Myth-busting
Cardio isn't eating your gains. Skipping it might be.
Somewhere along the way, lifters started treating a jog like a threat. The fear is bigger than the effect.
The short version
- Interference is real — at extremes
- Conditioning is training infrastructure
- Dose and placement decide
- Settle it with your own data
Interference is real — at extremes
Train for a marathon while chasing a squat PB and the signals genuinely compete. A couple of easy sessions a week is not that.
Conditioning is training infrastructure
Better work capacity means more quality sets before you fade, and faster recovery between them. The engine serves the lifting.
Dose and placement decide
Easy pace, kept away from heavy leg days, does its job quietly. It's the placement that matters — not abstinence.
Settle it with your own data
Add sensible conditioning for a block and watch lean mass. If it holds while fat trends down, the argument is over — for your body, at least.