A question for all that compete - Cardio

[Autino]

There are a ton of threads where people make suggestions, but I would like to see a thread where the contest prep community comes together and offers cardio/fat loss suggestions based on thier own trials.
Not regular bbers from the fat loss section, but people that do it, somewhat regularly, in some cases for a living.

So, if you have ever been on stage:

1. Do you do cardio?
2. What type?
3. How long per session?
4. How often per week?

5. What have you found to work the best for you when it comes to fat loss?

[stayfit2008]

My cardio regiment: 16 minute HIT sessions twice/week on recumbant bike. all the way through prep.maybe the last three weeks before show I add two sessions of moderate cardio on treadmill full incline aprox. 20-25min. nothing exhausting.

remember tho,..it's really the diet that gets one shredded.

[Togoro]

First off, and anyone who competes will agree 100%, stayfit is right, it's really all the diet. Cardio is just another tool to get us sharp.

1. Yes

2. HIIT followed by mild intensity

3. Range from 15 minutes to 60

4. Range from 3-10x per week

5. HIIT definitely is my favorite for fat loss

Keep in mind, most people(myself included) will have their cardio regime vary a great deal throughout their entire prep. When I begin a 16 week prep, I'll only be doing 15-20 minutes of cardio 3x a week. When I'm 1-2 weeks out i'm doing upwards of 8-10 hours of cardio a week. The body will always adapt to whatever stimulus you throw at it, you you have to be constantly changing.

[Autino]

Thanks to both of you for the replies.

You mentioned that for fat loss you prefer HIIT.
Do you notice better results with HIIT or do you just prefer HIIT over LISS as a personal preference?

[stayfit2008]

hey whats up togoro? West PA huh,..I'm from the armpit of the state,..erie.

[stayfit2008]

Originally Posted by Autino

Thanks to both of you for the replies.

You mentioned that for fat loss you prefer HIIT.
Do you notice better results with HIIT or do you just prefer HIIT over LISS as a personal preference?

HIT keeps my diet in check.

[Autino]

Originally Posted by stayfit2008

hey whats up togoro? West PA huh,..I'm from the armpit of the state,..erie.

My Girlfriends sister has decided to move back to Erie..
Just just did a test run for 3 weeks. Got back Monday.
She wanted to make sure that if she was going to move back, that she could stand the cold..
Looks like she is packing up...

[Autino]

Originally Posted by stayfit2008

HIT keeps my diet in check.

Would you mind elaborating on that point?

[stayfit2008]

Originally Posted by Autino

My Girlfriends sister has decided to move back to Erie..
Just just did a test run for 3 weeks. Got back Monday.
She wanted to make sure that if she was going to move back, that she could stand the cold..
Looks like she is packing up...

No,No ,no, it's not too late is it?,..haha. Erie is oK I guess.

Originally Posted by Autino

Would you mind elaborating on that point?

HIT, as long as I do it per schedule,..my BF drops as designed to in accordance with my diet,..aprox. 1-2lbs/week.

[Autino]

Thanks!
And you do your 16 minutes of HIT on the bike?

How does it look?
30 high
30 low
30 high

etc?

[stayfit2008]

Originally Posted by Autino

Thanks!
And you do your 16 minutes of HIT on the bike?

How does it look?
30 high
30 low
30 high

etc?

remember,..it's the recumbant bike. I set it on fat burner and monitor the RPM's when I hit the peak, aprox. 30 seconds I go all out,..about 115 rpm. during the lower levels I keep the pace about 95 rpm. after 16 min. of this my legs are bursting with veins! I also set the resistance at 12 on a scale of 1-20. you may want to start out a bit more forgiving at first,..like about 6-8 or so until you develope enough stamina. Also,..I recommend cardio on days you dont lift. look in the beginning of my thread in this section (contest prep) it spells out my split, which I think would work for anyone. and my diet as well.

[cmamath13]

I have been competing as a natural bodybuilder since 1990. I have had my ups and downs, but I always strive to learn and improve my results. My experience has taught me that there are many ways of prepping for a show and they can all work. You just need to make a decision on your strategy and stick with it. Plus, you body may respond differently to the same strategy from year to year.

1. Do you do cardio? Yes, but depending on how my diet is going, I may drop it toward the end. I like to get into shape 2-3 weeks before show and then "coast in".
2. What type? Depends on energy levels. I do HIT, Low intensity (walking), or even traditional 30 minute cardio @ 75-85% HBM.
3. How long per session? 15 to 60 minutes. 16 min. HIT to 60 low intensity.
4. How often per week? Again, this depends. Usually 2-3.
5. What have you found to work the best for you when it comes to fat loss? When i comes down to it, it's more about the calories then the cardio IMHO. If my diet is good, then I can minimize cardio.

