Cardio Fitness

How Much Cardio Should I Do While Bulking – Helpful Guide

How Much Cardio Should I Do While Bulking

It is a challenging task to do cardio while bulking but if you have the right way to balance both you can achieve your desired results. During your bulking-up phase, if you increase the number of calories you intake, the muscle mass in your body will automatically increase. You will eventually provide your body with more raw material to gain muscle mass. But, you need to keep a check on the calories you are taking because it might lead to fattening your body. 

However, if you do an average amount of cardio when bulking it will help your body in maintaining a bulk physique. It is even upright for a person’s well-being so all you have to do is include a few sessions of cardio when bulking. Though, if you are at an initial stage of building muscles then cardio while building muscles is not the right option for you. It is advisable to stay away from cardio for the first few months of your training.  

How Much Cardio Should I Do While BulkingCardio While Bulking 

Cardio while BulkingSome people are known as ‘hard gainers.’ Now if you are wondering what this term refers to then let me tell you that it refers to such bodies or such people who have a hard time gaining muscle. They have a lean body and have an increased calorie rate but do not gain any fat.

 They are preferred to avoid long cardio and only do bulk-up cardio for 30 minutes and that also only three times a week. Doing HIIT cardio while bulking has a pessimistic impact on your muscle growth.  

Should You Do Cardio While Bulking

Should You Do Cardio While BulkingA surplus amount of cardio holds back your muscle growth. This happens because the more you do cardio, the more calories will burn from your body. 

However, you must try putting up with low-intensity cardio which reduces the number of calories you are burning. One must not say that it is incorrect to do cardio during bulking because even though it burns more calories you must know how much of it you do while bulking bodybuilding. You can do some running while bulking, skipping rope, or spend a few minutes swimming in the pool.  

Do You Really Need To Do Cardio While Bulking

Do You Really Need To Do Cardio While BulkingIt is a false belief we all hang on to that bulking up only means gaining muscle mass as much as you can. Because just imagine if you avoid cardio workouts you will just keep gaining fat with whatever you eat and that would not be a fortunate way of a bulk physique. Now you must understand that a victorious bulking is when you get lean bulk muscle along with keeping your body away from a lot of fats. Although, in the process of bulk training you do intake a huge amount of calories you must try avoiding the fat stored in your body. The best way to get rid of that fat is through a clean bulk process. Therefore to explain clean bulking we will have to discuss how cardio satisfies you along with bulking.  

The Benefits Of Cardio While Bulking Up

The Benefits Of Cardio While Bulking Up If you carefully plan an entire program with cardio in it, you can emit the fear of losing your muscle mass while doing the cardio workout. Here are some benefits for you to understand how vital cardio is for the body. 

  • It Is Good For Your Health: When you do weightlifting you benefit your muscles but not the entire body. Your lungs and heart need something to strengthen them. Cardio anyhow provides your lungs with oxygen and assists your heart in pumping blood across your entire body. With time the capability of your lungs and heart enhances too. Not only this but it even helps you have a better sleep.  Hence, it is important to give time to the most essential parts of your body along with muscle gain. 
  • It Helps In Lowering Your Cholesterol And Blood Pressure: Intaking lots of saturated fat increases your cholesterol further increasing the blood pressure and if you do a cardio workout it will remove that fat from your body.  
  • It Helps You Recover: Low-intensity cardio during bulking energizes your blood flow and gives you a better recovery time.  
  • Cardio Improves Your Forbearance: Cardio improves your overall tolerance which helps you in lifting more weight. You won’t tire easily and can do more and high weight lifting. Isn’t that amazing, being able to hold more weights without feeling fatigued?  
  • Cardio Even Reduces Stress: Are you tired of sad days? Cardio every day while bulking improves your mood and makes you happy as you start enjoying your weight lifting which reduces the stress of your everyday routine. It helps you lift your low energy and feel nice about your day.  
  • Cardio Upgrades Body Formation: When you do a muscle toning workout you tend to overeat but it stresses you, does it not? Cardio helps in managing the fat in your body during the bulking but if you do your cardio properly you will be able to do your lean bulking bodybuilding properly. Cardio reduces the overabundance caused by overeating in your body.  

Some Best Options For Doing Cardio While Bulking

Some Best Options Of Doing Cardio While Bulking

  • Keep Your Cardio Minimum: In the bulking process, your goal is to intake more calories so that you can tutor hard. If you take in more calories you will be able to build more muscle mass and you can recover easily. However, if you do cardio along with it you will automatically require more calories. Now, when you will be burning more calories you will have to eat more anyhow which is why it is advised to do less cardio especially if you are one of the hard gainers. Now if you are wondering what to do, here are some options for you: light walks, jump ropes, cycling, etc. But remember whatever you do, do it to enjoy your process because cardio is not an important addition to your bulking plan. 
  • Do A Maximum Of 45 Minutes Sessions: Do a low-intensity workout that doesn’t speed your heart rate much and does not go beyond 45 minutes. This will benefit your lungs, heart, and blood circulation. Though an everyday session isn’t required, you can easily tune yourself up with a once or twice-a-week session of cardio. 
  • Only A Maximum Of 15 Minutes If You Like High Intensity: Some people tend to enjoy high-intensity workouts and if you are one of them then remember not to exceed your session. A much longer session will make you eat more along with a tired and sore body. This will act as a hurdle to lifting weight because your body would be too tired to body build. You must focus on bulking up instead of your cardio. This is one of the reasons why less cardio while bulking is a preferred option. 

How Much Cardio Should You Do While Bulking

How Much Cardio Should You Do While Bulking

Nonetheless, the cardio does depend on your training schedule but if your weight lifts for three days then you can do your cardio on the days you do not lift. If you do low-intensity cardio then it’s completely fine to do it on the same day as lifting which can even be 4 or 5 times a week. It is better to do your cardio after your lifting so that you have the energy to lift at the start.  

If you need some lean bulk tips then here’s a little guide for you: 

  • To Focus On The Lower Body: A 10-minute treadmill to cool down after lifting and 5 minutes on the treadmill to cool down and 5 minutes on the elliptical before the lifting. 
  •  To Focus On Your Back: A 5-minute rowing machine before you lift and 10 pull-ups repeated 3 times after you lift. 
  • To Focus On Your Chest: A 10-minute light rowing machine and 10 bodyweight press-ups repeated thrice after you lift weights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cardio benefits your body in any condition however, when you get done with your bulk going back to cardio is hard if you do not keep it in practice along your bulking process.  
It depends on your calorie intake and your intensity of cardio. If you do high-intensity cardio to an excess level you will burn fat while bulking. 
You can do your cardio after your lifting but not before it. You should engage most of your energy in lifting weights rather than in burning fat. But, if you do it before your lifting you must give your body a few hours to recover. 
If you do high-intensity cardio it will burn a lot of calories. This means that it is better to do low-intensity cardio workouts like walking and jogging. 

Conclusion 

When you aim to do bulk bodybuilding then doing the right thing matters. focus more on training hard and lifting more weights along with intaking more calories. Your calories must include carbs and proteins. It might be a challenging task but with hard work and determination, it is possible to achieve your goal. 

About the author

Amelia Robert

My name is Amelia Robert, and I am the co-founder and author of the website prohealthyfit.com. For the past seven years, I’ve been a certified personal trainer. I am really passionate about assisting women and men in achieving sustainability and happiness in their lifestyles, all while making progress in their own fitness journeys! My goal is to deliver the most accurate information in a way that motivates you to take an active role in your health and fitness journey.

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