Even Jim Wendler is pretty direct about the need to condition (cardio), even without something like elk hunting on the menu.
For Jim's training plans, he doesn't push tons of cardio, but still advises something like three-four 20 min sessions of hill sprints or sled work or similar in a given week's training plan.
For me, the endurance work I'm doing is about pushing my heart and lungs to get stronger and more efficient. The more capable my body is at delivering oxygen to my muscle tissue, the better, I figure.
So I have been working harder there than I have in the recent past. But I'm not ignoring my strength training either.....which is why I'm still doing my Wendler programming. (For those unfamiliar, it's a 4 week cycle, three weeks of progressive overload and week of deload, using 4 mains lifts.....bench, OHP, deadlift, and backsquat.....and accessory work for each main lift.)
Cardio to work my heart and lungs and body to efficiently handle an oxygen demand/deficit, strength training more to maintain than gain, but to keep my main lifts strong so I keep overall strength while working on cardio capacity and cutting some bodyweight. In essence, clinging to every little shred of muscle I can while cutting body fat so that I don't also lose muscle mass while cutting weight.