All the above is just my opinion. I still have a lot to learn. I was happy with the results from last year, but realize that I can improve my physique/condition next year.

[Cape1]

I was was over weight last time and needed a ton of cardio. This time I'm hoping to get away with less. My philosophy on cardio is pretty simple. Once you take care of working out your heart once a week, do as little cardio as possible to reach your goals. Right now, I'm doing three 20 minute low/mod intensity sessions, which is about maintenance.

[AustrianOakJr]

I did HIIT 2-3 times a week and then LIT cardio another 2-3 times per week. My total cardio towards the end was 5 days a week with a mix of the two methods. I would keep HIIT seperate from my legs training by at least a day on either side. My HIIT sessions were 25 minutes with warm up and cool down. My LIT were in the 30-45 min range. I agree that diet is 80% of it, but without the metabolic effects of the cardio, it would be hard to keep from griding to a halt.....especially for a body type like mine where im prone to carrying a good chunk of fat.

[Togoro]

When I do my HIIT, I prefer it to be something that puts more resistance on my legs, since that's a weak point for me. My personal preference is either the Step Mill, or the Stepper. Both work pretty well. I find that HIIT, imo, is alot more effective using this type of equipment than say, ellipticals or recumbant bikes, but again, that's just me.

Also, I try to do a little LISS after HIIT, because I feel that the HIIT frees up the fat, thus allowing the LISS to help burn more of it off. Not sure how accurate that really is though.

[Togoro]

Originally Posted by stayfit2008

hey whats up togoro? West PA huh,..I'm from the armpit of the state,..erie.

Haha! You truly are!

I've been to Erie a handful of times, and other than your big dirty lake, the only thing it has going on for itself is the Millcreek Mall.....and perhaps the mafia. An old roommate of mine was from Erie.

By the way, Stayfit, your physique absolutely blows me away. Truly inspiring, my friend.

[imccarthy]

Originally Posted by Togoro

When I do my HIIT, I prefer it to be something that puts more resistance on my legs, since that's a weak point for me. My personal preference is either the Step Mill, or the Stepper. Both work pretty well. I find that HIIT, imo, is alot more effective using this type of equipment than say, ellipticals or recumbant bikes, but again, that's just me.

Also, I try to do a little LISS after HIIT, because I feel that the HIIT frees up the fat, thus allowing the LISS to help burn more of it off. Not sure how accurate that really is though.

This has in fact been shown to be true... Lyle McDonald has written about it. Whether or not it will have noticeable effects... not easily to tell.

[FATHER FLEX]

Originally Posted by stayfit2008

My cardio regiment: 16 minute HIT sessions twice/week on recumbant bike. all the way through prep.maybe the last three weeks before show I add two sessions of moderate cardio on treadmill full incline aprox. 20-25min. nothing exhausting.

remember tho,..it's really the diet that gets one shredded.

That about does me!

Both HITT and LISS, and as little as possible of both! Cuz they both kinda suck in their own way. LOL

[Autino]

And how about your diet?
The basic 500 calorie deficiet with restricted carbs?

[ALLISONETHIER]

I do cardio pre contest - stepper, and running - the stepper is killer. I try to get interval training/HIIT in twice a week. Plus routine practice which is like sprinting.

No more than 30 mins per session - maybe 2-3 hours max per week.

None of this 4 hours a day stuff. No time.

I let my diet do most of the work.

A.

[Marco90]

In on epic thread

[FATHER FLEX]

Originally Posted by Autino

And how about your diet?
The basic 500 calorie deficiet with restricted carbs?

That is such a complex question that will vary so much from person to person. Same goes for your cardio, though I think most will agree that you should not rely on cardio to drop fat.

[stayfit2008]

Originally Posted by Autino

And how about your diet?
The basic 500 calorie deficiet with restricted carbs?

It's probably best you find your maintenance diet and go from there. Try to lose no more than 1-2lbs/week.

[devo09]

Originally Posted by imccarthy

This has in fact been shown to be true... Lyle McDonald has written about it. Whether or not it will have noticeable effects... not easily to tell.

he has also stated that LISS after HIIT can actually result in a much lower EPOC, which is why he suggests splitting up intervals

[Autino]

Originally Posted by stayfit2008

It's probably best you find your maintenance diet and go from there. Try to lose no more than 1-2lbs/week.

Care to share a sample of your daily diet whilst cutting for stage?

[stayfit2008]

Originally Posted by Autino

Care to share a sample of your daily diet whilst cutting for stage?

Check out my thread here in contest prep....the first page describes my diet for prep,..I think it would work for you considering you are the same height and weight as me.

[maryford]

Thirty minutes. After the first 5 minutes (max) I'm going hard for the remainder of the session. I prefer running with sprints. Number of sessions per week will vary depending on the athlete's metrate and needs.

[camaleom]

20 min LISS after WO...