Cardio after your workout? Hinder Gains?

[Eagleman003]

Ok I bulked to my desired weight and size level. From now on I want to do the famous gain muscle and lose fat thing by eating clean and doing cardio.

I have been doing cardio right after my workout every other day for about 20 min. My HR is 140-145 and I WALK 4.0 MPH on an incline of 2.0. I burn around 200 calories a session. I am 20 years old btw and 6"4 237lbs

Although I enjoy this nice cardio after my workout I feel as though the next day my muscles are not as "full" as they normally would be if I didnt do cardio after my workout. I havent seen a decrease in strength or size yet but have noticed I am getting a little more cut. MY PWO shake is 40 protein and 80 carbs of oatmeal and banana. Do you guys think doing cardio after my workout will hinder gains?

[ManInTheBox]

The main reason you may not feel as "full" after the workout, or the day after, is because there is not as much blood still lodged in your muscles. When you workout, whether you use NO or not...blood goes to the muscles. If you do cardio, blood goes ALL over the body, and to and through the heart. I think it's best to split cardio, pre and post workout, to get the best of both worlds, the more intense of the two post workout.

[heebs10]

i dont really think it hinder gains much at all so long as all u are doing is walking. now doing some HIIT cardio, that perhaps might. i agree with MITB's points about blood flow and see them as valid. what i would worry more about is putting yourself into a catibolic state, although it would not be to severe if u are walking for 20min but to avoid this at any rate u can take along some BCAA's and sip on that during your WO and cardio. it would help prevent any muscle wasting.

[matthew76]

If you do your full cardio work out before your weight training you'll use up mostly glycogen which is the stored glucose in your muscles and liver.This will use up the primary fuel that you need to perform your weight lifting.By doing the anaerobic (weight training) portion of your work out first you'll then deplete your glycogen stores in a positive way and thus targeting more fat during your cardio because you've used all of your glycogen so your body converts the fat into glucose by gluconeogenisis.Anaerobic work also keeps you thermogenic for a much longer period of time than cardio does and by putting your effort into the weight training first you'll build a little more muscle as well.Each pound of muscle gained will metabolize an additional 100 calories a day just by having it.Be sure to eat right and get sufficient rest between work outs.Even if you're not looking to get big lifting weights the addition of a little extra muscle will still have the same positive effect.Also by depleting your glycogen stores you increase the likelihood that your body will store the carbohydrates down as glycogen rather than being converted to fat by insulin.A light cardio before the weights can help you warm up but the actual cardio work always comes afterwards.

[Eagleman003]

If you do your full cardio work out before your weight training you'll use up mostly glycogen which is the stored glucose in your muscles and liver.This will use up the primary fuel that you need to perform your weight lifting.By doing the anaerobic (weight training) portion of your work out first you'll then deplete your glycogen stores in a positive way and thus targeting more fat during your cardio because you've used all of your glycogen so your body converts the fat into glucose by gluconeogenisis.Anaerobic work also keeps you thermogenic for a much longer period of time than cardio does and by putting your effort into the weight training first you'll build a little more muscle as well.Each pound of muscle gained will metabolize an additional 100 calories a day just by having it.Be sure to eat right and get sufficient rest between work outs.Even if you're not looking to get big lifting weights the addition of a little extra muscle will still have the same positive effect.Also by depleting your glycogen stores you increase the likelihood that your body will store the carbohydrates down as glycogen rather than being converted to fat by insulin.A light cardio before the weights can help you warm up but the actual cardio work always comes afterwards.

thanks for taking the time to answer my question. i appreciate it

[matthew76]

[AnonyMoose]

If you do your full cardio work out before your weight training you'll use up mostly glycogen which is the stored glucose in your muscles and liver.This will use up the primary fuel that you need to perform your weight lifting.By doing the anaerobic (weight training) portion of your work out first you'll then deplete your glycogen stores in a positive way and thus targeting more fat during your cardio because you've used all of your glycogen so your body converts the fat into glucose by gluconeogenisis.Anaerobic work also keeps you thermogenic for a much longer period of time than cardio does and by putting your effort into the weight training first you'll build a little more muscle as well.Each pound of muscle gained will metabolize an additional 100 calories a day just by having it.Be sure to eat right and get sufficient rest between work outs.Even if you're not looking to get big lifting weights the addition of a little extra muscle will still have the same positive effect.Also by depleting your glycogen stores you increase the likelihood that your body will store the carbohydrates down as glycogen rather than being converted to fat by insulin.A light cardio before the weights can help you warm up but the actual cardio work always comes afterwards.

i agree - this is a more criticle concern than doing it post workout. watch the intensity during post wo cardio and keep the amino, atp restorers, and bcaas in the mix to keep the muscle. you will only mostly loose the pump though.