Programming Strategies for Weight Gain

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If you goal is to add muscle, you still need to consider cardiorespiratory improvements while avoiding the burn of too many additional calories.  The main goal of cardio training for weight gain is to increase your AT (anaerobic threshold) and HR (heart rate) recovery.  Increasing both your AT and HR recovery you will find yourself more capable of performing effective weight training programs.  The result of conduction cardio geared for weight gain is faster recovery of muscles between sets.  The quicker the recovery, the stronger you will be for the next set.  The overall benefit will be greater weight lifted and or more reps in each set.

The weight gain cardio program consists of 3 intensities:

Day 1 weight gain- low intensity day:

The low intensity day requires you spend a lot of time in zone 1 for purpose of recovery.

Suggested Time: 10-15 minutes

Day 2 weight gain- medium intensity day:

Only necessary for endurance athlete.  If that is your purpose for exercise then you will perform the medium intensity weight gain cardio routine for as long as 30 minutes.

Suggested Time: 30 minutes

Day 3 weight gain- high intensity day:

it is here you will build the most cardio strength by overloading the cardiovascular system without burning up any additional calories. You are required to work in zone three for short intervals with little rest.

Suggested Time: 12-15 minutes

Course Directory:

Beginning: Introduction To Cardio Respiratory Fitness 101

Lesson 1: The purpose of cardiorespiratory training

Lesson 2: Primary cardiorespiratory measurements

Lesson 3: The two energy systems: aerobic and anaerobic

Lesson 4: Heart rate training zones

Lesson 5: Interval training using personal heart rate training zones

Lesson 6: Cardiorespiratory assessments used to determine an appropriate stage for you

Lesson 7: Cardiorespiratory program design (choose the one that matches your goal):

• Cardiorespiratory programming strategies for weight loss
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• Cardiorespiratory programming strategies for weight gain