Looking to bulk but also define abs...

[floydtheater07]

So basically I am a prety skinny dude (5'7", 130 lbs, 19 yo) who has a decent plan set up as to how to pack on some muscle. However, the little fat that I do have seems to be generally concentrated aorund my stomach and "love handles" area. I've been working my abs but of course if there is fat there I won't get all the definition that I want. I'm not aiming for anything extreme, just a decent six-pack.


So my question is, what type of cardio would you guys recommend I stick to so that I can lose that unwanted fat but not have any negative effects on my efforts to gain muscle? Walking, running, interval training?


Thanks in advance.

 

[Warboss Alex]

as low intensity as possible, e.g. brisk walking.

 

[blinkwatt]

So my question is, what type of cardio would you guys recommend I stick to so that I can lose that unwanted fat but not have any negative effects on my efforts to gain muscle? Walking, running, interval training?

I wouldn't recommend cardio at the moment. Just lift like there is no tomorrow and eat real foods around the clock,like fruits and such and you will lose weight quickly.

 

[Warboss Alex]

I wouldn't recommend cardio at the moment. Just lift like there is no tomorrow and eat real foods around the clock,like fruits and such and you will lose weight quickly.

blink, could you please - and I'm not being a jerk here - give a reason for not doing cardio, other than "me and my buddies don't and that works fine for us". there a whole host of reasons to do aerobic activity beyond fat loss.

 

[blinkwatt]

blink, could you please - and I'm not being a jerk here - give a reason for not doing cardio, other than "me and my buddies don't and that works fine for us". there a whole host of reasons to do aerobic activity beyond fat loss.

Dude you know that eating is 80% molding your body. If you can't nail the eating habits,why should you even lift or do cardio in the first place.

Say he does his cardio in the a.m.,then has a piece of pizza during dinner. What the heck was the point of the cardio?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Dude you know that eating is 80% molding your body. If you can't nail the eating habits,why should you even lift or do cardio in the first place.

Say he does his cardio in the a.m.,then has a piece of pizza during dinner. What the heck was the point of the cardio?

yep I know that much.

but not everyone is going to have junk food just because they do cardio.

aerobic training is part of the puzzle.

 

[simon]

Because he'll be in an almost fasted state, and by taking some BCAAs/whey/egg protein before hand and by regulating the intensity of the cardio he will minimise muscle loss and use his fat stores as an energy source instead. Plus cardio conditions you. You're more likely to make progress with a conditioned body, and you're more likely to live a longer, healthier life. Of course diet is important, but everyone should do cardio. The intensity of the cardio depends on their goals.

 

[The_flying_dutchman]

From what I've found, the fastest way to lose fat around the stomach and get those abs to finally start popping out is to bulk your thighs and butt.

The increase ammount of muscle causes your body to produce more testosterone and burn fat more rapidly.

What I also noticed was that when I bulked my legs and butt was that I felt more confident in taking on more weight in other exercises like benching, lat pulldowns, and curls.

 

[Interceptor]

Floyd, me boy...
The secret is Carbs; SUgar bloats and swells fat cells.
Bring up your Protein, and your EFAs.
Keep the Carbs DOWN.

Use high glycemic carbs only AFTER a workoout.
Include Green Tea, and L Carnitine in your diet.
Take ZMA at night befoe Bed.
Cycle Heavy weeks, and Moderate Weeks.

Week One, 6 to 8 rep range.
Week Two, 10-12 range
Weeks Three add cardio-20 minutes AFTER Bodybuilding
Week four Totally different program-Calisthenics, Pilates, Yoga
Week5-repeat Week one
etc etc

Add EFAsto your diet.
Snack on Macadamias, and unsalted mixed nuts. Look into raspberry extract.
Add spinach, brocolli.
No pasta, no white breads, no refined Sugars. None.
Lots of water.
And depending on your results without fat burners, look into increasing caloric expenditure by adding Hydroxycut or some supplement like that.
Make sure you hsve at least a decent abdmonial program.
Do this at the very least twop or three times a week.
If you're outgrowing body weight, get a plate, and it'll bring down the reps.
But be careful, I know a lot of guys who ghet the "
nloat" stomach look, even when they have no fat in the midsection. They get big muscle bellies, and it looks awful.
So careful on the weight.
Itry to just vary the abdmonial exercise itself, rather than use a plate.
And I've got a nice, FLAT midsection. No GUT at all!

And eats yer Protein, dude.
Remember, 1, 1.5, even 2 grams PER PUND of LEAN body mass.
OK?
Don't feed the Fat cells.
DOn't flush your fat xcells with sugar.
Sugar bloats and swells fat cells.

You want to reduce all inflammation and swelling. Caused by high insulin, and allergies.
Eat CLEAN.
Little if any FRIED food!
Dude, as much as possible, NO frying, dude. Please.
It's hard. But do it.

Flush your body with clean water!
Lots of water.

Try some digestive enzymes. They will totally demolish your undigested food, and you won't get bloated, and have a higher absorption rate.
Result, flat, toned abs, full muscle bellies, no bloat.
And high testosterone, and no inflammation, or high cholesterol, no high BP, no allergies, no undigested food in your gut.

 

[floydtheater07]

Interceptor, thanks for the info. I'll try to apply it.

 

[speakeasy]

Give up high fructose corn syrup drinks. I've mostly given them up(still have a soda here and there just to treat myself) and feel a bit leaner.

 

[Drum&Bass]

i do interval training and the stair-master, sometimes i'll get up early in the morning and walk for 30 - 45 mins.

 

[mrRuckus]

If you can't nail the eating habits,why should you even lift or do cardio in the first place.

Say he does his cardio in the a.m.,then has a piece of pizza during dinner. What the heck was the point of the cardio?

So he could have pizza for dinner instead of 3 lettuce leaves and a carrot?

 

[mrRuckus]

You're more likely to make progress with a conditioned body, and you're more likely to live a longer, healthier life. Of course diet is important, but everyone should do cardio. The intensity of the cardio depends on their goals.

This week I'm starting to do weighted incline interval walking (put some weight in a backpack and walk the treadmill for 5 min and increase it twice a week by a minute) and i'm about to get a sled to pull to really improve my conditioning..

But anyway, one of the hardest parts of lifting on say a long set of leg press or squats is getting enough air in. I have to stop just to catch my breath sometimes and i AM already in fairly decent cardio shape. This comes into play when I do a dropset too (rare occassion but sometimes i stray from more of a strength routine into a mass/higher rep for a few weeks)... a set that lasts 2 minutes is really hard if my breathing can't keep up. I hate to think my muscles aren't really failing at the point i can't lift anymore but instead they just aren't getting the oxygen to keep going.

 

[simon]

Sled pulling is awesome, it's almost fun. What kind of GPP routine are you planning on? IA's basic sled pulling schedule is great, I'm into week 3 now. After the first 5 minute session I could hardly breath but it gets easier quite quickly. I ditched my first version sled, which was more a flat piece of wood with rope attached, and got an old tyre instead. Just need to figure out how to rest the weight in there.