fruit before it? Do you even understand the concept of FMC? Apparently not.

I’ve seen too many big guys utilize this form of cardio, get lean, and hardly lose and muscle mass or strength, all while keeping calories quite close to maintenance, if not maintenance.

31

[quote]SSC wrote:
Chi-Towns-Finest wrote:
SSC wrote:
ParagonA wrote:
IMHO, the best cardio after weight is NO cardio.
If you’re trying to cut, I’d just go to the gym, lift some weights, and the go home and let your diet do the rest.
No form of cardio will make up for a poor diet.
Cardio messes with the endicrine environment for building/maintaining muscle mass.
90% of the people would be better off just dropping it. But you have to make sure your diet is in order.

Srew crossfit, by the way…

Agree… kind of.

Honestly, to the OP, do Fasted Morning Cardio for a while.

Don’t eat fats + carbs 4-5 hours prior to sleep. Wake up in the morning, chug 8-12 oz of water, and go do some intense walking for 45-60 minutes.

Watch fat peel away.

Watch strength stay the same.

Thank Dante later.

Am I honestly the only one that thinks fasted state cardio is a TERRIBLE idea?

I’d at least have some whey/ground oats and maybe a piece of fruit.

Do whatever the hell you want, but don’t call it fasted morning cardio. Oats or fruit before it? Do you even understand the concept of FMC? Apparently not.

I’ve seen too many big guys utilize this form of cardio, get lean, and hardly lose and muscle mass or strength, all while keeping calories quite close to maintenance, if not maintenance.
[/quote]

It works great, if you employ a carb cutoff the night before, because you’ll only be using free fatty acids (ideally from bodyfat) as fuel, due to carb depletion. Oats or fruit would negate the whole purpose, as you pointed out.

Plus, BCAA’s can be utilized prior to FMC to help prevent muscle loss, and not to mention it’s a required part of DC training even during mass gaining phases. The concept goes beyond the fat loss benefits, too, as I understand it. It’s also intended to increase one’s appetite for more food intake, which only further enhances the opportunity for muscle growth.

32

[quote]ParagonA wrote:
IMHO, the best cardio after weight is NO cardio.
If you’re trying to cut, I’d just go to the gym, lift some weights, and the go home and let your diet do the rest.

No form of cardio will make up for a poor diet.
Cardio messes with the endicrine environment for building/maintaining muscle mass.
90% of the people would be better off just dropping it. But you have to make sure your diet is in order.

Srew crossfit, by the way…[/quote]

I agree only to a point. My brother’s diet is very strict and he lost weight very gradually and is getting leaner every week. My diet is not as strict and sometimes I cheat too much, and while I did not get as good results as he did so far, I am also losing a steady amount of weight. The reason being is that I exercise TWICE as much as he does. (Note: My brother started at 215 lbs while I started at 247 lbs).

Also http://chazzweaver.com/site/down-size-me/the-journal/ again not optimal, but it can be done if you exercise enough.

33

[quote]kylec72 wrote:
SSC wrote:
Chi-Towns-Finest wrote:
SSC wrote:
ParagonA wrote:
IMHO, the best cardio after weight is NO cardio.
If you’re trying to cut, I’d just go to the gym, lift some weights, and the go home and let your diet do the rest.
No form of cardio will make up for a poor diet.
Cardio messes with the endicrine environment for building/maintaining muscle mass.
90% of the people would be better off just dropping it. But you have to make sure your diet is in order.

Srew crossfit, by the way…

Agree… kind of.

Honestly, to the OP, do Fasted Morning Cardio for a while.

Don’t eat fats + carbs 4-5 hours prior to sleep. Wake up in the morning, chug 8-12 oz of water, and go do some intense walking for 45-60 minutes.

Watch fat peel away.

Watch strength stay the same.

Thank Dante later.

Am I honestly the only one that thinks fasted state cardio is a TERRIBLE idea?

I’d at least have some whey/ground oats and maybe a piece of fruit.

Do whatever the hell you want, but don’t call it fasted morning cardio. Oats or fruit before it? Do you even understand the concept of FMC? Apparently not.

