cardio for weight loss

[tjcny]

I am just getting back into the game after several years off. I need advice on how to shed the fat I've put on. My stats: 58yo, 265lbs, 6'4", bf of 32%. I have cleaned up my diet, but I need to know how much cardio I should be doing along with weight training. I do cardio on the eliptical cross trainer and generally get my heart rate up to 120 bpm and will go for anywhere between 45 mins. to 1 hour. Let me know what I should be doing.

Thanks

 

[thelion2005]

I can only speak to my own experience.

I believe that diet is much more important that cardio for fat reduction. Yes ... lots of cardio will effect your number on the scale. But for me, that meant a loss of muscle and fat.

I do cardio first as a warm-up and some fat burning. My feet are pretty beat up so I do the reclining bike at high resistance for 15-20 minutes ... about 110-120 beats. Then I go into my routine.

When I pull fast, simple carbs from my diet, fat is burned and water released to a dramatic extent. It hits my waist and face first.

These carbs include all sugars and flours ... no exceptions including pasta and fruit. In their place goes more animal flesh and more colorful veggies. Like magic, the fat comes off!

I'm a stubborn person and have posted diet, HRT and exercise in this area of the board. Just scan down and take a look. You can be down to 230 and under 20% in 6-9 months with extra muscle. People will be shocked at the change.

 

[HiDnGoD]

Are you diabetic? If you are, good fuggin luck.
I do 30 min on a cross trainer 3 X weekly. Gets my H.R. up to 140-150 bpm.
I weight train 2-3 times weekly.
I'm not losing any weight, but I am gaining muscle, getting more defined.
The way it's going, I'm gonna be the fittest fat guy on the planet.

 

[temetrepo]

I have to agree with Lion, diet is #1 cardio surely helps but if you eat shitty you will look and feel shitty. Here is my experience with this:
I used to run for 1/2 hour every other day thinking I was going to get thinner. Instead I was just burning muscle and not replacing it with proper nutrition. End of story, I looked and felt like shit. Needless to say that I started to hate cardio.

Then, I met with a personal trainer who also had a 5 year degree in nutrition. Note that she was not a nutritionist as any one can be. This person completed a series of tests on me, we went over nutritional contents of the food I was eating, amount of excercise, etc. We found out that I was not only wasting my time with the cardio I was doing, but my fat intake was way too low.

Make a story short, we found out my target rate for cardio where I burn the most amount of fat (not muscle), adjusted my diet and the rest is history. I can see an improvement within 1 month. and now I can adjust my diet to bulk or to loose fat.

Hope it helps.

 

[Lifterforlife]

Agreed with the lion on this one also. Better part of the last 30 yrs. doing this, competitions, etc. and still do. Diet is key....I preach this all the time, use cardio as an "extension" of your diet, not the other way around. That is you are trying to create a caloric deficit with your diet, use your cardio as a tool to achieve this. First off, if you jump right into cardio, and do too much, you really have no place to turn but cutting more food calories. At some point this becomes unfeasible, and will most certainly backfire on you. Your body is smart, and will indeed learn to store fat...it will slow metabolic rate and thus thyroid output, hormones effected, as a defense mechanism. Our bodies are programmed fromn early days(being chased by predators, running through endless fields, etc.) to preserve life(by keeping an adequate fat store. The body does not care about looking good at the beach!

So use cardio as a tool to continue your caloric deficit, not the other way around.

 

[tjcny]

I can only speak to my own experience.

I believe that diet is much more important that cardio for fat reduction. Yes ... lots of cardio will effect your number on the scale. But for me, that meant a loss of muscle and fat.

I do cardio first as a warm-up and some fat burning. My feet are pretty beat up so I do the reclining bike at high resistance for 15-20 minutes ... about 110-120 beats. Then I go into my routine.

When I pull fast, simple carbs from my diet, fat is burned and water released to a dramatic extent. It hits my waist and face first.

These carbs include all sugars and flours ... no exceptions including pasta and fruit. In their place goes more animal flesh and more colorful veggies. Like magic, the fat comes off!

I'm a stubborn person and have posted diet, HRT and exercise in this area of the board. Just scan down and take a look. You can be down to 230 and under 20% in 6-9 months with extra muscle. People will be shocked at the change.

Thanks Lion for the advice. Would you tell me how old you are and how long you've been training? I am asking so I can guage how well this will work for me based on my age and my training expereince.

Many thanks for the help.

