Shredded people, do cardio?
- Thread starter jbatts77
- Start date
supadupastar
New member
The 6-8 pack is a genetic gift, as for the cardio, yes still do cardio and light abs exercises for definition.
DUbz86
Well-known member
Everyone is different abs are made in the kitchen. I know guys with shredded 8 packs and do no cardio they have a good diet and do light abs after every workout
Rollinbeer
New member
Ive never been able to get my abs all that defined... but the core strength is definitely there!
i do cardio once a week just for work purposes, even though my job is a daily cardio routine as it is! Lmfao just to make myself feel a bit better about myself. So im curious myself!
i do cardio once a week just for work purposes, even though my job is a daily cardio routine as it is! Lmfao just to make myself feel a bit better about myself. So im curious myself!
Rosie Chee
The Female Terminator
Everyone is different - it's about finding what works SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU AND DOING THAT! Cardio is NOT ESSENTIAL to having visible abs.
R1balla
Board Sponsor
Rosie!!!!!
R1balla
Board Sponsor
Rosie is spot on as always. You need to learn your body and do what your body responds best to. But it always starts with diet. And ends with diet. All the other stuff in between can/will help or speed up the process but if diet isn't there, you can forget about seeing abs.
R1balla
Board Sponsor
Again, you can maintain your abs with diet only. Some people do cardio, some don't. For me, I do cardio for overall fat loss. You can't do spot reduction.
jbatts77
New member
I'm not asking if I can maintain visible abs with diet; I know I can and do.
I'm asking if those that do keep a bodyfat around 5-7% most of the year have chosen to incorporate cardio into their routines to maintain that bodyfat.
As in, what is actually being done by those that maintain 5-7% bodyfat, not possible ways to maintain abs. There are tradeoffs to getting stricter with my diet just as their could be incorporating sprints or slow steady-state cardio.
I'm asking if those that do keep a bodyfat around 5-7% most of the year have chosen to incorporate cardio into their routines to maintain that bodyfat.
As in, what is actually being done by those that maintain 5-7% bodyfat, not possible ways to maintain abs. There are tradeoffs to getting stricter with my diet just as their could be incorporating sprints or slow steady-state cardio.
R1balla
Board Sponsor
I don't compete, so I'm never 5%. The lowest I'll go is maybe 8%. That being said, I keep my same weight routine volume wise I just modify it to have a day dedicated to various forms of cardio so I'm not doing weights and a full cardio session every time. I do cardio on weight training days, yes. But I also incorporate a full day for cardio as well (when I'm cutting). I change it up. Kick boxing, outdoor cardio (running the bleachers at my local highschool) springs, football Style footwork, swimming, jump roping...etc.
Rosie Chee
The Female Terminator
"But it always starts with diet. And ends with diet." This is true for 99% of people. NOT ALL. Just remember that.
Even when I am not happy or comfortable with my body I still see my abs and I eat whatever I want whenever I want - granted my "perpetual cheat" to everyone else is very unorthodox and I probably would not recommend it to anyone else, because my body is my own and responds often very differently to almost everything than "expected" - and it is my TRAINING and not my nutrition that primarily determines my body composition. That said, it is my RESISTANCE training that does this and I am someone who HAS to use WEIGHTS - I could do cardio all day every day and it would be as much use to getting and maintaining leanness for me as doing a competition diet, which only serves to do NOTHING, and if anything, have a NEGATIVE effect on my body composition.
Not a male, so do not maintain 5-7% bodyfat, but I maintained 8-9% bodyfat for years and over the past year have maintained slightly higher at 9-10% bodyfat. But, again, each to their own. It is a CHOICE and a lifestyle and ABOUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.
CJuggernaut
Board Sponsor
Abs shape and structure are genetic (4,6,8) but body fat determines visibility. I know people that have abs that do zero cardio and those that do hours of cardio daily to have them, so again the amount of cardio you have to do to see abs is by individual needs/requirements.
lifted67
Well-known member
I do cardio 2 times a day, usually every other day or so when I'm cutting. 15 minutes of fasted HIIT on my rowing machine in the AM, then 20-30 minutes step mill on a challenging intensity. It's mainly diet but I feel doing these two variations really help dial me in.
I do run but it's during my weekly soccer league games so that takes my mind off the fact that I'm running lol
PS doing the 2 a day sessions allow me to be less strict on the diet and makes long (er) term visible abs easier.
EMPIREMIND
Well-known member
For the most part cardio is just calorie expenditure, so this is why this question is very dependent on the person. Genetics, diet, training, daily activity level, all these things come into play. Dorian Yates used to say his cardio was walking his dogs and sex. Personally I. Would rather eat as much as I can, so I tend to do alot more cardio on my rest days and in the mornings. I don't do much hiit, I reserve all my intensity for the iron.
Dustin07
Legend
since its about caloric deficit, I'll reinforce the "abs are made in the kitchen" note, as I've said that a thousand times myself.
Yes cardio does increase the calories burned and metabolism, but that only works if you dont add more calories to compensate for how much hungrier you become.
Generally speaking I'm able to maintain a 6 pack without doing any additional cardio if my nutrition stays on point.
I'm not genetically designed to ever show an 8 pack. I get 6, even at 6% bodyfat.
and no I'm not naturally lean, I used to weigh 242 and now weigh 177.
Abs are indeed made in the kitchen though. HIIT forms of cardio can help you get there.
Yes cardio does increase the calories burned and metabolism, but that only works if you dont add more calories to compensate for how much hungrier you become.
Generally speaking I'm able to maintain a 6 pack without doing any additional cardio if my nutrition stays on point.
I'm not genetically designed to ever show an 8 pack. I get 6, even at 6% bodyfat.
and no I'm not naturally lean, I used to weigh 242 and now weigh 177.
Abs are indeed made in the kitchen though. HIIT forms of cardio can help you get there.