Post: #1

I come from a martial arts background, but a few years ago decided to lift just for strength and mass. Upon returning to the gym and doing some boxing, my cardio was complete shit. Now I'm trying to tailor my weight training towards not gassing.

I would like to keep my mass and strength, but improve my cardio. An example of my routine is pyramiding up on deadlifts, my working sets are about 5 reps. Instead of resting immediately after a set, I jump rope for a couple minutes or punch the bag and then rest (pace) for about a minute. I rarely sit during my recovery as I think its not good to change my heart rate from really high to really low. The only time I do this is after a sled push, when my only option is to collapse to the ground and try to avoid passing out.

If I don't do the jump rope or punch the bag after a set, I usually do a super set. For example set of weighted pullups followed by tricep extensions or some shoulder exercise. I try not to superset two major compound exercises.

I am also considering tailoring my workouts to desired heart rate ranges using a fitbit. I still don't know enough about heart rate to use it as a benchmark just yet, or if fitbits even have this capability.

My question is what affect does an active recovery following a set have on my strength and size gains?