Cardio and Lifting

[Narile]

My goal is to cut a few % off the fat. A typical day at the gym for me involves 30 minutes of cardio and heavy lifting. Since the body burns through glucogen levels quickly then dips into the fat reserves... am I risking muscle loss by doing both in one session. For example, I lift and burn through glucogen and some fat, then I run and burn through more fat before the body decides it has had enough and dips into muscle for fuel. Is that a normal depiction or am I all wrong?

[RTE]

Originally Posted by Narile

My goal is to cut a few % off the fat. A typical day at the gym for me involves 30 minutes of cardio and heavy lifting. Since the body burns through glucogen levels quickly then dips into the fat reserves... am I risking muscle loss by doing both in one session. For example, I lift and burn through glucogen and some fat, then I run and burn through more fat before the body decides it has had enough and dips into muscle for fuel. Is that a normal depiction or am I all wrong?

It might but I am sure most will tell you it doesn't. I would suggest you put the cardio at the end of the day, so you go into your lifting full of energy. You might also cut your rest between sets to 60sec or less. Keep things moving, see if you work up a cardio effect.

Cardio burns calories, it build no or little muscle. Lifting burns calories, it builds muscle and increases metabolism.

[zenpharaohs]

Originally Posted by Narile

My goal is to cut a few % off the fat. A typical day at the gym for me involves 30 minutes of cardio and heavy lifting. Since the body burns through glycogen levels quickly then dips into the fat reserves... am I risking muscle loss by doing both in one session

Probably little if any muscle loss is risked, and the longer you have been doing this, the less chance there is of losing muscle. I do this sort of thing frequently, and one thing I can say is that I do not seem to have ever lost any muscle.

[tsk2264]

30 mins weights, 30 mins cardio....that's how a typical day at the gym used to be for me too. I have since switched to alternating days for weights and cardio (3 days weights, 3 days cardio), but am thinking about switching back. I feel as if my cardio sessions, which usually last up to one hour, are really hindering my strength gains. In fact, my bench press has gone down slightly. I think the key for me might be to limit my cardio to 30 mins/day....and if I'm going to do that, I might as well do weights and cardio in each visit to the gym.

[kevin_in_ga]

Should be no problem to do both, but as others here have already suggested, I would put the cardio after the lifting, or in the morning and lift in the afternoon or evening.

I usually do cardio after lifting, and find that going into it my heart rate is already up at 120 or so, and I get more calories burned for the same time involved. Also, lifting will use up some of your readily available glycogen, so you can begin to really tap your fat reserves during the cardio phase.

[Narile]

Originally Posted by kevin_in_ga

Should be no problem to do both, but as others here have already suggested, I would put the cardio after the lifting, or in the morning and lift in the afternoon or evening.

I usually do cardio after lifting, and find that going into it my heart rate is already up at 120 or so, and I get more calories burned for the same time involved. Also, lifting will use up some of your readily available glycogen, so you can begin to really tap your fat reserves during the cardio phase.

Yeah that's exactly what I do and exactly what I was thinking while doing it. I'm glad I was doing the right thing. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything to cause a loss of muscle mass. So does that body tap into any muscle when exercising as long as I'm eating right?

For example, if I want to burn 700 calories on a run just so I could eat my face off during the day (with the right macros, of course), is that a viable strategy?

[kevin_in_ga]

Originally Posted by Narile

Yeah that's exactly what I do and exactly what I was thinking while doing it. I'm glad I was doing the right thing. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything to cause a loss of muscle mass. So does that body tap into any muscle when exercising as long as I'm eating right?

For example, if I want to burn 700 calories on a run just so I could eat my face off during the day (with the right macros, of course), is that a viable strategy?

I would not advocate that as a training strategy unless you are trying to bulk (in fact, that is a bulking diet).

Besides, if you are eating clean, then you'll not want to stuff yourself - you'll be eating all the time and generally not feel hungry during the day.

If you are trying to lose body fat, as your first post indicates, then keep the calories restricted (500 below daily BMR as a minimum to see results). Why would you give back 700 hard earned calories?

[zenpharaohs]

Originally Posted by Narile

For example, if I want to burn 700 calories on a run just so I could eat my face off during the day (with the right macros, of course), is that a viable strategy?

I have no problem with it.

[zenpharaohs]

Originally Posted by kevin_in_ga

I would not advocate that as a training strategy unless you are trying to bulk (in fact, that is a bulking diet).

Besides, if you are eating clean, then you'll not want to stuff yourself - you'll be eating all the time and generally not feel hungry during the day.

If you are trying to lose body fat, as your first post indicates, then keep the calories restricted (500 below daily BMR as a minimum to see results). Why would you give back 700 hard earned calories?

You're right that you can bulk that way, but you can cut that way too. In fact when I cut, I do it that way - I don't reduce the nutrition Calories, I increase the exercise Calories.

The main thing about getting a Caloric deficit from exercise as opposed to from restricting nutrition is that your nutrition doesn't have to be quite as tightly dialed in, and that your body is active and maintaining all the components of a high metabolism. Squatting heavy for 500 Calories is not even close to the same thing as not eating 500 Calories.

[kevin_in_ga]

Look at what he asked - if he adds 700 calories of exercise, can he eat more? The answer is yes.

If he adds exercise, and eats that same number of calories above his usual intake, can he cut BF? I can't say yes to this - I can say that is he does the former, he stands a better chance of hitting his goal (reduced BF%) than if he does the latter.

[Narile]

Ultimately, I want to maintain the same deficit. I don't want to cheat myself. I would be willing to work twice as hard to be willing to eat a little more. Right now for me to lose weight, I need to be active and eat 1800 calories. So basically what I was asking is that can I eat 2100 calories and just burn 300 extra in the gym each day. In the end, I have the same 500 calorie deficit.

I have two options - either do that or just tweak my diet to a point where I am not hungry all the time.

[cyclone]

I'd rather work out harder and eat more and not worry so much I love my Polar F11, here's an example of what I recorded tonight. I love this thing, I think I may get the F55, as it is more tailored to resistance training. You can get a much clearer picture of how your training and diet interact if you know how hard your heart is working. Thanks for the advice on the Polar monitors, Zen

[zenpharaohs]

Originally Posted by cyclone

I'd rather work out harder and eat more and not worry so much I love my Polar F11, here's an example of what I recorded tonight. I love this thing, I think I may get the F55, as it is more tailored to resistance training. You can get a much clearer picture of how your training and diet interact if you know how hard your heart is working. Thanks for the advice on the Polar monitors, Zen

That was not a bad workout you had there.

[goonie]

Originally Posted by Narile

Ultimately, I want to maintain the same deficit. I don't want to cheat myself. I would be willing to work twice as hard to be willing to eat a little more. Right now for me to lose weight, I need to be active and eat 1800 calories. So basically what I was asking is that can I eat 2100 calories and just burn 300 extra in the gym each day. In the end, I have the same 500 calorie deficit.

I have two options - either do that or just tweak my diet to a point where I am not hungry all the time.

Combining the info from your cardio thread, with where your level of conditioning is and what your goals are, more exercise and more food certaintly gets my vote.

Of course, I have to admit I would say this regardless.