No, cardio won’t ruin your gains if you program it right The trick is keeping sessions under 45 minutes and doing them after your heavy lifts Eat enough protein and your muscle is safe
It only hurts your progress if you run for miles on an empty stomach Keep your sessions brief and your caloric intake high and your muscle mass will stay completely intact
I used to believe this myth until I started doing 20 minutes of cycling after my upper body days My stamina actually improved and I didn’t lose an ounce of size
The order of your workout matters immensely here If you exhaust your legs on a treadmill before hitting the squat rack your strength will obviously suffer Reverse the order
Think of conditioning as a tool to improve your recovery time A stronger heart pumps oxygen to your muscles faster between heavy sets which actually helps you grow
You do not need to choose between heart health and size Just establish a strict time limit of 30 to 45 minutes for your aerobic work so it doesn’t drain your lifting energy
People who shrink from doing cardio are usually just failing to adjust their nutrition lf you burn an extra 300 calories running, you simply need to eat that back later
Low-intensity steady-state work is your best friend here Walking on a steep incline protects your joints and burns fat without causing the deep muscular fatigue of sprinting
Your body won’t just magically dissolve your hard-earned muscle the moment you step on a track Maintain a high protein intake lift heavy and you will be completely fine