I’ve seen too many big guys utilize this form of cardio, get lean, and hardly lose and muscle mass or strength, all while keeping calories quite close to maintenance, if not maintenance.

It works great, if you employ a carb cutoff the night before, because you’ll only be using free fatty acids (ideally from bodyfat) as fuel, due to carb depletion. Oats or fruit would negate the whole purpose, as you pointed out.

Plus, BCAA’s can be utilized prior to FMC to help prevent muscle loss, and not to mention it’s a required part of DC training even during mass gaining phases. The concept goes beyond the fat loss benefits, too, as I understand it. It’s also intended to increase one’s appetite for more food intake, which only further enhances the opportunity for muscle growth.[/quote]

The only problem I have with fasted morning cardio is that it increases my appetite exponentially. I am so hungry, most of the time I can’t even think clearly.

34

This summer, I’ve successfully used the after workout cardio finishers to help strip off alot of fat, about 15 pounds or so.

My favorites by far come from “The Strong and Ripped Program” and include.

Tabata Method (front squats are killers, so I like replacing them with the bike or the row machine)
Medicine Ball Circuit (10 reps of overhead throws, side throws (left), side throws (right), underhand, and chest passes for 5 rounds … approximately 10 minutes)
Interval Build-up running
Barbell complexes
or just straight intervals.

As long as you force yourself to do it (especially after a tiring workout), it really boosts your fat burning capability.

Hope this helps!

35

[quote]hawaiilifterMike wrote:
kylec72 wrote:
SSC wrote:
Chi-Towns-Finest wrote:
SSC wrote:
ParagonA wrote:
IMHO, the best cardio after weight is NO cardio.
If you’re trying to cut, I’d just go to the gym, lift some weights, and the go home and let your diet do the rest.
No form of cardio will make up for a poor diet.
Cardio messes with the endicrine environment for building/maintaining muscle mass.
90% of the people would be better off just dropping it. But you have to make sure your diet is in order.

Srew crossfit, by the way…

Agree… kind of.

Honestly, to the OP, do Fasted Morning Cardio for a while.

Don’t eat fats + carbs 4-5 hours prior to sleep. Wake up in the morning, chug 8-12 oz of water, and go do some intense walking for 45-60 minutes.

Watch fat peel away.

Watch strength stay the same.

Thank Dante later.

Am I honestly the only one that thinks fasted state cardio is a TERRIBLE idea?

I’d at least have some whey/ground oats and maybe a piece of fruit.

Do whatever the hell you want, but don’t call it fasted morning cardio. Oats or fruit before it? Do you even understand the concept of FMC? Apparently not.

I’ve seen too many big guys utilize this form of cardio, get lean, and hardly lose and muscle mass or strength, all while keeping calories quite close to maintenance, if not maintenance.

It works great, if you employ a carb cutoff the night before, because you’ll only be using free fatty acids (ideally from bodyfat) as fuel, due to carb depletion. Oats or fruit would negate the whole purpose, as you pointed out.

Plus, BCAA’s can be utilized prior to FMC to help prevent muscle loss, and not to mention it’s a required part of DC training even during mass gaining phases. The concept goes beyond the fat loss benefits, too, as I understand it. It’s also intended to increase one’s appetite for more food intake, which only further enhances the opportunity for muscle growth.

The only problem I have with fasted morning cardio is that it increases my appetite exponentially. I am so hungry, most of the time I can’t even think clearly.
[/quote]

I hear ya, but that’s the point–to increase appetite for more food intake.

36

[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
I read that your body can burn lactic acid as fuel during exercise, when oxygen consumption is high. So…

If you do something like metabolic pairings - really, I just call this circuit training - to build up lactic acid, then perform slow but steady cardio so you can intake more oxygen and burn that accumulated lactic acid…well, I’d think this is the best way to go for burning fat and keeping metabolism high.[/quote]

ITs circuit training in the sense that you dont do consecutive sets of the same exercise, but you take a 90 sec rest between each superset.