Many weight lifters avoid aerobic exercise due to worry of burning muscle mass and potentially harming strength levels. Is this muscle loss risk real, or another in the collection of bodybuilding fallacies?
Many bodybuilders are confused regarding aerobic activity, with some feeling that such effort is helpful in controlling body fat, while others embracing the concept that cardiovascular activity will in effect either burn away muscle mass, or prevent further muscle building. The latter group's fear has caused many weight lifters to abandon cardiovascular exercise during muscle building periods, and even shy away from cardiovascular activity when fat reduction is the main goal, but for many, the question remains as to whether the cardiovascular exercise concern is well founded, or if this notion is instead a part of weight lifting mythology.
Most weight lifters understand the positive impact of aerobic activity in burning fat, but the concern begins when contemplating the effect on muscle mass, and this has forced certain weight lifters to replace their moderately intense cardiovascular sessions with power walking, feeling that this activity is properly intense for fat burn, but below the threshold for muscle loss. I occasionally try to determine exactly where these notions originate, and a collection of weight lifters may have possibly felt so attracted to the concept of putting forth less effort (which occurs when comparing walking to more intense forms of cardiovascular exercise), that they began spreading this rather illogical concept, or, alternatively, a collection of marketing experts may have decided to design a particular physical fitness system filled with attractive information, namely an easy to use routine that will convince readers to sign up due to the magnificent effortless promises. Of course, such routines have repeatedly proven themselves to be miserable failures, offering horrid results. Yet, what weight lifter does not enjoy the thought of reducing effort and achieving superior progress? Furthermore, do you know of any bodybuilder who would reject an excuse to abandon cardiovascular activity completely if he or she were convinced that doing so was beneficial to muscle gains?
Yes, evil aerobics sounds appealing to a weight lifter who is searching for less effort, and marketing is an industry where the senses are tickled to the point of emotional investment, but the virtues taught decades ago are never replaced by modern marketing slogans, despite the attempt of many exercise entrepreneurs to do so. The truth is, making aerobics seem harmful is an excellent method at convincing a weight lifter to purchase a specific muscle building and fat loss system, because every one of us feels a sense of intrigue at the idea of more down time producing enhanced progress, but this particular gimmick does not translate into results. Wherever the concept surfaced, marketers have capitalized on the "cardio risks muscle" notion to market their own products, despite the fact that cardiovascular exercise is not only effective in burning body fat when executed consistently and correctly, but is not a hindrance to muscle gain.
All weight lifters know that a physique will deteriorate in overall impressiveness as body fat percentage begins to increase, and conversely, will extraordinarily improve as body fat declines. Therefore, any legitimate body fat reduction concept should be employed at all times in order for the best possible weight lifting results, and if cardiovascular exercise is in fact a potent fat control method, then it behooves all who seek the best possible bodybuilding progress to implement cardiovascular exercise into their daily workout strategy.
The only exception to this rule is if a bodybuilder is primarily searching for muscle gain, and due to time constraints or an emotional inability to accept sufficient training time, he or she feels simply incapable of maintaining maximum intensity during weight training workouts when cardiovascular exercise is an added inconvenience; in such a scenario, aerobic activity can be saved for fat loss periods only, when weight training workout volume declines. But for those who have the wherewithal to perform consistent cardiovascular exercise, integrating aerobics several days per week is prudent, even during muscle building periods, as the less fat that is accumulated during muscle gain, the more focus can be sustained on achieving new muscle growth, and the greater definition a bodybuilder will experience throughout the year.
So, despite the skeptics and marketing experts who may claim differing theories, cardiovascular exercise is beneficial in controlling body fat percentage, will not harm muscle when following a potent diet regimen and weight training workout system, and will improve metabolic rate so that body fat levels can remain reasonable throughout the year. If you are pursuing maximum bodybuilding progress, then consider cardiovascular exercise to be your trusty fat reducing companion.
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