Is too much cardio a problem?

bell1986

bell1986

Well-known member
Recently i have been cycling pretty much everyday. 10 mile+ most days and ive also done 36 mile run in a stretch last week.

Is too much cardio a problem? I also weight lift 4-5 times a week. I love doing all of this but i was just seeing if it would be a future problem? On days i do more miles i increase calories too compensate for the energy i have burned.

Im happy with my physique at the moment and not just want to just focus on adding lean mass. I want my cardio vascular to be as best as i can get it. I have noticed the cycles getting easier and me increasing my gears for resistance.

Thanks.
 
As long as you're eating to make up for it it should be fine. I'm doing 3/4 days of hiit cardio a week atm while bulking and it seems to be keeping me lean while adding muscle. First time I haven't dropped cardio on a bulk and I'm really happy with my fat/muscle gain ratio. I'd say keep at it and if you're not gaining weight try to eat more or cut back slightly on the amount of cycling you're doing. If you can stay leanish while adding muscle the longer you can bulk and the happier you'll be with the results. Not to mention less time cutting is another huge plus.
 
Look at sprinters, they're somewhere in the middle. Certainly fit but still possess muscular builds striking that balance. As APC80 suggests keep tabs on your progress in the gym, you'll find your threshold where gains are compromised. I've had to give up some size/progress in the gym to enjoy the benefit of cardio fitness but it's worth it. I feel that much healthier when weighing around 190lb than I ever did at 210. Another good reason to strive for a classic physique.
 
If you are happy with your current composition, then make sure you are eating enough, which would be maintenance, to make sure you do not lose eight/lean mass. It is that simple, it is just a balancing act. If you start losing weight, either decrease the cardio or increase the calories.
 
Do you guys have any good calculators for me to slightly workout what im burning from these bike workouts? I am adding calories as i know my maintenance is 2800 so i bump it to usually 3100 (Maintenance)
 
I’ve struggled to add size in the past due to doing too much cardio (was doing 6 HIIT sessions plus running 20-30k every week on top of lifting) - was eating more (4,000 a day) but basically spun my wheels for 6 months on my size goals (my cardiovascular fitness was through the roof though) - I wasn’t happy with my look and needed to add muscle so I was foolish in my approach until I learnt better.

If your happy with your look then the advice above is spot on. Find maintence calories and enjoy the performance/health benefits. If you want to add muscle you’ll probably find you need to drop some cardio (that was my experience anyway).

I still run a lot now but I’m on my first cycle which changes things slightly ��
 
Yes - and you can't out-eat stress. If that was the case, we would have 1,000 mile marathons with no breaks, we'd just be downing glucose constantly to replace the energy we lost. It's far more complex than that.
 
bell1986 said:
Recently i have been cycling pretty much everyday. 10 mile+ most days and ive also done 36 mile run in a stretch last week.

Is too much cardio a problem? I also weight lift 4-5 times a week. I love doing all of this but i was just seeing if it would be a future problem? On days i do more miles i increase calories too compensate for the energy i have burned.

Im happy with my physique at the moment and not just want to just focus on adding lean mass. I want my cardio vascular to be as best as i can get it. I have noticed the cycles getting easier and me increasing my gears for resistance.

Thanks.
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If lean mass is your goal then id reduce cardio. 10-12 minutes high intensity interval cardio is enough to keep cardiovascular health good. You could even do 15-20 minutes cardio maybe 130 bpm

Ten miles is a long ride. It depends how intense you are peddling for as well. If its easier cardio, thats another scenerio. Too much long and hard cardio can lower testosterone levels
 
That’s great that your out and hitting the bike hard! Honestly have you ever gotten your VO2 max tested? Actually quantify your results and take some of the guesswork out. I personally don’t agree that low intensity cardio of only 15-20mins is going to help that much it’s a waste of time honestly for someone at your conditioning.

How long have you been training?

Sounds to me that you need more food.
 
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