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2004/10/17, 02:42 PM
I’m confused by something I was reading on nutritional Information; it says that in order to get lean you must lower your carb intake. “For those of you who have chosen to get lean, you will have to lower your carbohydrate intake”
Which is fair enough but if you have a low carb intake you can’t exercise because you have no energy. In another part of nutrition info it says having a low carb intake will result in you’re body using muscle mass as energy “if carbohydrate supply is very low, the body will automatically use your proteins as an energy source! This is not a good thing because it will result in lean muscle mass loss.”
So that’s confusing to me, could anyone please make it less confusing lol. I’m looking to get a toned look, as I am already at a low body weight level, I just want to look lean.
My food intake per day at the moment is
Protein 150g
Carb 200g
Fat 30
And I do 3 days weight training and 3 days cardio a week.
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2004/10/17, 03:58 PM
The key is to supply your body with the proper carbohydrates at the proper times. This means fibrous, slow-digesting carbohydrates before workouts, a proper-post WO shake, a smaller amounts of carbohydrates during the rest of the day.
Vigorous exercise (especially weightlifting and HIIT cardio) during periods of excessively low carbohydrates/glycogen stores will definetely hurt your lean muscle mass.
Keep in mind though that if you're trying to lose fat, that fat is actually another source of energy. So you're not without energy, you just have to get your body to tap into those reserves.
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2004/10/18, 07:57 AM
Just avoid processed carbs and stick to whole grains, veggies, beans, and some fruit like grapefruit, apples. Eat lots of lean protein.
You are right that you need energy to workout, you need to eat a good carb containing meal pre-workout for energy (an hour or hour and 1/2 before) and post workout, an hour or so after your shake you want some fibrous carbs, also.
Breakfast is another time you need complex carbs. And every meal/snack should contain some lean protein.
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\"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.\" Marcel Proust
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2004/10/18, 07:29 PM
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Keep in mind though that if you're trying to lose fat, that fat is actually another source of energy. So you're not without energy, you just have to get your body to tap into those reserves.
That's the bit I don't understand, I want my body to burn fat during 30-40 minute cardio, that's why I don't go too mad with the carbs, although I do have slow releasing carbs before a workout, such as a banana or some oats. I don't understand why your body would turn to muscle mass as energy. I thought it turned to fat resources when carbs were low? How do I get my body to burn fat?
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2004/10/19, 07:47 AM
This is from another post - hope it helps answer your question. Calories in and calories out is also important, but the types of food you eat is important, also. You need carbs for muscular energy and for your brain.
bb1fit
.. ft Official Moderator
Gender : Male Posts : 5614
Ok, this is a topic that is constantly brought up, and thought it would be a great sticky. Cardio…is it best before, after, another day, is it right at all? All these are legitimate questions and have to be answered a bit differently for different circumstances.
First off, this is a very general rule to go by, and takes 1st precedence.
Resistance training should always take priority over cardio. Here's why....
The long term gains of increased LBM (lean body mass) and increased secretion of hormones like GH and test far outweigh the calories burnt during a cardio session..
By doing cardio before weights you are simply reducing the amount of glycogen available that could have been used more effectively to fuel your muscles throughout the weight training session...This point cannot be stressed enough.
Here are the top 3 scenarios for doing weights and cardio in order of importance:
#1 - On non-weight training days
#2 - weights in the am and cardio in the pm
#3 - light-cardio after weights
Now, that being said, here are a couple scenarios that are most proposed/asked about by folks, so different protocols need/can be effective. For the person who is lean and wanting to save muscle mass while burning fat, then the above scenarios cannot be altered in any way! You are asking for loss of lean tissue if you do cardio on an empty stomach or any such nonsense. You are already into a catabolic state from the overnight fast, and you are compounding this by doing cardio without fuel. Cortisol will be running rampant, and eating at your lean tissue for fuel. The body is very adept at breaking down amino acids for glucose, and will greedily do so. Cortisol will liberate amino acids to produce glucose (glucose cannot be synthesized from fats) and can lead to muscle loss. I would propose the best scenario here would be to treat your cardio session as you do your resistance training session. Albeit a different PWO formula (protein/fiber/fats will fit the bill here, no impact on insulin, thus keep any lypololysis induced during your cardio session intact)), but still with the same intensity and purpose. You would not dream of working out on an empty stomach, would you? Never work out on an empty stomach. True, you will burn a buttload of calories, but they will be as much lean tissue as fat. Never sacrifice lean tissue (long term results) for a short term fix.
It is also perfectly fine to do a “warm up” session of cardio before your weight training session if you are mid range, not real lean but not lots of fat stores either. But, here you are on that borderline of getting a lean hard body, and building lean tissue should be your number one priority. But make sure this is no more than a warm up, just to get blood flowing. 5 minutes at most should suffice. I personally prefer to warm up with the exercise I am going to do…i.e…weights.
Now, on the other hand, if you have plenty of fat to spare, it can really become a non issue. I believe this is/should be obvious. You can do your cardio even before if you like, or even on an empty stomach, as in this case total calorie burn is your issue and not saving lean mass, for you probably don’t have enough to save or you have as stated plenty of fat stores to give up. Your body will freely give up fat stores in this case, but still, make your weight session your priority as per the long term benefits.
But, no matter what your physique may be at the time, do not center your workout around cardio. Make certain you incorporate resistance training, as this will in the long run be your best friend in the battle of the bulge. Lean tissue is a fat burner 24 hrs. per day, a cardio session ends when you stop doing it. (A little different with HIIT, but this is another whole subject.)
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