I suggest that everyone reads this carefully and understands the theory and science behind how food works in the body. What type of foods will do what and why. What your muscles need and what type of exercise is best.

I have broken this down into 4 sections.

1. Nutrition
2. Cardio
3. Weight Lifting
4. Common questions.

MHR = Max heart rate
GI = Glycemic index
Carb = Carbohydrate

Nutrtion

The first mistake people make is with how much they eat. I’ve seen people on this bored consuming less than 1500 calories a day. that is just plain DANGEROUS. sure your going to lose weight, but your body is using your lean muscle tissue as a fuel source.

Cutting calories is not the answer to lose fat. When you reduce your calorie intake, you infact slow down your metabolism. Your body is a very smart machine, it knows how much and what you need. and when you reduce your food intake your body begins to "hold on" to its resources, primarily fat, using muscle as a first resort.

the "smart" way to lose fat and build a muscular lean phyqiue is to reduce your maintenance caloric base by 200-300 MAX. this is how many calories you consume per day to lose no weight, or gain weight.

The key to a successful diet is a well balanced diet.

Many people worry about cutting carbs while they cut, carb’s are not out to get your! It’s simply the type of carb and its affect on your body. Below I shall explain how it all works.

The glycemic index of a food simply determines how fast and how much affect a certain carb will have on the body.

Carb  glucose  insulin  muscle/organ/fat, etc

Example:

When someone eats something like white bread, a high GI carb. It is rapidly turned into glucose, causing a bit of a panic attack in your body. Your body quickly secrets insulin into your body, transporting it as quickly as possible to the most readily available source, fat tissue! Not to mention this type of fast digesting carb (high GI carbs) will cause hunger pains and your body will beg for more food.

When someone eats something like oatmeal, a low GI carb. It is slowly turned into glucose and enters your blood. Your bodies immediate response is to get rid of the glucose in your blood, hence the pancreas releases insulin to get rid of the glucose. Your insulin will than transport the nutrients obtained from this into your body (muscles, organs, etc). Since oatmeal has a low GI it is also slowly turned into glucose and slowly digested in the body. Something that is digested slower will have minimal affect on blood sugar and will keep you feeling fuller, longer, curving ones appetite.

Consuming fat with a high GI carb is even worse, not only do you store the carbs as fat, but the added fat as well!

Basic example of a diet

Meal 1 (for those doing HIIT cardio): 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal with whey isolate mixed in. OR 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal with lean protein source OR low gi fruit with lean protein source.

** Morning Cardio **

Meal 2: ½ cup cooked oatmeal with whey isolate and one red grape fruit. OR ½ cup cooked oatmeal with lean protein source with a low gi fruit.

Meal 3: 1 scoop whey isolate with 1-2 tsp of flax oil.

Meal 3: low GI fruit with lean protein source

Meal 4: low GI carb with lean protein source

** Lifting Session **

Meal 5: Post workout protein shake with dextrose OR 1 banana with protein shake

Meal 6: 1 cup brown rice with lean protein source

Meal 7: 2 cups green beans with lean protein source

How much calories/carb/fat/protein do I need?

Everyone is different, but a good rule of thumb is to follow 10-12 times your body weight in calories. And break down the protein/carb/fat into 40/40/20 split or 50/30/20 split respectively.

Everyone should avoid unhealthy fats such as saturated and trans fats. Not all fats are bad, infact fat is essential for vital brain and organ function. EFA’s or essential fatty acids as they are called are very important.

Some good sources of fat’s are

Almonds
Flax Oil
Salmon Oil
Olive Oil

Many people will argue saying you need to measure your lean body mass, but you really do not need to do that. Everyone is different.

Always start off at the higher end of the scale. For the first few weeks of your program, consume 12 times your body weight, if you find little or no change, cut down your intake by 100 calories and continue the program and make revisions every few weeks.

Before you lift weights you want to consume a low gi carb accompanied by a lean protein source and start your workout 1-2 hrs after you consume this meal. Your body will use all those nutrients to fuel and power threw your workout

The only time you want to consume a high GI carb is after a workout. This is because your blood glucose level is so slow your bodies first priority is to replenish them. So whatever you consume after a workout, even if it’s a protein shake will go directly to replenishing blood sugar levels and muscle glycogen, once this is done, your body is “primed” to absorb all the nutrients primarily into the muscle tissue.

Consuming such as a whey isolate after a workout with a high GI carb source wont do much for you, the majority of the protein will go towards replenishing the glycogen levels.

After your post workout shake your blood glucose levels will begin to drop again within 30-45 minutes, this is where you want to have a meal such as brown rice and a lean protein souce. It is important to note that consuming solid food during this time is essential! After a workout it is best to absorb something such as whey isolate because isolate is absorbed within 30 minutes. Now we want something that will be broken down and absorbed much longer.

Cardio

Cardio is a major and very important role in developing your lean physique. Now there are two ways about going about this. Moderate intensity for a longer period of time, vs HIIT

45min @ 65-75% of your MHR. One must never exceed 75%, personally I aim for 70% and keep it to that point as close as possible. The theory behind this type of cardio is that in the morning on an empty stomach, your body will burn mostly fat, entering a phase called “lyposis”.

