I had a cardio question if you dont mind ..... Im off season and training for collegiate nationals next july. Im 5'7 and about 215 right now and still have full seperation in my abs. I read alot of articles about staying away from cardion in the offseason. Is it ok to stay on a lighter cardio regimine in the offseason or will it burn muscle tissure and hinder my offseason growth? what do you recomend? thanks much ...
I'm not Chick, but I have some input for you.
You mentioned that you still have full separation in your abs, but you didn't say how much cardio you are doing now. That is an important part of the equation.
What I usually recommend is that before you start dieting for a contest (approx. 16 weeks out), you should have no more than 10-11% body fat and be doing the least amount of cardio necessary to maintain that. So you don't really need to do cardio in the off season if you are 10% or below (other than for cardiovascular health). And no, you will not lose muscle or hinder your muscle gain by doing cardio in the off season because you're eating plenty of calories.
