What is the right frequency of muscle training? Get the body you’ve always wanted by working out efficiently!

Should I include aerobic exercise?

What about combining aerobic exercise, such as running or biking, with muscle training? Here we will discuss the types of aerobic exercise that should be incorporated and those that should not.

Who should do cardio?

It is recommended to incorporate aerobic exercise for those who want to develop an exercise routine or who want to make weight loss a priority. Although research data shows that doing aerobic exercise before and after muscle training can impair the effects of muscle hypertrophy, the fat-burning effects of aerobic exercise should not be underestimated. For those who need to lose weight, it would be a shortcut to get an ideal body if you are prepared to lose some muscle mass by incorporating a good aerobic exercise program. Incidentally, it is said that muscle loss is less likely to occur if the timing of muscle training and aerobic exercise is staggered. It is best to do aerobic exercise immediately after waking up and then do muscle training at least 6 hours later, but if you do not have time, you can do 20~30 minutes of aerobic exercise after muscle training.

Who should not do aerobic exercise?

As explained above, aerobic exercise and muscle hypertrophy are incompatible, so there is no need to do aerobic exercise if you want to enlarge your body through muscle hypertrophy anyway. A beginner who has been doing strength training for a few weeks or months can grow muscle moderately while losing fat, but it becomes more difficult as you get used to it. Therefore, many trainers will separate the bulking phase to gain muscle and the weight loss phase to lose body fat, and it is a good idea to incorporate cardio exercise only during the weight loss phase.

It’s also effective to reduce body fat and then aim for muscle hypertrophy!

Even if you are looking for muscle hypertrophy for now, you may want to incorporate aerobic exercise. There is data showing that it is easier to aim for muscle hypertrophy when the body fat percentage is 15% or less due to testosterone, so it is recommended that muscle training beginners with a high body fat percentage incorporate aerobic exercise from the beginning. Besides, it is easier to feel muscle contraction when fat is thinner, so it is also easier to check if you are training with correct form, which is definitely an advantage for muscle training beginners.

What is the best time to do muscle training?

If I had to say the best time of day to do muscle training, it would be in the evening. For those with a general rhythm of life, physical functions are at their peak around 2:00 p.m., so it is the easiest time to exercise performance. In addition, data shows that training in the evening facilitates the secretion of growth hormone, which is essential for muscle hypertrophy. If you decide to do muscle training in a time other than the evening, the morning is also recommended. It is said that morning muscle training stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, making it easier to be active throughout the day, and improves metabolism, making it easier to burn fat.