HIIT. This high intensity isn’t for everybody. HIIT will blast your metabolism and use a lot of energy in your body, this is why it is essential to eat before performing HIIT cardio in the morning.

Which one works best? For me, the longer duration cardio proved most effective, the HIIT obviously worked for me, but I found the 45min cardio to be much more effective because your body actually uses fat for fuel vs speeding up your metabolism for the rest of the day. Regardless of the cardio, your metabolism will get a kick start.

My advice is to try both for two weeks each, in the end, they both work.

It is also best to separate your cardio and weight training sessions by several hours. Doing cardio before or after will eat up nutrients in your body which should be used towards your workout/post workout recovery.

Max heart rate = 220 - AGE..

Example for someone who is 18 years old.

220-18 = 202

65% = 202 x .65 = 131.3

75% = 202 x .75 = 151.5

Weight Lifting

It is commonly thought that when trying to cut or “tone” muscle, one has to decrease the weight and increase the reps, this simply isn’t true.

MAX OT has proven (for me) and many many others to be the most effective way of building muscle. Muscle burns fat, and building muscle the fastest way possible using MAX OT principals is proven very effective.

Basically you want to train 2-3 body parts a day, each muscle only once a week, and do 4-6 reps per exercise and do no more than 10 exercises per body part. Some muscles require more than 4-6 reps such as forearms and calfs which require 6-8 if not more.

Questions

Q: Should I do cardio in the morning on an empty stomach?

A: The answer depends on the type of cardio you choose to perform. Moderate intensity cardio is proved most effective on an empty stomach in the morning. However, performing high intensity cardio such as HIIT will hinder muscle development. The reason being is HIIT is called “anaerobic” meaning, without air. The human body simple can’t burn fat or build muscle without air. Once a person has reached the anaerobic level, exceeding 75% max heart rate for longer than 10 seconds the body relies on carbs as a fuel source. First thing in the morning, your body has no carbs, so muscle is the next fuel source.

Q: Should I lift weights on an empty stomach

A: This is a definite no! Your body requires an extreme amount of resources to lift weights. Your body has no choice but to use it’s own muscle for fuel during a workout session. How logical is it to lift weights, trying to build muscle, while you are using the muscle as a fuel source!

the "smart" way to lose fat and build a muscular lean phyqiue is to reduce your maintenance caloric base by 200-300 MAX.
So how do you recommend determining the maintenance caloric base?

I don't think a lot of the assertions you make in your 'unofficial' thread are very applicable as a general cutting guide. Most of the people reading this (including me) are new to health changes and exercise regimens, and I don't think anybody should start right off with MAX-OT or HIIT. While this may be an 'optimal' guide to perfect cutting, it should not be put in practice as you describe it for the majority of the readers on this site who are new to weight loss and looking for cutting advice.

My 'unofficial' guide to cutting would be:

1.eat 10-12 times your body weight in calories of healthy, wholesome food. Eat regularly to stimulate your metabolism (5 or more small meals throughout the day) Avoid saturated fat and sugary or processed food. Get enough protein (1 g per pound of weight a day is recommended) Drink water!
2.exercise regularly with fat burning in mind
3.build muscle mass to help burn fat
4.don't overdo it - know your limits
5.dedication and willpower is key

I don't think there is a 'best' solution or method for any of those steps. It is up to the individual to decide what it best for them.

for the most part, the nutrition part of this guide seems good.

but the weight training is off the mark for most people. :confused:

max-OT and a cutting diet is not a good mix in my opinion.
It is generally not accepted that you can gain muscle while on a cutting diet.

It is true that building muscle leads to increased fat burn as your "basal" calorie burn will increase due to extra muscle tissue burning more calories at rest; however, you can't build muscle AND lose fat at the same time!
During a fat loss or "cutting" phase, it is not realistic to attempt to gain muscle - infact, you will likely lose some muscle while cutting.

"bulking" is a whole other part of body building where you eat a calorie surplus and plan to build muscle; while bulking it is unrealistic to try to lose fat, and infact, some fat gain is an almost cetain by product of bulking.

the best plan to gain muscle and lose fat is to do it in alternating "bulking" and "cutting" phases.
so decide where your goals are, and then start on whichever "phase" you feel you need to.

As for lifting while cutting, I would suggest a conventional 3 or 4 day split with a focus on lifting reasonably heavy, moderate reps (6-8 or so), but not overdoing it and pushing for really high weight and low reps - you can't make gains that your body is not being fed for. :nod:

EDIT:

to set up your total calorie intake, you must figure out how many calories your body burns, then decide what "phase" of training you are in to determine whether to add, or subtract from that number.
(for cutting you want to be several hundred calories below maintainence, for bulking several hundred above)

There are many online calculators that give a rough idea, but a general rule I found somewhere that seems to fit is as follows:

Cut: 10-13 cals per lb of bodyweight
Maintain: 13-15 cals per lb of bodyweight
Bulk: 15-18 cals per lb of bodyweight

:gl:

i dont know a single person who has followed these principals, the ones i stated above. with varying ages who has not gained strength with a proper cutting diet.

its all about macro nutrient split and timing.

i never really went in depth with the weight lifting part, thats up to the person.

take it for what its worth.

the results you see in the gym are in your nutrition.

take this from a masters in physiology and a degree in nutrition

I'm 19, 5'9" & weigh 179 lbs. I just recently got back into weight training. During my time off I gained weight, fat. My fat mass is like 33 lbs, on mybodycomp.com and my body fat is like 18.54 %. I'm just now starting to cut. So my daily calorie intake would be 179(12), 2148, so i should aim towards getting about 2100 calories a day? I want to keep a 40/40/20 diet, and would also aim for 179 grams of protein a day?

