same systemic effect when you hit the weights, no matter what
b o d y p a rt you’re working. Too much intensity training will
overstress your recovery system quickly.
That’s a lot of info, so let us give you our suggestions.
You can do steady-state, medium-intensity cardio any time,
about as often as you can fit it into your schedule—but not
immediately after a leg workout. However, it’s not as efficient as
i n t e rval training. Nevertheless, it can help create a calorie
deficit so you get rid of bodyfat. Plus, it won’t steer you toward
overtraining as easily as interval aerobics can.
You can do high-intensity interval cardio on days you don’t
train with weights, but don’t do it the day before or the day
after a leg-training day. Keep in mind that it has an effect on
your recovery system similar to a hard weight-training workout,
so if you’re on the brink of overtraining with weights, HIIT can
push you over the edge. If you’re training five days a week with
weights, we suggest you only do one interval cardio workout—
on Saturday or Sunday. (It’s a good idea to leave at least one
day workout-free for systemic re c o v e ry.) As we said, you can
use it as part of your leg routine during the week if you like, but
cut back on quad, calf and hamstring weight work that day.
Here’s how Steve has used the two types of cardio. When
he’s on a five-day weight-training schedule, similar to the one in
Ch ap ter 8, wo rk i ng out M on d ay, Tu e s d a y, We d n e s d a y,
Thursday and Friday, legs can fall on any of those days. He’ll
do one medium-intensity cardio session during the week,
usually on an upper body day. That gets blood into his legs
without stressing the fast-twitch fibers. Then on the weekend
he tries to do a high-intensity interval session on the day that’s
f a rthest from his next leg workout. If he works legs again on
Monday, he’ll do his interval cardio on Saturday. If he trains legs
on Friday, he’ll do his interval cardio on Sunday. The weekend
day he doesn’t do cardio is for systemic recovery.
Q: Shouldn’t I cut out all milk and other dairy foods
when I’m trying to get lean?