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How much muscular atrophy have you guys experienced from doing a ton of cardio? I'm currently at around 17-18% bodyfat and I want to cut down to as close to 10% bf as I can and then maintain that, but I also want to keep as much of the lean muscle mass/strength that I've acquired from training. To accomplish this, I obviously need to up my cardio a lot, as well as go on a slight caloric deficit, but my question is, if I follow a workout like the one below, how much muscle would I lose? Here's the workout:
Monday:
3x4-6 rows
3x4-6 deadlifts
3x4-6 chinups (for extra bicep work)
HIIT (2 mins off 1 min on)
Tuesday or Saturday: Low intensity cardio for 30-40 mins and maybe abs
Wednesday:
3x4-6 bench press
3x4-6 dips
3x4-6 military push press (for extra tricep/shoulder work)
HIIT (2 mins off 1 min on for 15 mins)
Thursday or Sunday: Low intensity cardio for 30-40 mins and maybe abs
Friday:
3x4-6 squats
3x4-6 Stiff-legged deadlifts
3x4-6 calf-raises
HIIT (2 mins off 1 min on)
Would this be too little volume? I picked this rep range because I wanted to at least maintain strength since I know some muscle will be lost, but I don't want to lose my strength. Plus I figure uping strength will help me maintain some lean mass, which is my goal.
So any critque on my routine? Oh, also, I'm 5 foot 6-5 foot 7 (yeah, I know I'm short) and nearly 150 lbs with a 30 in pant size, so just how overweight am I? I have read online that I should be 130 lbs ideally, which means I have to cut at least 18 lbs, but what do you think is a good weight for my height?
Last edited by Jumpman023; 09-01-2009 at 12:56 PM..
When you say muscle atrophy I am assuming you just mean muscle loss and not atrophy in the sense of someone who loses muscle mass from inactivity.
If you are losing muscle because of your cardio routine, you really need to look at your nutrition intake. Ben Johnson, Usain Bolt and other sprinters carry a lot of muscle and they run A LOT. If you're running 35-45 miles per week and are not fueling your body properly, you will/could lose muscle mass by your body tapping into those muscles for fuel.
Cant really answer your question as more details are needed:
What weights are you lifting?
Are you lifting to failure?
How are you defining "low intensity cardio"?
Are you REALLY doing 2 min off and 1 min on for "HIIT"?
HIIT normally is 10-15 seconds on and 20-30 seconds off or something similar not in minutes.
When you say muscle atrophy I am assuming you just mean muscle loss and not atrophy in the sense of someone who loses muscle mass from inactivity.
If you are losing muscle because of your cardio routine, you really need to look at your nutrition intake. Ben Johnson, Usain Bolt and other sprinters carry a lot of muscle and they run A LOT. If you're running 35-45 miles per week and are not fueling your body properly, you will/could lose muscle mass by your body tapping into those muscles for fuel.
Cant really answer your question as more details are needed:
What weights are you lifting?
Are you lifting to failure?
How are you defining "low intensity cardio"?
Are you REALLY doing 2 min off and 1 min on for "HIIT"?
HIIT normally is 10-15 seconds on and 20-30 seconds off or something similar not in minutes.
What weights are you lifting? See routine above
Are you lifting to failure? No. Lifting heavy/intensly, not to failure. See routine above
How are you defining "low intensity cardio"? 30-40 mins of walking on an incline not letting heart rate get too high
Are you REALLY doing 2 min off and 1 min on for "HIIT"?
HIIT normally is 10-15 seconds on and 20-30 seconds off or something similar not in minutes
I am. I know HIIT is traditionally how you described it, but I don't have access to a track and treadmills hurt my knees, so I just add a ton of resistance and go all out for 1 min, then dial it back and go a easy pace for 2 for 15 mins (5 intervals).
And yes, by atrophy I mean muscle loss, not actual atrophy. Stupid me for not being clearer
How much muscular atrophy have you guys experienced from doing a ton of cardio? I'm currently at around 17-18% bodyfat and I want to cut down to as close to 10% bf as I can and then maintain that, but I also want to keep as much of the lean muscle mass/strength that I've acquired from training. To accomplish this, I obviously need to up my cardio a lot, as well as go on a slight caloric deficit, but my question is, if I follow a workout like the one below, how much muscle would I lose? Here's the workout:
Monday:
3x4-6 rows
3x4-6 deadlifts
3x4-6 chinups (for extra bicep work)
HIIT (2 mins off 1 min on)
Tuesday or Saturday: Low intensity cardio for 30-40 mins and maybe abs
Wednesday:
3x4-6 bench press
3x4-6 dips
3x4-6 military push press (for extra tricep/shoulder work)
HIIT (2 mins off 1 min on for 15 mins)
Thursday or Sunday: Low intensity cardio for 30-40 mins and maybe abs
Friday:
3x4-6 squats
3x4-6 Stiff-legged deadlifts
3x4-6 calf-raises
HIIT (2 mins off 1 min on)
Would this be too little volume? I picked this rep range because I wanted to at least maintain strength since I know some muscle will be lost, but I don't want to lose my strength. Plus I figure uping strength will help me maintain some lean mass, which is my goal.
So any critque on my routine? Oh, also, I'm 5 foot 6-5 foot 7 (yeah, I know I'm short) and nearly 150 lbs with a 30 in pant size, so just how overweight am I? I have read online that I should be 130 lbs ideally, which means I have to cut at least 18 lbs, but what do you think is a good weight for my height?
