# Is Cardio really needed



## Max1466868006 (Feb 16, 2010)

I see this more and more, people saying how they are cutting up without the aid of cardio.

I do think it's possible for some, but not for everyone and especially more so for naturals, newbies or those who are carrying a LOT of fat.

I think the more experienced trainer who carries more muscle could handle this due to the number of calories required by their body just to survive on a daily basis but I can't see how it will work so well on a newbie with next to no muscle or experience of diet.

From a bodybuilding view it's good not needing to dedicate time to cardio but for overall health I think that cardio cannot be overlooked not just because it helps with our recovery but also helps keep our hearts healthy which should be important to us all.

What do you think?


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## Neil R (Oct 29, 2006)

When i'm prepping people I always assess their general lifestyle, as well as their somatotype (ecto, meso or endo - or rather predominance to each, as we are all a ratio of all 3).

Depending on these individual charactoristics will depend on how much, if any, cardio I prescribe.


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## gingernut (Dec 11, 2006)

I have just lost 18lbs (a lot on my frame) in 5 months.

On minimal cardio - 3 sessions a week, 2 x 20 minute interval sessions, 1 x 30 minute steady and some weeks even less than that and that's it. I'm on a long slow diet towards competing next year. I do struggle with losing fat, but if I work hard my body will do it. I don't feel any less fit, if anything I have less aches and pains than when I was doing more cardio - I have some years ago lost the same weight using 70 minutes of cardio per day, 5-7 days per week. I find even on the lower cardio am as fit as if not fitter than people at a local martial arts club where I train once a week, can do the same fitness stuff as they do fine and have no problems walking up hills, or anything else in my life.

Last 3 coaches have all worked on minimal cardio, prior to competing when dieting I always used daily 30-40 minutes cardio plus second daily sessions for the last 12 weeks. I have heard of other competitors doing hours each day months before competition, but aren't as lean on stage. I am on lowish kcals but really noticed a difference when I went from traditional amounts of cardio (45 mins 5 days a week) to zero and minimal. I was able to get another half an hour of sleep or rest in and I felt suddenly very refreshed. I also noticed massive changes when I finally did chuck in significant amounts(but still never 'hours').

I do control my diet and am on lowish kcals which is a double-edged sword. It means less hassle preparing meals - and when I was on higher kcals/more cardio I did become fed up of so many meals to sort out, more time to sleep and recover but having to be so strict on food is also stressful and hard at times.

Lower cardio has worked for me so I ain't going to complain.


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## Incredible Bulk (Sep 19, 2007)

Its something i am seeing more on my FB feed who are prepping with minimal cardio

There is a fashion I think with prep diet styles, each year a new way to skin the same cat, those who jumped on the cheat meal bandwagon..."look at how much sh1t i ate"

Then it was the renamed 'refeed' bandwagon, suddenly a wave of people on my FB started posting up pics of their refeeds.

Then my feed on a sunday was all about skip hill binges, baselines and "hours of refeed", eating their bodyweight in sugar.

Now its cardio free preps and how little cardio they have done on prep.

I agree prep can be done with minimal cardio but I'm yet to be amazed by a heavyweight or a super heavyweight competitors condition using this method.

Post show its the norm to talk about how fat you got in 48 hours post show, the more weight you pile on the better apprently. Kudos high-5's for really increasing those kankles and jacking up the blood pressure.

Bodybuilding prep is full of fashionable trends, some stick and become broscience 'lore' where you must do XYZ to get ripped.

Off topic I know but how many bikini girls you see talking about being dehydrated back stage? The fact the only prep they need is to abstain from eating like a hippo, find a tan and bikini and she is set... for a class that doesnt need separation/cuts, why in the blue blazes are you talking about cutting water when you are 12% bf +

Another bodybuilding 'lore', back stage how many people do you see eating dark chocolate and drinking wine?  Thats like an institution now.

I drink water and dextrose and popping a viagra 30 mins before going on stage and people asking why theres no chocolate, do i want chocolate and do i want some wine like I'm mad to deviate 

Cardio free preps can work but I believe the heavier you get the harder it can be to achieve ripped on stage condition without it.

Yes the science is there that calories in vs burned must = deficit = fat loss but if you do cardio you will see the benefits of exercising the heart you woefully ignored on your balls to the wall offseason. "cardio negates muscle gains!" = fat watery messes in the offseason = high blood pressure and poor aerobic health.

I will always be in the cardio group, as much as I grumble when doing it lol

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## crazycal1 (Sep 21, 2005)

What a good post ^^^^^


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## Neil R (Oct 29, 2006)

Incredible-Bulk said:


> Another bodybuilding 'lore', back stage how many people do you see eating dark chocolate and drinking wine?  Thats like an institution now.


I corrected a guy on this at the North_east. His "prep-coach" wanted him eating chocolate & Peanut butter backstage - approx 30mins before going onstage.

When I told him that this meal wouldn't be anywhere near his muscles until he got home tonight - about 6-8 hours later - he looked at me confused. I pointed out that fats take HOURS to digest, so if he was going to eat stuff like that he'd need to eat it either last thing last night or wake up early and eat it, like, about 4am.

He asked what he should eat, he only had rice cakes & jam that would have been close to fast enough, so I said just have a few tablespoons of the jam and have a mouthful or three of water.

After he'd been on stage, he said that was best he'd felt, as he normally feels a bit bloated and struggled to hold his poses.

