# Cardio



## thebull2012 (Feb 26, 2013)

It seems that the more I read, the more I confuse myself. Everything I read contradicts the other, every person I talk to has a different answer. So at this point I'm lost as ever. 

Cardio: If it takes 3500 cals burned to lose one pound of fat and I am creating a deficit of 300 cals per day via cardio and another 300 per day via diet, why is the "fat burning zone" so important? 

For example: if I can burn my target cals (300) in say 20 mins, then that contradicts the "fat burning zone" which from what I've read you need to be getting 30 to 45 mins of cardio to "tap into your fat stores" So the two contradicts each other and I don't really know what to do anymore. Am I thinking too much about it? 

Then to complicate things, there is HIIT. You obviously don't "tap into your fat stores" in 15 mins of HIIT. So why/how does this work? And why aren't the pros doing HIIT. Everything I read about them is one to two hours of cardio per day?

Basically I'm just wondering if I can get 300 cals burned in twenty mins, then can I cut out the 45 mins of cardio I am currently doing. If I can get by with less why not. Why do I have to "tap into the fat burning zone" if 300 cals is burned in x amount of mins?


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## thebrick (Feb 26, 2013)

Personally what has worked best for me was the longer lower intensity cardio. The fat came off and the muscle was spared.

From my understanding, if your heart rate gets too high, your body wants to burn a fast fuel, so its going for the glycogen in the muscle and liver first. Even muscle protein will get used.


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## Gj (Feb 26, 2013)

I've used long slow distance and high intensity cardio for 2 different preps. They both worked. Pick one stick with it and make sure diet is on point and you are consistent and the fat will come off.


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## Enigmatic707 (Feb 27, 2013)

It's not always calories vs calories out.

To over simplify it a bit- some times your body will do more or less work with a single calorie. So running a mile one day may take 400 calories and then a month later under different physiological circumstances it may only take 280 calories. 

These are the delicate things that one has to take into account when dieting.


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## thebull2012 (Feb 27, 2013)

So what about the x amount of mins burns x amount of cals. Is it just a good rule of thumb to atleast burn 300 in a session. Or what do I need to be focusing on? Time or the cals or...???


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## Gj (Feb 27, 2013)

If you have starting points like starting weight, calories per day,cardio per day, if you don't lose weight after a week you either increase cardio or decrease calories conssumed or both. Each week you'll more than likely have to tweak things till you reach your goal.


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## AtomAnt (Feb 27, 2013)

I am a fan of HIIT.  I've found that LISS works well for me when performed in a fasted state, generally first thing in the AM.  However, since my schedule doesn't necessarily allow for AM cardio on a regular basis, I adopted HIIT as my main form of cardio, in which case you don't need to be in a fasted state to reap the fat loss benefits since the EPOC effect of HIIT is primarily responsible for the fat loss.

Scott Stevenson wrote an article about the effect, which can be found here: http://www.scottstevensonphd.com/336ripped_EPOCv2_16-10-18.pdf


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## snoopy (Mar 1, 2013)

I take cardio at a steady pace with heart rate elevated, and of course a good diet.


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## Ironbuilt (Mar 7, 2013)

I agree with snoopy
Slow and steady wins the race which is similar to the bricks reply.
Of course cardio helps warm up before the weights thus more weight used and fat loss burned.


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## turbobusa (Mar 9, 2013)

I use both when not being a cardio neglectful dumbass. I condition my self with 
Hit and low during a session. Once I get my lungs/heart in reasonable shape I can switch back to low intensity at a higher level. Thanks, T


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## santi1177 (Mar 13, 2013)

I like to mix my cardio up personally.  I do HIIT, slow and straight running with very little muscle loss


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## xmen1234 (Mar 14, 2013)

Cardio is just a necessary evil.


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## Ironbuilt (Mar 14, 2013)

Tren kills my cardio so I skip tren..I got enuf lung issues from a past health scare.

Anyone else have cardio issue on trensky?


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## Ed17447 (Mar 14, 2013)

Ironbuilt said:


> Tren kills my cardio so I skip tren..I got enuf lung issues from a past health scare.
> 
> Anyone else have cardio issue on trensky?




my guess would be fluid buildup, which makes the heart work harder. Deca kills my cardio and both deca and tren produce prolactin induced fluid build up.


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## SoccerDad (Mar 14, 2013)

I look at sprinters -- by definition, HIIT.  They are ripped and built.  I read on Mark's Daily Apple that very low intensity cardio, as in walking, might be better that long duration cardio.  

I am a soccer ref.  I do high school games.  During the season is when I am lowest bf%, and that is all HIIT.  I sprint, then walk or jog, sprint again, maybe even almost stand for a few seconds, etc.

I think that the length of time that one does LISS matters.  If it is only once or twice per week, your body may not think it better start holding fat because you are trying to turn into a marathoner.  But if you do it more often for a longer time period, it will probably try to adapt and keep the fat for the energy it believes it will be needing.


