How to Improve Cardio Without Losing Mass

Cardio exercises such as cycling, swimming and kickboxing are known for their ability to help the body to burn fat. Unfortunately, these exercises burn muscle mass as well. Building muscle, however, doesn’t mean neglecting cardiovascular exercise. With only a few workout tweaks, you can improve your cardio while maintaining muscle.

Instructions

    • 1

      Eat before and after cardio exercises. Eating a small meal or drinking a healthy smoothie before and after working out slows the rate at which your body breaks down muscle.

    • 2

      Consume enough protein throughout the day. Protein is an essential muscle component. If you don’t consume enough protein, you’ll lose muscle mass. Debra Wein, president of the Sensible Nutrition Connection, recommends that active exercisers consume between 0.5 and 0.6 grams of protein for every pound of body weight.

    • 3

      Weight train and perform cardio on different days. Training on separate days helps increase muscle size. This prevents muscle fatigue that comes from too much cardio exercise. When muscle fatigue occurs, you won’t challenge your muscles sufficiently when strength training. Insufficient weight training equals less muscle mass.

    • 4

      Keep cardio exercises short. For the exerciser who wants to preserve muscle, aerobic exercises work best when limited to 20 minutes. Long cardio workouts increases the rate at which your body catabolizes or break down muscle.

    • 5

      Increase the intensity of cardiovascular exercises. Incorporate 15- to 90-seconds bursts of high-intensity exercise during your routine. Then lower the cardio intensity until you’ve recovered. Then increase the intensity again. Repeat up to five times.