How much cardio do you do when bulking/cutting?

[tomyurt7]

OK, so I heard that if you do too much cardio you can lose your gains when bulking (to be honest when I bulk I just do 5 mins to warm up and 5 mins after workout). But when it comes to cutting how much do you do? Like I'd assume the main point of cardio is to burn calories, but you're already consuming enough calories to lose weight when cutting, why is there so much importance given to cardio (unless you're eating excess calorie that would either maintain your weight or make you gain weight). How much would you recommend to do when bulking and cutting (together with 45min-1hr weight training)?

Also, when cutting how much calories do you need to consume? Like when bulking the general consensus is that you consume 500 more calories than maintenance (BMR+workout etc) to build muscle. But when cutting how many calories would you need - to lose weight you need to be eating less than maintenance calories or burning off the excess calories through cardio right - but will the body still retain the muscle if your calorie expenditure is less than maintenance?

So my question is, why do so much cardio unless you're wanting to eat more?

Off topic: How long do you usually bulk for, and how many lb would you have gained when bulking?I heard gaining more than 1lb a week is bad?

Sorry for all the questions, and thanks in advance

[SuffolkPunch]

None

I spend the time I have for training doing weights. Sometimes this might be complexes / circuit training but always involves weights.

I cut with a defecit of between 250 and 750 calories - I count calories consumed and grams of protein.

Yes, gaining more than 1lb a week is likely to be mostly fat.

[st3voness]

Bulk -> Gain some fat and LBM -> Cut.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the point of cardio to burn actual FAT, not necessarily just calories?

Isn't a good idea to eat maintenance level while keeping protein high, then cardio or lifting (let's say you burn 500 calories during that sesh). You've just created a 500 calorie deficit. Am I missing something?

[acrawlingchaos]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the point of cardio to burn actual FAT, not necessarily just calories?

Cardio only serves to create a calorie deficit, in terms of body composition.

[st3voness]

Cardio only serves to create a calorie deficit, in terms of body composition.

What burns actual fatty adipose then? Muscle?

[SuffolkPunch]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the point of cardio to burn actual FAT, not necessarily just calories?

Nope. If you want to start looking at individual bodily processes, you'll find that cardio burns a greater proportion of glycogen-to-bodyfat compared to sitting on your ass doing nothing.

But looking at individual processes out of context of the rest of your body's function is misleading. Ultimately, calories in vs. calories out determines how much weight is gained or lost. Before you ask, cardio that burns moderate amounts of calories does not have an influence on nutrient partitioning - i.e. no difference to how much energy goes into muscle building vs. fat storage.

[st3voness]

Nope. If you want to start looking at individual bodily processes, you'll find that cardio burns a greater proportion of glycogen-to-bodyfat compared to sitting on your ass doing nothing.

But looking at individual processes out of context of the rest of your body's function is misleading. Ultimately, calories in vs. calories out determines how much weight is gained or lost. Before you ask, cardio that burns moderate amounts of calories does not have an influence on nutrient partitioning - i.e. no difference to how much energy goes into muscle building vs. fat storage.

Appreciate the info.

So basically, to lose BF%, create a deficit. Easy enough.

[SuffolkPunch]

Appreciate the info.

So basically, to lose BF%, create a deficit. Easy enough.

Yep - one more snippet. If you know your bodyfat %age, your maximum daily defecit = your FAT mass in pounds x 30

So the defecit gets smaller as you get leaner.

Plus you need adequate protein (min 1g / lb of LEAN bodymass)

And weight training minimum 2x a week with enough intensity to persuade your body to keep the muscle tissue instead of burning it for fuel.

[st3voness]

Yep - one more snippet. If you know your bodyfat %age, your maximum daily defecit = your FAT mass in pounds x 30

So the defecit gets smaller as you get leaner.

Plus you need adequate protein (min 1g / lb of LEAN bodymass)

And weight training minimum 2x a week with enough intensity to persuade your body to keep the muscle tissue instead of burning it for fuel.

Thanks man. Appreciate all your help. I guess I was totally mislead with a lot of false information.

I'm currently on a bulk now, but I'm trying to get everything planned out for my cut in March (routine, supps, ect).

[acrawlingchaos]

Thanks man. Appreciate all your help. I guess I was totally mislead with a lot of false information.

I'm currently on a bulk now, but I'm trying to get everything planned out for my cut in March (routine, supps, ect).

