There is simply no way around it. If you want to burn fat, you need to implement some form of cardio into your workout. Not to mention, cardio is good for overall health, especially your heart. If you’re into bodybuilding, cardio is one of those necessary evils. To see stretch marks and bring out muscle definition, you need to get rid of the fat. However, there must be a proper balance of cardio to burn fat while gaining or at least maintaining your hard-earned muscle.

The key is to burn calories from fat while still being able to build muscle (or at least preserve muscle if you’re in a cutting phase). The last thing you want is to overdo the cardio and eat away at your hard-earned muscle. However, at the same time, you don’t want all of your muscle to be covered by layers of fat. The best way to achieve this is to do low-intensity cardio for prolonged periods (example: 30-45 minutes of walking up an incline) or shorter interval cardio (example: 20 minutes consisting of high-intensity cardio for 30 seconds). to one minute, then back to low intensity for the same, then repeat).

Most hardcore powerlifters and massive monsters despise cardio for two reasons:

1) They are afraid of losing size and

2) Well, they just don’t like to do it.

When you’re squatting and lifting millions of pounds, doing a 30-minute cardio session doesn’t sound all that intriguing. The thing to remember, though, is that during the mass phases, we’re most likely not going to have as much muscle as we feel; much of it is covered by weight of fat or water. Even during mass training phases, you should do cardio at least three times per week. But that really depends on where you are and what you want to achieve. If you lift strictly for power and strength and aren’t worried about carrying around a little body fat, that’s fine. But you still need the benefits of cardio for heart health.

Two good indicators that you are getting the full benefits of your cardiovascular training are the mirror and your strength. If you’re seeing more stretch marks and also getting stronger, you’re on the right track. Don’t let the scale fool you. You could be losing body weight and still gain or at least preserve muscle. In either case, you should be doing some form of cardiovascular exercise three to five times a week. If you don’t see what you want to see in the mirror, adjust your cardio (and diet) accordingly.