Thanks,
Mark

Part of this depends on your current conditioning. If you are just returning to the lifestyle of regular exercise, then you don’t need to be too concerned about the concurrent effect. Your body will readily adapt to a progressive routine that combines aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. But… after you stay consistent and your routine starts to stall (perhaps around 3-6 months after you begin), you should start to introduce more specificity to your program design – such as increasing your strength or improving your endurance with a classic periodization model.

If you are trained already, but want to work on strength over the winter – then simply pick a reasonable distance or time and work to maintain your output while you apply a progressive resistance program. For instance, if you can run 2 miles in 15 minutes – try to maintain that. Just keep in mind: running 2 miles in 15 minutes at 180 pounds is much different than the same time/distance at 190 pounds… in this example, if you gain 10 pounds, but maintain your run time… you’ll be faster when you eventually lean back down to a harder 170.

More info:

Rate of muscle growth
Periodization for bodybuilding

The idea here: do not train both, progressively, concurrently. People new to training might not matter so much, but folks looking to advance after hitting a strength plateau should understand how concurrent [progressive] training can handicap future gains.

Lets say you have built up your cardio respiratory systems to allow the capacity to peddle 30 minutes on a LifeCycle, using level 17 and burning 550 calories. Or even 60 minutes, for 1100 calories – same deal. Now your goal is to hit new levels in limit strength. In this context, just use cardio to warm up your core temperature prior to resistance training – but don’t push it, just maintain your current cardio fitness level. Use maintenance cardio to warm up for resistance training over the next 6-8 weeks – until you need a break from progressive strength training. For instance, start training with 20 minutes on the LifeCycle, peddling at level 17 – an effort you already know you can handle; one that falls just short of really “pushing it.” So you are maintaining what you already can do…

Once you decide to rest from the strength-orientated training cycle, take a week off for full systemic recovery. Then you can choose to move back into working endurance capacity progressively, while maintaining your new strength levels. Perhaps using a new fat-loss approach, to lose any excess gained during the strength-building phase.

So, from what I read on this article I feel that it implies that I should not do cardio “at all” if my goals are to gain strength/mass. Is this correct. Somebody told me to do maintenance cardio during strength training and I think, “what is maintenance cardio?”

I am confused…..
Shawn