Cardio after leg days - Yes or No?

[JonesersRX7]

I am curious to hear the other opinions and reasons why you guys DO or DO NOT do cardio after a leg day.

I have read in a couple of the popular mags to not do cardio on the day before, on and after a leg day. For the past couple of months I have followed not doing cardio after a leg day. I was curious if there was any science behind doing this.

Now when I say cardio I am not talking about busting my ass on the Stair Master. The only machine that I can do is the recumbant bike or the eliptical as treadmills give me a pain on the top of my shins like they are about to peal off the bone.

 

[Pfunk47]

cardio on leg day and after only while cutting - low intensity only, especially on leg day, only athletes in sports should be doing HIT on leg day and/or after - I cant' see any other reason to do it -

 

[Viperspit]

yep, just did cardio last night after a grueling leg w/o. it actually helps stretch and loosen the muscles in the legs and may help prevent those prone to DOMS.

 

[guyfromkop2]

yup, low intensity to help recover

 

[stxnas]

I get really bad DOMS so I like to do light cardio after a leg w/o and light cardio the day after to get the blood flowing. Like Viperspit said, it really helps to stretch out/loosen up.

 

[goes4ever]

absolutely do it the next day to aide in recovery

 

[JonesersRX7]

Well then... looks like I am going to start doing it on days after starting today!

I was just so worried about going catabolic and losing leg size.

 

[idunk42]

I never do cardio of any sort on leg days. Never have, never will.

 

[jmh80]

A certain clown does not recommend cardio on leg days period.

I do it 2 days afterwards.

 

[theshocker21]

If I'm on a cut, do I really have a choice?

 

[idunk42]

If I'm on a cut, do I really have a choice?

Even if your cutting, doesnt mean you have to do cardio everyday.

 

[magnusvv]

For me it seems to help get rid of any soreness. I like to do about 5 - 10 minutes of light cardio just after finishing up a leg workout as well as some the next day. Maybe it has something to do with cleaning out lactic acid.

 

[jjohn]

I am one who beleives that it's useful to help recovery. Low intensity is enough 15 minutes-30 min. Is the ideal. Blood flow helps eliminate lactic acid that can make a leg day better in the morning..

 

[Dwight Schrute]

I am curious to hear the other opinions and reasons why you guys DO or DO NOT do cardio after a leg day.

I.

Reasons I do not recommend it.

1. Leg exericses by themselves trigger aerobic and anaerobic activity. Only muscle group that does this so in essence you are already getting your cardio workout while doing legs. There is a reason why you can get out of breath and pass out on heavy squats and its not the weight. (Increased lactic acid buildup and oxgygen consumption)

2. Blood flow occurs when you lift so performing cardio right after your weight session isn't really doing anything for blood flow. Its already present. Thats why a pump occurs and with leg workouts its almost doulbe most muscle groups.

3. Energy expenditure during a leg workout is practically doulbe any other bodypart because how it taps into the Kreb cycle. Performing cardio after a leg workout pushes you much closer to that edge where you become catabolic.

Having said that a light walk the very next day is good or even just simple stretches will do the same thing.

For a leg workout its get in, get out. Its the only workout that really is unique on how the body responds. Why do you see a lot of guys not perform leg workouts? Its twice as hard because it combines both cardio and weight training into one.

My 2 cents...

 

[stxnas]

I am one who beleives that it's useful to help recovery. Low intensity is enough 15 minutes-30 min. Is the ideal. Blood flow helps eliminate lactic acid that can make a leg day better in the morning..

Holy crap! 30 minutes on leg days! I just meant about 5-7min at low intensity (more like a cool down than cardio)...I barely ever do 30 minutes of cardio period.

And thanks for breaking that down Bobo. Now I might look into stretching instead (have to do something b/c I have back problems that tight hamstrings contribute to).

 

[JonesersRX7]

My 2 cents...

And it's very much appreciated.

 

[az2u]

I always do cardio on leg day. I jump on the elliptical for 30-40 minutes and most of the time push myself just as hard as I did during my leg workout.

 

[jjohn]

Holy crap! 30 minutes on leg days! I just meant about 5-7min at low intensity (more like a cool down than cardio)...I barely ever do 30 minutes of cardio period.

And thanks for breaking that down Bobo. Now I might look into stretching instead (have to do something b/c I have back problems that tight hamstrings contribute to).

Hehe. 45 minutes is my usual cutting cardio routine. I guess 5-7 minutes cant hurt.Take a fast walk and it will do the same..

 

[stxnas]

LOL...I'm 5'8 and having trouble hitting 170...I really don't do more than 20min sessions at most three times a week...don't want to blow away during hurricane season!

 

[jjohn]

LOL...I'm 5'8 and having trouble hitting 170...I really don't do more than 20min sessions at most three times a week...don't want to blow away during hurricane season!

Haha! Well, I have to do lots of cardio in order to stay lean, else I pack on fat. Everyone's different.

 

[Pfunk47]

I'am with JJohn - I have to do a little extra cardio in order to get really low bf - progress stalls around 8% - add 15 mins low- intense cardio on leg days then stretch - that little bit seems to have got me back into lipolysis.

 

[peterson24]

I do a speed session (20, 30, 40 yard sprints) the day after my heavy leg day. My split is a little different though and not a body building routine, more for strength and speed.

 

[CHAPS]

I don't do it after a leg day simply because my legs are so sore that i can't effectively to my cardio.

 

[jjohn]

I don't do it after a leg day simply because my legs are so sore that i can't effectively to my cardio.

If you go take a good fast walk, and a good stretch after the cardio session, You will recover faster IMO. Try it. You have nothing to lose.

 

[stxnas]

Yeah, I agree ^ That is more along the lines of what I do. I was using the term CARDIO to loosely in my earlier posts.

 

[BigVrunga]

I always do cardio after training legs, unless the workout was so intense I just cant take anymore or Im feeling like ****, etc.

 

[rake922]

Yes...low intesity

 

[Gator762]

Yep, I do low intensity the day after.
Never cardio on a leg day.

 

[cubbybear]

I never do cardio and lifting in the same workout period. I prefer to do my cardio sessions separately first thing in the morning, for 1/2 hour 3-5 days a week. On workout days lifting is done either in the afternoon or early evening (except for Sundays when I either lift or do cardio but not both). On squat days, I prefer to avoid the morning cardio because it just takes away from my lifting session later on. Not necessarily energy-wise, but it just seems like my nervous system/ muscles won't fire the same way if that makes sense and my coordination/form would be compromised.

 

[pistonpump]

yep, just did cardio last night after a grueling leg w/o. it actually helps stretch and loosen the muscles in the legs and may help prevent those prone to DOMS.

This method has really helped me aswell. When i hit legs i hit them hard and I always do light cardio or a last set of very little weight to stretch it out. Feels a lot better the next few days. I was suggested this after posting a thread on leg soreness because i had real bad trouble walking for almost a week after leg day.

 

[meb019]

cardio - or any type of aerobic exercise post workout - is potentially counterproductive on the body's testosterone levels. but this mostly depends on the duration of the workout itself. when training sessions become too long, as generally happens when cardio is added to lifting, catabolism sets in and muscles actually start to break down.

this is why i moved my cardio sessions to the morning, immediately after i wake up. if the goal of cardio is fat burning, its only sensible to do it in the morning when the body's glucose levels are low and the body functions on its stored fat cells. this way, you burn fat as opposed to the calories you take in from food.