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## Old Man River (Mar 14, 2013)

Bull2012. Mirror, mirror, on the wall who's the fattest of them all? Keep it simple, and pick one of slow and steady or fast and short for 2 weeks each. Write down how you feel and ask the Mirror who is the fittest of all ! Later, OMR


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## Ironbuilt (Mar 14, 2013)

Old Man River said:


> Bull2012. Mirror, mirror, on the wall who's the fattest of them all? Keep it simple, and pick one of slow and steady or fast and short for 2 weeks each. Write down how you feel and ask the Mirror who is the fittest of all ! Later, OMR



Think the new guru has been found..perfect sense
I'm need island pics omr


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## jameshundson (Jan 3, 2014)

I incorporate a 20-minute cardio session following ymy weight training workouts.


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## lycan Venom (Jan 3, 2014)

diets and cardio and muscle  building are not ask exact science...  that's why there are so many answers,  to many variables because of the genetics.

 honestly,  the only way your going to find out is to experiment and or just confuse the shit out of your body by not keeping to a schedule. eratic conditions and fasting have shown to actually  be more beneficial.

 people here might think im stupid, but look at long distance runners from africa... skinny, look young and basically starved. fasting does something miraculous, I did it and I swear by it.

fasting, long hard physical labor, work out, and test e 250 ew+ mast e 200 ew + tren e 200 ew + anavar 50mg daily + clen daily = fast results, bye bye fat, hello new lean muscle and super human strength

just my experience... went from 230 20%bf to 160 7%bf in 8-10 weeks.


 don't flame me guys, its just my honest experience and research. if I really need to cite works, ill try my best in a timely manner to find and post


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## d2r2ddd (Jan 3, 2014)

Holy shit! 70lbe in 10wks?!!! Very impressive!
:headbang:

When u say fasting, Are u referring to Intermittent fasting?


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## lycan Venom (Jan 3, 2014)

fasting for me was menudo or  something small and light and sometimes nothing at all at 4am with coffee prior to work. Industrial electrician apprentice so I was the  hard worker & go get boy  which made my day sll HIT cardio, most of the time no snack or at least a protein bar but no lunch, worked 10hr/6days.. then p90x/insanity/ my own military PT cardio and then protien, bcaas, n.o. & creatine pre w.o.  and then a  small carb/protien dinner. at least 3 days id go no food dswn to dusk but those days I had tren anger and I was starving but after the 3rd week you get used to it. had Sundays as a free for all gorging.

I busted my ass burning more than 3000 cals a day just by cardio and then my cal intake daily was only 1000-1500 creating another deficit... the tren helped a lot to  stay anabolic and still build muscle or maintain it.

 I'm  Christian  but my bro in law converted to islam and he started to fast. saw the changes in him gave it a try. I wouldn't have been able to do it with out the gear tho!

 hard labor etiquette  as in running instead of walking and doing everything fast, racquet ball, mma gracie jujitsu, boxing and rock climbing helped to burn fat and regain speed.

it wasnt easy but I was dedicated and I  forgot to mention I took snavar too  and kept my weight muscle gains/fullness/sick ass ripped definition for over 6mo.


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## rockettrip (Jan 6, 2014)

Tren and hiit can literally kill, if tren then 120 Bpm steady state, even a intense set if squats can put u I hyper ventilation if sensitive to tren, please b careful


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## jameshundson (Feb 8, 2014)

lycan Venom said:


> diets and cardio and muscle  building are not ask exact science...  that's why there are so many answers,  to many variables because of the genetics.
> 
> honestly,  the only way your going to find out is to experiment and or just confuse the shit out of your body by not keeping to a schedule. eratic conditions and fasting have shown to actually  be more beneficial.
> 
> ...



It may work for you bur not for every one. Due to fasting your body may go into "starvation mode" if don't eat adequately, causing you to gain more weight rather than losing  weight.


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## AtomAnt (Feb 10, 2014)

Can you psot pictures of what you looked like after your fasting diet?  

I have personal experience with fasting and can say it will help with weight loss and maintenance but NOT with gaining muscle.  This follows science as it has been studied over and again (a lot of work done by Layne Norton actually) that multiple spikes and declines in blood amino acid levels result in increased protein synthesis and positive nitrogen balance. 

I think we can all agree that fasting puts one in a negative energy state (more energy going out than coming in) and in a negative energy state there is a negative nitrogen balance.  Repeated and prolonged periods of a negative energy balance decreased overall body mass through decreased skeletal muscle mass and fat mass... AAS may augment some of this effect, but you are certainly not putting yourself in the optimal position for maintaining lean tissue while dieting.  Ref: Skeletal Muscle Responses to Negative Energy Balance: Effects of Dietary Protein


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## SteveAllen (Feb 11, 2014)

I must say that cardio is good exercise for everyone. It is good for strength and flexibility. We can easily reduce weight and can make our body strong and healthy. I do cardio exercises daily.
Brienshamp Boot Camp


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