Exercise routine while on LCD

Terpnista84
Terpnista84 Posts: 517 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't count calories or carbs but I'd estimate I eat between 1,500-1,800 a day and stay under 50g carbs (my carbs only come from vegetables, occasional fruit, and nuts).

I prefer HIIT because I get a better workout and I can do it for a shorter period of time. However I read that HIIT is not good for low carb dieters and I should do low intensity instead.

If I want to maximize fat loss and retain muscle (my goal is to be more lean), should I just stick with low intensity and strength training since my caloric deficit will burn fat anyway?

Replies

  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Terpnista84 wrote: »
    I don't count calories or carbs but I'd estimate I eat between 1,500-1,800 a day and stay under 50g carbs (my carbs only come from vegetables, occasional fruit, and nuts).

    I prefer HIIT because I get a better workout and I can do it for a shorter period of time. However I read that HIIT is not good for low carb dieters and I should do low intensity instead.

    If I want to maximize fat loss and retain muscle (my goal is to be more lean), should I just stick with low intensity and strength training since my caloric deficit will burn fat anyway?

    I don't know that HIIT is "bad" for low-carb dieters; I would say that HIIT can be difficult for low-carb dieters. HIIT is going to include a lot of high-intensity work for short periods followed by either rest or aerobic / low-intensity work (or a combo of the both) for longer period. Short high-intensity work draws from your anaerobic energy systems which is fueled by ATP and ATP's primary source is carbohydrates. That doesn't mean you can't do it but there could be days where you're dragging-*kitten*; it's going to vary from person to person to some degree. One's conditioning, unless their sport demands it, shouldn't be one-dimensional in that it's all high-intensity or low-intensity; do a mix of both. Perhaps one day a week give yourself a more moderate carb in-take and then do HIIT the next day. But play around with it and see how it works for you, don't discount it until you try it for a few weeks.

    Adding some strength training will help preserve strength, so definitely follow a well-structured strength-training program.

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