Off Season Cardio Strategies for Cardiovascular Health and Recovery

I see a lot of people completely stop doing cardio once they start bulking but I think that is a mistake. I am looking for off season cardio strategies for cardiovascular health and recovery. I find that keeping some low intensity steady state cardio in my routine helps with my appetite and keeps my heart healthy while I am carrying more weight.

I usually do twenty minutes of incline walking four times a week. It does not interfere with my leg training but it helps me recover faster between sets of squats. I also feel much less winded during my heavy work when my aerobic base is solid.

How much cardio do you all keep in your off season? Do you prefer the stairmaster or the treadmill? I am interested to see if anyone uses high intensity interval training or if that is too much of a stressor when you are already training heavy five days a week. I want to be a well rounded athlete not just a mass monster.