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Weight Training

# I am in only the third week of a program (5-day chest/leg mass bodybuilding) and…

The question

I am in only the third week of a program (5-day chest/leg mass bodybuilding) and the results are remarkable. My question concerns cardio exercises, and when I should be doing them so I'm not overtraining or exhausting myself. I'm used to doing a variety of cardio routines, a typical one would be 45 minutes on an elliptical trainer with most of it spent at level 3 or 4. Is it better to incorporate this training on the same days as I lift, and should it be before or after the iWorkoutSmart.com routine? Or should I be doing that sort of intense cardio workout on different days, or perhaps mornings and lifting in the evening? So far I've been doing lighter cardio workouts, level 2 or so for 20 minutes, before or after the bodybuilding routine.

Dan's answer

Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS

Thanks for your great question\! The best time to do cardiovascular workouts would be contingent upon your specific training goals. As a general rule, we advise our clients and athletes to perform cardio sessions after the weight workouts. Since your body requires the most mental focus with weights, this approach will be safer and just as productive at burning calories. If improving cardiovascular fitness is a concern and you really want to crank up the intensity with aerobic training, I would recommend doing this on your "off days". The reason for this is to prevent you from spending too much time at the gym. The body starts to become catabolic, which can burn your hard earned muscle, after long duration workouts. Two workouts in a single day can be productive if you have time, but we've had several very successful competitive bodybuilders achieve great results without going to this extreme. Hope this helps. Keep up the good work\!

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