Do you reduce cardio during a cutting weight phase?

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powered85
powered85 Posts: 297 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm starting on a cut to lose around 5lbs of fat and hopefully retain most of the muscle I've put on. I do a lot of running and other cardio - those that go on a cut..... Do you reduce the high cardio a bit in that phase?

Wondering if it makes it easier to manage hunger as cardio tends to increase that? Maybe switch to brisk walking than running etc?

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  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    No I wouldn't cut cardio as it allows you to eat more ;)
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
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    Usually I think you're supposed to do more cardio on a cut and less on a bulk... but you're right cardio increases hunger and long steady state can be counterproductive to maintaining muscle... how about short hiit cardio sessions? I like sprint intervals, stairs, plyo intervals, etc and only do between 20 and 35 minutes per session.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    I can go either way. When I was larger I found that it was easier to adhere to a calorie goal when I wasn't over doing cardio, as those burns were just estimations and I wasn't going at it so hard to be able to "eat back" much.

    I'm trying to lose again and thinking about adding some for a boost in activity level.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    It depends.

    Your top priorities should be to maintain a calorie deficit that allows a reasonable rate of weight loss, and a recovery rate that allows you to train in a capacity to maximally retain muscle.

    Cardio increases calorie expenditure (not to mention it causes adaptations to promote fitness) but it MAY effect hunger.

    High intensity cardio will have a much larger recovery component compared to steady state and so that's a potential detriment depending on how you schedule it.

    I realize this doesn't directly answer your question but hopefully it gives you some things to consider
  • powered85
    powered85 Posts: 297 Member
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    No I wouldn't cut cardio as it allows you to eat more ;)

    I enjoy that luxury! But was curious if generally reducing it makes it easier to stay on deficit when already pretty lean.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I reduce cardio during bulking and go back to a normal cardio in a cut, hunger is not an issue for me and I have mine arranged in the week that does not impede recovery.. I up protein and adhere to a smaller deficit.

    For some cardio does not have impact on hunger and some it does... and cardio is not or does not have to be counter productive to maintaining muscle.. this is was a little misleading from post above.

    You can still do endurance training or do shorter duration, personal preference. Sometimes it boils down to time, sometimes it boils down if you still want to do cardio in a cut after a bulk..

    This all boils down to balance and what impacts your training and nutrition has on performance and recovery..
  • applesandtapeline
    applesandtapeline Posts: 58 Member
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    Unfortunately you can't avoid cardio when cutting. I've noticed that low intensity cardio within 40mins helps me to lose fat (and some muscle as well, but that's just human anatomy, unless you're on s supplements..;) ) but doesn't make me hungrier than usually when in deficit.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I increase cardio during a cut. I am excited for when I'm done and getting that extra 500-750 calories a day where I won't have to do cardio to create it.

    I find cardio helpful for a few reasons.

    1. I can eat more to acheive the same deficit
    2. It seems to blunt hunger for me as long as its not overdone (variable. some experience that it increases hunger)
    3. Probably most important for me, there is less actual time between when I get off work and go to sleep where I'm sitting on the couch reading this script in my head

    "I want cookies!"
    "No you are trying to lose weight and you have no more calories"

    "I want beer!"
    "No you are trying to lose weight and you have no more calories"

    "I want chips!"
    "No you are trying to lose weight and you have no more calories"

    "I want candy!"
    "Oh fine what do I care"

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