Questions:
1. 5' 6-7" and 150lb with a 30 pant size is overweight? Interesting...
2. 18%BF isn't horrible...maybe a little bit of padding you have there. What is your current training and diet look like?
3. What are your goals? Simply some weight loss? Toning up? Training for a particular sports activity?
4. What do you mean by atophy? Atophy refers to a medical condition where muscle mass is lost. Cardio does not cause muscle atrophy. Cardio (as opposed to lifting), causes muscles to adopt a different muscle fiber type: muscles tend to be smaller and more energetically efficient. Its not "lost" so much as "converted".
1. 5' 6-7" and 150lb with a 30 pant size is overweight? Interesting...
2. 18%BF isn't horrible...maybe a little bit of padding you have there. What is your current training and diet look like?
3. What are your goals? Simply some weight loss? Toning up? Training for a particular sports activity?
4. What do you mean by atophy? Atophy refers to a medical condition where muscle mass is lost. Cardio does not cause muscle atrophy. Cardio (as opposed to lifting), causes muscles to adopt a different muscle fiber type: muscles tend to be smaller and more energetically efficient. Its not "lost" so much as "converted".
1. Well, I don't know why my pant size isn't big, but isn't 5 foot 6 to 7 and 150 fat in general? Forget the pant size part.
2. I'm not really happy with 18%. Although I can see some definition in my arms, and some of those upper ribs/lines on my abs, I'd like to get more cut. I eat as clean as possible, but I'm not ridiculous about it. I allow myself one cheat meal per day, but I try to eat ever 3-4 hours and I eat bananas, nuts, etc. so it's relatively clean and small even though I eat frequently.
3. Goals are to become more athletic (stronger and quicker) as well as tone a bit. I want to build a sprinter's body (they tend to be somewhat muscular but not huge) rather than a marathon runner's body. I also want to reduce bf % to around 12.
4. This was my fault. I just meant that I want to keep as much lean mass as possible, since you do lose some muscle while cutting. Sorry for the inappropriate term usage.
1. Well, I don't know why my pant size isn't big, but isn't 5 foot 6 to 7 and 150 fat in general? Forget the pant size part.
5'6" and 150 is a BMI of 24.2....considered a healthy weight clinically speaking. Keep in mind that over 50% of Americans BMI fall within the overweight/obese BMI ranges.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jumpman023
2. I'm not really happy with 18%. Although I can see some definition in my arms, and some of those upper ribs/lines on my abs, I'd like to get more cut. I eat as clean as possible, but I'm not ridiculous about it. I allow myself one cheat meal per day, but I try to eat ever 3-4 hours and I eat bananas, nuts, etc. so it's relatively clean and small even though I eat frequently.
Sounds like a good plan you are following...maybe cut that cheat meal to once/week?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jumpman023
3. Goals are to become more athletic (stronger and quicker) as well as tone a bit. I want to build a sprinter's body (they tend to be somewhat muscular but not huge) rather than a marathon runner's body. I also want to reduce bf % to around 12.
Not to be snarky, but have you thought about running track if you want a sprinter's body? The workout regime you posted earlier probably isn't what those sprinters are doing on a daily basis. Again consistent diet and exercise will lower your BF%.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jumpman023
4. This was my fault. I just meant that I want to keep as much lean mass as possible, since you do lose some muscle while cutting. Sorry for the inappropriate term usage.
Cutting? I'm thinking those sprinter guys aren't doing alot of dieting/cutting. They are feeding the engine.
5'6" and 150 is a BMI of 24.2....considered a healthy weight clinically speaking. Keep in mind that over 50% of Americans BMI fall within the overweight/obese BMI ranges.
Sounds like a good plan you are following...maybe cut that cheat meal to once/week?
Not to be snarky, but have you thought about running track if you want a sprinter's body? The workout regime you posted earlier probably isn't what those sprinters are doing on a daily basis. Again consistent diet and exercise will lower your BF%.
Cutting? I'm thinking those sprinter guys aren't doing alot of dieting/cutting. They are feeding the engine.
Well, cheat meal isn't the best way to describe it. I just allow myself 1 candy bar per day so that I don't go crazy. I wouldn't call that a meal though lol.
I don't like to run track, I was just using sprinter's body as an example of what I'd desire (strength, speed, toned but not skinny-toned body). Plus, you'd be surprised at how important weight training is to sprinting, especially since the movements I picked are mostly compound/big lifts.
No, I'm not surprised that weight-lifting is essential to sprinting...sprinting requires alot of power to accelerate, clear hurdles, and maintain speed. However, you'd probably be surprised how much those guys run (I would guess somewhere between 50-60 miles a week).
You could probably get the strength and the toned body from your workout plan, but the speed? If anything, I would predict that you'd be slower. Speed only comes one way....running-alot of running.
1. Well, I don't know why my pant size isn't big, but isn't 5 foot 6 to 7 and 150 fat in general? Forget the pant size part.
Interesting story...
I'm 6'2, 184 lbs, and people call me skinny all the time; in fact, nobody believes me when I tell them that's my weight. When I was 155 lbs, people thought I might be anorexic.
Assuming you're male, I find humor in the idea that your dimensions are anywhere near "fat". Now, if you were female...that's a different story altogether. Then again, if all of your weight is around your gut, I can see how you might feel fat.
Find a healthier sweet treat. Body fat is affected by your food and genetic disposition of body type more than anything else. Do you drink?
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