getting breathless, need to start cardio. help me oot.

[strongman6969]

Iv been gettin breathless recently n i really think its because of higher RBC but it could also be lack of cardio! I usually dont do cardio when im bulking up but im going to start doing farmers walks eod 20m x5 with 2 115-150kg carrying beams? Is this a good regime to get some endurance and cardio back... And suggestions other than that? I would use a stair master but none of the gym have them.. help me oot guys.

[SLW2]

I would recommend hill sprints. Since incorporating them into my training, my conditioning had GREATLY improved. Start out with a smaller hill, or just a shorter distance up the hill and work your way up to bigger/steeper hills.

Obviously if you live in a flat area this could be difficult. If thats the case then sled push/pulls would be my second recommendation.

[AaronJP1]

Going to say that seems like a lot of weight with farmers walks, but then I read your user name.

[strongman6969]

Ahha yeah thats a light weight to the usual training weights... I was tryin to see if someone would let me pull a 7.5t truck as that always gets ma heart racing but the friend i had with one sold it so i guess sled pulls would be good never tried hillsprints but but mates that do the runnin say they are good ill give it a try lads cheers

[AlexErdellan]

I would recommend hill sprints. Since incorporating them into my training, my conditioning had GREATLY improved. Start out with a smaller hill, or just a shorter distance up the hill and work your way up to bigger/steeper hills.

Obviously if you live in a flat area this could be difficult. If thats the case then sled push/pulls would be my second recommendation.

Second on sprints, I believe that they have a direct correlation with power.

[bmftisftw]

only doing cardio can improve your cardio..

a simple template to help improve would be

day 1: run for time.. say like just go out an do an easy pace for 20-30 mins

day 2: sprints

or adding a little bit of running like a 5-10 min warmup jog before a workout on the treadmill or doing jump rope.. lots of stuff improves cardio!!

[NLAFounder]

Iv been gettin breathless recently n i really think its because of higher RBC but it could also be lack of cardio! I usually dont do cardio when im bulking up but im going to start doing farmers walks eod 20m x5 with 2 115-150kg carrying beams? Is this a good regime to get some endurance and cardio back... And suggestions other than that? I would use a stair master but none of the gym have them.. help me oot guys.

Seeing that you are a powerlifter, running countless laps around the track seems probably seems pointless and boring to you. I am a former collegiate sprinter and pole vaulter so I know some great techniques for boosting cardio while boosting leg strength.

-Weighted Sled Pulls Sprints: Do 20-40 metre sprints pulling a sled with a couple 45 lb plates on the back:
-Circuit Training: Pick three workouts and combine them all together into a circuit. Do not rest more than 10 seconds between lift and only rest up to 2 minutes between sets. Do 4 sets. I remember I used to train with World Record Bench Presser Scot Mendelson in powerlifting after I graduate from my university. We would wait up to 30 minutes in between sets! My cardio was near gone after 3 months of training with him. I started incorporating circuits into my training then eventually weighted sprints, then I started jogging longer distances.
-Hill sprints and beach sprints: Sprinting up a hill and sprinting on the deep dry sand is a great weight to maintain strength and boost cardio.

Message me if you have any more questions.

-Justin M.

[GBB]

The short answer is, forget sprints, sled pulls and all that. Buy a heat rate monitor and do something that keeps your heart rate between 140-150 for between 30-60 mins 2-5 times per week. Whether that be light jogging, walking uphill on a treadmill, cycling... whatever.

The long answer... The body has three energy systems:

The anaerobic alactic - very intense effort - lasts 10s or less

The anaerobic lactic - intense effort - lasts 90s or less

Aerobic - moderate effort - lasts hours

Powerlifing and most powerlifting training is pretty much 100% alactic and the processes of recovery between sets in the gym and lifts at a meet are pretty much 100% aerobic. The lactic energy system isn't much use to a powerlifter.

What is important for a powerlifter is the heart's stroke volume (the amount of blood it can pump per beat). Increased stroke volume means the heart can move more blood around the body with less effort; supplying more oxygen to the muscles, clearing out the metabolic byproducts of the anaerobic energy systems and 'refueling' the muscles faster and more effectively between sets/lifts.

