Cardio?

[fknabe]

MR Rippetoe,

Read SS and am currently experiencing wonderful strength gains!! I have searched through most of the Q&A and have not heard your take on the amount of cardio one should be doing.?

Thanks, Frank

[Mark Rippetoe]

By "cardio", most people mean long, slow distance. I don't recommend it at all unless your cardiologist tells you to do it, in which case I stay out of the way. For cardiopulmonary conditioning, I recommend CrossFit met/con-type training, but LSD is terribly catabolic and counterproductive to strength training.

[fknabe]

Mr Rippetoe,
How many times per week and for how long?(Met/Con) The last thing i want to do is be counter productive. Seriously.

Thanks, Frank

[Mark Rippetoe]

Start with one per week for a couple of weeks, add one more per week until it screws something up, and then back off one. This is what is referred to in chemistry as "titration", where one variable is manipulated while the others are controlled, and is a valuable concept for lots of applications.

[tomfitzyuk]

What is a long distance considered? I cycle to and from campus every week day which is just under 4 miles each way, and this takes me 15-20 minutes, so I'm not particularly fast. How detrimental do you think this would be to my training (I'm on the standard basic routine described in SS)?

Though I enjoy cycling (and it's cheaper), I would be willing to start using public transport.

Would it be worth me reading more about HIIT and applying that to my cycling? (I hear that isn't as catabolic as slow long distance cardio)

Regards,
Tom

[Mark Rippetoe]

A long distance really means a long time, and that means more than 30 minutes. Your 4 mile trip is not significant in terms of its effect on your strength training, and I don't want to be the cause of your taking a bus anywhere. Buses are dangerous places.