I'm 19, 5'9" & weigh 179 lbs. I just recently got back into weight training. During my time off I gained weight, fat. My fat mass is like 33 lbs, on mybodycomp.com and my body fat is like 18.54 %. I'm just now starting to cut. So my daily calorie intake would be 179(12), 2148, so i should aim towards getting about 2100 calories a day? I want to keep a 40/40/20 diet, and would also aim for 179 grams of protein a day?

2100 is a perfect starting number.. BUT i would try and get in more protein.. at least 200

Alright, good. Thank you.

i strongly beleive controlling the intake of certain foods, antioxidents, controling free radicals, promoting proper muscle stimulous and getting macro nutrients in the right times is the biggest factor. not what your 40/40/20 split is.. in trying to gain strength with cutting.

i mean if you honestly know how the body works, what food does what to what part etc. you will realize that timing is SO important.

there is no real reason why you would lose strength on a cutting diet if you follow the exact principals unless MAYBE you just came off a steriod cycle or have incredable amounts of muscle.. benching/squating huge numbers.. but even than, you can "cut".. you just need to consume the right amount of calories and macro split/timing

Good effort with the guide Jono, I was thinking of doing something similar but its just so damn hard because a lot of "facts" are arguable.

With regard to putting on mass or increasing strength while cutting.

Strengh and Hypertrophy are not the same, they are not directly correlated. It is very difficult to put on lean muscle mass during a cutting phase. If during a cutting phase you increrase your strength this does not mean that you have put on lean body mass. Your nervous system reponds to the weight training and you adapt by activating more muscle fibres.

Bottom line dont try to put on lean body mass while cutting. You can expect some strength gains but wait until you reach your bodyfat gains before concentrating on hypertrophy.

Jono can you further explain to me why we should eat before HIIT? From what I understood you said that we burn muscle mass mass during the workout. If this is true, how much muscle would we really burn during a short 15 min workout, I wouldnt think it would be that much. Also why would we burn muscle before fat?

Cheers :tu:

Marcus

Enjoyed the post . . .
In spite of some negative feedback, I actually think you did a good job of laying out a basic nutrition and exercise strategy. I think that some people tried to make your general rules a little too applicable to their individual situation and this caused some of the negative responses.

Don't be discouraged - this forum is in place to share knowledge - people can take it or leave it of their own free will.

Hmm... So, a protein shake before you have a weight lifting workout? I've probably been fooled like a lot of others into thinking that protein shakes after a workout with some carbs would do good. So you're saying that more protein would go to my muscles by having it before?

Is moderately intensive cardio combined with breakfast Ok, and would jogging be considered moderately intensive?

Good effort with the guide Jono, I was thinking of doing something similar but its just so damn hard because a lot of "facts" are arguable.

With regard to putting on mass or increasing strength while cutting.

Strengh and Hypertrophy are not the same, they are not directly correlated. It is very difficult to put on lean muscle mass during a cutting phase. If during a cutting phase you increrase your strength this does not mean that you have put on lean body mass. Your nervous system reponds to the weight training and you adapt by activating more muscle fibres.

Bottom line dont try to put on lean body mass while cutting. You can expect some strength gains but wait until you reach your bodyfat gains before concentrating on hypertrophy.

Jono can you further explain to me why we should eat before HIIT? From what I understood you said that we burn muscle mass mass during the workout. If this is true, how much muscle would we really burn during a short 15 min workout, I wouldnt think it would be that much. Also why would we burn muscle before fat?

Cheers :tu:

Marcus

you will build lean muscle mass IF your diet and training is spot on.. and i mean SPOT on. it's not going to be anything compared to when you have a surplus of calories vs a slight deficit.

this is why carb/protein timing is so fundamental and it is possible.

for me i've experimented with many things.. i have found doing HIIT on an empty stomach causes me to lose muscle mass.. this is ever apparent in my lifting workouts.. when i started eating before hand, i found myself losing fat just as quickly, yet i wasnt getting any weaker.

now i've found the best cardio is moderate cardio for 45min at 70% my max heart rate.

it is also important to note that cardio such as HIIT is extremely strenious on your immune system.. it actually weakens it for a period of time "x".. as does heavy lifting with max ot.. doing moderate cardio actually BOOSTS your immune system. and i've always had troubles with over training and the best bet was to incorporate moderate cardio and intense weight lifting.

