I've been frequently on this site for the last 4-5 years and have learned a great deal. I am 24 years old, weighing in at 160 pounds and am from Chicago, where in the winter time, most people just stay inside, have a poor diet routine, and rarely work out. Basically, my city is the fattest city in the United States- I'm glad to say I am not one of those people. I try to work out everyday, am on a 4-day split right now with 2 days for legs because I believe this will increase my testosterone levels.


I have a couple of weeks off from school (I am a PE teacher), so I decided to come down and over to the West Coast to spend time with my former college roommate and basketball player walk on at the U of Arizona. I've noticed here in Orange County, CA that the most important part of most of these people's lives is working out and staying in shape.


Most of the people I know here do at least 45 minutes of intense cardio (if not more) and have great exercise routines. I am currently bulking, and do no cardio, because I want to hold onto as much muscle mass as I can so when I do cut at the end of the cut I will have more muscle than the last time I bulk/cut cycled.


With cutting (Jan. 1st) right around the corner, I want some advice as to how much cardio would be feasible per day. I understand diet is at least 75% of meeting goals in terms of body fat % and I continue to strive to eat all the right foods at the right time. I was thinking about doing HIIT training starting 2x a week and maybe going up to 3x a week once I get used to cardio training.


I also understand the most important part of cutting is still weight training to maintain as much muscle mass through calorie restriction as possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!