Best Cardio if I'm trying to gain (muscle, lifting, treadmill)

[whoisjongalt]

Ok I'm one of those guys who has to lift weights and chug protein shakes to gain 1lb but I'd still like to do some cardio. But I also don't want to lose weight either. I'm 5'11", 140. Treadmill? Stair machine? Bike? Running? Swimming? Is one better than another or should I just concentrate on keeping it to a minimum?

[McBain II]

If you're in a bulking phase, cardio should be kept to an absolute minimum or even nonexistent.

[dave nz]

Agree with eternalone above. Keep it short and intense, this has given me my best results. 20-30 mins max, but very intense.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

I am like you in that I have always been a hard gainer. What always works for me when bulking is:

2 days per week of HIIT 100 meter sprints. Do 10 pushups then a 100 meter dash 10 times.

and one day of:

Do 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 sets of situps and a 100 meter sprint between each set.

This would be all the cardio you need.

[whoisjongalt]

Thanks for the ideas! I'd never even thought of sprints but it makes sense.

[bballniket]

Haha why do you want to do cardio? Is it just b/c you enjoy cardio and improving your cardiovascular fitness?

[whoisjongalt]

Good question....I'm not a big fan of cardio but figure I should do something + I'd like to keep a really low body fat % as I build muscle. Basically I find it pretty boring though.

[bballniket]

lol i dunno if cardio is going to make a huuuge difference in your keeping a low bodyfat percentage. your lifting workouts will help secrete testosterone which will naturally prevent you from gaining copious amounts of fat provided you focus on the compound lifts like squat, overhead press, deadlift, etc.

[td333]

What will help you shred fat and gain strength is lifting heavy weight using compound exercises like bballniket said. Squats, overhead presses, deadlift, bench, power cleans for reps of 5x5 or 5x8

[spacelord75]

Doesn't sound like you need it, but if you are wanting to have the health beneifts of cardio I would second the recommendations for sprinting. Not only will it keep you ripped, but it will also boost natural HGH and spark muscle growth in your legs and hips. Also, just a general rule for a hard-gainer, drink a whey shake before bed at night.