in the morning your body is in a insulin sensative phase.. its yurning for nutrients, glucose especially.. this is one of two most opertune time's to fuel your muscle and body with rich protein and quality carbs.

logically, think about it.. after fasting for 6-8 hrs your body has used up all the food. your pretty much running on empty.

one most note that every body is different, i found my body utilized muscle tissue much faster than other people for example. you have to figure out what works for you. but do not fool yourself into thinking that you will not burn muscle on an empty stomach doing HIIT.. all that energy your expending has to come from somewhere.. and it comes from the most abudent source in the body. which is first carbs (which there are none on an empty stomach).. secondly muscle tissue! and lastly fat.

your body utilizes fat as a last resort! fat has the most energy.. it is apparent that every gram of fat is 8/9 calories? (something like that, i forget the exact number) and carbs and protein are 4 calories per gram.

the whole purpose behind moderate cardio is that you enter a phase called "lyposis".. where your body actually begins to use FAT as a fuel source. but once the arobic threshold is surpased, your body can't burn fat without oxygen. hence, anerobic exercise such as HIIT.

Hmm... So, a protein shake before you have a weight lifting workout? I've probably been fooled like a lot of others into thinking that protein shakes after a workout with some carbs would do good. So you're saying that more protein would go to my muscles by having it before?

well the thing is, its not entirly bad..

the ideal situation would be to have a solid meal with protein/carb

in doing so, your body has time to slowly break down the carbs and protein and as you workout, it is utilized for energy and for repairing muscle.

whey isolate is used up within 30 minutes.

after a workout is when you want to be taking in isolate especially.. after you train there is a 3hr window in which you want to take full advantage of muscle recovery and growth.. this is where alot of people miss out on building some muscle while "cutting".

right after you workout your body has ZERO glucose.. it needs to replace it badly.. if you spike your insulin with something lik dextrose or a high gi food.. your body is absolutly ripped/primed to suck down whatever you feed it and it will go DIRECTLY to rebuilding muscle tissue.. this is where you want that whey isolate to go.. since it will be devoured by your muscles within 30 minutes..

30-45min after this you want to capitilize on your bodies need for nutrients. this is where you take in a solid protein/carb meal.. such as brown rice and lean chicken. this will slowly be digested and realeased into your muscle.. and 1-2 hrs after this you want to follow up with another solid meal.

What about combining the two methods..?

My usual isolate shake after a workout consists of about 60g of protein. What if I have half of it before a workout with some good carbs, then after the workout had the rest of it with some more carbs?

you will build lean muscle mass IF your diet and training is spot on.. and i mean SPOT on. it's not going to be anything compared to when you have a surplus of calories vs a slight deficit.

this is why carb/protein timing is so fundamental and it is possible.

for me i've experimented with many things.. i have found doing HIIT on an empty stomach causes me to lose muscle mass.. this is ever apparent in my lifting workouts.. when i started eating before hand, i found myself losing fat just as quickly, yet i wasnt getting any weaker.

now i've found the best cardio is moderate cardio for 45min at 70% my max heart rate.

it is also important to note that cardio such as HIIT is extremely strenious on your immune system.. it actually weakens it for a period of time "x".. as does heavy lifting with max ot.. doing moderate cardio actually BOOSTS your immune system. and i've always had troubles with over training and the best bet was to incorporate moderate cardio and intense weight lifting.

in the morning your body is in a insulin sensative phase.. its yurning for nutrients, glucose especially.. this is one of two most opertune time's to fuel your muscle and body with rich protein and quality carbs.

logically, think about it.. after fasting for 6-8 hrs your body has used up all the food. your pretty much running on empty.

one most note that every body is different, i found my body utilized muscle tissue much faster than other people for example. you have to figure out what works for you. but do not fool yourself into thinking that you will not burn muscle on an empty stomach doing HIIT.. all that energy your expending has to come from somewhere.. and it comes from the most abudent source in the body. which is first carbs (which there are none on an empty stomach).. secondly muscle tissue! and lastly fat.

your body utilizes fat as a last resort! fat has the most energy.. it is apparent that every gram of fat is 8/9 calories? (something like that, i forget the exact number) and carbs and protein are 4 calories per gram.

the whole purpose behind moderate cardio is that you enter a phase called "lyposis".. where your body actually begins to use FAT as a fuel source. but once the arobic threshold is surpased, your body can't burn fat without oxygen. hence, anerobic exercise such as HIIT.

Thanks for the explanation Jono, this is really interesting. I think I understand what your saying. Now, I understand that your body wont burn fat or carbs during anaerobic training because oxygen is not present. Doesnt this also apply to muscle? I may be wrong but it still has to convert protein to glucose to be made into ATP and it cant do this during Anaerobic exercise. During the rest periods of HIIT Im thinking we revert back to either the aerobic system or the lactic acid system and they would go through the carbs and then the fats and finally the muscle.

