Thread: How to Cut
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Old 11-10-2006, 05:28 AM
oldnatural59 oldnatural59 is offline
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8. Cardio- Cardio and cutting usually go hand in hand. I won't go into specifics about length, other than cardio shouldn't be excessive. 20 to 30 minutes daily should be sufficient, and should be performed on an empty stomach.


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My only complaint would be that cardio, or better stated, aerobic exercise, received little attention in this thread.

I think it more beneficial to add to cardio than to reduce caloric intake to cut, as long as it is true aerobic exercise that is being performed, as many athletes tend to overcompensate in this area, i.e., they overexert to the extent that they turn aerobic workouts into anaerobic ones.

I'd also like to propose NEVER NOT doing aerobic exercise as part of your bodybuilding routine, a minimum of 30 minutes per day, everyday, even on "off" days, and during cutting, gradually increasing to 2 hours per day, every day. Like diet, results will vary, depending on your own body chemistry/metabolism and condition, but with (up to) 2 hours of aerobic exercise performed daily, anyone should be able to cut 2 pounds of pure fat every week, and never lose an ounce of muscle in the process.

Just remember that aerobic exercise is low-grade, in terms of something we can relate to, i'd say the amount of energy exerted while walking at a moderate pace, to no more than 3 times the amount of exertion--just enough to SLIGHTLY elevate heartrate and respiration, but NOT fatigue the muscles.

Also remember that, as with anything, there is a point of diminishing returns. For example, if you start at 200 pounds body weight, your body will have to work harder/burn more calories than when you are down to 185, given the same amount of exertion/duration of exercise, etc. This is why i recommend starting out with 30 minutes per day, and gradually increasing to a maximum of 2 hours per day as your weight/fat percentage decreases.

So in the beginning, you will be able to burn more fat with less aerobic exercise, due to greater body weight/mass. Just don't make the mistake of equating greater exertion with greater fat loss, it doesn't work that way. The exercise has to be kept aerobic, or you will be defeating its purpose.



-jaems
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