Cutting with more cardio and more food

[goonstopher]

I am an endo with pretty poor genetics, will never be one of the big boys and get injured easy but that isn't stopping me from giving it my all. Aaaanyway I have only cut on pretty low cals and low carbs, generally 2300-2500 cals, sometimes less and minimal cardio. I am up about 10 pounds from my normal fat "offseason" weight and sitting around 220. Would it be wise to try say 3000 cals and 30 minutes of cardio twice a day?

 

[ct4ap]

It really depends of how your body answer to certain foods.
To my body it has to be low carbs and fats and different proteins throughout the day, mostly fish, whey shakes make me bloated and give me terrible breath.
2500 cals, 90 minutes of cardio, low carbs and fats and 40g of fish protein per meal is the best for MY body.

 

[goonstopher]

Yeah I do understand that everyone is different but I read a lot of posts around here and there are clearly 2 schools of thoughts. One being to use cardio as a last resort when results stagnate and the other to eat more and use cardio for its nutrient partitioning and fat burning properties. Some very trusted guys like DC are in the camp that cals should be kept high and cardio should be increased.

 

[locutus61]

The most effective way to cut is by your diet. Its easier not to eat x amount of calories than to burn it off with cardio. Not saying that cardio does not have its place though. 40mins ed here.

 

[gtj220]

The most effective way to cut is by your diet. Its easier not to eat x amount of calories than to burn it off with cardio. Not saying that cardio does not have its place though. 40mins ed here.

I agree, your body type probable requires less carbs in order to lose fat. I recommend that you read Chris Aceto's books on diet and fat loss. They will give tou a good understanding of things.

 

[goonstopher]

I agree, your body type probable requires less carbs in order to lose fat. I recommend that you read Chris Aceto's books on diet and fat loss. They will give tou a good understanding of things.

Thats generally how I think too. I looked my best when I did keto but it seems so out of fashion right now. I am just trying to learn new ways because I always end up around 200 pounds when I cut down and want to finally make some progress and weight more.

 

[b-boy]

I will say this.. FOR ME.. this year i have done less cardio than i probably ever have during a prep and it has helped me keep a lot more of my hard earned new muscle on my legs, i especially don't do cardio the day of and the day after leg day.

 

[Flex2019]

For my prep this year I relied on diet alone to get me lean until around 8 weeks out, when I added very light cardio daily (3.5mph on a treadmill, 20-30 min.) As B-Boy said, keeping the cardio low will go a long way in preserving muscle tissue while you diet.

 

[bigguns078]

I will say this.. FOR ME.. this year i have done less cardio than i probably ever have during a prep and it has helped me keep a lot more of my hard earned new muscle on my legs, i especially don't do cardio the day of and the day after leg day.

And im sure it has to do with your mountaindog diet.. Your body is getting nutritionally superior food and you are relying on healthy fats and bodyfat stores for energy. Insulin levels are being kept extremely low, so glycerol (g-3-p) is being kept quiet so you have less Free Fatty Acids being converted to triglycerides (triglycerides are stored in fat cells whereas free fatty acids circulate in the bloodstream and is an available source of energy). On top of that, your intake of healthy fats (grass fed beef and wild fish) ensures a healthy liver and metabolism due to the non-existence of injested toxins usually found in grain fed meats/fish.

 

[aphextwin]

Different Bodies

Everyone seems to be able to say what works for them. Some guys can eat a lot of shit and still get cut with limited cardio and others have to diet and do long boring cardio sessions.

It just goes to show, everyones body is completely different. As you know, you have to find what works for you...of course you probably know this already.

I know for me, I prefer HIIT cardio, bc I am able to eat a lot more food.

 

[b-boy]

And im sure it has to do with your mountaindog diet.. Your body is getting nutritionally superior food and you are relying on healthy fats and bodyfat stores for energy. Insulin levels are being kept extremely low, so glycerol (g-3-p) is being kept quiet so you have less Free Fatty Acids being converted to triglycerides (triglycerides are stored in fat cells whereas free fatty acids circulate in the bloodstream and is an available source of energy). On top of that, your intake of healthy fats (grass fed beef and wild fish) ensures a healthy liver and metabolism due to the non-existence of injested toxins usually found in grain fed meats/fish.

ha ha "preach brotha" takem to CHURCH!

 

[abbot138]

I use high input high output cutting to get me down to about 9-10% BF. But at some point I think everyone has to do some sort of calorie (usually carbohydrate) manipulation to get extra lean (competition, photo shoot, etc...) Give it a try, worst come to worse, it doesnt work that well for you and you maybe throw on 1 or 2 lbs of LBM.....If your are going to do it, I would recommend keeping fat intake to a minimum; switch to all lean protein sources and only 10-15grams of supplemental fat (i prefer fish oil) per day. Somewhere around 45%carbs, 40%protein, 15%fat.

 

[The Wolf]

Lazy people would rather diet and not do the cardio because they are... well lazy and greedy people eat loads and do loads of cardio because they have a shitload of energy. I have done both and what works best for me is a combination of both. One thing I have learned is never go hungry and never crave anything, if your body is well nourished you should always feel good. You dont need to go very low calories to maintain abbs, if you stay pretty clean all year round you can get as lean as you want by increasing cardio, dieting a little bit harder or a combination of both.

 

[The Wolf]

So the best imho is moderate cardio with moderate diet is by far the best way to go. Excessive diet and excessive cardio will only lead to muscle loss. Have a balance in life.... those who need to be ripped in an extreme small space of time however....

 

[Salzberger]

I've tried dieting at low calories like you 2300-2500 and I'd always end up feeling like a walking zombie. Typically I would bulk on AAS into a cut on AAS... this was great for weight loss in the bgeginning, but every week I would get weaker and felt terrible. I read some of the grow into the show threads and took time off AAS, started dieting for the summer (not prepping), and I am doing lots of cardio and keeping my calories much higher at more of a maintenance level. I was so surprised how I could regain so much muscle so quickly and lose inches off my waist at the same time. I used to think that one had to stay on all the time, but now I know that isn't really true and IMO, much better to increase food + increase output. Youll have wayyyyy more energy and feel much better... motivation will be thru the roof... it's fun to bulk, but it is even MORE fun to get bigger AND leaner at the same time, which in my experience, cannot be done on less calories.

 

[goonstopher]

Hmm. I feel ok on less calories simply because carbs destroy my intestinal tract and I really can't digest them so when I eat less I am just so relieved to not be farting all day and feeling sick.

 

[railslave]

Hmm. I feel ok on less calories simply because carbs destroy my intestinal tract and I really can't digest them so when I eat less I am just so relieved to not be farting all day and feeling sick.

This may not affect you, but when I added more fiber to my diet, digestion was much easier for me

 

[Nardz]

Adding cardio will force your body to process more calories so it does make sense to increase your cals slighlty and add cardio.

However make sure to increase only slightly, like 200 cals and see how your body reacts.

Your cardio doesnt have to be too long anyway. Just stick to 20mins a day