I'd love more of your feedback on this Jono. I dont know if Im right but this is good its got me thinking. :confused:

Marcus

you will build lean muscle mass IF your diet and training is spot on.. and i mean SPOT on. it's not going to be anything compared to when you have a surplus of calories vs a slight deficit.

this is why carb/protein timing is so fundamental and it is possible.

for me i've experimented with many things.. i have found doing HIIT on an empty stomach causes me to lose muscle mass.. this is ever apparent in my lifting workouts.. when i started eating before hand, i found myself losing fat just as quickly, yet i wasnt getting any weaker.

now i've found the best cardio is moderate cardio for 45min at 70% my max heart rate.

it is also important to note that cardio such as HIIT is extremely strenious on your immune system.. it actually weakens it for a period of time "x".. as does heavy lifting with max ot.. doing moderate cardio actually BOOSTS your immune system. and i've always had troubles with over training and the best bet was to incorporate moderate cardio and intense weight lifting.

in the morning your body is in a insulin sensative phase.. its yurning for nutrients, glucose especially.. this is one of two most opertune time's to fuel your muscle and body with rich protein and quality carbs.

logically, think about it.. after fasting for 6-8 hrs your body has used up all the food. your pretty much running on empty.

one most note that every body is different, i found my body utilized muscle tissue much faster than other people for example. you have to figure out what works for you. but do not fool yourself into thinking that you will not burn muscle on an empty stomach doing HIIT.. all that energy your expending has to come from somewhere.. and it comes from the most abudent source in the body. which is first carbs (which there are none on an empty stomach).. secondly muscle tissue! and lastly fat.

your body utilizes fat as a last resort! fat has the most energy.. it is apparent that every gram of fat is 8/9 calories? (something like that, i forget the exact number) and carbs and protein are 4 calories per gram.

the whole purpose behind moderate cardio is that you enter a phase called "lyposis".. where your body actually begins to use FAT as a fuel source. but once the arobic threshold is surpased, your body can't burn fat without oxygen. hence, anerobic exercise such as HIIT.


I'm so confused re: HIIT. I read on www.musclemedia.com that HIIT should be performed on an empty stomach, cause fat is the second thing the body goes to...
Oh well, I guess the thing to do is try out different things and see what works.

PS> thanks for the post, very well put together! :tucool:

I think a lot of people are still not sure about food intake before and after a cardio workout. Should you not eat before and then eat after? Would you need a protein shake before or after? Maybe just have a bowl of oatmeal or banana before and after have something...

Thanks for the explanation Jono, this is really interesting. I think I understand what your saying. Now, I understand that your body wont burn fat or carbs during anaerobic training because oxygen is not present. Doesnt this also apply to muscle? I may be wrong but it still has to convert protein to glucose to be made into ATP and it cant do this during Anaerobic exercise. During the rest periods of HIIT Im thinking we revert back to either the aerobic system or the lactic acid system and they would go through the carbs and then the fats and finally the muscle.

I'd love more of your feedback on this Jono. I dont know if Im right but this is good its got me thinking. :confused:

Marcus

as far as i know.. when i do HIIT cardio.. after my first intense minute.. my heart rate doesnt dip below 160.. even during that 1 minute of rest. maybe may HIIT sessions are alot more intense than others and that is why i burn my muscle? im not sure

weight training is totally different. what happens when you weight train is you actually tear and destroy muscle tissue. your body realizes this and repairs the muscle fiber, making them bigger and stronger so it wont happen again.. but the thing is, whey you train, you tear fibers constantly, so your body continualy rebuilds and makes muscle fibers bigger and stronger.. PROVIDED you are taking in the proper nutrients, timing is everything.

as far as i know, my heart rate doesnt usually go past 160-180 when i lift, but this is all dependent on the exercise. you have to realize though, hopefully you are using carbs as your fuel souce for your workout.. and you are destroying muscle tissue which will rebuild in time

What about combining the two methods..?

My usual isolate shake after a workout consists of about 60g of protein. What if I have half of it before a workout with some good carbs, then after the workout had the rest of it with some more carbs?

well the obsorbption will certainly be reduced if you eat a solid carb source first.. and than take your shake as you digest your carb.. this is pre workout of course.

what i have is 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal with water.. than i blend in 1 scoop whey isolate.. very filling and it's digested slow..

after a workout you wanna spike you insulin with a high gi carb.. THAN consume your protein drink

So, how about this

30g protein shake, no carbs, before the workout
after the workout, have some oatmeal with the isolate mixed in like you said


Would that work well?

well the obsorbption will certainly be reduced if you eat a solid carb source first.. and than take your shake as you digest your carb.. this is pre workout of course.

what i have is 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal with water.. than i blend in 1 scoop whey isolate.. very filling and it's digested slow..

after a workout you wanna spike you insulin with a high gi carb.. THAN consume your protein drink

Should you have carbs with the post protein shake?

So my pre cardio session I would have 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal with water mixed with 1 scoop whey isolate? My post cardio session I would have 1 scoop whey isolate with gatorade, should I have 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal, or have grinded uncooked oatmeal in shake, or just have a banana? Also, should I have glut after cardio?