 

[tjcny]

Agreed with the lion on this one also. Better part of the last 30 yrs. doing this, competitions, etc. and still do. Diet is key....I preach this all the time, use cardio as an "extension" of your diet, not the other way around. That is you are trying to create a caloric deficit with your diet, use your cardio as a tool to achieve this. First off, if you jump right into cardio, and do too much, you really have no place to turn but cutting more food calories. At some point this becomes unfeasible, and will most certainly backfire on you. Your body is smart, and will indeed learn to store fat...it will slow metabolic rate and thus thyroid output, hormones effected, as a defense mechanism. Our bodies are programmed fromn early days(being chased by predators, running through endless fields, etc.) to preserve life(by keeping an adequate fat store. The body does not care about looking good at the beach!

So use cardio as a tool to continue your caloric deficit, not the other way around.

Thanks. I guess what I find confusing is how much of a caloric deficiet I should be maintaining and how many calories do I need to grow new muscle. It seems like a catch 22 situation.

 

[Lifterforlife]

Thanks. I guess what I find confusing is how much of a caloric deficiet I should be maintaining and how many calories do I need to grow new muscle. It seems like a catch 22 situation.

Slow loss is the best. I find it best to do 250 calorie per week increments. This I normally do the first few weeks from diet alone, as calories are at maintenance(if done right), and this will induce a nice, slow change with no "trauma" to the body(big strength loss, etc.). If you cut too many calories in the beginning, you are asking for an immediate muscle loss.

Then about 3 calorie cuts in, I start to add in cardio slowly to make it a blend of calories and cardio to make this deficit. (250) If you start cardio too soon, you leave yourself no room but to cut more calories.

After a few weeks of this, around 7 is a good number, as your body will start to "catch on" to what you ared doing and slow metabolic rate to compensate, stay there and bump the calories up a bit, about 250, with a minimum of 100 gr. of carbs per day(shown to be an optimal amount to reset metabolism), then resume dieting. Sometimes at this point, carb cycling works well. Lots to put in a small post, hope this made some sense.

 

[tjcny]

Slow loss is the best. I find it best to do 250 calorie per week increments. This I normally do the first few weeks from diet alone, as calories are at maintenance(if done right), and this will induce a nice, slow change with no "trauma" to the body(big strength loss, etc.). If you cut too many calories in the beginning, you are asking for an immediate muscle loss.

Then about 3 calorie cuts in, I start to add in cardio slowly to make it a blend of calories and cardio to make this deficit. (250) If you start cardio too soon, you leave yourself no room but to cut more calories.

After a few weeks of this, around 7 is a good number, as your body will start to "catch on" to what you ared doing and slow metabolic rate to compensate, stay there and bump the calories up a bit, about 250, with a minimum of 100 gr. of carbs per day(shown to be an optimal amount to reset metabolism), then resume dieting. Sometimes at this point, carb cycling works well. Lots to put in a small post, hope this made some sense.

Thanks. I think I get it, but what do you do about carbs? I know I should stay away from the simple kind, but how do you handle them?

 

[Lifterforlife]

Thanks. I think I get it, but what do you do about carbs? I know I should stay away from the simple kind, but how do you handle them?

Carbs are your freind. It is a matter of timing and type. I would begin by structuring my starchy type carbs(sweet potatoes, oats and such) around your workout. That is, to give you some fuel for workouts and some recovery abilities. The rest of the time I would keep my carbs very fibrous in nature, something like beans as your main "hard" carb, and tons of veggies.

When dieting, it is key to look toward nutrient dense foods rather than calorie dense. This will allow you to eat a higher volume of food, thus feeling more satiated.

 

[thelion2005]

Thanks Lion for the advice. Would you tell me how old you are and how long you've been training? I am asking so I can guage how well this will work for me based on my age and my training expereince.

Many thanks for the help.

62 ... training for over 45 years

Even a man with little experience will feel amazing effects with this change in diet. You'll be shocked at the higher energy levels, the waist loss, veins showing ...

My blood tests reveal positive effects in all areas including hormones. Sugar and flour push up your esto levels.

I am convinced that flour products are as big a killer as sugar. This includes oats.

Why am I convinced? Because I lived it in 2004!

 

[sonic_death_monkey]

62 ... training for over 45 years

Even a man with little experience will feel amazing effects with this change in diet. You'll be shocked at the higher energy levels, the waist loss, veins showing ...

My blood tests reveal positive effects in all areas including hormones. Sugar and flour push up your esto levels.

I am convinced that flour products are as big a killer as sugar. This includes oats.