I suggested he consider doing some reading up on diet, and maybe doing it himself next time, coz his coach didn't sound like he really had much of a clue about nutrition!


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## Incredible Bulk (Sep 19, 2007)

i was given the frown by a 'name' when i was drinking water back stage... was told it was highly risky.

Seeing that in the 20 mins id be on stage as i was walking on, it wouldnt matter a jot.

People dehydrate themselves and wonder why they cant get a pump


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## Neil R (Oct 29, 2006)

Another 'old wives tale' you seem to hear at shows.

How long since they stopped drinking any water...

...then complaining about lack of "fullness" & "pump" as you mentioned! :lol: Yet they never seem to put 2 & 2 together!??


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## Incredible Bulk (Sep 19, 2007)

"riiiight, your on stage at 3pm maybe so we will cut your water at 8pm"

UKBFF then f**ks you about and you're not on stage until 6pm.

"riiiiiight, eat some dry oats and peanut butter every 20 mins"

*athlete is now flat as a pancake and unable to get a pump back stage*

"riiiight, eat some jam and rice cakes before you go on stage" (20 mins from being on stage)

so now the athlete is still flat, stringy, slightly distended and heavily dehydrated unable to get a pump.

its this what leads to the almost hallowed condition of pumped and in condition on stage.


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## gingernut (Dec 11, 2006)

I dread to think what's happening if he's also drinking wine.

No alcohol or chocolate in my prep. I found my quick sugar fix by accident and it's very appropriate.

I've heard about male competitors cutting water days before hand, and I don't get it.


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## tokyofist1466868046 (Jul 27, 2014)

I think a thread called Backstage Myths Busted should be created to catalogue these misconceptions, myths and false teachings. 

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## EXTREME (Aug 5, 2005)

If I hadn't done cardio I would never have shifted the fat, no doubt about it.

I really think this is person and circumstance specific, I've always said there is no "one diet fits all" and the same with training and cardio. Each person has to find that balance that work for them and that come through trial and error and knowledge.


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## TheTransporter (Jan 30, 2014)

I lost a lot ov fat ova last couple years just by sortin out my diet a bit

I dont have or care abut havin abs but got me belly down a lot - so much you can see em a bit but i lost no strenth or energy bcos its just been cutting out crap and a cpl of beers wiv dinner.

I stil have a beer every otha weekend or so and will have a ****** or a curry if we want 1 but on the whole we eat gud and even when I take grub to work its not crap and keeps me out ov chippys and petrol station like most ov the boys do if they have no grub wiv em.

The young boys are worst - they dont beleev us oldies when we say the belly will creep onto em ova the years and it dont matter they have abs just now it just happens ova the years if you dont watch out


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## wezo1466868035 (Oct 11, 2012)

Iv dieted with and without cardio,to be honest if my diets spot on no cheating then these no major difference..

each to the own though....


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## EXTREME (Aug 5, 2005)

Bulk, you are right on the money about why people go on stage flat, there is no way the carbs in their system can do anything without water to allow the muscle bellies to swell with fluid, after all, that and an engorgement of blood are what causes the pumped effect.

The lack of knowledge many people who are competing have on how their body works is shocking, they leave everything in the hands of a guru whose knowledge may be little more than the competitors is but he sounds like he knows what he's doing and is happy to charge them for the drivel he's told them.

Knowledge is power, the more you can learn the better. This applies to dieting, contest prep, cardio and training too although training is the easiest part to do and learn about.


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## AChappell (Jun 1, 2011)

Good debate,

Do you need to do cardio to get in shape? If you consider being aerobically fit in shape then yes. If you simply want to lose bodyfat then the answer is, it really depends. Time is probably one of the most important commodities people forget about when it comes to losing weight or getting in shape for a show. The more time you give yourself to get in shape, the longer you can lose fat by dieting alone.

I don't think I ever really believe people when they say they do no cardio to get in shape. I say I do no cardio, but then I always do a little towards the end of my prep. I only say I don't do any to emphasise that I don't do that much. While some who I see proclaiming they do no cardio could undoubtedly have done with cardio as part of their contest prep. I have my doubts as to whether or not we've actually seen an improvement in the overall level of competitor over the last few years. If you go by the guys at the top of the sport and by what Peter McGough has to say about the latest NPC nationals then we seem to be going backwards. So perhaps cardio free preps aren't the answer. Things go in and out of fashion as has been said already.

To get rid of those last few pockets of fat I also often wonder if you really need to do a little cardio to force your body to give up those last few lbs. Spot reduction isn't a real phenomenon, but for those little pockets of fat that have been stored for years maybe a degree of cardio is needed to really force your body to give up those last little bits. The body is an incredible piece of kit, when you create a deficit a certain degree of diet induced thermogensis takes place, you also unconsciously become less active you fidget less for example. What used to be a 250kcal deficit becomes a 150kcal deficit, so doing additional cardio could well overcome these sort of adaptations. Cheat meals, skip loading and refeeding are supposed to compensate for this. That's the theory anyway.At the same time if you think about what actually accounts for your bodies energy demands only about 25% of the calories you burn are the result of exercise and activity. The rest comes from simply maintaining your bodies regular function. Conversely if you sit at a desk all day like me the contribution activity makes towards your overall energy balance might be even less than 20%. So it's pretty easy to see how adding or not adding cardio might hinder your ability to lose weight. At the same time it's easy to see how someone doing a manual labour job might not necessarily require cardio.

I say if you can get away without doing it then go for it, I hate cardio anyway.


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