I think a lot of people are still not sure about food intake before and after a cardio workout. Should you not eat before and then eat after? Would you need a protein shake before or after? Maybe just have a bowl of oatmeal or banana before and after have something...

it seems some people say they dont get lose muscle mass when they do HIIT on an empty stomach.. i find it hard to beleive, but i also do not know how long they are doing it and just how hard of an intensity..

not everybody trains the same way.

i honestly dont care what some of these articles say about it not burning muscle. it is complete bull shit (excuse my french).. it really is. i mean its almost common sence, the human anatomy isn't that hard to understand.

stop and think for a moment. think logically.. you got no food in your system, your body has been fasting for 6-8 hrs.. if it was true that your body burns fat, fat would literally fly off your body. but it doesnt.

your body uses what is most abundent and available, and when your system is empty, that is lean muscle tissue. your body doesnt want to use its fat, thats a last resort.

prime example, look at professional body builders.. trying to go from 20% BF to 15% isnt that hard.. to drop down to 10 from there is a fair bit harder.. to dip below 8% is very difficult. and to even maintain that is hard.

fat is such a valuable source of energy your body charishes and doesnt want to let it go easy.. muscle on the other hand, there is alot more muscle on any given person than there is fat.

you really have to try things for youself, thats what i did. using science and proven facts are what my program is based on..

when i did do HIIT cardio in the morning, before my session i ate:

1/3 cup cooked oatmeal
1 scoop whey isolate
1 tsp flax oil

during my cutting phase i did not want to take the risk and lose valuable muscle mass.. it just wasn't an option

So, how about this

30g protein shake, no carbs, before the workout
after the workout, have some oatmeal with the isolate mixed in like you said


Would that work well?

if anything you want to consume some carbs before and after your workout.

these are the two most important times during the day when you really want to focus on carb and protein souces.

you want that added energy for your workout, you want to have that solid carb being broken down in your body, fueling your workout and being used to restore glycogen.

eat a solid carb before and after your workout king..

IDEALY this is what you would consume

PRE WORKOUT:

1/3 cup cooked oatmeal or 1/2 cup brown rice
lean protein source (tuna, chicken, etc)

**WORKOUT**

POST WORKOUT:

dextrose and whey isolate together

or

high GI carb with whey isolate

30-45min later

brown rice, lean protein source

Should you have carbs with the post protein shake?

So my pre cardio session I would have 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal with water mixed with 1 scoop whey isolate? My post cardio session I would have 1 scoop whey isolate with gatorade, should I have 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal, or have grinded uncooked oatmeal in shake, or just have a banana? Also, should I have glut after cardio?

drop the gatorade completely

it would help to know your body stats before i can make a better judgement

Hey!

I talked to Jono (sorry Jono!) about a week ago and used his plan for almost a week. Today I lifted more than I lifted last week. I have also lost a few pounds. So for whatever that is worth... :D :db:

drop the gatorade completely

it would help to know your body stats before i can make a better judgement

I'm 19
5'9"
179 lbs
Lean Body Mass 146 lbs
Fat Mass 33 lbs
Body Fat 18.54 %

I plan on starting to do cardio sessions. I have a 3 day weight training split (mon/wed/fri), so I have 4 days to do cardio. Actually, I doubt I would want to do cardio after my leg day, so I have 3 days for cardio, tue, sat, sun. Should I do cardio on all 3 days? Is that to much? Just do cardio 2 or 1 days a week? One more thing, how much calories should I am for burning each cardio session?

I'm 19
5'9"
179 lbs
Lean Body Mass 146 lbs
Fat Mass 33 lbs
Body Fat 18.54 %

heck, if you wouldnt mind.. post your diet and i'll see what i can do!

you can follow the changes or leave it the way they are..

i'll see if i can help with timing and what not

heck, if you wouldnt mind.. post your diet and i'll see what i can do!

you can follow the changes or leave it the way they are..

i'll see if i can help with timing and what not

7:00 AM
- 8 Oz Orange Juice
- 1 Banana
- 1 Container Fat Free Yogurt
- Multivitamin

11:30 AM
- 6 Oz Tuna
- 1 Container Lowfat Cottage Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Flax Seed Oil
- Multivitamin

2:30 PM
- 1 Oz Dry Roasted Peanuts
- 1 Orange
- 1 Scoop Whey Protein Isolate (24g)

5:30 PM
- 1 Banana
- 1 Scoop Whey Protein Isolate (24g)

7:30 PM
- Roasted Skinless Chicken Breast
- 1 Cup Broccoli
- Small Salad

9:30 PM
- 1 Cup Fat Free Milk
- 1 Scoop Whey Protein Isolate (24g)

Thats basically my current daily diet. I'm cutting and aiming towards a 40/40/20 split. I started on January 26 at 185 lbs, then to 183 lbs on February 2, and now 179 lbs on February 9. So I lost 6 lbs within a few weeks of keeping a clean diet and weight training. I've yet to start cardio.

OK, I'm getting conflicting information on what calorie intake I should be shooting for. When I started, almost 3 weeks ago, I was 246lbs, 6'0". I originally read somewhere that for cutting you should consume 10-12x your body weight in calories, while aiming for a 40-40-20. So, I started off at 2460-2952 cals. About 1.5 weeks in, I read that you should actually consume 10-12x your LEAN body weight. Reading this, I cut back to 1700-2040. So, which is it?

