Don’t forget your Cardio Training!

You should not rely solely on weight training in your fitness program and miss out on the benefits of cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise. Lots of bodybuilders refuse to do aerobic exercises (running, cycling, rowing, and swimming) because they are afraid that they will lose muscle mass during such weight loss activities. They are correct; this may happen when you train with aerobic activities very intensively and frequently. However, you do not need to train so intensively to obtain many of the benefits of cardiovascular training, and it can actually improve your muscle growth. Simply limit your aerobic training to 2-4 times a week with a maximum of 40 minutes per session.

Muscle growth occurs in cardiovascular training by causing your body’s glycogen deposits to empty. Following the aerobic training, your food intake will use your body’s insulin, transporting nutrients to your muscles and refilling their glycogen deposits. This provides the protein for the synthesis of new muscle tissue.