Cardio

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Bulked up this winter from 185 at 12% (162 LBM and 23 fat) to 210 at 19% (170 LBM and 40) via Massive Eating and gained a bit more fat than I wanted to. This was my first real bulking cycle and I over calculated a bit but damn was it fun eating.

Started a personalized T-Dawg (lower carbs, “I am a carbaholic”) on the first monday of this year. Diet is 45/10/45 PFC and is working nice. So far going nice and slow with 1 pound per week loss.

Supps include creatine, vitex (400mg/day in morning), and I cycle a ECA every other week.

My goal is to get back to 12% or lower (hopefully 8 or 9%) sometime in late April or early May while maintaining my LBM as much as possible. Last year I went from 205 to 185 but lost a lot of muscle. This was before T-Mag and I was on a overly hypocaloric dietand did too much cardio.

Currently, training consists of a low rep scheme with an upper body/lower body split.

Day 1: lower body and core
Day 2: upper body
Day 3: off
Day 4: lower body and core
Day 5: off
Day 6: upper body
Day 7: off
repeat

Focusing mainly on compound lifts - bench, pulls, dips, chins, deads and squats. No direct arm work right now. Have thrown in hanging snatch and hanging clean and jerks on upper body days.

Question: What is the best cardio scheme for this regiment? Currently, I’m doing low intensity on upper body days post work out for about 20 minutes at 60-70% of max heart reate and HIIT for 20 or less on days 3 and 4. Is this the best way of doing it? Should I stick with just HIIT and ditch the low intensity? Do I need to do the low intensity for longer? I am doing it on the right days? I prefer not to do cardio on my lower body/core days as my legs are too fatigued.

Thanks for the help.

2

I like how you set up your training. That is very solid.

I think you meant to say you’re doing your second HIIT workout on Day 5 correct? As opposed to the Day 4 you put? If so, I think you’re good to go.

Can you move your moderate intensity cardio to the AM?

When are you doing your HIIT?

3

BEdZ, are you able to keep your workout and your cardio combined to LESS THAN 1 hour and 15 minutes? Actually, an hour’s better, but if not you should separate the two or eliminate the PWO cardio.

HIIT will give you a bigger EPOC bang for the buck. If you lift later in the day, try and get in a few morning/am HIIT sessions (never on an empty stomach).

I’d probably recommend that you not increase cardio. Leave it as an ace in the hole for when weight loss slows. That one pound of weight loss per week is a magical number.

4

TT and Thunder,

You two are really one the ball over the past few days. Even more than usual, which is hard to beleive.

Great advice. :slight_smile:

Phill

5

Thunder:

Good catch. Yes, I do HIIT on days 3 and 5. My off days from lifting.

TT:

Typically, I can do my core work and lower body work out in about 1 hour or 1 hour and 15 minutes. Upper body days tend to be around an hour plus I add the 20 minutes of PWO low intensity cardio. So, all-in-all it is just over 75 minutes.

Phill:

Agreed

Thanks for the advice.