How much cardio should I do with weight lifting?

“Approximately 30 to 40 minutes of cardio three to four times per week is typical of serious weightlifters and figure competitors,” says Giamo. “This amount of cardio will allow for muscle maintenance and strength gains without sacrificing the benefits of strength training.”

What happens if I lift weights and do cardio?

Studies show that doing a combination of the two is best for overall health, increasing muscle and reducing body fat. If you want to do both cardio and weight training at 100\% effort, then you can try doing them on separate days, allowing your body to recover in between.

How many days a week should I lift weights and do cardio?

If you want to work out five days per week and are working on both strength and cardiovascular fitness, try three days of strength training, two days of cardio, and two days of active rest. If you want to work out four days a week, think about your goals: If you want to add muscle, cut a cardio day.

Can I do cardio while building muscle?

Every body responds differently to cardio and strength training. But most people probably don’t need to worry about cardio harming muscle growth, Ngo Okafor, a celebrity personal trainer, told Insider. “Doing cardio, HIIT classes, or running does not necessarily hinder muscle-building,” he said.

Should you do cardio before or after lifting weights?

The first 20-30 minutes of cardio is a waste of time. For optimal results, you should lift weights for at least 20 minutes and then do cardio exercises. This way, your muscles will be depleted of glycogen when you start doing cardio. Strength training does use up your glycogen stores.

How much cardio per day is too much?

There’s no exact answer for how much cardio is too much. But if you’re not a distance runner, anything over 60-70 minutes per day is likely counterproductive—especially if you aren’t consuming enough protein or calories to support the daily caloric expenditure. In order to build or maintain muscle, you need to eat enough food.

Does too much cardio make you gain weight?

• If you take in more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight regardless of how much cardio you do. • Doing cardio for more than 60 minutes will eventually slow down your metabolism and affect your health. • Too much cardio leads to muscles loss, which slows your metabolism.

How much cardio do you really need to build muscle?

“Approximately 30 to 40 minutes of cardio three to four times per week is typical of serious weightlifters and figure competitors,” says Giamo. “This amount of cardio will allow for muscle maintenance and strength gains without sacrificing the benefits of strength training.”