Interesting thread, and I really agree that all these things are individual.

I get a lot out of heavy lifting, which is why I do it--that plus the fact that it's fun and I get a big kick out of moving a lot of weight. I do think it's helped my general health immeasurably, in particular, my ability to withstand long-term physical and mental stress without getting sick.

However, during my last bulking cycle--which did not work out too well--I found that I also really need some cardio to support my general health and to (hopefully) keep the fat down. I noticed a definite decrease in my cardiovascular health when I stopped running for a couple of months, even though my muscles were getting much stronger.

I do wonder if this will change when I'm not carrying so much fat around. But for now, I have to run. I'm actually doing more cardio right now than weight training, but not because I want to...because I have to or else I can't lose fat. Hopefully, when most of this lard is gone, I'll be less insulin resistant and more able to do some real powerlifting training.

No two bodies are the same....