Cardio and cutting

[Colt19]

Hey guys,

I'm currently doing a cut to get lean before going on a bulk, but I have some mixed opinions/conflicting info on whether or not to include Cardio (specially HIIT) into my cut.

A bit of background on me, I have been lifting a year. I'm 28 years old, weighing approx. 80-83kg at 178cm tall.

I'm EXTREMELY dedicated and I almost never miss a gym night, doing stronglifts 5x5 at the moment, also very dedicated in my diet; pretty much eat the same 2000CAL every day (just don't seem to get sick of eating the same foods) Mind you, I did just bump the calories up to 2000 after discovering I was eating well below my BMR.
Foods consist of: No sugar added Greek yoghurt (Anchor protein +), Steamed chicken breast (dinner every night) Brocolli, 98% fat free ham + Pastrami. Lunch is usually 2 teriyaki chicken rice balls with Brown rice.

I've been wondering about adding HIIT, but does that mean I would have to up my calories so I don't fall below BMR? And in that case, does this render cardio kind of pointless for a cut (provided diet is in check) or is there some additional benefit to it I'm not considering?

At this stage, just working on getting my abs to show before I can start bulking. I know they are there, and will eventually get it because I'm very disciplined but; holy heck! they are taking their sweet time to show. I don't know what fat % I am, but I can usually see a soft 6 pack in the morning with the right lighting and usually the top two rows of abs during the day; but I still look soft across the belly, definitely don't have the definition I'm chasing.

Thanks

 

[deadlyapp]

If you're cutting, you should be only reducing your caloric intake. There's no need to increase your activity levels, indeed if you increased your activity level / cardio, you'd want to correspondingly increase your carbohydrates.

Cutting is different for everyone. You may lean out in all the wrong places that you don't want, or you may lean out exactly where you want. In order for a hard 6 pack you'll need to be in the 10% BF or lower range, which is a challenge.

Make sure also that once you complete your cut, that you re-calculate your macros and maintain that weight for about a month or two before starting a mass cycle.

 

[Colt19]

Thanks for the reply man I think I'm on the right track, things just seem to have gone from light speed to a slow slow crawl (I know that's typical of outgrowing the noob stage) but man the definition comes on slowly.
That being said, I think I may have set myself back a bit by eating under my BMR for a while, so will have to see how things start going once my metabolism starts working to it's potential again.
My progress on my lifts has really started slowing up too, and stalls are starting to happen. My take on this is that I must be in about the right place to really start shredding some fat, and have to remind myself that I'm just trying to maintain as much strength as I can now (rather than getting pissed when I can't complete a lift)
But it seems like I'm on the right track right?

One thing that still perplexes me though is the merit of cardio or HIIT. If you can simply reduce your caloric intake to cut... Why does cardio even exist? It seems like I'd just be creating more work (eating) for myself if I was to incorporate it.

 

[purbeast0]

Don't be discouraged and/or surprised if you lose some strength as you cut up. It's tough to lose weight but keep up the same strength if you've been lifting for a while.

As for HIIT, I say go for it. It has more benefits than just the calories you burn while doing it. The long cardio sessions is what you want to stay away from if you are trying to cut and lose muscle.

If you can do true HIIT like 2-3 times a week, I'd say go for it.

 

[deadlyapp]

Thanks for the reply man I think I'm on the right track, things just seem to have gone from light speed to a slow slow crawl (I know that's typical of outgrowing the noob stage) but man the definition comes on slowly.
That being said, I think I may have set myself back a bit by eating under my BMR for a while, so will have to see how things start going once my metabolism starts working to it's potential again.
My progress on my lifts has really started slowing up too, and stalls are starting to happen. My take on this is that I must be in about the right place to really start shredding some fat, and have to remind myself that I'm just trying to maintain as much strength as I can now (rather than getting pissed when I can't complete a lift)
But it seems like I'm on the right track right?

One thing that still perplexes me though is the merit of cardio or HIIT. If you can simply reduce your caloric intake to cut... Why does cardio even exist? It seems like I'd just be creating more work (eating) for myself if I was to incorporate it.

All depends on your goals. I like to lift quite a bit but also do regular 10-15 minute metcons because I like to keep my conditioning up at the same time as being strong. For someone who is specifically a power lifter, strongman, olympic weigihtlifter, etc they may have no need to do any sort of conditioning (or not much) to maintain wait and/or cut.

Cuts are complex, and everyone reacts differently. In evidence of this, you can ask any person and they'll have some sort of anecdotal evidence of "the right way to cut" but again, everyone is different. I subscribe to the Renaissance Periodization method which essentially reduces fats as you cut and then cutting carbs in your final cut (there are three cuts total). You maintain the same protein through the entire cut and for the most part the same carbs (which vary depending on how much work you do during your workouts).