Steady State cardio versus HIIT

[AntM1564]

Which one do you guys prefer while bulking? I know some people cut cardio out completely while bulking, but I don't want to do this. I just want opinions on what has worked for others.

 

[Spongy]

Steady state for bulking. Others may not agree, but in my opinion when you're bulking you need those days off for repairing your muscles. If you train with HIIT you're just going to further break down those muscles. HIIT is awesome during a cut (my opinion once again), but can be hard on the body. Remember, recovery is just as important as training when it comes to putting on muscle mass. Regardless, make sure you eat enough to compensate for any cardio burn.

 

[DaHurt]

I prefer HIIT whether bulking or cutting. Physiologically, at lower intensities, say half of your VO2max, the substrate utilized for fuel will be lipids (especially if you're doing fasted cardio). At higher intensities, say 3/4 VO2max or greater, your body will switch to glucose (this is called the crossover concept) as the preferred fuel - of course this isn't ideal for fat-burning BUT during recovery later, evidence indicates that more lipid is oxidized.

So if you do low intensity you're burning fat WHILE exercising. If you do high intensity you're burning glucose WHILE exercising but you burn fat DURING RECOVERY. If you do HIIT, you're getting the best of both worlds.

If you're worried about catabolizing aminos during fasted cardio, sip BCAAs.

My .02