Fat loss

Soldato
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I've been going to the gym for a while now, I started off doing only cardio (about 3 years ago) then I slowly started doing weights, now I do nothing but Pete Tong. I'm not fat but I have very little muscle tone going on.

What's the best way to lose fat without losing muscle? Is it more important that I do more cardio (running/cycling/rowing) or more important that I put more effort into weight training (higher reps perhaps) and just sort my diet out?

I think one of my problems is that I eat loads of carbs - lunch consists almost entirly of bread, and dinner usually has potato/pasta/rice involved. Trouble is anything else is usually more expensive (being a student this is important!), or doesn't fill me up as much.

What's the best way to lose the flab?!

Thanks.

**edited - thanks rookie!
 
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take it u meant best way to lose fat without losing muscle?

if so, keep doing both, but first thing you should do when u get up in the morning is do some cardio. Very first thing, before you have breakfast or anything. That will burn fat up enough

then from there just try to eat enough to keep the muscle going

wont be easy though, you might be better to do one then the other
 
Am in a similar position, have a bit of excess belly flab that needs shifting, but also need to put on lean muscle mass. Best to hit weights and cardio hard but eat low fat diet to shift the flab, and then concentrate on getting lean muscle?
 
first thing you should do when u get up in the morning is do some cardio. Very first thing, before you have breakfast or anything. That will burn fat up enough

There is no real benefit to doing this. In fact it's a sure fire way to start losing muscle as in the morning your body is crying out to be fed, and thus if you endulge in cardio it'll just rip away at the muscle. Breakfast is inredibly important to kickstart your metabolism and give you energy to actually do the workout. It isn't a magic solution to fat loss in the slightest.
 
There is no real benefit to doing this. In fact it's a sure fire way to start losing muscle as in the morning your body is crying out to be fed, and thus if you endulge in cardio it'll just rip away at the muscle. Breakfast is inredibly important to kickstart your metabolism and give you energy to actually do the workout. It isn't a magic solution to fat loss in the slightest.

not true

there is a thread about it here actually

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17834310
 
Muscle loss from cardio is way overhyped, if you have little muscle to begin with, your body will not eat it.

Even in a fasted state in the morning, unless you are Jay Cutler, stop worrying about catabolism and get running.
 
I agree, far too much unnecessary worry about catobolism.

Doing light cardio pre breakfast is most definitely usefull. After a long sleep, your body is glucose depleted, in this state your body will use fat for fuel. Imo (and many others) its a mistake to have a protein drink pre cardio too, as the body will just convert it to glucose for the cardio session! so whats the point?

Many pro's do fasted cardio to cut for competion, its a proven method that works :)
 
Many pro's do fasted cardio to cut for competion, its a proven method that works :)
A lot of this is all opinions and very little is actual rock solid fact but one thing I do know. Pro's are playing a completely different ball game to us naturals and their training results mean nothing to us in most cases.

If you're using gear then fair enough but otherwise I don't pay any attention what so ever to steroid users anymore.

You really think Ronnie Coleman falls out of bed onto a treadmill without sticking a needle in his arm or popping a few pills first?
 
Of course Ronnie et al use gear and other things to make catabolism less of an issue. But they also hold way, way more mass, and less fat than their body would ever wish to, which means they are far more likely to be catabolic.

So I don't think their AAS use has much bearing on this. See how much Kevin Levrone shrunk after he quit bodybuilding? That's what his body was wanting to be like all the time.
 
like everything in fitness / bodybuilding, what suits one persons body wont suit another.
fasted cardio can be great, if done right, it can also be very bad when done wrong. Same with HIIT and HST and anything else you wish to mention.

Everyone reacts differently to different things, its what works for you that matters.
I found that fasted cardio worked well for me, others wont.

Try things out, find out what is best for you :]
 
man, bodybuilding diets are not for the feint of wallet. I was just thinking tonight i came outta tesco's with a weeks chicken breasts (7x4) on sale at 4 for £5 (£35) 6 bottles of skim milk (~£7.50) 4 bags of filter coffee (okay i get the premium stuff) for my morning fasted cardio (£13) addded on veg, oats, fruit and bottled water and im up to almost £70, thats before we talk about whey, creatine, vitamins, BCAA, L-Glutamine, anti-oxidants, fish oil, and whatever other designer supps im trialling.

Scary stuff! Good job i run my own business :D
 
man, bodybuilding diets are not for the feint of wallet. I was just thinking tonight i came outta tesco's with a weeks chicken breasts (7x4) on sale at 4 for £5 (£35) 6 bottles of skim milk (~£7.50) 4 bags of filter coffee (okay i get the premium stuff) for my morning fasted cardio (£13) addded on veg, oats, fruit and bottled water and im up to almost £70, thats before we talk about whey, creatine, vitamins, BCAA, L-Glutamine, anti-oxidants, fish oil, and whatever other designer supps im trialling.

Scary stuff! Good job i run my own business :D

Just eating healthy foods is a hell of a lot more expensive that stuffing your face with junk. In a normal week I spend about 3 times more while I'm going down the healthy route. If I'm going to the gym it's even more :(
 
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