Cardio during SD

N

naiveguy

New Member
I've been lurking on these forums for more than a year now, and have learned a tremendous amount, especially from the "Simplify and Win" thread, which has transformed my training. I just finished my 6th HST cycle and will be SDing for the next 9 days. In past cycles, I've continued to do cardio during my SD time, and am wondering if that is a good idea, especially since my cardio is on a rowing machine (a Concept2 rower, if anyone is familiar with those). Would light rowing be counterproductive during SD?

Thanks in advance for the advice.
 
Thanks for the reply, fearfactory. Do you mean that light rowing would not be counterproductive, but that something like marathon training would be? I typically row for about 40 minutes, but I can vary the intensity quite a bit.
 
yes sir, I do mean that light rowing would not be counterproductive.

I'm picturing you're doing this @ 40mins, 2-3x weekly and that you're heart rate is low enough to participate in casual conversation during the activity...

something like that is not going to take away from your body's ability to put on muscle. some folks might think 40mins is too long. but imo. like you say, intenstity is variable.
 
I'm not too worried about losing muscle mass with rowing; I am wondering, though, if rowing might interfere with the goal of strategic deconditioning by actually helping to maintain my strength levels (such as they are).
 
<div>
(naiveguy @ Mar. 31 2008,13:15)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I'm not too worried about losing muscle mass with rowing; I am wondering, though, if rowing might interfere with the goal of strategic deconditioning by actually helping to maintain my strength levels (such as they are).</div>
I'm sorry. I was referring to SD as a part of the entire process.

ripped from the FAQ:

SD is simply a method that allows (not “tricks”) your muscles to continue to grow, using weights that your muscles have seen before. The method is simple, the science is complicated, the results are significant.
 
<div>
(naiveguy @ Mar. 31 2008,14:15)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I'm not too worried about losing muscle mass with rowing; I am wondering, though, if rowing might interfere with the goal of strategic deconditioning by actually helping to maintain my strength levels (such as they are).</div>
no you shouldnt have too much of a problem as you are having a break from the real lifting. so you should still sd ok.
 
If you are going to opt for such a short SD, 9 days, I think you would be better off doing nothing (or as little as possible). Trust me, your not going to get fat or out of shape in 9 days...if you want to decondition..decondition. You would probably be better served by a full 2 weeks minimum IMO. Good Luck.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I've noticed that many people here do recommend two full weeks of SD, whereas Bryan's article on SD recommends 9-12 days: Bryan's article

Is the idea that 9-12 days might be good for the first few cycles of HST, but that longer SD times are more effective after someone has been training for a bit longer?
 
<div>
(naiveguy @ Mar. 31 2008,15:07)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I've noticed that many people here do recommend two full weeks of SD, whereas Bryan's article on SD recommends 9-12 days...</div>
During a really proper SD, you just sit around on your butt and have people bring you things. The TV remote really helps.

It gets so good just lying around doing nothing, that another few days seem so nice and surely can't hurt much...
wink.gif
 
Following quadancer's advice, I think I will skip cardio for a few days. And following TunnelRat's advice, I think I'll head over to the sofa.
Now if I could only convince my wife that what looks like laziness on my part is actually a carefully crafted plan to maximize my fitness: &quot;I have to lie here, babe. Could you bring some more chips and guacamole?&quot;
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top