Why am I convinced? Because I lived it in 2004!

It's awesome that you've been training for over 45 years! I'm 26 and have been training for 13! It definitely becomes a lifestyle!

I work in the healthcare field and I see people everyday that are 62 years old and are trapped in there own bodies.

I just don't see 62 as "that old", even though people die in their 40's,50's,60's all the time!

Here's to training, good health, and longevity! Not just living, but living well!

 

[Lifterforlife]

Feel the same...great job Lion! I have myself been training for 30 yrs. Nice to have the expertise, I am liking this board. Cleaning up the diet for starters will yeild dramatic results in most cases. (eliminating simple carbs, etc.)

 

[tjcny]

Don't know what I'm doing wrong. I am doing 45 to 60 mins. of cardio (eliptical) at about 80% MHR 6x a week, I've cut most of the junk out of my diet and I am doing between 30 to 40 mins of lifting 5x a week before I do cardio. So far, after nearly 6 weeks, I've only lost about 4.5 lbs. Does it get better with time? I am sure not burning the fat off.

 

[thelion2005]

Don't know what I'm doing wrong. I am doing 45 to 60 mins. of cardio (eliptical) at about 80% MHR 6x a week, I've cut most of the junk out of my diet and I am doing between 30 to 40 mins of lifting 5x a week before I do cardio. So far, after nearly 6 weeks, I've only lost about 4.5 lbs. Does it get better with time? I am sure not burning the fat off.

I know I'm preaching .... but here I go. I want you to succeed!

Put your diet under the microscope. THere are still fast sugars/flour holding that water in. If you did meat, eggs and veggies religiously... you'd have peed 10 lbs off in the first 5 days. Then would come the fat burning.

You are doing the physical work! ::applause::

What are you eating that's holding you back?

 

[tjcny]

I know I'm preaching .... but here I go. I want you to succeed!

Put your diet under the microscope. THere are still fast sugars/flour holding that water in. If you did meat, eggs and veggies religiously... you'd have peed 10 lbs off in the first 5 days. Then would come the fat burning.

You are doing the physical work! ::applause::

What are you eating that's holding you back?

Thanks for the reply Lion. Looking at my diet, I have cleaned it up a lot. I still have some white flour items in it and some sugar. White flour in the form of bread and sugar in the form of ceral. I also have had pizza once or twice a week during the last six weeks. I will drop those items and see how it goes. I have been on the Atkins diet and lost a ton of weight and did lose 10 bls the first week, so I know what you're talking about, but I couldn't live on it long term so I got off it and then gained all the weight back and then some. So what I need to come up with is a diet I can live with pretty much forever.

 

[thelion2005]

Got ya .....
My forever recommendation menu - after animal flesh, eggs and veggies only for at least 4 weeks trigger the big change - would be:
Grilled animal flesh
Veggies
One piece whole grain bread product
Eggs
1 oz cheese
handfull of various berries
few nuts
Veggie and meat pizza on thin crust - eat only the top
1 light beer
3 oz plain yogart
no sugar jello

Yes...it is limited and tough. All I know is ... it works! As soon as you hit the sugar/flour, water is held and fat starts to pile on. AND ... you begin to crave more sugar/flour!

Good luck!

 

[Lifterforlife]

Thanks for the reply Lion. Looking at my diet, I have cleaned it up a lot. I still have some white flour items in it and some sugar. White flour in the form of bread and sugar in the form of ceral. I also have had pizza once or twice a week during the last six weeks. I will drop those items and see how it goes. I have been on the Atkins diet and lost a ton of weight and did lose 10 bls the first week, so I know what you're talking about, but I couldn't live on it long term so I got off it and then gained all the weight back and then some. So what I need to come up with is a diet I can live with pretty much forever.

yeah, I hear you. Keto type diets do indeed work, but for the most part are not long term diets many of us can stick with. For instance I use keto diets pre contest, but I know it will be for a short period of time and to acheive a goal, then can turn back to a more standard approach.

You may give this...carb cycling a shot. Very effective, will not drive you, and something you can do for longer periods of time. There are many variations of this, but this is an outline I followed many times with great success. Was able to keep workouts from falling through the floor, energy was fine, and the fat came off, albeit a bit slower.

Day 1.... .5 gr. carbs per lb. bw
Day 2.... .5 gr. carbs per lb. bw
Day 3.... 2 gr. carbs per lb. bw
Day 4.... 1-1.5 gr. per lb. bw
Day 5 restart day 1

Now, this is flexible. For instance, I am very carb intolerant, a big carb day for me is around 200 gr. Many folks eat that in one meal! So, I do not do 2 gr. on my high carb days, I use 1.5 tops, and adjust this lower on my medium carb day(day 4).

On the low carb days, jack up protein to 2 gr. per lb. bw. Get your carbs strictly from fibrous veggies, oats, etc. Fats should be fine from the meats you eat. On high carb days, stay clean, but have plenty of starches.

Hope this makes sense and helps.

 

[tjcny]

Thanks Lion and Lifter. I will try your suggestions out and let you know how it goes.

 

[temetrepo]

there is a test you can have done and is not that expensive. After i did it I found out that I was burning more sugar and muscle than anything else.

 

[tjcny]

there is a test you can have done and is not that expensive. After i did it I found out that I was burning more sugar and muscle than anything else.

What was the name of the test?

 

[Lifterforlife]

I imagine he is probably speaking of keto test strips you can buy at any drug store. These are in fact not an indication if this is the product. Checks proteins in the urine.

 

[temetrepo]

not at all, i am refering to a test using a mask monitoring the amount of oxygen consumed during the test. dont recall the name right now.

 

[tjcny]

All of a sudden I am starting to notice some weight loss. After about 2 and half months of busting my balls and not moving more than a pound or two on the scale, this past week I dropped 5 pounds. Not much has changed with my routine, though I did change the eliptical trainer from the Lifefitness one to the Arc Trainer. Also, put a little more meat and veggies in the diet, but not an excessive amount.

So, what do you think happened?

 

[thelion2005]

All of a sudden I am starting to notice some weight loss. After about 2 and half months of busting my balls and not moving more than a pound or two on the scale, this past week I dropped 5 pounds. Not much has changed with my routine, though I did change the eliptical trainer from the Lifefitness one to the Arc Trainer. Also, put a little more meat and veggies in the diet, but not an excessive amount.

So, what do you think happened?

Lots of urination? When I do meat and veggies, I start peeing like crazy within 36 hours. This tells me the hcange is working. Fat burning is next.

 

[tjcny]

Lots of urination? When I do meat and veggies, I start peeing like crazy within 36 hours. This tells me the hcange is working. Fat burning is next.

Hi Lion,

That may be what happened. I am urinating a bit more it seems, though not excessively. I will have to keep a close eye on this process as it is fascinating to me. Thanks as always for your input.

 

[cobyguy]

I am kind of in a simular boat--Two years ago I pledged to loose about 20 pounds of middle age pudge before my 40th b-day this past Nov 24th. So I started back rowing, seriously gave up all white carbs, cut way back on alcohol- (that was ruff) and I trained first thing in the morning BEFORE breakfast for about an hour 4 days per week. And removed a great deal of stress from my life...

Emiediatly after training I would have cup of whole oats and 4 ozs of lean protien-mostly egg whites or chicken breast. The whole program worked great- I lost the fat. Now I'm on a lean muscle building program. My weight has changed little but my appearance is remarkable. Let the mirror, and true friends feedback be your only scales

BUT you can not do lots of cardio AND bulk up. Just like you MUST NOT starve to loose fat. During times of stress- running and starving are stressful- the body eats the tissue that is most expensive to maintain (muscle) and saves the fat stores as a last resort. Thats why fad diets don't work and obese people only loose water and muscle during crazy diet programs.

Just be very realistic- most things in moderation- and make minor corrections- and wait for the results. Even too much sex will give you a rash.....

 

[sfwolves78]

can straight lifting hard and dieting help lose fat? im on lipodrene (w/ ephedra) and i eat very little and lift hard.. im curious how this could work out? is this bad? by the way im 17 .. 6'5'' 290 (football).. not sure about body fat % but im not all fat

 

[thelion2005]

can straight lifting hard and dieting help lose fat? im on lipodrene (w/ ephedra) and i eat very little and lift hard.. im curious how this could work out? is this bad? by the way im 17 .. 6'5'' 290 (football).. not sure about body fat % but im not all fat

Yes.
In fact, a nice 4-5 day full body split with lots of lean animal meats, eggs and lots of veggies will really work for you.

 

[cobyguy]

can straight lifting hard and dieting help lose fat? im on lipodrene (w/ ephedra) and i eat very little and lift hard.. im curious how this could work out? is this bad? by the way im 17 .. 6'5'' 290 (football).. not sure about body fat % but im not all fat

Damn to be 17 again and know what I know now....Dude you are still growing so be very careful about the junk you put in you system. especially alcohol. the body will process alcohol before in gets around to processing the good stuff.

Eat lots of lean protein, (fish, egg whites, beef, pork, venison) mixed with fresh veggies. Then add carbs as the last element. the ratio should be something like 2 parts protein, 2 parts veggies, 1 part carb. (whole grain carbs) no white stuff, no white sugar, no pasta, no white bread, ONLY whole grains. Old fashioned oats are great. They take 1 min in the microwave and you can mix them with all sorts of stuff.

Eat six times a day. I try to keep my calorie intake per mini-meal at just enough to keep me satisfied till the next mini meal. thats about 350-400. calories per mini- six times a day. or about 2100-2400 cal. total. But I am currently on a cutting up phaze and I am training real efficiently with a trainer. If you are bulking you need to train heavy and eat around 3000+ cals. I eat not longer than 2 hours before I train and very less than an hour before. Blood/energy goes to the digestive system to process food. You will need that energy to train. So wait two hours after your last mini-meal. You should be hangry as hell after training. Get some protein and carbs in your system emeidiaty afterwards or the body will start to eat the muscles you gained last week!!!! Eat emediatly after training!!!!!! Within 30 minutes. Even if its a cheese burger....I prefere something better. Smoothies are fun if they are low in sugar. Protein bar work too and they fit in your gym bag.

Ive been on a anti-oxident broad range vitamin / mineral kick for many years- I'm 40 and look like I'm 30. The major ones are vitamin C, Vitamin E, Omega-oils, glutamine, the Flavinoids in chocolate and dark fruits like grapes, berries, and pecans/almonds/walnuts. ALL these things can be obtained by eating REAL food. The menu possibilities and endless so you don't have to eat the same old boring body builders diet of dry assed chicken and brown rice. Mix it up have a little fun.......PEACE--- no really....be at peace with yourself and the world...it helps your body do the things it has evolved to do.

 

[cobyguy]

All of a sudden I am starting to notice some weight loss. After about 2 and half months of busting my balls and not moving more than a pound or two on the scale, this past week I dropped 5 pounds. Not much has changed with my routine, though I did change the eliptical trainer from the Lifefitness one to the Arc Trainer. Also, put a little more meat and veggies in the diet, but not an excessive amount.

So, what do you think happened?

Sounds like you are replacing fat with muscle- thats a good thing- get off the cardio machines if you are trying add more muscle. The weight falling off now is muscle weight. Initially you gained some mule probably in you legs. That extra muscle will burn the fat as energy. But there cmes a point with excesive cardio that the body goes into stress mode and starts eating itself alive. Once its finished you will be left with reduced muscles cover in the remaining fat. You have to build muscle and maintain said muscle. Only do the cardio as a warm up. Never for long duration -multiple days. Keep eating lots of lean protein, fresh/frozen veggies, whole grains....very little alcohol. No sugars....stay away from anything ending "-ose". sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, in that order!

 

[tjcny]

Sounds like you are replacing fat with muscle- thats a good thing- get off the cardio machines if you are trying add more muscle. The weight falling off now is muscle weight. Initially you gained some mule probably in you legs. That extra muscle will burn the fat as energy. But there cmes a point with excesive cardio that the body goes into stress mode and starts eating itself alive. Once its finished you will be left with reduced muscles cover in the remaining fat. You have to build muscle and maintain said muscle. Only do the cardio as a warm up. Never for long duration -multiple days. Keep eating lots of lean protein, fresh/frozen veggies, whole grains....very little alcohol. No sugars....stay away from anything ending "-ose". sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, in that order!

Thanks for the advice. A lot of professional fitness "gurus" I have been reading lately seem to be dead set against cardio as well. Yet on every site you will see lenghtly disucssions on cardio and how it should be part of everyone's exercise routine. Quite frankly, it is very confusing to a realative novice. Who do we believe?

 

[Lifterforlife]

Cardio should be part of your regimine, it does not have to be for weight loss. For instance, I am very happy with my leaness, but I do some cardio simply for cardiovascular fitness.(the heart is a pretty important muscle )

But, always on opposite days of weight training. Eat well before and after and you will be fine.

 

[tjcny]

Cardio should be part of your regimine, it does not have to be for weight loss. For instance, I am very happy with my leaness, but I do some cardio simply for cardiovascular fitness.(the heart is a pretty important muscle )

But, always on opposite days of weight training. Eat well before and after and you will be fine.

How much and what types of cardio do you recommend?

 

[Lifterforlife]

I mix it up. Just go with the gut. Alot of it is longer duration type, but also a 20 minute HITT session periodically to really get the blood flowing.

I do protein/fats pre, and then my next regularly scheduled meal next. I treat it just like a weight session, but no pwo shake(simple carbs).

 

[mikevegas]

Since you are not trying to go pro, don't worry so much about detailed fat burning, just keep busy as much as possible. If the diet is in order, then all cardio will help. Depending on the weather, I bike, hike, ski, snowshoe, rollerblade, swim, anything I enjoy. I put in about an hour of each activity, once or twice a day time permitting. At 36, I'm usually around 15% fat in the winter, and 10% fat in the summer, and have no problems maintaining this with a solid diet plan, but always throw in some cheat food each day around it for sanity.

 

[cobyguy]

Thanks for the advice. A lot of professional fitness "gurus" I have been reading lately seem to be dead set against cardio as well. Yet on every site you will see lenghtly disucssions on cardio and how it should be part of everyone's exercise routine. Quite frankly, it is very confusing to a realative novice. Who do we believe?

First off believe what your body in telling you- what its responding to....some cardio will be benifitial. But these 1-1.5 hr high intensity sessions every day are not going to cut you up if you already carry a large % of body fat over on undeveloped muscle frame. Thing of it as a bulking phaze and then a cardio phaze- YOU CAN NOT do both simultaneously!!!!!!

You MUST build the muscles 1st, then use that new muscle development to help elevate your metabolism. AFTER 8-12 week muscle bulding program- then start a cutting up program. Thats when you can add the additional cardio. (a note on cardio/heart rate- next time you are weight lifting- doing something very heavy- like squats- check your pulse after a set. I can bet your heart is beating at close to the "fat burning" range of about 144-160 beats per minute. Your muscles are exerting force and the heart in beating fast- Isn't that the same thing that happens on a tread mill? )

Your cardio/cutting phase should last another 8-12 weeks- cardio mixed with high reps lower weight, bungee cords, calisthenics (sp), everything you can do through out the day to get your metabolism elevated...I park my car in the furthest parking spots from anywhere I have to drive to and them trot to the buliding I have to go to. Even when i'm walking around a supermarket, mall, campus, down the street, I walk very briskly like I'm always late for something. . It looks stupid but I look great....If you have a desk job. Take 10 minute breaks every hour and go trot the stairs in your building or go walk around the block. Hell the smokers ALL take a ten minute break to FUCK up their lives. You should certainly do it to help yours!!!!!

Heres' a good one...its wintertime now. Turn your thermostats down so that you always feel coooler than you're used to (not freezing to death ) but just above a chill. Don't pile on extra clothers though. ( you'll save money on utilities too.)You will get used to the feeling and your body will adapt by turning up the inner furnace. Your body also wants to increase its fat stores in the fall and winter but I truely think that by staying active while staying colder you will counter act this effect. Think of what other mammals do in the winter...bears, marmotts, muskrats, beavers, rats, etc....all eat like crazy in the autumn and early winter only to hybernate during the winter untill spring.(sound like anyone you know?-most of my family...) Wolves, otters, foxes, Pumas, bobcats- all stay active during the winter. I expect our ancestors who evolved just before and during the last ice age acted more like bears and beavers- storing up large supplie of fat and sleeping most of the winter. But would you rather look like a beaver or a Puma?

So stay active, stay intence and creatively burn more calories. Basicallly anything you can do to increase your metabolic rate. Even small amounts over time will make a difference. You ever see a fat hyperactive person?

Lay off the simple carbs- green veggies and lots of protien.. lots of water....be patient but you will get feed-back from you friends. Then go back on a bulking phaze for 8-12 weeks, keep up the intensity of the weight training but lay off the cardio. Make your heart and muscles workind hard by training them......And don't forget to rest....coast for few days if you get unbearably sore- but keep the muscles moving....stretch- walk, do yoga, ti chi, stretching.....don't let the body get complascent....or your brain for that matter...Kill your TV...and x-box.....PEACE, harmony, contentment...

 

[scout69]

Cut Carbs, And do Cardio twice a day, Once in the Morning before you eat, This will help burn Fat faster because Cardio later in the day you have to burn all the Calories off you ate threw the day, In the morning your pretty much burning fat from the Door..

 

[sonic_death_monkey]

it's about time to start riding the elliptical runner again