Will too much cardio burn up your muscles?

When I first started lifting, I was so excited when I was able to see muscle definition. It meant that I was achieving the look I thought I wanted. It meant I didn't need to kill myself doing cardio anymore...right.

Then I stopped seeing results because I had so much fat that still needed to come off. How was I going to get rid of some of the fat without getting rid of all the muscle I had managed to put on already?

I would need to get back on the cardio machine again in order to get my heart rate up to burn some fat.

What kind of cardio?
If you are doing cardio it should be something you enjoy or you will be miserable doing it. You will want to so it 2-3 times a week. Say you like to run, well go for that run, just don't go for over 45 minutes a couple times a week. You don't want to put too much stress on your body, that is when it will turn to burning up your muscle.

How do you gain muscle?
By having enough calories and protein for growth. The digested protein like mentioned in this post is needed for muscle growth, so over doing cardio will leave you at a deficit.

Don't forget diet
In an attempt to limit muscle loss when getting in cardio you need to remember that what you fuel your body with matters. Also making sure to start the recovery process right after a workout will help stop the breakdown of muscles.

My takeaway from this is that I need some cardio to be healthy but not overdoing it is the key. Everything in moderation. Helping to drop the fat also needs healthy fuel.


*How much cardio do you do?