But, sprint intervals, sled dragging etc. mainly target the lactic energy system (intense effort for bursts of 90s or less). They do also train some aspects of the aerobic system, but not the most important (the heart's stroke volume) and at a high cost in terms of fatigue.

They don't effectively increase the heart's stroke volume because above heart rates of about 150 the heart doesn't get time to fully fill with blood each beat and 10-20 mins isn't long enough to effectively train stroke volume. They can also increase the thickness of the walls of the heart, which can actually reduce stroke volume. Lifting weights does this too.

Stroke volume is only effectively increased by low intensity steady state training for over 30 mins at heart rates of under 150. This basically stretches the heart as it is filled to it's full capacity each beat constantly for 30 mins+.

So, I think easy steady state training is all a powerlifter really needs in terms of cardio. I've seen massive benefits in terms of my work capacity in the gym, and feel generally much healthier, since I jumped off the intervals bandwagon and started doing easy steady state training on my off days.

[Torobestia]

The short answer is, forget sprints, sled pulls and all that. Buy a heat rate monitor and do something that keeps your heart rate between 140-150 for between 30-60 mins 2-5 times per week. Whether that be light jogging, walking uphill on a treadmill, cycling... whatever.

The long answer... The body has three energy systems:

The anaerobic alactic - very intense effort - lasts 10s or less

The anaerobic lactic - intense effort - lasts 90s or less

Aerobic - moderate effort - lasts hours

Powerlifing and most powerlifting training is pretty much 100% alactic and the processes of recovery between sets in the gym and lifts at a meet are pretty much 100% aerobic. The lactic energy system isn't much use to a powerlifter.

What is important for a powerlifter is the heart's stroke volume (the amount of blood it can pump per beat). Increased stroke volume means the heart can move more blood around the body with less effort; supplying more oxygen to the muscles, clearing out the metabolic byproducts of the anaerobic energy systems and 'refueling' the muscles faster and more effectively between sets/lifts.

But, sprint intervals, sled dragging etc. mainly target the lactic energy system (intense effort for bursts of 90s or less). They do also train some aspects of the aerobic system, but not the most important (the heart's stroke volume) and at a high cost in terms of fatigue.

They don't effectively increase the heart's stroke volume because above heart rates of about 150 the heart doesn't get time to fully fill with blood each beat and 10-20 mins isn't long enough to effectively train stroke volume. They can also increase the thickness of the walls of the heart, which can actually reduce stroke volume. Lifting weights does this too.

Stroke volume is only effectively increased by low intensity steady state training for over 30 mins at heart rates of under 150. This basically stretches the heart as it is filled to it's full capacity each beat constantly for 30 mins+.

So, I think easy steady state training is all a powerlifter really needs in terms of cardio. I've seen massive benefits in terms of my work capacity in the gym, and feel generally much healthier, since I jumped off the intervals bandwagon and started doing easy steady state training on my off days.

This is really interesting information. I have seen a breakdown of energy systems similar to what you mentioned - I think there were 4, so one more than you listed, though - but anyways, the article I was reading about it made little to no sense. It wasn't the authors fault, although he wasn't writing in a way to make complex thoughts easily digestible. What you've laid out makes a lot of sense, but it also goes against the grain of what a lot of famous powerlifters advocate in terms of cardio. I know Tate, Louie, and someone else I read recently who I forget did say that walking on a treadmill was something that could definitely do you good, and Louie advocated sled pulls, which the way he wanted you to do them was not high intensity by any stretch of the imagination (one isn't doing high intensity if you're at it for 30-60 minutes straight). It also reminds me that in his normal 531 book, Wendler belongs to the camp advocating anaerobic lactic training (without saying as much). But now that I think of it, in his supplemental 531 for powerlifters, he says just doing treadmill walking is good as well. So I think I will start doing it more religiously. If only I could get to sleep earlier.

[bmftisftw]

I'm gonna give you the simplest answer. Just go outside and start doin cardio. It's not gonna hurt your gains bro. For real dude don't over think it lol. Just don't be doin marathons everyday haha

[dillianc]

I was running 10 k a day a few months ago but I am currently trying to gain weight so I had to cut my running down. I lost a fair amount of my cardio and whats been helping me build it back up is 100-200 m sprint suicides. Or doing a "fight gone bad" workout. that will for sure build your cardio while you lift as well.