JHR March 2009 - Concurrent Training

[Venom]

Bodybuilders know that cardio is a necessary evil to get shredded. But most, and rightfully so, consider cardio as a risky addition to training, as it may hinder muscle growth. Decrements seen in strength, power, and hypertrophy with the addition of endurance exercise to a resistance training routine is supported by research, and has been termed "concurrent training."

We decided to start a series here on ABC, that is dedicated to showing how to minimize, and hopefully, eliminate the negative effects seen from concurrent training, while still getting the added benefits of fat loss. This will be a three part series. Below is part I, and our references for the series. Part I discusses mechanisms and proposes a model to explain decrements seen during concurrent training.

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/Concurrentarticle_PARTI.pdf

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/concurrent_references.pdf

Enjoy!!!

[will-work4andro]

thanks guys...will definitely check it out

[will-work4andro]

just read it....fantastic job on the first paper in the series...this is something i have always wondered about...i always questioned why those who do a lot of endurance training don't have the great increase in muscle size...i always attributed it to the fact that the limiting factor seems to be the delivery of oxygen to the muscle, which you kind of touched on...so the smaller a muscle is the less delivering it has to do. idk, perhaps that is too simplistic...but i'll be waiting for round 2. good job Gabe/Jacob.

[Venom]

Thanks!!

It is a difficult subject. Some topics I am confident in; others so/so. See where the evidence leads us.

[HardCory]

Awesome guys, been waiting for this one, can't wait to read it.

[Commander]

sweet, I look foward to reading it!

[Ordo Ab Chao]

Allright, another JHR article! I think its awesome you guys are able to publish this while still maintaining such demanding schedules as full time bodybuilders and PhD candidates.

So this is what I gathered (hopefully correctly):
-endurance cardio (LI) can decrease motor unit recruitment
-<70% max HR cardio elevates cortisol
-cardio on the same day as weights can lower protein synthesis
-overtraining is achieved after 5 weeks of concurrent training

Assuming this is all correct, then would it be best to do HIIT cardio on a rest day and follow it with some carbs for an insulin response? Also, I believe Pres mentioned once that cardio is leucine wasting. So would you want a similar pwo shake for cardio as you would resistance training (ie BCAA's, simple sugars)?

[Venom]

I definitely think an application is alternating days between cardio and weights; and in part 2 we will show a study that supports that.

As for nutrition, I always have essential aminos pre workout - cardio and weights. After cardio I usually have a whole meal - oatmeal, eggs for instance.

[Commander]

just read it, looking good so far, can't wait for part 2

[Ratcat]

Thankyou. I'm looking forward to part 2. Cheers. :)