Should strength sport athletes do cardio 😅???
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Short answer is yes, but the degree / types of cardio can vary depending on the goals of the athlete.
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If you are someone who lifts for strength and maybe competes recreationally but wants to also stay relatively healthy overall then you will probably be get away with doing more cardio than an elite level powerlifter who’s trying to set a new world record.
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The issue becomes when the cardio can hinder your progress for whatever goals you have.
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*Side note* if you want to get a better work capacity as a strength sport athlete one of the most simplest ways to do so is just shorten your rest periods.
Resume…
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Example… it would not be a very wise decision to have an elite lifter running lots of miles each week (lots of fatigue, impact, and opposite metabolic system used) However it could beneficial for them to do something like…
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👍light sled work
👍sprints
👍walk or bike 1-2 days a week
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This will keep their performance still on the rise while still keeping their heart and body healthy.
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First thing first is to understand your goals… Are you trying to be a champion in your sport? Or just lift for fun?
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As always I suggest starting with lower frequency, testing it out and then seeing what happened.
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Did your performance go up? Stay the same? Or go down?
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Just some food for thought!
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Train hard & train smart!