Females & Cardio Offseason/Bulking

[ironchick22]

OK I am really torn about how to go about with cardio. I am lean bulking right now and trying to add a good 15 pounds of lean mass. Lifting 5-6 days a week, and just started 5mg/ var daily.

What do all you fit, strong ladies do as far as cardio when you are trying to pack on muscle mass? Do you go everyday? None at all? A few times a week?
20 min? 60 min?
High intensity, low intensity?
AM on empty stomach or post workout?
walking, jogging, elliptical, bike, stairmill?

I want to keep fat gains to a minimum.... my diet is clean, and while I have currently been doing cardio 6 days a week (40 min stairmaster), I don't know if this will hamper my gains. SO what do YOU all recommend and what do you ladies do?

 

[aquaholic]

OK I am really torn about how to go about with cardio. I am lean bulking right now and trying to add a good 15 pounds of lean mass. Lifting 5-6 days a week, and just started 5mg/ var daily.

What do all you fit, strong ladies do as far as cardio when you are trying to pack on muscle mass? Do you go everyday? None at all? A few times a week?
20 min? 60 min?
High intensity, low intensity?
AM on empty stomach or post workout?
walking, jogging, elliptical, bike, stairmill?

I want to keep fat gains to a minimum.... my diet is clean, and while I have currently been doing cardio 6 days a week (40 min stairmaster), I don't know if this will hamper my gains. SO what do YOU all recommend and what do you ladies do?

I'm no pro, but doing cardio 6 days a week is NOT going to help you with gains.

 

[lynx]

Hmmm...well I've never said to myself, "I want to pack on as much muscle in X amount of time." I've always just lifted because I liked it and gradually gained over the years. I've always done some cardio. It usually was in the form of walking...eh...briskly. 30-40 minutes 3 (sometimes 4) times a week usually keeps me in check. I like doing my cardio in the AM before I eat. I would even reduce your lifting from 5-6 times a week to 3-4 (maybe 5) times a week. HEAVY lifting, none of that foo-foo crap. Recovery is going to be key for gains so make sure you are getting your foods in, water, and sleep. Meh...so I've been told, but what I do know!

Just remember that you might gain some fat by just reducing your activity level (cardio). How long have you been doing stairmaster 6 times a week?

From what I've heard from other women is that GH for them made them leaner. Of course they were taking it during a contest prep. Although a couple of them did experience some bloat. Just FYI.

 

[Amazon Doll]

I've always believed that cardio burns off muscle gains & tweaking your diet until you get it right is the key

cardio first thing in the am while bulking means missing a meal when you want to be feeding the muscle

My opinion is save the cardio for cutting

 

[oldfella]

Ironchic, cardio 6x's a week will not let you gain lean mass like you want. keep it to three times a week no longer than 60mins. I said no longer. it is at that point the body switches it's attention to slow twitch fibres and then starts catabolisng fast twitch. 40 mins is good place to be. Put the intensity in and work at about 80-85% max heart rate.

 

[ironchick22]

Ok I will try 3-4 times a week. Would 30 minutes postworkout be ok? I sip on 10 grams BCAA during my lifting so will that be sufficient enough so that I won't burn a bunch of muscle doing 30 minutes cardio postworkout? Or would it be better to do it first thing in the morning with just some protein or BCAA's beforehand? I'd really rather just do it after my workout so I only have to go to the gym once, but if morning is better than I'll do it.... so is postworkout ok?

Also, what would be bettter.... stairmaster, walking on an incline, or jogging? I'm thinking the stairmaster because it may help me get a more shapely ass... something I am in desperate need of.....

This is really going to be hard for me to cut down... I always thought that most females and even males did cardio atleast 5 days a week even when bulking to minimize fat gains.....?

 

[oldfella]

Ok I will try 3-4 times a week. Would 30 minutes postworkout be ok? I sip on 10 grams BCAA during my lifting so will that be sufficient enough so that I won't burn a bunch of muscle doing 30 minutes cardio postworkout? Or would it be better to do it first thing in the morning with just some protein or BCAA's beforehand? I'd really rather just do it after my workout so I only have to go to the gym once, but if morning is better than I'll do it.... so is postworkout ok?

Also, what would be bettter.... stairmaster, walking on an incline, or jogging? I'm thinking the stairmaster because it may help me get a more shapely ass... something I am in desperate need of.....

This is really going to be hard for me to cut down... I always thought that most females and even males did cardio atleast 5 days a week even when bulking to minimize fat gains.....?

Everyone is different. Females have a hard enough time gaining lean mass as it is. You do not want to do anything that will interfere with that process. Do your cardio post workout, or even better after your last meal of the day. First thing in the am is ok as long as you are going to get a good breakfast in afterwards. On an empty stomach will get the body into fat burning mode faster.

 

[ironchick22]

do you think postworkout may be equally good for fat burning since glycogen levels will be low? (like they are in the am fasted)

 

[oldfella]

do you think postworkout may be equally good for fat burning since glycogen levels will be low? (like they are in the am fasted)

Should be ok. I just like the idea of splitting cadio and weights. Gives you two sessions and more calorie burn.

