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 Getting cut without cardio
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| Author | Topic: Getting cut without cardio | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder 
Posts: 868 |
I'm not quite sure I understand how many of these pro bodybuilders manage to get ripped when they claim that they are against doing any cardio whatsoever. Are they lying? I just don't see how it can be done. -TG     | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1044 |
It's all about diet. It can be done and for some people cardio is more detrimental than good. The catabolism of muscle that accompanies cardio will lower metabolism thus slowing down the calorie burning furnace(eventually). So at first they will shed some pounds but eventually it will stop because thier metabolism has slowed and they will be left with a sub-par metabolism and fat loss will come to a halt before they reach the desired 2-4% bf readings. It will also deplete the muscles of glycogen making them appear "flat". If calorie intake is low enough weight will be lost. Cardio is just a way to use more calories thus you will loose more weight. What that weight is though is up to genetics, traing, and diet...It could and in some folks will be a lot of muscle...which would certainly not be benificial for contest prep. For the average couch potato trying to drop the pounds they don't care what kind of weight they loose. They just want to loose weight. That is why the majority of the american public does cardio for weight loss. They don;t care about thier muscle mass. They simply want to loose weight. These people arn't strict with thier diets so they need a way to ensure thier body's are using more energy than they are consuming...cardio. For the bodybuildier however, muscle mass perservation is crucial, and for the most part they are very strict to a good diet which by its self will create the calorie defficit neccessary for weight loss. Cardio can be very catabolic. Mix that with an already catabolic state of restricted calorie diet and you could run into some undesired issues such as the loss of lean body mass. Diet and weigh training alone will yeild great results for fat loss and muslce preservation. It is just embeded in the publics eyes that cardio is the cure all for fat loss when all it is really doing is creating a calorie deprived state...something that can be accomplished through proper diet and weight training. ------------------ | ||
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Freak 
Posts: 1567 |
Beezers: great post, and i agree 100%. Im trying to lose bodyfat but I stopped all the cardio now.. I wasn't sure about that information but I just used common sense and said.. well.. im not eating as much.. so if i do cardo my muscle will eventually start wasting away........ its really commen sense if u think about it. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 868 |
Breezers, I totally agree with your post. The reason that I brought this up is that I am experiencing something very strange indeed. I have been doing an hour of cardio per day, an hour of weight training per day, and consuming a very low cal diet, with nothing but super clean calories. Keep in mind that I am working out 2 hours per day, six days per week, only taking off on Sundays. I have also only been getting 4.5 to 5.5 hours of sleep per night. I haven't consumed more than 1,700 cals on any day for the past four weeks. I have gone down a pants size, so I know I am losing fat. Here is the kicker....I have actually gained two lbs. This is absolutely amazing to me. It goes against everything I have ever researched and learned. It actually defies logic to be honest. The body should not be able to build LBM in a energy deficit state, yet I have gotten stronger and leaner with a weight gain. Sure, this may be possible in untrained people, but I have been lifting for six years. I am just really shocked so far by the results. I don't quite understand how I have managed to gain 2 lbs on 1,700 cals per day, when I would be burning more than that just sitting on the couch all day. Add to that the hour of cardio and the hour of weight training, the sleep deprevation, and I just can't understand what is going on. That's why I was contemplating tossing out the cardio, but what the hell am I supposed to do in order to lose more fat mass? Only eat like 900 cals per day? If I am gaining from 1,700 under all those extreme conditions, then I just don't see how I am going to drop fat mass without the cardio. This is crazy. -TG | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder 
Posts: 229 |
Well your weight may not be the greatest indication...has your body composition changed. You may be catabolizing muscle and putting on water weight. You body will always try to protect itself, so when you give it limited calories it will eliminate unnecessary calorie expenditures [ie maintinence of muscle mass] and it will store more available calories as fat. How is your water intake? If its too low your body will suck on water..same logic as above..if it doesnt expect to get more soon it will hold on to what you give it. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1044 |
