Will Cardio Make Me Skinny?

This week’s question:

“My training goal is to get stronger and gain muscle mass but I have heard that cardio will restrict my progress. Is this true and if so what do you suggest I do?”

 

**This answer is targeted at the intermediate athlete. I won’t have time to go into depth on everything covered. If you would like any further information on this blog, please do get in touch.**

As humans it’s vital that we have a well-rounded fitness. This includes but is not exclusively:

1. Strength (moving heavy things)

2. Cardiovascular fitness

3. A decent level of muscle mass (hypertrophy)

Imagine the 3 points above aren’t really points… They are children. These children make up the family called “fitness”.

If each of the children are cared for equally, they will live in harmony with one another and the fitness family will thrive as one unit. However if any of the children are neglected or overindulged, chaos will reign. It won’t stop being a family, but it will be a dysfunctional one.

Tragically, many of us have our fitness in a chaotic state. What do I mean?

We love being amazing at something rather than being content with being good at everything.

Powerlifers (lifting heavy crew) are super strong but generally have poor cardiovascular health. Marathon runners are great at running long distances but often struggle to lift heavy things. The muscle men can look the part but can be lacking strength and cardio.

Is it possible to have this harmonious family of fitness, where strength, cardio and muscle mass go hand in hand?

Yes…!!

SMART TRAINING

Not everyone has the genetics to be able to compete at the CrossFit Games, but these athletes seem to hit the balance right with super strength, pleasing physiques and crazy cardio levels. That’s why I enjoy using the CrossFit methodology and have made some personal tweaks along the way.

1. Increase your Strength

Try to lift heavy 3 times a week. Majoring on back squats, deadlifts, strict press and bench. Aim for 3 sets of 5 (at a weight that you would struggle to do 6 reps with).

You should feel tried after this and want to sit down and rest.

2. Increase your Cardio

Aim to complete a CrossFit workout or sprint work/interval training once or twice a week (aim for 3 times if lacking in cardio fitness). Studies have shown that short duration cardio work improves long duration work too. However throw in a long burner on occasion for diversity.

After this you shouldn’t be able to hold a conversation and may feel a little sick and light headed due to the intensity.

3. Increase your Muscle Mass

Throw hypertrophy training into your strength days for assistance work. Ring chin ups, weighted dips, dumbbell chest press and lunges to name a few. Try reverse pyramid training to hit all the muscle fibres with no more than 90 seconds rest between sets. Keep your workouts short and intense, 45 minutes is ideal.

You should be “feeling the burn” in the muscles after this.

SMART LIVING

1. Get enough sleep

Getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night is one of the most important weapons against disease. Sleep is crucial for healing and repair. Just think how bad you feel after a bad night’s sleep. That says it all. If you’re hammering your body through training, sleep is the most effective way for repair and improvement.

2. Avoid over training

We can get into that trap of “more is better”. There are a minority of athletes who thrive on daily, intense training with minimal rest. I’m not one of them and you’re probably not either!

If you have got into a pattern of large quantities of intense training, try cancelling out a session or two and tell me if your gains don’t increase. Getting run down, loosing weight and feeling tired are all signs of over training

3. Eat enough

If you’re struggling to gain muscle mass and size you’re probably not eating enough. Eating the right foods is key… otherwise you will just get fat.

Personally I thrive on high calorie foods like coconut oil, olive oil, butter and yoghurt. If I’m losing weight I try to increase my healthy carbohydrates like potatoes (staying clear of gluten unless it’s a treat). I aim to get protein on board in every meal too. Studies show that those doing lots of training need 0.8-1g of protein a day per pound of bodyweight. I have very little sugar, processed foods or alcohol and enjoy intermittent fasting.

If you are increasing your food intake, ensure you do a little bit extra every week, rather than upsetting your body’s homeostasis by suddenly doing it all at once. You could also consider measuring the calories you burn and comparing with the calories consumed to pinpoint your needed intake.

To sum up…

Cardio won’t hinder muscle mass if used correctly. If you overindulge one area of fitness everything else will suffer. A pure fitness is one which pays equal attention to all types of training. Specialising will only bring specialised fitness.

Now go and do it. Happy training!

Dorchester personal trainer - Dave Wall - www.dorchesterpersonaltraining.co.uk