First of all, I understand that solid nutrition and a caloric deficit are huge parts of a successful cutting routine, just like a strength/muscle mass base built by lifting heavy, otherwise you will just reveal some scrawny muscles. I also understand that HIIT, heavy lifting and generally strenuous exercise helps in ramping up the metabolism and burning extra calories as a result of EPOC. On the other hand, low-medium intensity exercise, mostly aerobic, like brisk walking / cycling ( at a low intensity ) / swimming ( at a low intensity ), does not result to a massive afterburn/EPOC effect but it DOES burn a lot of calories while doing the exercise, if done for a good amount of time. So, let's say you have to lose fat as fast as possible and this is your one and only goal - no sports obligations etc -,while maintaining your strength and muscle mass levels as high as possible. Again, I'm talking about fat loss, not weight loss. Also, let's say that you have changed your nutrition as much as you can right now, creating a solid nutrition plan with a small caloric deficit OR at least a situation where calories in = calories out, without adding the exercise. If your one and only goal was fat loss and regarding nutrition you had those exact conditions, what would you do training-wise to accelerate the situation? -Please explain your opinion as analytically and as precisely as you can. To answer my own question, I have been thinking for quite a long time and I have concluded in something like this: (Protocol 1) Day 1: Strength Oriented Full Body Workout (Stronglifts,SS,other workouts) and maybe a conditioning finisher / circuit to burn some extra calories at the end of the workout Day 2: Recovery, Low Intensity Cardio for 45+ minutes Day 3: Same as Day 1 Day 4: Same as Day 2 Day 5: Same as Day 1 Day 6: Same as Day 2 or maybe Medium Intensity Cardio (jogging, fast cycling etc) for 20+ minutes Day 7: Off After some weeks / months, I would add low intensity cardio at strength training Days to burn more calories. Also, I am aware that there can't be pure muscle mass gains, while being in a calories in < calories out situation, but there can be strength increase, as strength is a neuromuscular adaptation and can be increased without adding muscle, by the adaptation of the nervous system. I also know that, nevertheless, a nutrition plan with a caloric deficit isn't the ideal enviroment for strength increase and strength gains will stall after some time. (Protocol 2) On the other hand, and this is why I ask this question on the first place, many people, when cutting, drop the heavy lifting and focus on Circuit Training/Tabata/Giant Sets/Barbell Complexes etc, add medium intensity cardio(jogging etc), get their reps up, get the rest times down etc. Basically what they do is, they have their heart rate elevated for a much longer time via medium intensity cardio and circuit training etc which leads to more calories getting burned. Though, the afterburner effect in this situation is of a smaller rate and of course there is more muscle mass and strength loss. To end the post and add some other questions: -Which of those 2 protocols would you use for fat loss while maintaining your strength and muscle mass levels as high as possible? -If you have used any of these protocols or a variation of them for a good amount of time, could you please share your experience? Thanks in advance!
Wrong Forum First off you would probably have better luck had you posted this here http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=122 Maybe a mod will be kind enough to move it for you. Secondly, im not really qualified to give you the advice your looking for. I would however recommend a book called Evolution By Joe Manganiello, I very much enjoyed it and I think he hits on a lot of good points. You might find it useful, he was trained by Ron Mathews who has trained a lot of movie stars. Apart from that, it sounds like you have a fairly good idea where you are going. Good luck man.
I didn't post the thread in the Weight Training section because it covers cardio / aerobic training too, but if you guys think here is a better place then no problem You don't have to be qualified for anything man, just post your opinion and your thoughts! Thanks for the advice, I'll look for the book!
I'd eat a lot on days I was training and I'd eat very little on days I wasn't training. For more info, check out LeanGains.