I would venture the guess that your metabolism is shot to hell. 1700 calories is damn near starving for a serious bodybuilder. Your body will "hoarde" what it can to basically save itself. The point of the metabolism slow down is so that your body doesn't starve. All the exercise you are putting your body through is already creating a great need for calories to maintain and survive then you go and only eat 1700 calories...which is low for a woman let alone a trained bodybuilder. I would ease way off the cardio and up the calories. Sounds weired but it will get your metabolism going agian. I think that by upping the calories you will actually start to loose weight again. I myself would never go below 3000 calories a day. I don;t know if you have time for this but I would take a week off and during that off week slowly begin to raise calories again. Then come back fresh and rested and your metabilism should be up and running again. ------------------ [This message has been edited by Beezers (edited January 19, 2001).] | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 868 |
I drink over two gallons of water per day, every day of my life. -TG | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 218 |
I agree with what has been said. As far as pro BB's are concerned they are usually taking alot of Clen , ECA , and Cytomel that Keep in mind that cardio is used by pro BB's to burn calories. If you are burning all of the calories you want from dieting then cardio for that purpose is not needed. For most people it is just easier to burn fat with cardio then trying to diet perfectly all of the time. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 868 |
Ronin, I'd much rather diet perfectly than get up at 5:30 every morning to do an hour of cardio. It gets old really quick. I'm just completely baffled. Breezers, I forgot to mention that I'm on ECA too. Yeah, f'n weird isn't it? I don't want to lose my muscle, so I think I may lighten up the cardio a bit. An hour per day, six days per week is getting to me. Thanks for ALL the insights! | ||
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Cool Novice 
Posts: 30 |
to lose fat and get cut all you have to do is burn more calories then you take in. That's all... | ||
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Cool Novice
Posts: 12 |
Beezers, Awesome post!!! I agree 100%. Cardio sux!!! If people would learn how to manipulate their diet better, then fat loss would come without much muscle loss while doing no cardio. It bugs the hell out of me when people say that cardio must be done to lose fat. Cardio and Gear have one thing in common...the public is so very misinformed about both of them. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 276 |
i get good results with 20 min of cardio after lifting. nothing strenuous just a fast walk on the treadmill ------------------  | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder 
Posts: 344 |
Forget about fatloss...cardio is good for your heart. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1116 |
i'd love to see who has a better cardiovascular system, an anti-cardio BBer or one that does cardio. I have a heart rate in the low 40's. I don't know about all BBs, but King Kamali and Gunter Howeveryouspellit are both big on the cardio. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 860 |
In the last week and a half that I've been off fina, I've been trying to cutt up a little more. I'm not doing any cardio, except for maybe 1-2days week on my off days. I've dropped my caloric intake and probably cut my carbs in half. I'm taking 6 adipos/day and in the last week and a half I'm astounded with my results so far. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1044 |
d1734. I understand there are health issue but that is not what hardcore bodybuilding is about. In the final stages before a competition it is about the physique and WINNING. Not who is going to run a mile in the fastest time. When a bodybuilders career is over then is when the health issues as far as cardiovascular health come into play. Most who are competing don't give a rats ass about having incredible aerobic endurance. And just because you can pound out the cardio does'nt make one healthier than another. Lifting intensely will keep the cardiovascular system in good shape. You may not be able to run a marrathon but that is not the purpose of bodybuilding...It's about the physique. ------------------ | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 868 |
