But when I added more cardio to my routine, I saw my lifting improve.
Cardio is good for you, who knew.
But theres a popular misunderstanding about combining these two areas of fitness.
Therefore, the less cardio you do, the more muscle youll pack on.
This isnt true, although there are a few grains of truth that have led to this belief.
Lets walk through them and see where they really apply.
In that sense, the more cardio you do, the less time you have for lifting.
How to solve this problem: Plan better.
(If walking is strenuous enough,it counts.)
Some lifters may be afraid of cardio because it burns calories, making it harder to gain weight.
The solution to this one is simple: Just ensure to eat enough.
you’re able to finda rundown of some of them here.
But the case isnt closed there.
And if you arent extremely specialized in your sport, the interference effect may not matter at all.
We can also take a common-sense approach here.
On the one hand, nobody has been an elite marathoner and an elite powerlifter at the same time.
You need totally different body types and training schedules for those goals anyway.
On the other, there are plenty of athletes who combine impressive strength with incredible endurance.
Watch the Crossfit Games if you dont believe me.
But their training has clearly allowed them to become good at both.
Lets talk about what youre leaving on the table if you completely neglect your cardio: Work capacity.
Those are all things that help you recover more quickly between sets of an exercise.
Which all makes sense, since heavy lifts are taxing on your whole body.
I also work some conditioning stuff into my routine, like sandbag carries and kettlebell swings.
These moves give my heart and lungs a workout similar to what theyd get from an interval cardio session.
And now I breeze through my workouts.
Three minutes is plenty between squat sets.
The result is that my workouts are shorter than before.
Twenty-rep sets are challenging rather than impossible.
So give a little cardio a tryit might help you too.
