Dropping bodyfat through cardio alone

[Jariel]

I'm quite content with my size at the moment, but I'm carrying some excess bodyfat I'd like to drop.

I have tried cutting, but it led to health problems, fatigue, low sex drive, loss of muscle and a really lousy state of mind. I have a balanced diet at the moment (neither bulking nor cutting) and would like to keep it that way. But I'm going to increase my cardio (1hour HIIT per day + 4 days per week lifting) to reduce my body fat.

So my questions are:

1. If I follow up each cardio session with a protein shake, can I expect to maintain most of my muscle gains?

2. Is it better for my health, state of mind etc to burn calories with cardio rather than reduce them with a cutting diet?

3. Is it better to do cardio training every day or fewer yet longer sessions per week?


Any other advice would be appreciated. I'm not looking for quick results, but would like to know I'm making progress.

Thanks

 

[Warboss Alex]

1 hour HIIT!? Forget it mate.

And yes, let the cardio take off your bodyfat, that's what it's there for.

I don't need to tell you that a low calorie diet is ****e and will lose your muscle gains.

Cardio every day? Yes, but keep it low intensity.

 

[Warboss Alex]

In this sport there's no such thing as fast results by the way, if it was that easy everyone would be 250lbs ripped to the bone.

To illustrate, if I had fat to lose I'd give myself 3-4 months for it (or more). Any faster and personally I'd probably lose too much muscle - gentle cardio over a longer period will keep most, if not all your gains.

 

[Centaurion]

if you can do hiit for 1 hour, it's not hiit.

 

[Jariel]

ha! I was clearly too ambitious. Before reading the replies I gave it a try and managed only 15 mins (1min/1min).

 

[MindOverMatter]

1. If I follow up each cardio session with a protein shake, can I expect to maintain most of my muscle gains?

2. Is it better for my health, state of mind etc to burn calories with cardio rather than reduce them with a cutting diet?

3. Is it better to do cardio training every day or fewer yet longer sessions per week?

1.) Yes, supplement with protein + glutamine + dextrose mixed in cold water after every workout.

2.) It depends on your cutting diet. If you do it improperly you can get malnourished, and your natural testosterone levels may go down. Make sure you're getting all the necessery nutrients (B family vitamins, Vit C, Magnesium, Zinc, etc).

3.) If you want to do cardio, make sure to do it 8 hrs after you finished working out with weights. By that time your muscles have rested (somewhat) and have gotten the necessery nutrients (if you ate properly).

Doing HIIT on offdays > Doing HIIT everyday > Running for long periods on off days > running for long periods everyday.

Also, if you do HIIT properly, you shouldn't be able to last more then 15-20 mins. Certanly not an hour. If you find yourself running for 20+ mins, it's not HIIT