On another note, everything is going great. I'm down to 234lbs as of this morning with 5 days of cardio and some limited lifting. I'm going to go fully into lifting when my weight bench arrives, it's supposed to be delivered early next week. :tu:

OK, I'm getting conflicting information on what calorie intake I should be shooting for. When I started, almost 3 weeks ago, I was 246lbs, 6'0". I originally read somewhere that for cutting you should consume 10-12x your body weight in calories, while aiming for a 40-40-20. So, I started off at 2460-2952 cals. About 1.5 weeks in, I read that you should actually consume 10-12x your LEAN body weight. Reading this, I cut back to 1700-2040. So, which is it?

On another note, everything is going great. I'm down to 234lbs as of this morning with 5 days of cardio and some limited lifting. I'm going to go fully into lifting when my weight bench arrives, it's supposed to be delivered early next week. :tu:

stick to whatever you are eating right now. if you can notice a change, dont bother changing the calories.. once it seems to tapper down or slow down alot.. cut down 100 calories.. once it slows down again after a few weeks, cut down maybe another 100.

7:00 AM
- 8 Oz Orange Juice
- 1 Banana
- 1 Container Fat Free Yogurt
- Multivitamin

11:30 AM
- 6 Oz Tuna
- 1 Container Lowfat Cottage Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Flax Seed Oil
- Multivitamin

2:30 PM
- 1 Oz Dry Roasted Peanuts
- 1 Orange
- 1 Scoop Whey Protein Isolate (24g)

5:30 PM
- 1 Banana
- 1 Scoop Whey Protein Isolate (24g)

7:30 PM
- Roasted Skinless Chicken Breast
- 1 Cup Broccoli
- Small Salad

9:30 PM
- 1 Cup Fat Free Milk
- 1 Scoop Whey Protein Isolate (24g)

Thats basically my current daily diet. I'm cutting and aiming towards a 40/40/20 split. I started on January 26 at 185 lbs, then to 183 lbs on February 2, and now 179 lbs on February 9. So I lost 6 lbs within a few weeks of keeping a clean diet and weight training. I've yet to start cardio.

well that seems to be "ok".. im not sure when you lift or not.. but you can definatly go more "hardcore" if you want..

for example.. OJ and milk is nothing but sugar.. dairy products in general lead to a "softer" look.. id eat almonds insted of peanuts

as far as i can see.. are you even eating 1500 calories a day? :confused:

I have some questions before I start cardio. I'm cutting, and during cardio I want to burn fat/lose weight. I have a 3 day weight training split (mon/wed/fri). I can do cardio 4 days a week, but I doubt I will do cardio after my leg day, so really I would say 3 days a week. Now is 3 days a week to much? How many days would anyone suggest? During cardio I would probably be in the range of 65% - 85% and my sessions would be for 20-25 minutes, how is that? Also, one more question, how many calories should I be looking to burn each cardio day? Thanks

My stats if needed
I'm 19
5'9"
179 lbs
Lean Body Mass 146 lbs
Fat Mass 33 lbs
Body Fat 18.54 %

I want to lose that fat mass and drop my body fat to 12%

I have some questions before I start cardio. I'm cutting, and during cardio I want to burn fat/lose weight. I have a 3 day weight training split (mon/wed/fri). I can do cardio 4 days a week, but I doubt I will do cardio after my leg day, so really I would say 3 days a week. Now is 3 days a week to much? How many days would anyone suggest? During cardio I would probably be in the range of 65% - 85% and my sessions would be for 20-25 minutes, how is that? Also, one more question, how many calories should I be looking to burn each cardio day? Thanks

My stats if needed
I'm 19
5'9"
179 lbs
Lean Body Mass 146 lbs
Fat Mass 33 lbs
Body Fat 18.54 %

I want to lose that fat mass and drop my body fat to 12%

3 days a week is fine. the more, the better. i personally do 4-6 days a week, depending on my work schedule.

your best bet is to do 45min of cardio at 68%-70% your max heart rate. after around 30 minutes your body goes into lyposis where it starts to utilize fat as the primary energy source, this is what you want.

dont look at how many calories you burn, those readings cant even come REMOTLY close to the exact number.. my best advice is to use the eliptical trainers, they work really well.. also switch up between eliptical and recumbent bike.. id avoid running or jogging

the main problem with doing longer more moderate intense carido is your body becomes to adapt and become more "efficient" at doing the exercise. you can help fix this by changing up what you use for cardio, or adding another 5min to a session.. range your heart rate from 65% to 75% MAX

3 days a week is fine. the more, the better. i personally do 4-6 days a week, depending on my work schedule.

your best bet is to do 45min of cardio at 68%-70% your max heart rate. after around 30 minutes your body goes into lyposis where it starts to utilize fat as the primary energy source, this is what you want.

dont look at how many calories you burn, those readings cant even come REMOTLY close to the exact number.. my best advice is to use the eliptical trainers, they work really well.. also switch up between eliptical and recumbent bike.. id avoid running or jogging

the main problem with doing longer more moderate intense carido is your body becomes to adapt and become more "efficient" at doing the exercise. you can help fix this by changing up what you use for cardio, or adding another 5min to a session.. range your heart rate from 65% to 75% MAX

Thanks Jono, I was just worried if 3 days a week along with 3 days of weight training would be to much, like possibly to much fat burning/weight lose for a week. I plan on buying an elliptical machine... so I'll try to find out some other forms of cardio if I start to adapt to that.

