"In the meantime, another study got under way, instigated in part by Dr. Paul Thompson's curiosity about himself. The reason most people avoid cardio while trying to build muscle is because it produces counterproductive results. An ectomorph trying to gain muscle may need to lay off cardio training completely in order to have enough recovery energy available for their body to even build muscle. Running on an empty stomach is not recommended while trying to build more muscles. Would this be a good way to go or would you pack on some fat? But when your primary goal is gaining muscle, losing weight is really, really hard.

You can absolutely run even if you're trying to build muscle.

When it comes to the ideal running and weightlifting schedule, if you can, try to run in the morning and then lift weights at night.

There should always be enough fuel for the intensity that you are putting your body under. Running and weightlifting schedule. I'm trying to gain muscle and i'm wondering how much cardio I should do a week.

It’s certainly doable, if a bit more difficult than focusing on either alone. i was wondering if it would just be better not to run at all when trying to put on muscle to play it safe and not burn any of it off. Once or twice a week should be the maximum cardio frequency. Even weight training may need to be less frequent (two or three times per week) in order to see results. I’m not suggesting it’s impossible to lose body fat and build muscle at the same time. Cardio burns calories which is good if you’re trying to lose weight but in order to have any sort of muscular growth, you need to be eating at a caloric surplus (meaning you have to eat more calories than you burn).

should you run when trying to put on muscle?

Lifting heavy is probably one of the best things you can do to lose body fat and improve body composition.

I want to know how much I should do to keep my fat gain at bay or if that's not possible at least slow down my fat gain while also not hindering my muscle gain in any way. Your biggest decision will be which exercise to do first on any given day and what you want to get out of …