The debate over the need to combine aerobic and strength training in bodybuilding continues. Find out if you need to combine aerobic exercise with strength. Most athletes believe that the use of aerobic exercise in bodybuilding contributes only to the loss of muscle mass, which is so difficult to "get" in the gym. However, there is another group of athletes who have changed their minds and believe that short-term cardio training can be beneficial.
There is evidence that short aerobic exercise does not break down muscle tissue, but rather is beneficial. Many athletes who use a 5-minute stationary bike as a cool down find that central nervous system fatigue is reduced after this. Let's see what the combination of aerobic exercise and strength training gives athletes.
Aerobic training and anabolism
Several studies have shown that cardio training can increase the anabolic state. This fact can be very helpful when adding short-term aerobic exercise to strength training. This was confirmed in practice, when athletes used an exercise bike for 20-40 minutes for three days for a week. It should be noted that before the inclusion of cardio loads in the training program, the subjects showed stagnant growth. After a month of using the exercise bike, the athletes not only did not lose muscle mass, but, on the contrary, gained about one kilogram.
In this regard, many athletes are likely to have a fair question - what is the reason for this effect. The answer is not very difficult. The fact is that under the influence of aerobic exercise, the synthesis of adrenaline increases in the body. Scientists have long established that this hormone stimulates the production of GH. It is unnecessary to talk about what growth hormone means for bodybuilders, since this issue has already been discussed many times in the specialized press.
Cardio can be very beneficial for athletes using steroids. Their testicles are in a depressed state due to high doses of drugs, and due to aerobic exercise, norepinephrine is synthesized in the body. This hormone helps to accelerate the production of gonadotropin, more precisely gonadotropic hormones. As many people know, the male body does not produce pure gonadotropin. But LH and FSH are very similar in structure to gonadotropin and perform a similar role. This helps to restore the performance of the testicles.
With regular cardio exercise, the body learns to use its energy resources more economically. Also, aerobic exercise helps to reduce the breakdown of protein compounds, which in turn leads to an increase in the anabolic background. Through numerous studies, it has been found that cardio exercise significantly increases the sensitivity of muscle tissue to the effects of a number of anabolic hormones, for example, insulin, growth hormone, and thyroid hormones.
Aerobic exercise and the development of white fibers of muscle tissue
Louis Simmons is not the last person in bodybuilding and millions of athletes listen to his opinion. Many people know that Simmons' methods are based on explosive training, and the working weight is usually 55 to 65 percent of maximum. In this case, all repetitions must be performed at a high pace and make short pauses between sets.
Of course, this kind of training looks very interesting. Since light weights are used, the load on the joints and ligaments is relatively small, and the fast pace of movement stimulates the growth of white fibers in the muscle tissues.
But it should be admitted that such a training methodology will not be very effective for "natural" bodybuilders. To gain mass, they need to use weights of 70-80 percent of the maximum. With such a load, it is difficult to achieve the development of explosive strength. For this reason, athletes pay little attention to white (fast) fibers. But the solution was found in cardio loads. Studies have shown that fast fibers can be developed with their help. The best choice for this is an exercise bike.
It must be said that cardio exercise significantly increases the body's aerobic potential. Many athletes know that in order to achieve success in gaining mass, it is necessary to optimize the work of the resynthesis system of adenosine triphosphoric acid (ATP), as well as creatine phosphate (CP). These substances are sources of energy for muscle tissues, and the faster their supply is restored, the more work the athlete can perform during a training session. If the intensity of your training exceeds 75% of the maximum loads, then the rate of adaptation of the body increases significantly.
This is known to promote fibril growth and also alter the concentration of enzymes in muscle cells. All of the above processes lead to an increase in strength indicators and a set of muscle mass. This is what athletes need.
You've probably already noticed that in this article, when talking about the type of cardio exercise, an exercise bike is always mentioned. For this reason, the question may arise, why shouldn't running be used? The fact is that running to a greater extent increases the risk of injury to the ankle and knee joints. This is especially true for running on rough terrain or uphill.
No athlete needs unnecessary injury and should minimize the risk of injury. In this regard, an exercise bike is the best option for aerobic exercise.
If you decide to use a combination of aerobic exercise with strength training in your training program, then you should remember that these loads are not long. Based on practical experience, the duration of the cardio should be between 20 and 40 minutes. In this case, it is best to use a five or ten minute series, in which approximately 1/5 of the load time falls on the maximum intensive speed, and the remaining 4/5 of the time should be spent at a calm pace.
Learn more about aerobic and strength training in bodybuilding in this video:
