Preparing for rugby season - high intensity cardio?

[josh81]

Hey guys, been a while since I last posted here.
Rugby season for me is coming up in the spring, and apparently the league has got some new fast and tough joiners that have entered 7 man season this fall. I decided to hold back as I already have commitments for the fall, and prepare for 15 man instead. I've finally quit smoking, and am ready to get back into good cardiovascular shape as well, since boxing season for me is starting in November and I want to be prepared as possible for the upcoming rugby. Now my question is, is high intensity cardio advisable for a weightlifting who is trying to build as much muscle as possible? Or will the two cancel eachother out.
I know that low intensity cardio is advised to burn fat while leaning down, but will 30 minutes of high intesity work a a few times a week really set me back in the weightlifting/strength game?

 

[Trevdog]

When you say 30 minutes of high intensity cardio, I assume you mean doing intervals. When I think of "high intensity cardio", I am thinking of something I can only maintain for a minute or so. I think interval trianing is great overall, great for fat loss, great for overall fitness, and great for your sports.

You'll see lots of bodybuilders that won't do much cardio at all for fear it will limit their gains. I think their concerns are generally overblown and I think any limitation on gains is justified by the positive health benefits.

I played rugby on a team briefly and I really couldn't hang all that well. I could tackle the shit out of all those guys but I can't sprint and scrum for an hour straight. And the boxing class I took in college was some of the most intense exercise I've ever done.

I think you should do your high intensity cardio at least 3 times per week.

 

[hornedfrogs07]

I've gotta agree with Trev here broly.

 

[josh81]

Thanks for the help guys.

Trev, I started off yesterday, by jogging at 6 mph for 30 minutes.

Not sure whether thats going to qualify under high or low intensity, but regardless it seemed to get my heart running real well and should get me back into the shape i was before this summer.

 

[hornedfrogs07]

That would qualify more as aerobic (moderate) intensity, IMO.

That'll definitely help your endurance tremendously, but I'm not sure of the physiological effects it's going to have on muslce building. You should be able to maintain quite well, (I'm basing this on my personal experience while running hs cross country) but I'm not sure if you'll be able to build new muscle mass.

 

[Trevdog]

Thanks for the help guys.

Trev, I started off yesterday, by jogging at 6 mph for 30 minutes.

Not sure whether thats going to qualify under high or low intensity, but regardless it seemed to get my heart running real well and should get me back into the shape i was before this summer.

I consider that 10 minute mile pace as moderate intensity. It certainly is nothing like what you will have to do playing rugby or boxing. I would make 4 miles in 30 minutes my ultimate goal. I think hooker (who is a professional rugby player), runs 6 minute miles. You might want to hunt him down, you can find him at www.bodybuilding4life.com.

One thing you might try for intervals is to go to a track. Sprint the straightaways and walk the curves. Try to work up to 8-10 sprints. You don't need to do intervals every cardio workout, but I think it makes sense to work them in.

 

[Soul Rebel]

I also agree that doing high intensity interval cardio is the best way for maximum fat loss. I think it burns more calories than just doing the same speed for a longer period of time. Like the above posts indicate you might just want to build up your endurance, so high intensity interval cardio may not be for you. To maintain strength, I'd recommend separating your lifting from your cardio (morning, afternoon/nighttime). Just my 2 cents...

 

[josh81]

Appreciate the advice Soul Rebel.

You bring up some valid points.

 

[Soul Rebel]

No problem bro doing the same type of cardio myself

 

[syko]

As a former rugby player, i usually did sprint intrevals on the field. Sprint 100, jog back...rest till the heart rate stops racing so fast...then repeat twice...do this twice a week with some long distance cardio (10-20 min at a slow pace) once a week