for the record??

[sdt19]

what would everyone's opinion be on what I should do to drop body fat to at least around 8 or 9% (go by my stats below in my sig.) Should i concentrate on more weightlifting or more cardio...i dont want to get HUGE persay but cut up and more defined...i dont wanna be more than 175 or 180lbs

[Madcow2]

I would look at a sprinter and look at a marathon runner - both have fairly low bodyfat, which do you want to look like? So a sprinter trains hard with weights and does short burst or interval style cardio (you don't necessarily need to or want to run at 100% but certainly at a fast pace which can't be maintained for more than a limited time period i.e. not 30 minutes - look up HIIT or interval training). On top of that there is diet, to drop fat you must consume less than your body and it's activity levels require. It's not any single facet - it's all the facets coming together to create the animal.

[Darkhorse]

i dont want to get HUGE persay but cut up and more defined...i dont wanna be more than 175 or 180lbs

It's about checks and balances. I understand you don't want to get above 180 lbs. In reality, you'd be much better served packing on some muscle before going for the cut/lean look. If you cut at your current weight of 173, you'll look really tiny at 160 lbs (unless you don't really care). My .02 is to start trying to gain some muscle, then cut down to your goal weight. You won't be huge, but you'll look a lot better/healthy. Again, I don't know what you consider ideal.

[Darkhorse]

For cardio, I've seen both low intensity/high duration and high intensity/low duration recommended. In my own experience, and according to the required reading of UD2.0 and Cut Diet, I'd lean towards 40-60 minutes worth of low to moderate intensity cardio. It really depends on what you're doing with your diet and training. If you believe that you wake up in a semi-depleted state, then low intensity on an empty stomach first thing in the morning would make the most sense as the body would naturally mobilize fat stores in the blood stream for energy. Of course this would be slight compared to doing depletion workouts before hand as per UD2.0 protocol! I guess as long as you're out there burning cals, the means don't matter AS much.

[Energizer]

Originally Posted by sdt19

what would everyone's opinion be on what I should do to drop body fat to at least around 8 or 9% (go by my stats below in my sig.) Should i concentrate on more weightlifting or more cardio...i dont want to get HUGE persay but cut up and more defined...i dont wanna be more than 175 or 180lbs

What body fat percentage is ideal to look defined? Right now, I am still at 18% however I want to go lower. When will I start seeing the MORE cuts?

[Darkhorse]

Originally Posted by 0311

For cardio, I've seen both low intensity/high duration and high intensity/low duration recommended. In my own experience, and according to the required reading of UD2.0 and Cut Diet, I'd lean towards 40-60 minutes worth of low to moderate intensity cardio.

Here's an answer from a Q and A with By Chuck Rudolph, Med, RD
Marc Lobliner and Derek Charlebois: Article found here

Q. I have heard conflicting information on which cardio is better while dieting, high-intensity or low-intensity. I also heard that you put a lot of your athletes looking for fat loss on programs that consist of long-duration, low-intensity cardio. I am trying to lose fat and currently weight train 5 days per week. Which should I do?

A. Cardio: Why we recommend it
While we believe that diet is 90% of getting lean and reducing bodyfat, we still recommend 30-45 minutes of cardio (130-150 Heart Rate which is equivalent to 55-65% VO2 Max age/gender pending) four to five days per week depending on body type and bodyfat percentage while on the Cut Diet. Cardio is essential for supplying oxygen to your muscles for maximum growth. Our entire approach to dieting is based on muscle preservation. Too much cardio or cardio at a high level of intensity will eat at muscle tissue. This is counterproductive because we are trying to lose fat and keep as much muscle as possible. Long duration cardio is more geared toward cardiovascular training (at or above 80% VO2 Max). Therefore, lower intensity cardio increases fat oxidation (burns bodyfat) and does not catabolize (waste) nearly as much muscle as high intensity cardio, especially on a reduced calorie/low carbohydrate diet. We usually recommend light walking on a treadmill with an incline.

[phreaknite]

A LOT of people here will disagree with what im about to post, im sure of it........but let me tell u what my deal was...

IN Jan 2006 I started martial arts training and went from 195 (about 25% body fat) down to 180 (about 16% body fat) in 2 months. Now, one can argue that that is because martial arts is like a heavy cardio workout....constant movement using only your body's weight as any kind of resistance. But here's the catch...

In March 2006, I had to give up the karate training and switched over to only weight lifting. From March 2006 to May 2006 I went from 180 (12% body fat) down to 165 (10% body fat). Thats a 15 pound loss in 3 months. From May 2006 to Present, I went from 165-160 (8% body fat) doing only lifting.

What's this mean? It's possible to lose weight from just lifting. My diet was restricted though, staying just above my BMR for most of that time (which was around 1800-2000 calories. This increased my metabolism and now I can easily eat 3200 calories a day without a gain (because now I am trying to bulk up more).

If you really like lifting and odn't want to cardio (like I did) then I would suggest keeping your calorie count just above ur BMR so you burn off most excessive calories in a day. I was tired in the gym sometimes, but you must stay motivated.

Remember, weight loss is a calorie battle. Its THe Amount your body uses vs the amount you intake. So long as you keep the amount your body uses above the amount you intake then you will lose body fat. But be warned. You will get tired and you will get hungry......its all part of the game. Your body doesn't WANT to lose weight, it wants to at least maintain, so if you want to lose then you will get hungrier than normal.

Remember, the more muscle you put on, the more calories your body needs to maintain them, so make sure you understand your BMR and learn to listen to your body.