Group: General Fitness & Exercise

Created: 2011/12/31, Members: 379, Messages: 54577

Various general exercise related discussions. Find out what it takes to reach your fitness goals through daily effective exercise. With so many options we try to find out what works best.

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Cutting Phase Help

txbazzman
txbazzman
Posts: 35
Joined: 2008/05/21
United States
2008/09/08, 07:06 PM
I am starting to work on cutting a little. Here is my question? I was told that running is bad for cutting cause it attacks muscle fibers before Fat. I was told to power walk. Is it true and do you all have any suggestions?
txbazzman
txbazzman
Posts: 35
Joined: 2008/05/21
United States
2008/09/08, 09:25 PM
I am on the progressive gains workout. After reading other post I realize I may be jumping the gun on cutting after only four months of serious lifting. If I am not looking to gain much size or should I say weight due to military standards but do want to get stronger and visibly toned, how long should I stay on the progressive gains workout before starting to cut?
returnofplex
returnofplex
Posts: 801
Joined: 2007/10/26
United States
2008/09/12, 11:16 AM
Ok, here's some ideas to keep in mind for cutting weight. As for Cardio, you can run if you like, it's just the duration that matters. I believe that it's once you start hitting the 45 minute range(it's never exact) that your body starts to use muscle tissue for energy. This is also dependent on how hard you run. A safe bet for cardio would be HIIT training for 20 minutes or so. Or 20-30 minutes of jogging from a moderate to mildly difficult pace for the average Joe.
When you are starting to cut weight, a good supplement to try is glutamine. It's relatively cheap, and helps to preserve your muscle tissue when you are doing a reduced calorie diet. Also make sure you're still getting enough protein in your diet.
Also, be smart about the amount of calories you you're trying to cut and burn in a day. 500 is a good number to start with, where half would come through exercise, and the other half through diet. (This is just a general estimate.)
The only person that can decide whether cutting is right for you is you. If you are happy with your size, then go for it.