Breezers, have you ever taken AS while doing cardio? The reason I ask is I was curious to know if you experienced any appreciable muscle loss while on the AS. I honestly don't think I have lost any muscle mass at all because I am on AS while cutting, but without BF measurements, I guess I can't be too sure. Anyway, I totally agree with all of you. Cardio does eventually burn muscle and impede muscular growth. But sometimes it seems as if it is the quickest way to lose fat. When you go on a low cal diet, your body will lower its metabolism. However, when you add cardio, your metabolism has no choice but to rise. Combine that with weight training, and no matter how little you eat, your body has no choice but to use its stored calories. I know that when I look at a marathon runner, or people who just run in general, they are generally very skinny. Yet, sometimes if you look very closely at them, they are skinny, yet flabby. Obviously the body has sensed a certain type of stress, in the form of running, and delt with it accordingly, by canabolizing the muscle tissue. But I would never run for my choice of cardio. I do think you will burn muscle if you jog or run. I would much rather stay at 65% of your max heartrate and give the body a chance to oxidize the stored fat for fuel. Who knows. I just can't see Ron Coleman running on a treadmill to get cut. There is no way. Hell, he got winded just walking around on The Tonight Show. I think most of the pros achieve their looks with ultra strict diet consisting of low cal, switched with low carb for variety. Of course they probably take some stimulants along with that diet. Thoughts? -TG | ||
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Cool Novice
Posts: 12 |
Thank you Beezers. Having the ability to run a marathon or perform nonstop cardio or aerobics does not ensure anyone of a healthy cardiovascular system. The only thing it ensures is that you'll be conditioned to perform those activities better. Why does a person's heartrate increase when they're performing cardio??? Are they only working the heart and nothing else in the body??? NO! They're utilizing their muscles, so the heart and entire cardiovascular has to compensate for the increased demand being placed on the muscles, which results in their increase in output (increased heartrate, labored breathing). SO, wouldn't it make more sense to work the muscular system as hard as possible (hence...strength training)??? Makes sense to me. Besides, running and aerobics hurts my knees. AND, I don't want to look like one of those skinny POW looking people either. Then again. if it floats your boat, go for it! Just my 2 pennies. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1116 |
Beezers, I still say that even for a hardcore BBer moderate amounts of cardio (30 mins) are very useful and will not result in any muscle loss whatsoever, as long as proper precautions are taken. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 62 |
Some good info bro's, however what works for one persons body can be totally different to another persons. I guess it all comes down to the ectomorph\endomorph\mesomorph. Gymbob. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1044 |
d1734...Absolutely moderate amounts of cardio are fine and won't impede on muscle mass if diet and training are correct, but moderation is the key. Most people get far too carried away. "Well a little works so a lot more must be better". That's when people get into trouble. "Well, if I burn 500 calories just walking I bet I can burn 1000 if I run". They get carried away and it gets to a point where it becomes detrimental. I never said don't do cardio, but it must be done properly...just like lifting. It assists in burning extra calories...that's all. When you start talking about doing cardio for heart health then you are training in the aerobic heart rate zone which is when your body is no longer using much stored energy(fat) to carry out the process, it is using oxygen. What's the point of that. Moderation is the key. Slaving over cardio is not the answer that many people have become acustomed to. Again, there is no need to run a marathon...just burn a few extra calories. Lifting will keep the heart healthy, so there is no need to run mile after mile when you are just jepordizing lean body mass. ------------------ | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 344 |
I do 15-20 minutes of cardio after my STRENGTH TRAINING workouts. I do this to strengthen my heart, lower my BP, cool down, keep bodyfat down, and of course there's all that lactic acid built up from your workout. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1333 |
Diet is not the only answer when trying to get cut. Sorry to say it but for my show I was on a cutting cycle, ate as clean as any human can possibly do and STILL needed to do cardio. Have seen the folks backstage who said they don't do cardio and see they all have something in common as in no trophy. That said I am lean now at 8% and do no cardio. For a contest on stage its a must no question about it. To keep lean and at a low bodyfat than diet does the trick. | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 373 |
i think a bb's cardio shouldn't be anything but walikng on a treadmill.And even that is not necessary to burn fat if you have the right calorie intake.i was able to get as cut as 6-7% bf just dieting and waking for half an hour a day.(primo helped also) | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 320 |
Cardio is great for your health(heart). Cardio also burns up alot of calories, which in the long run will turn most people's muscles flat and smooth. I say don't put the extra cals in your mouth and keep the cardio to a minimum. |
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posted January 19, 2001 09:04 AM