This might seem like a silly question, but since there are a lot of opinions floating around here, I thought I’d solicit them.

At the moment I’ve been bulking for 3 weeks (I did 2 weeks initially, rested a week because of some tendonitis and now in my third week after that). I started at just under 150 lb and am now at ~152 with no discernable fat gain (6ft ~9-10% BF). I’ve been eating about 3100 kcal/day and averaging 200-300 kcal in exercise (lifting or hiking/walking etc.). 70-90g of fat, 220-260g of protein and the rest in carbs which varies depending on what exercise I do that day. I was planning on doing cardio, but since it doesn’t look like I’m gaining fat (so far), I haven’t done anything serious.

My problem is I’m starting to feel sluggish and my fitness feels like it’s waning. So I would like to do some sprinting/running/jogging or biking to keep in cardiovascular shape. My question is how often and for how long would you advise doing cardio, and should I eat extra calories beforehand (if so, what) or just more throughout the day to compensate. I think I can eat a few more calories, although -3100 totally clean calories/day is quite a bit of food, I’ve manages up to 3500 on some days.

If I have to stay of the cardio to gain, I will, but as I’m eating more and more I think psychologically and physiologically getting my heart rate up a couple of times a week might be good.

Despite what a lot of people say, cardio during bulking is fine...in moderation. If you start to notice it cutting into your gains, you can increase your caloric intake to compensate. I would recommend, for cardiovascular health, a 20- to 30-minute session every few days.


As for timing the extra calories, I'd spread them out evenly. For example, if you were to add 400 calories a day to your diet to compensate for the cardio, you could add 100 to breakfast, 100 to the next meal, 100 to lunch, and 100 to your post-workout shake.

Cardio can also act as a recovery aid during bulking if you don't over-do it!

~SC~

Thanks, I will probably try 20-30 minutes every 2-3 days, most likely first thing in the morning (since it is the only time my stomach isn't full) and eat extra to compensate that day.