Cardio is one of the best ways to sculpt your bum and get that booty you've always wanted. Not only does it help with fat loss, but when done correctly, cardio can actually help build glute muscles too.
Overall, cardio does not necessarily help to build muscle in the way that weight training does, but it also doesn't necessarily contribute to muscle loss. However, a well-rounded routine will help you get to your goals faster. So, if you are weight lifting and strength training, don't cut out cardio completely.
As you might have noticed, the options for exercises decrease rapidly when you do want your glutes to grow but don't want your legs to grow. You need to do less squats, lunges, leg presses, leg extensions, step-ups or Bulgarian squats, because they activate your quadriceps too much.
For endurance, do cardio before weights. To build muscle, do weights first. For general fitness, timing matters less; but we suggest doing weights first—the stakes are higher at heavier loads, and lifting when low on energy can increase your risk of injury.
If your exercise of choice is cardio, long strength training sessions on top of them can feel like a slog. But adding in just a five-minute butt workout—which you can do right after your run (or other kind of cardio)—can add some serious strength training benefits to your routine.
Glute growth generally takes 6-8 weeks to see noticeable changes, however, some individuals may find it takes 10-12 weeks based on diet, training, and body type. When trying to grow your glutes faster, you should train them multiple times a week (2-3X) and make sure you are eating enough calories to build muscle.
"Cardio-only workouts are a losing battle and will not help you build the booty," Gomez says. A better option is shorter, higher-intensity workouts like sprints, stair climbing, spinning, kickboxing and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts, which all build muscle.
Cardio after training is beneficial because it cools you down and helps you loosen up after the intense session. You can do it for 10-30 minutes, depending on your fitness goals. If you're trying to lose weight, then you'll want to burn extra calories so lean towards 20-30 minutes of cardio after weight lifting.
Conclusion. Cardio does not inherently inhibit your ability to build muscle. Some cardio is likely beneficial for everyone, even those who want to build a muscular physique. All forms of intense exercise require you to recover from them appropriately.
Above all else, remember: train glutes early, train them often, and train them with variety. A well-designed glute program usually requires training 2–4 times a week with 3–6 different exercises, but your glute workouts can easily be combined with other exercises as part of a full-body workout.
At the end of the day, you cannot keep utilizing light weight and expect for change to happen. The reason your glutes grow is because it is adapting to the stress that you're putting on your muscles. If you're not adding to the stress via progressive overload, you will not add muscle either.
Gluteus Maximus
A highly underrated and under-targeted muscle group, the glutes are easy to grow through some simple lower body exercises. Squats, lunges, step-ups, glute bridges, and resistance machines such as the leg press are all great for building your glutes.
Clarke goes on to point out that “While it's true that cardio training will not promote the same gains as resistance training, it doesn't negatively affect muscle growth. In fact, cardio may help, particularly in those prone to muscle loss like older adults”.
I recommend doing 2-3, 20-30 minute sessions of cardio each week while bulking (ideally on a non-weight training day) to maintain cardiovascular health and keep you fit. Cardiovascular training improves the heart's ability to pump blood and increases oxygen uptake into cells.
Cardio for muscle gain: 3 days a week
Plan to do cardio 2 or 3 days a week. Focus on short, high intensity sessions (think 25 minutes of HIIT).
The simple answer is no. The scientific research on long, steady state cardio training shows it does not have a negative impact on muscle mass. We'll explore the science that answers the 'does cardio burn muscle' question.
Long bouts of steady state cardio have been proven to increase cortisol levels and break down muscle. Instead, opt for exercises such as high intensity interval training, walking lunges, sled drags/pushes/pulls, loaded carries, sprints that build muscle while burning fat.
“Approximately 30 to 40 minutes of cardio three to four times per week is typical of serious weightlifters and figure competitors,” says Giamo. “This amount of cardio will allow for muscle maintenance and strength gains without sacrificing the benefits of strength training.”
If your primary goal is to increase your aerobic endurance or lose body fat, then you should perform cardio first. If your primary goal is to increase muscular strength, then do strength training first.
Most fitness trainers therefore recommend doing cardio after weight training, because if cardio is performed first, it may use up much of the energy source for strength training, fatiguing the muscles before their most intense session.
Doing cardio and targeted strength-training exercises, plus eating a diet with the right nutrients and calories, will help you build a big booty and trim stomach fat. There are two components to trimming your tummy and building your butt: losing fat and gaining muscle.
Experts say you can build a bigger, stronger butt by doing variations of exercises like squats. You don't necessarily need weights, either — body weight movements like donkey kicks work, too. To build glute muscles without equipment, focus on increasing muscle tension and effort with good form.