Cardio Builds Muscle – Myth or Reality

cardio

The Fitness world is all about authentic information. There is so much information available online that you have to think about separating the truth from lies. There are so many blogs writing about diet, quick fixes, easy medicines, and steroids but you will soon figure out that they are dangerous. Apart from this, simple aerobic exercises have long been promoted and endorsed as exercises that are just for women and people who want to lose weight. When it comes to muscle gain, we all look up to weight training. The only solution that we have for a lean body is to gain muscle through weight lifting.

One thing is very important to keep in mind, there are so many exercises that can be used for muscle gain but we only get to know about the exercises that can bring money to the gym. Most of the simple aerobics and cardio-based exercises can be done at home and you don’t have to get a gym membership. The fitness and health business has long been running on the capitalist strategy but we are too afraid to acknowledge it. Even if we look at the food perspective, we will see that healthy eating is more expensive than junk food.

You might be able to get a whole meal from any fast food joint but if you want to cook at home, you will have to double your budget. In short, anything that will not benefit the industry will not be considered or ensured as healthy for the masses. To help you save money and get to know in detail about cardio-based exercises, we have listed some of the most important benefits.

What Is Cardio?

Cardio is also commonly known as aerobic. Cardio is an exercise that will help you bring up your heart rate, improve your heartbeat and help you maintain your blood sugar level as well as blood cholesterol level. Overall, cardio is good for obesity and cardiovascular health. You will soon notice that you are shedding fat and your body is getting more toned. A toned body means well defined and chiseled muscle arrangement.

Most of the time people workout 3-5 days a week but they still don’t get good results. One of the main reasons is that they are just focused on the muscle group and not on overall body engagement. With the help of overall body engagement, you can burn calories and lose more fat. This way you will be able to remove the layer of fat and your abs will become visible. Overall it is not all about the muscle gain or muscle training but also about losing aft so the muscle becomes more visible.

Is Cardio Good For Muscle Gain?

Muscle gain is usually associated with bodybuilding which means a lot of food and a lot of workouts simultaneously. Most people think that cardio is only good for weight loss and nothing else. The fact is that no doubt you will lose fat but your muscle will become visible. According to a recent study that was formed by reviewing 14 different pieces of research on aerobic training, it was concluded that running, walking, and cycling help you gain muscle in your legs. Several other researchers backed up this research and explained that 45 minutes of cardio helps you not only beat cardiovascular disease but also helps in increasing the muscle mass by 6%.

With proper aerobic and cardio, you can see improvement in your muscle mass significantly. As you make the cardio harder, you will see that you are not only improving your endurance but also your stamina which is good for your overall life as well.

Some of Cardio Exercises That Will Help You Gain Muscle

There are so many different cardio exercises that you can try. Each exercise has its significance. Some are good for the lower body whereas some are more focused on the upper body. However, most cardio exercises engage the whole body and that’s how you end up burning more calories than any other exercise. Some of the best cardio-based exercises that can help you gain mass includes:

Walking Lunges

Walking lunges are great for gaining muscle mass in your lower body. Most people dread leg days and they try to skip the leg day altogether. This is the reason people talk about chicken legs because so many men these days have a good body shape. They have bulky muscles and good chest muscles as well but when it comes to leg muscles, their aerobics are thin as a stick. Just a 15 minutes post-workout session of walking lunges will help you gain muscle in no time and you will see that your body has improved in shape as well.

Pull-ups

Pull-ups are great for the upper body. All you need to have is a monkey bar and you are good to start your exercises. You don’t need any extra investment or any help from a professional instructor. Pull-ups are very easy and they are very effective as well. Technically, you are not lifting any other weight but the weight of your own body. Just a 10 minutes session of pull-ups is enough for gaining upper body muscles. In starting you will see that your hands are going numb within the first few minutes but as you get better, your body will start to adapt accordingly and you will be able to complete the ten minutes.

Squats

Squats are great for the lower body, especially for the buttock area. We have seen that people have a bulky body and good thighs as well but their buttock area is very flat. With the help of squats, you are just training your buttock muscle to gain mass. Technically this is one of the areas where you won’t be able to feel so sore but you will see that your leg muscle gets sore. Apart from the buttock area, your back will also benefit from the squats and your posture will get better if you slouch when you sit, this is the best exercise for you. As your posture will improve, you will start to feel confident as well and this is overall a great exercise.

Final Verdict

To sum it all up, it is better to start with research before you opt for a workout plan. There are so many different health-related researchers that you can read online, authentic researches explain that aerobics, cardio, and even simple exercises are equally good for you. Even if you are trying hard to start a healthy lifestyle, you don’t have to spend hours in the gym. Just a 15 minutes’ walk or jogging session will be enough to do the trick. The best thing is to invest time in research and select a good workout that suits you. Apart from this, stay hydrated and get good sportswear so you can stretch easily without feeling any hurdle.