|
2005/08/14, 10:51 PM
I am starting a 12 week leaning period. My 10 year high school reunion is Nov. 5 th and I want to be as lean as possible. I’m no stranger to working out (having lost over 100 lbs in the last year) but I have read some conflicting posts.
I do a pretty standard split, but coming of a 5 month break from lifting I know what it feels like the first 5 or 6 times you do squats. This makes cardio impossible to do without lots and lots of aspirin (anti-inflammatory are BAD for building muscle)....
So my question to all of you is this. If you had 12 weeks to get as lean as possible which would you choose out of the following?
1) Treat you legs like any other body group and lift HEAVY and hope the gained muscle burns the calories. All the meanwhile, thwarting any chance of a hellacious HIIT routine.
2) Skip the squats and do the HIIT routine 5 days a week hoping that burns the calories and has some anabolic effect on the legs.
I've read posts explaining that excessive cardio can train the body to store fat. I usually don’t question BB's advice, but is this the case with HIIT and would a temporary 12 weeks make a difference?
What would you all do if you were in my situation?
--------------
If your muscle wont allow you to do the last few reps, make your mind and heart do it. Your muscles will thank them later.
|
|
|
|
2005/08/15, 12:21 AM
I would focus on doing 3 day split....doing whole body compound exercises with as heavy weight as you can handle for 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps with 1-2 min rest in between sets....while doing cardio after for 30-45 min at a moderate pace....and cut calories....(I already assume you eat healthy)....I would recommend you take 5-10g of fish oil to help decrease inflammation and prevent muscle loss while dieting.....also take multivitamin if you already are not...you could alternatively....do whole body compound exercises...but instead do 3-5 sets of each with 12-15 reps with 30 sec in between to give you more of a cardiovascular benefit.....I prefer the lower reps...but you can try both ways...
|
|
2005/08/15, 12:26 AM
I would suggest cutting your workouts to either 2 or 3 total body workouts, concentrating on compound moves, while doing the HIIT training 3 x a week on off days. Get plenty of sleep, stretch your legs and hips, and if you are still sore, then maybe cut the volume of the squats, but usually, if you decide to lift 3 x a week, the soreness won't be as bad because of the more frequent workouts.
|
|
2005/08/15, 12:29 AM
damn menace, you beat me to that post. I didn't even see yours when i read this thread. hey, great minds think alike, and then sometime's I have my moments.
the fish oil sounds like a good idea. Also, glutamine is supposed to help with soreness, as well as cut down on muscle loss while losing weight.
The bodybuilding/cardio type workout is a good idea. I did circuit training with olympic lifts at a clinic once, and damn, I was wiped for the rest of the day. Might be something to try.
--------------
The best feeling in the world is the feeling you get after a tough set of squats after you step back from the power rack and throw up all over the floor.
|
