What Kind of Cardio?
Some people do steady state cardio for hours on end. Others say high intensity interval training (HIIT) is the way to go. Then there are the questions of how much cardio to do when bulking vs. cutting.
Simmer down! All of those questions are answered here.
Before we start talking cardio, it's important to understand the reason why you need cardio. Sure, regular cardio activity of a few days a week has been shown to improve overall cardiovascular health. But that's not what we're talking about. You probably wouldn't be reading this if you didn't have some kind of goal in mind.
Runners do cardio because they enjoy it or because they compete in a sport that requires it. Their goals might be to run faster or to run further. However, if your goal is to lose fat then that's an entirely different animal all together. Conversely, a different goal for doing cardio might be to gain muscle. Yes, you can gain muscle and still do cardio.
HIIT vs. Steady State Cardio
In 2012, when I started on my journey to reshape my physique, I was all about steady state cardio. Why? Well, mostly because I didn't know any better. Then, after a summer of spending hours a day doing steady state cardio and getting to the point where I just couldn't buy another lb to loose, I met [and hired] Layne Norton, who showed me the value of HIIT.
Truthfully, there is value in both steady state cardio and HIIT, depending upon your goals. If you want to be a fast 5k, 10k, or half marathon runner then you want to train with steady state cardio because that's how you get better in your sport. However, if you want to lose fat, for example, then HIIT had loads of benefits over steady state cardio.
HIIT burns more calories in a shorter period of time compared to steady state cardio. HIIT also recruits fast twitch muscle fibers that steady state cardio does not. There is also evidence to suggest that metabolic adaptations to HIIT come slower than they do with steady state cardio. All of this means that HIIT can be more effective for both burning fat and for preserving muscle.
Cardio for Bulking vs. Cutting
There are some people who believe that cardio should be eliminated from your training when you are trying to gain muscle (i.e. bulking). I, however believe there is certainly a place for cardio when bulking. And in case you are wondering, I do still integrate cardio regularly into my weekly training schedule when I am bulking.
Cardio during a bulk serves a different purpose than does cardio during a cut (i.e. period of sustained caloric deficit). When bulking, I use cardio as a constant to maintain good cardiovascular health. It's an important component in my weekly training during a bulk because (1) it establishes a baseline that I can adjust when I transition to a cut (2) it helps me maintain good cardiovascular health and (3) it gives me a break from lifting a couple of days a week while still allowing me to keep my caloric intake/macros consistent every day of the week. As a result, I typically do short HIIT cardio sessions (20-30min) a couple of days a week. Truthfully, I don't think it really matters how you choose to do cardio during a bulk as long as (1) cardio sessions are kept relatively short (20-30min or less) and (2) cardio isn't done excessively (no more than about 3 sessions per week).
*Note: I didn't say that you should do HIIT cardio during a bulk. I just pointed out that's what I do.
Cardio during a cut is a little different. When you cut, you are trying to maintain a caloric deficit over an extended period of time. This is where there is an art to bodybuilding. Here, increased cardio frequency and intensity can be used as a tool to maintain the desired caloric deficit. When your progress stalls, just turn up the dial a little bit. The catch is that you don't want to get into a situation where you are doing cardio half of the day. And the more cardio you add and the longer you are at a caloric deficit, the harder it will be to lose the fat you want to lose. You body will adapt to the increased exercise and the lower calories. The trick is to get where you want to be before you run out of gas.
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