Bodybuilding.net - Bodybuilding Forum - View Single Post - Guide to Novice Barbell Training, aka the Official Rippetoe-Starting Strength FAQ

_Wolf_ · 01-14-2007, 09:27 PM

V. Cardio Questions

Can I do cardio for fat burning while on this program?

Cardio is something that should be done by everyone on the planet, just for general health. If you are a chronic chubb-dogg (like me!) then cardio should be a daily habit at least once, sometimes twice a day.

The key is in modulating the intensity and duration so as to positively affect your barbell training, rather than negatively affect it. The chronically chubby will notice a DRASTIC difference in the body's ability to process calories, especially carbohydrates, if consistent cardio training is added to a consistent weight program. Frequently, the chubbage will melt away while the muscle gets packed on. It is a natural characteristic of the endo-meso somatype to be able to add muscle while losing bodyfat if calories are clean, protein is relatively high, and cardio is performed daily. In many cases, adding some cardio will actually enhance barbell progress because of the positive "CHO-useage" effect cardio has on many naturally bulky trainees.

Skinny dudes REALLY need to be careful of this, however. A brisk walk is all that is needed, just enough to keep the heart healthy. Mesomorphs, being the bastards that they are, can probably get away with very little cardio at all, and they will burn bodyfat simply by switching from 2% to 1% milk (Yes Hola, I'm talking about you...bastard!)

The biggest mistake a novice can make is to undertake a new barbell training routine and then add in a ton of high intensity cardio. This will exhaust the trainee far earlier than what would normally occur, and the hindered muscular progress will be reflected in hindered metabolic increases. More muscle = faster metabolism = more calories and fat burned during the day.

Burning calories through exercise is 1 way to get leaner. Adding muscle, which increases BMR, is another. Since the novice will experience the most rapid muscular bodyweight increases, it makes sense for them to focus on barbell training rather than excessive cardio, even if they are chubby.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe, pg. 204 Starting Strength
A program of this nature tends to produce the correct bodyweight in an athlete...if he needs to lose bodyfat, that happens too...they will notice...looser pants at the waist, legs and hips staying about the same, shirts that are much tighter in the chest, arms and neck, and faster strength increass than their skinny buddies. Their body composition changes while their bodyweight stays close to the same, the result of a loss in bodyfat due to their increasing muscle mass.

As a personal attestation to this, I got serious about training during my first year of college. As described in various other places, I maintained my bodyweight for the first 2 years of serious training, yet my strength, LBM, and the resulting BMR shot through the roof. I didn't "diet", didn't do a lot of cardio, yet bodyfat melted from my body as muscle accumulated on my frame.

Chubbies need to take advantage of these novice gains. You only have 1 real chance to make this happen. Milk it for all it's worth! Keep cardio to a minimum as a newb, just enough to keep the heart healthy.

Question - I want to bulk but I want to stay in good shape. Can I do some cardio during this program?

Not only can you, you should! However, the emphasis is going to be on LIGHT CARDIO. You must be VERY careful not to overdo this. Start the program with a brisk walk in the mornings on non-training days and preferably some strength-oriented GPP as part of your barbell sessions as described in the GPP post. Increase time/intensity/speed on the cardio/conditioning/GPP in a very conservative manner. Monitor your barbell progress closely. If it seems like your gains slow down as you increase the conditioning work, then drop back on the conditioning!

There are frequently advantages to doing some cardio work while trying to bulk.

1) It increases appetite, especially when done in the morning. Makes me hungry like the dickens.
2) If done at a low enough intensity, it can help enhance recovery by bringing more blood into the various areas of the body that need it, especially if the exercise contains a very mild or no eccentric component (some ellipticals, bikes, and sled pulling share this similarity)
3) Cardio frequently has VERY positive effects on carbohydrate utilization and insulin sensitivity, especially for the chronically chubby.
4) Your heart is a muscle too, take care of it!
5) Good cardiovascular conditioning can ensure that rest periods between sets aren't unnecessarily long. Moving quickly between sets, assuming no loss of strength occurs, can significantly enhance the overall training effect.

In the end though, consistent and very close monitoring of barbell progress is of utmost importance. Keep in mind that the goal is to add muscular bodyweight and strength. As long as recovery between training sessions is complete, then the cardio can and should be continued. If it interferes with progress, then it needs to be reduced or dropped entirely.

What is GPP and how do I incorporate it into my training routine?

GPP stands for "General Physical Preparedness", and it is a type of exercise that provides for strength development and conditioning. Start with once a week for no more than 5 minutes after a weight workout. As conditioning improves, you can add a minute per session up to a (probable) max of 10 minutes per session, once per week. You can add a second GPP/conditioning workout during the week, but start this additional workout easy (5 minutes) and work upward in time as described above. Once the trainee hits 10 minutes per training session, add weight to the sled, swing a heavier sledge/axe, or do what is necessary to increase the resistance.

The goal is to use this as a "strength and conditioning" session, in that order. "Faster" or "longer" are not necessarily better, in the context of the program, depending upon their goals. The trainee should get very winded and tired, but he should not be "sprinting" during the training, as this can end up having a seriously negative affect on recovery.

GPP/strength conditioning training workouts can be a very useful adjunct to the trainee's workout program, but extreme care and caution must be taken so that the training recovery rate is not adversely affected. The athletically gifted might be able to do 15-20 minutes 2 or even 3 times weekly with little or no adverse affects. They are mutants. Most trainees will not be able to break 10 minutes once or twice weekly without a negative affect on their strength development and especially (if desired) bodyweight increase. Like accessory exercises, GPP/conditioning should be used to ENHANCE advancement in the core benchmark lifts (the big 4 - squat, bench, deadlift, press and the row/clean). If it interferes with the advancement in said lifts, then the additional work is both unnecessary and detrimental.

Question - Should I do cardio before weight training or after? Or should I do it separately from weight training?

Depending upon your goals and your exact cardio exercises and methodology, generally cardio is best kept separated from your weight training. The exception is the trainee who does cardio immediately postworkout while drinking a PWO drink.

An additional exception is a "strength-based" cardio program, a.k.a. "GPP" or "Strongman training". It is strength training with a endurance aspect, for the most part. This type of strength training is well-suited for immediate postworkout.

Whatever you do, do NOT do cardio BEFORE your weight training. This will hinder your strength and workout stamina, and that isn't cool at all.

Question - Can I run 5 miles per day while on this program?

Not if you want to recover from your barbell training sessions. Running can be very very harsh on the knee joints when combined with thrice-weekly squatting. Additionally, the catabolic tendencies of distance running contraindicates the use of a daily 5-mile run in conjunction with a strength and mass-building program like the Rippetoe novice workout.

If daily running is a necessity for you, then you will want to consider looking into a barbell program with less leg work.

If, however, you have been running for years (i.e. cross-country runner, marine/soldier, etc) and your body is used to the exercise, then you should be able to work it into your schedule. Understand that excessive cardio WILL HINDER YOUR GAINS.

Question - Can I do HIIT on my off-days?

Not if you expect to recover fully for your weight training. HIIT is fantastic for conditioning and fat loss, but it can dig into recovery when on a full-body routine. The amount of direct leg work in the novice Starting Strength program is rather immense, and HIIT is difficult to perform without hitting the legs pretty hard.

If fat loss is your primary goal and HIIT is how you plan on achieving it, then a different weight training protocol might serve you better.