Grondar

Today I was talking to my friend about going to the gym tomorrow, and I mentioned that my muscles were pretty beat, so I would probably just do cardio and run a few miles.

He then said that if I want to add bulk/muscle, I should only do cardio once a week.

This was a surprise to me, as I was hoping to do a long/intense workout twice a week and run the other 3-4 days.

I think I am better and more comfortable running..

IE, today my muscles were beat from lifting yesterday from 1-5, but once I started running I felt fine, and good.

When I was done, I was beat and tired, and later my muscle "fatigue" returned, but I like the fact that I can run even though I can't squat down without support, due to my thighs being fatigued.

Does running and lifting weights contradict?

Again, I am not looking to become Mr. Universe. Some bulk would be fine, but I'd rather get in shape, and be fit.

That being said, is lifting hard 2 days a week and running the other 3-4 a bad idea?

I am kind of harping on this run/lift ratio, and I guess I can see how it the two could contradict each other, but I am thinking the more activity I can do without passing out and going into cardiac arrest, the better.

Is this not the case?

Just as an example.. I ran Sunday and Monday (outside, for about an hour or so). I then lifted/worked out for 4 hours yesterday, hitting the muscle groups I want to focus on. I then ran about 3.5 miles or so today, and mixed some jogging/walking in to keep active.

I was going to run tomorrow, and then take Friday off, or just do very light cardio. Then on Saturday, I would go and do an intense lifting workout again.

My workout is addressing different muscles, and it isn't "killing me." My legs are the most fatigued it seems, as the leg presses are rough.

Again, I enjoy doing cardio or running until I am "beat." It's a nice feeling to get your ass kicked running. It's tiring, but also feels good afterwards. If that makes sense.

Anyway, I am starting to ramble here.

Basically, I am curious if it is feasible to run/do cardio more than one day a week, if I am lifting heavily 2 days a week?

I want to go to the gym and be active at least 4-5 days a week, and I find myself able to run when my muscles are fatigued from a previous workout.

Also, if it turns out that mixing cardio and lifting is bad, to what extent is it bad? I mean, I am still excersizing, burning calories, and getting fit.. And I would consider that to be better than sitting around watching re-runs of The Cosby Show.. Or am I mis-led?

Thanks much, and apologies for beating a dead horse.. But when my friend said I should only do cardio once a week if I intend to also lift weights, that made me wonder if his statement was valid, or if he was perhaps misinformed

Take care.

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skinnymofo

you dont want to workout hard 2 days in a row it will just overtrain the muscles, unless ofcourse your doing all upper body one day and lower the next. it works good and as far as i know isnt detrimental
i do
monday-lift
tues- cardio/plyometrics
wed-lift
thurs-cario/plyo
fri lift

hilbert25

Running and lifting go hand in hand. Running will burn more calories, making your muscles more visible, where lifting will make them stronger/bigger.

Running will probably not help you bulk up, but my calves and quads were noticeably bigger when I was running a lot more so your mileage may vary.

I didn't lift especially hard, and ran rediculously hard, but I would lift 3 times a week and run 7 when training, and that made me a better runner.

pappymojo

I think it all depends on your goals.

My primary goal is to increase my muscle mass. Therefore I lift weights to the point of fatigue, generally 3 sets. If I hit 12 reps in a set, I add more weight until I can only do about 8 reps.

I like to do cardio. I think that sweating is good for my skin and my heart and my hair (I'm a guy).

For a long time, I was lifting weights and running on the same days. I was in good shape, but kind of skinny. Could not gain a pound (I weigh 191 pounds) and I was eating a lot of good, healthy food.

I met with a trainer recently and he told me to cut down on the cardio. I still sometimes run but not as hard as I used to. I only hit moderate intensity levels (which I figure out by my heart rate). Last night was one of my off days from the gym and I really wanted to get outside to do something. Instead of jogging, I ran 10 fifty yard sprints as fast as I could seperated by walking rests of 40 seconds. Then I walked a mile and a half. My legs are sore today.

My goals are to gain muscle mass. Therefore I concentrate on lifting weights. If your goal is to lose fat, you should concentrate on cardio with some weight lifting thrown in. If your goal is simply to be healthy, then I would say to follow your own instincts and to do both.

Good luck (and remember to eat healthy - the more natural the food that you eat is, the more naturally healthy you will be)

ComradeJoe23

If you are looking to gain muscle and bulk up, cardio is a no no. To bulk up, you must eat more calories than you burn. So if your burnin like 300-500 a few days a week, thats setting you backwards and you are wasting your time in the gym. However, if you are looking to cut and make whatever muscles you have more visible, do cardio a few times a week. But do keep in mind, if you are cutting, you aren't going to get any bigger until you go back on a bulking phase again. In fact, if you don't do it right, you could lose a little muscle.

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