 

[bulldog21]

do you think postworkout may be equally good for fat burning since glycogen levels will be low? (like they are in the am fasted)

You won't be as depleted in the evening as you are in the am after going a couple hours without eating........

I know you are getting a slew of suggestions but If you do do it in the morning take in 10g Bcaa's and L-Carnosine.......Will help fat burning.

Like Oldfella said you should make sure to eat but I doni't think it will be a problem as you will be starving after cardio.....

 

[lynx]

AD makes a good point about tweaking your diet. Also lots of people don't do any cardio in the off season.

I'm just curious IC what is going on? By your posts you almost seem a little frantic. Are you trying to gain some weight to compete by a certain time or something?

 

[Amazon Doll]

I'm just curious IC what is going on? By your posts you almost seem a little frantic. Are you trying to gain some weight to compete by a certain time or something?

Lynx, I am picking up on this also. I get the impression that IC has decided to do a cyle of ver & gh before she has gotten all her ducks in a row.

Persoanlly, I like to have things *spot on* before I ever begin a cycle, but I guess if IC is going to do this, getting it all lined out is better than a totally haphazard program or no program at all.

 

[lynx]

Lynx, I am picking up on this also. I get the impression that IC has decided to do a cyle of ver & gh before she has gotten all her ducks in a row.

Persoanlly, I like to have things *spot on* before I ever begin a cycle, but I guess if IC is going to do this, getting it all lined out is better than a totally haphazard program or no program at all.

Spot on = Mapped out. This also includes nutrition.

How are you going about your planning your eating IC? That's going to be more crucial than the gear really. If you are not optimizing your nutrition you will be wasting your supplements.

So I guess what I'm asking is how much of each: protein, carbs, fats are you planning per day and in how many meals. Also how do you KNOW exactly how much you will be getting in? Do you measure your food or guess?

Remember failure to plan is planning to fail.

 

[ironchick22]

I haven't decided on a comp yet... so no, I am in no rush. Sorry, don't mean to sound "fanatic", just dedicated and wanting to do everything right.

My cals are around 2000- with about 40-45 g fat, 200-230 grams protein and carbs. 5 meals plus my postworkout shake. But this was with all the cardio I was doing. And I was maintaining on this... so if I cut down on the cardio, keep the cals the same, just started my anavar.... do you think I will see gains? Also, should I lower carbs and up fats or do you think this is a good ratio? Will cutting down the cardio I was doing be enough to start seeing gains, or do you think I should adjust my diet as well?

 

[lynx]

I haven't decided on a comp yet... so no, I am in no rush. Sorry, don't mean to sound "fanatic", just dedicated and wanting to do everything right.

My cals are around 2000- with about 40-45 g fat, 200-230 grams protein and carbs. 5 meals plus my postworkout shake. But this was with all the cardio I was doing. And I was maintaining on this... so if I cut down on the cardio, keep the cals the same, just started my anavar.... do you think I will see gains? Also, should I lower carbs and up fats or do you think this is a good ratio? Will cutting down the cardio I was doing be enough to start seeing gains, or do you think I should adjust my diet as well?

Not fanatic, but frantic. I understand wanting to do things right, but that should have been done before you started anything IMO.

I think those breakdowns look fine. What would a day of eating look like for you?

 

[lynx]

I'm only just at 100 pounds right now.. (I'm short) switching from figure to bodybuilding... was recently ill and lossed a lot of size. Also have low bone density and hoping the HGH will help me not only put on lean mass for a comp but also possible improve my bone health as well....

This was mentioned in a different thread, that you were ill. Just wondering if you have been cleared from a doctor to be pursing what you currently are?
Low bone density? I can only think of a couple of reasons you would have low bone density.
Also how short is short in your opinion? 5’1”? 5’7”?

Please don’t take this as mean or hostile I just see some problems in your posts that are raising cautionary red flags with me and want you to be honest with yourself as well as people on the board who are trying to help you. Don't write what you think people want to hear but what you are actually doing. Otherwise all the advice in the world won't help you.

 

[oldfella]

I was thinking along the same lines as AD and lynx here I just didn't want to come across to heavy. You sound a little confused. How about spelling things out for us all, especially the two ladies that have chimed in on this. These girls know their stuff and you would do well to follow thew advice they offer. After all I am just a mere male. I can help with advice on training and some nutrition but here you have real advice from real women. So I might just butt out for now and let these fine ladies do their thing.........................over to you girls..................lets see if we can all get ironchic back on track.

 

[ironchick22]

Yes, I mentioned i have low bone density from my lack of periods for 2 years duet to being so lean. Yes, my doctor has cleared me for lifting- he recommends it, and I have had no problems with my bones the last two years of lifting heavy and quite intense. I actually think it has saved my bones!

I am now taking the pill to get my estrogen.