Your goal is just to fat, whilst minimising the amount of lean tissue you lose as a by-product, right? So nutritionally you are going to want to maintain a high protein diet, particularly on workout days. You are going to want lots of high intensity work. I'd remove the low intensity work from the recovery days or at least shorten it to make it a true recovery workout Lots of sleep. Like 8+ hours a night. Again, I'd go an do exactly what Martin from LeanGains proposes. His results and those of his clients speak for themselves.
this bears reading, as it is concise and awesome, even if it doesn't go into heavy details: www.pushingitfurther.com/breaking-strength-plateaus-part-1-nutrition/ as far as specific training for how to do it... i'm not even sure if there's a consensus on that (there probably is but i'm unaware). that said, t-nation recently put this article out: https://www.t-nation.com/training/regular-cardio-will-make-you-fat since meadows is hugely respected in bodybuilding AND powerlifting (dave tate has his methods before), i'd be inclined to listen to him as far as WHAT to do, specifically, well, i bloody hate doing cardio, so i'd probably opt with KB swings, some sort of thruster, or barbell complexes if it were me (or some crossfit, like i did in december, but that's expensive ), but i'd guess as long as it fits with the two categories meadows mentions, it shouldn't matter that much. also, non-cardio-wise, lots and lots of volume on compound lifts for general glorious energy wastage
oh, and re: IF in general, not necessarily leangains, berardi's pdf is pretty informative, so if you haven't read it, it might have some interesting stuff to ponder.
Will check it, thanks man! I've read both articles, and as you've maybe seen in my first post I am inclined in the either really low or really high intensity scheme too. The only thing is, HIIT burns me out and messes up with my recovery, that's why I have been thinking of just a HIIT finisher after strength training and low intensity cardio in recovery days. And I agree, compound lifts all the way. Right! Well,about sleep, I try to sleep 7+ hours but generally, I get 6 hours a day usually. Though, I know that this can be easily changed after 2-3 days of trying to sleep at a different time than usual. I've read Martin Berkhan's stuff, time to do it again
intermittent fasting through leangains has some issues regarding a lack of studies associated with it while a protein sparing modified fast, having protein, not whey cos insulin, seems to have a much safer, in terms of maintaning mass, and maintainable approach due to the anabolic response to regular protein intake HIIT and IF is pointless is you are sedentary for long periods of time (theres loads of studies on sedentary behaviour that show increases in insulin resistance after just a short period of being still which defeats the point in lowering insulin resistance through IF). So if you are super tired to keep active (walk frequently) the rest of the day or next few days from HIIT work then it is pointless to do the HIIT work. just walk around more. if you add in more HIIT it will increase calorie expenditure dramatically but it will also be much much harder to recover if you also cut calories so you might have to play around with higher calories to maintain a negative intake that doesnt destroy your performance. you could just try walking more everyday. just go for an easy walk with a friend for an hour everyday. recovery is nil and calories expenditure is the same as a short HIIT session. you can eat less calories overall this way and not feel like crap daily from lifting and MA as you would do with HIIT. sleep in also magic. sleep more
but walking is BORING! also, the ppl at fitocracy just posted this: http://www.fitocracy.com/knowledge/...orton-puts-the-seven-minute-workout-to-shame/ you prolly need an account to see it, so if you can't be bothered, it's like this: the rest of the page is basically summarized as "layne is a fitness science big name, we asked him what's the best 15min fat loss program, he said this: [thingy]. also, you can train with layne or sign up for fitocracy's group coaching. also, log your workouts on fitocracy"
he's just doing ATP sprint intervals like they had in the UKSCA journal last year on rugby player cardio, i took photos of the journal on my phone and i do this for cardio sometimes... also tabata format vertical jumps, god my lungs
Thanks for the input man, much appreciated! I started SS yesterday, I'm gonna lift 3DAW (days a week) and I'll try to make walking a habit of mine. If at some point I see that I feel better at off-days ( something hard as weight will be increasing as time passes by ), I will maybe add one or two short HIIT sessions. I guess I will start listening to audiobooks while walking, no friend of mine walks for physical activity. Though, it will be hard to make something such low intensity a habit, nowadays I like to go balls to the walls, get exhausted and go rest. Thanks for the link!