When you cut, don't create too large of a calorie deficit. The larger the calorie deficit, the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Start with a 500 calorie deficit on your cut, if you don't feel you are losing quick enough, reduce by 100-200 calories.

[tomyurt7]

So when you're cutting you obviously keep weight training to retain the muscle but how much would a 1hr's weight-training burn calorie wise? 300-400? So if your maintenance is e.g. 2000 and you're burning e.g. 400 calories weight training/cardio you'd need to be eating 1900 calories (500 defiicit) right? I guess my main question is, is cardio necessary when cutting as long as you don't want to keep eating as much - hence the need for cardio to burn off the excess - if you just ate the necessary to keep 500 defiicit, then there's no need for cardio?

[st3voness]

When you cut, don't create too large of a calorie deficit. The larger the calorie deficit, the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Start with a 500 calorie deficit on your cut, if you don't feel you are losing quick enough, reduce by 100-200 calories.

Yeah, I think 500 is ideal. That's a pound a week lost.

[st3voness]

So when you're cutting you obviously keep weight training to retain the muscle but how much would a 1hr's weight-training burn calorie wise? 300-400? So if your maintenance is e.g. 2000 and you're burning e.g. 400 calories weight training/cardio you'd need to be eating 1900 calories (500 defiicit) right? I guess my main question is, is cardio necessary when cutting as long as you don't want to keep eating as much - hence the need for cardio to burn off the excess - if you just ate the necessary to keep 500 defiicit, then there's no need for cardio?

Essentially.

I would do a little cardio just for cardiovascular health. Personally, I play a lot of sports, so endurance conditioning is a must for me.

[JourneymanDave]

What burns actual fatty adipose then? Muscle?

Any energy-consuming process in your body could burn energy from fatty tissues. Skeletal muscle is the largest consumer, but not the only one. Keeping your other systems (i.e. brain) operating also requires a fair bit of energy. The thing is though, when you're looking at what you have significant control over, skeletal muscle is about it. You're not going to voluntarily increase the size of your digestive tract, for example.

So yes, if you want to ramp up calorie burn, increasing the amount of skeletal muscle - and using it - are your two primary tools.

[Yablargo]

The thing I never really understood here, we know that fairly low intensity steady state cardio burns a higher fat % than e.g full blast running.

I understand its a time thing, but In my case I'm sitting at ~15% bf and would just like to get to ~12%. So we are talking about 6 lbs of gut. I am ~192 and pretty lean and keep pretty much all of it in my gut.

I want to keep gaining strength, and cut out a few % BF. If I have unlimited free time (I don't but lets just say...), couldn't I still eat a proper post-workout meal, then before bed (again lets make an extreme case), do ~900 calories worth of "fat burning zone" low impact cardio? I guess my big question is why isn't the net result putting on some strength and still losing body fat?

Lets say I wake up at 6am and workout. Eat normal throughout the day and have a good postworkout meal. Then at 10PM, I do the cardio -- Can't I burn more fat than I put on the rest of the day?

Any energy-consuming process in your body could burn energy from fatty tissues. Skeletal muscle is the largest consumer, but not the only one. Keeping your other systems (i.e. brain) operating also requires a fair bit of energy. The thing is though, when you're looking at what you have significant control over, skeletal muscle is about it. You're not going to voluntarily increase the size of your digestive tract, for example.

So yes, if you want to ramp up calorie burn, increasing the amount of skeletal muscle - and using it - are your two primary tools.

[liketobodybuild]

I don't do cardio, but...

You asked why ppl do cardio? U wot m8?
To improve general health..?

[JusF13]

I just do my job. Very strenuous labor with no breaks, always on my feet, lifting and running around involved.

[ReBjorn]

Yep - one more snippet. If you know your bodyfat %age, your maximum daily defecit = your FAT mass in pounds x 30

So the defecit gets smaller as you get leaner.

Plus you need adequate protein (min 1g / lb of LEAN bodymass)

And weight training minimum 2x a week with enough intensity to persuade your body to keep the muscle tissue instead of burning it for fuel.

I am on a slow cut at the moment to get back down below 15% (currently ~18% if I am correct). This is pretty much exactly how I am going about it.

My cardio is limited to a quick warm-up on the treadmill (~5 minutes) and a little bit of Martial Arts in my spare time at home to brush off the old cobwebs.

For me, the rest is done by decreasing my diet a little bit (while keeping protein at an addequate level for my body size).

By doing this, I am losing around 50-100gms per day. Which is not an especially fast lost, but I am in no rush and it fits within my goals