Doing major cardio, on a workout day??

Question

I'm on this diet and exercises plan, i found on www.iwantsixpackabs.com.. so far its great but i have a question, today is a day that i have to do resistance training, and i ride BMX bicycles for a team.. I want to ride now, and that would consist of about 2-3 hrs of intense cardio.. Is there any reason that i shouldn't go ride, b/c tonight i will be doing my resistance training, the question is basically in regards to metabolism and muscle building, will i negatively effect my results if i do intense cardio on training days/ Thanks

Answer 1

It definitely will affect your ability to recover (grow muscle). Reason being is that you will be depleting your muscle's glycogen and the muscle will actually feed on itself for fuel.. very counterproductive for gaining muscle mass.

One solution is to get yourself a glucose based supplement drink and sip it frequently during your BMX sessions. This will keep your body fueled. When you are done weight training eat several pieces of fruit and then follow 30 minutes later with a higher calorie meal (in the 700 range). This should keep you from going into a starvation mode.

Answer 2

The only negative effects that this will have on your resistance training are the following:

--  You don't stay properly fueled before you resistance training

--  You fatigue you body parts that you are going to work tonight

--  Lack of hydration

I would suspect that 2-3 hours of intense cardio on a bike is going to work most of you major muscle groups.  Being that it sounds like you have done this for a while, you will have to be the ultimate judge on how much this really effects you.

About an hour before your lifting session, fuel up with proteins and complex carbs to mainly make sure that your glycogen store are full.  Stay hydrated throughout the day as this will be the biggest enemy as the muscles cells begin to lose their water.

Compare your performance and see if you drop off after your ride today.

Good luck!!