I guess my weekly schedule would be this

mon - weight training (always under 60 mins)
tue - cardio elliptical @ 45min 68%-70%
wed - weight training (always under 60 mins)
thurs - off
fri - weight training (always under 60 mins)
sat - cardio elliptical @ 45min 68%-70%
sun - cardio elliptical @ 45min 68%-70%

Thanks Jono, I was just worried if 3 days a week along with 3 days of weight training would be to much, like possibly to much fat burning/weight lose for a week. I plan on buying an elliptical machine... so I'll try to find out some other forms of cardio if I start to adapt to that.

I guess my weekly schedule would be this

mon - weight training (always under 60 mins)
tue - cardio elliptical @ 45min 68%-70%
wed - weight training (always under 60 mins)
thurs - off
fri - weight training (always under 60 mins)
sat - cardio elliptical @ 45min 68%-70%
sun - cardio elliptical @ 45min 68%-70%

too much? nah.. totally depends on the person

i weight train 6 days a week.. and do cardio 4-5 days a week.. i wish i could do at least 6 days of cardio a week.

its not to much.. moderate cardio is exactly that, it boosts immune fuction.. and they say you need at least 30min of moderate exercise a day..

doing HIIT however 6 days a week.. thats a bit different, alot more strenuous..

doing cardio for 45min.. you actually burn some fat off your body.. i wish i could go 7 days a week in the am for cardio

Heh, alright no worries now. Thanks for all the help.

any time bud, here to help!

anyone else think this should be a "sticky" ?

But when doing HIIT, dont they recomend that you dont eat for at least an hour after doing HIIT? Whilst resting wont your body be able to consume oxgen and thus start burning off fat? Plus your metabolism has been boosted....

dont look at how many calories you burn, those readings cant even come REMOTLY close to the exact number.. my best advice is to use the eliptical trainers, they work really well.. also switch up between eliptical and recumbent bike.. id avoid running or jogging

So what's the reason for avoiding jogging?

Every time I start a routine I always find some piece of advice that would make me change my routine.. Heh.

So what's the reason for avoiding jogging?

Every time I start a routine I always find some piece of advice that would make me change my routine.. Heh.

There is nothing wrong with running as long as your are not very overweight and you have proper footwear and good running technique. Our bodies are ment to run, its one of our functions. Thats why we have joint cartlidge and all the other protective joint structures. I run about 15-20km a week and my knees and joints are much healthier for it.

just my two cents but unless you have some kind of physical problem running in moderation is fine.

There is nothing wrong with running as long as your are not very overweight and you have proper footwear and good running technique. Our bodies are ment to run, its one of our functions. Thats why we have joint cartlidge and all the other protective joint structures. I run about 15-20km a week and my knees and joints are much healthier for it.

just my two cents but unless you have some kind of physical problem running in moderation is fine.

I wouldn't imagine 200lbs is too heavy for running.

Got any links to running techniques?

I lift on MWF and do 20 min of HIIT elliptical cardio on Tue&Th. I think having Sat and Sun as total days of rest is good for recooperation and muscle repair. Saturday is my "off diet day" and Sunday begins the new diet week. The only thing I wonder about is having my HIIT cardio day on Thursday which is after my leg day which was on Wed. My legs are still sore when I go in to do my HIIT cardio session Thursday. I don't really have too much option, so I just do it. Back when I was young and STUPID I never did legs that much, so I never had a problem with combining cardio and leg workouts. Oddly enough though, after doing the HIIT session Thursday night, my legs feel pretty good on Friday. This is why I kinda think that doing HIIT on Sat and Sun would be overkill for me. And, I'm 27 and not as young as some of you teens, so I'm sure my recovery isn't as good either! I eat the same pre-workout meal on the HIIT day as I do on my weight training days because my sessions are very intense for me.......I still sweat 2 hours after my session. Oh well, only time will tell if this will work good for me.

The hardest part of bodybuilding is actually learning what works for our own bodies, and that takes time which my dumb ass has missed out on due to laziness and stupidity. I've been back in the gym for 3 weeks and have a damn good diet which is calculated to the macronutrient. I never used to do this in the past, so maybe this is why I eventually overtrained. I've joined and cancelled gym memberships more times than John has posed for his pictures...lol! I hope this time is different.

Meal 3: low GI fruit with lean protein source

Meal 4: low GI carb with lean protein source


Can you list several examples of low GI fruit, lean protein, and low GI carbs?

Lean protein: Whey powder, Tuna, Chicken, lean cuts of beef/pork (check w/ local butcher), whitefish, shellfish, etc.

Low-GI fruits: Apples (only one i can think of off the top)

Low-GI carbs: yams, brown rice, whole grain oatmeal, multigrain cereals, whole grain breads...