If you're training hard, I mean the way you SHOULD be training, then light cardio three times a week seems to be doing the trick for me. I'm talking 30 mins, walking on an incline on the treadmill. If you're doing cardio year round with some kind of intensity, how are you going to change your body come pre-contest? You don't want to be doing some insane amount of cardio in my opinion. One thing I do know is that three times a week plus the training makes it very easy for me to eat. I'm also not tempted to cheat nearly as much either as staying leaner helps you see what your working toward, for me at least.