Cardio!

[nosmirk]

i have soccer training 4 times a week for 4hours at a time.

extremely intense cardio (12km runs, intervals, sprints, etc), in addition to the games we play. this is supplemented by very minimal strength training such as 60 crunches for the ENTIRE week.

would like to ask if it is possible to bulk up even with the crazy amount of cardio carried out, and if so, could you suggest a workout schedule that revolves around the alternate days of soccer training?

thank you

 

[Throttle]

bulk? no... gaining muscle will be extremely difficult during your training season, not because of the amount of cardio, per se, but because you have won't get enough rest time between your lifting days. You should try a two day split on your off days, and leave a 7th day to rest. To gain anything you'll need to really eat like a horse, esp. protein, but any calories will do. You'll want to use the off-season (assuming you have one) to add muscle.

 

[Cruise]

steroid pills always work.

 

[Warboss Alex]

not possible, sorry.

as Throttle said, put on some size when you're not playing - although this will impede your athletic perfomance, consider this as well.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

i have soccer training 4 times a week for 4hours at a time.

extremely intense cardio (12km runs, intervals, sprints, etc), in addition to the games we play. this is supplemented by very minimal strength training such as 60 crunches for the ENTIRE week.

would like to ask if it is possible to bulk up even with the crazy amount of cardio carried out, and if so, could you suggest a workout schedule that revolves around the alternate days of soccer training?

thank you

Speaking from experience, YES.

Last year my DAILY training consisted of an 8-15 mile run, 3000-5000 meter swim, 20 mile bike ride, and strength training, and one day a week a 25+ mile run

For strength training I did a very intense fully body workout every other day.
In the interest of time (as the weight room was not my primary goal) everything I did was supersetted. I also emphasized upper body as the majority of my runs were with a full sand bag and sometimes I'd be running up the side of a mountain for 2 or more hours at a time. So my legs were BUILT.

Before I started this I was the biggest I'd every been. I weighed in at 240 lbs and was putting upwards of 2-3 hours in the weight room per day.

After the first 6 weeks I was down to 210-215 pounds where I would stay for the remainder. However, even though I lost weight I was still pretty big. Almost as big as when I was just bulking. And I'm sure I could have kept it.

But to be fair, I have above average genetics when it comes to muscle size and a metabolism conducive to building muscle.

But it is possible for you to gain size with your current situation. Rest when you can, constantly eat, and lift hard an heavy.

I can't give you advice on a routine as it took me many years to discover what works (and I'm still discovering) for ME and sometimes the stuff I do seems contrary to popular belief.

Just start with the basics and experiment to see what you can handle and what will make you grow.

And eat, eat, eat, eat!

Good luck!


edit: Let me clarify. I did not bulk while doing the above but I did keep most of my gains. From my experience, once you can avoid a catabolic period then you can probably also make gains with a little modification. And I have bulked when doing similiar endurance type training (although much less intense than described above) with a heavier emphasis and strength training.

 

[Throttle]

Let me clarify. I did not bulk while doing the above but I did keep most of my gains. From my experience, once you can avoid a catabolic period then you can probably also make gains with a little modification. And I have bulked when doing similiar endurance type training (although much less intense than described above) with a heavier emphasis and strength training.

Bingo--you can keep gains from the off-season, but rest & calories are so critical to significant muscle growth that it's hard to train 4 x 4 hrs. / week (or even half that hard!) plus lifting and get enough of either.

WBA also makes a good point that size is not necessarily a positive factor for soccer. I would talk to your coaches / fellow players to figure out how much strength training you can afford to add, even in the off-season.

 

[Skilla_Staz]

I'd recommend focusing more on explosiveness/strength for soccer and less on size.

 

[Road Demon]

Skilla_Staz: "I'd recommend focusing more on explosiveness/strength for soccer and less on size. "

I second that. Do you want to look good or be good at your sport? Chose One.

 

[Throttle]

for what it's worth, I've never met a quality soccer player (I'm thinking of div I athletes at several fine american universities) who couldn't attract pretty much any lady he wanted to, and I mean even the ones smacked in the face with a cast-iron ugly-pan. soccer players don't need size to make the ladies swoon. being articulate is a plus, though.

 

[sexy_kuta]

yo i didnt want to make a thread right now so i might as well ask in here, i been bulking or trying to bulk since summer..
ppl said i've lost weight since and i been more cut but i havnt done any cardio.
i just try to eat the healthy stuff, try to clean bulk.. like i'd munch out on eggs. chicken.. and i mean til im full.. and eat again 2 hours later. but never gain more body fat.. Now basketball season is starting and we're in our "training" session until chrismas. i had my first practice today and it was intesense.. my endureance sucks balls. i was the last one in every running drill. now that i have the chance to get back in shape, and have the motivation there i believe i can be the 3rd or 5th person finishing instead of last out of 11 guys. my plan is to try hard during those practices. mon and wed. and then every Other day run or use the machines at the gym and try to get my heart rate up there and try mybest to keep it there during a mount of time, maybe 30 min..
but my question is.
is it possible that i can maybe Keep my muscles, i dont mind for putitng gains on the side for a little while. my goal is to get my endurance up. but i want to keep the muscles i got, but loose alot of excess body fat since i got alot, well for my gut but other than that, im not as cut as i should be.. ( http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/sexykuta/Picture017.jpg ) my arms are currently around 14.5-15 inches, im around 5'11 and 220 pounds

lol i feel like im not being direct enough, i summ up my question

1. how would i increase my endurance by alot and the most effieninct
2. how to properly keep my muscles, even if its possible to gain a little.

 

[EFFORT]

1. The two practices you have on mon and wed. Then pick two days and use HIIT for 30min, then run a mile afterwards.

2. Same situation as the guy that started this thread, your not going to be adding muscle now and you will lose some.