Table of Contents | Category Listing for Cardiovascular Training
The Question:It is almost impossible for me to super set at my Gold's Gym unless I work out when it's closed. Should I increase the weight on the second exercise to compensate?
Also, I have a little extra in my mid-section, and am doing the "Mass builder 5-Day," should I do any cardio at all?
My deepest thanks for your site and services. I have found both extremely helpful.
The Answer:You will probably benefit from increasing the weight of the second sets of the supersetted exercises by 5-10%. But try to superset if you can. I know this can be tough in a busy gym.
You can maximize fat loss without sacrificing muscle mass if you keep your cardio sessions to 15-30 minutes 3-4 times per week. Also, the intensity should be kept at approximately 70% of your age predicted maximum heart rate. You can find your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from the number 220. Then, multiply this new number by .7 to find the number of beats per minute your heart should be at during exercise.
Here is a response I made to another member who had the very same question:
The upper limit for duration of aerobic exercise without sacrificing muscle mass is right at 30 minutes. However, most people who are focusing on gaining mass but still want to keep their body fat levels under control will not go more than 20 minutes. Let me say a key point here, however. The intensity of which the aerobic training is done is also of paramount importance. Keep your heart rate at OR BELOW 70% of your age predicted max heart rate (APMHR). You can read more about finding this heart rate if you type in "aerobic guidelines" in the search function on the home page of Fitrex.com.
To answer the second part of your question. If your goal is to gain (or at least maintain) lean body mass than you should do your aerobic exercise at least 4 hours before your weight training session OR any time after. Say you train with weights over your lunch hour or after work, you would be fine doing your aerobic training when you get up in the morning. Because the intensity of your aerobic session is low, doing it after lifting weights will not have any negative consequences concerning hormonal responses (growth hormone, testosterone and cortisol levels) and ultimately, physical recovery. Remember, don't go more than 20-30 minutes and keep your heart rate a the relatively low intensity range of 70% (or below) of your APMHR.
|