Competition Cardio - Which to do?

[ponyboy]

Wanted to hear people's opinions on this subject: What is the best way to do cardio pre-contest? There seem to be three viewpoints:

1) Low heart rate, long sessions, building up to 2 per day of 45 minutes each 5-7 days per week. Tried and true...many people have been doing this for many years.

2) High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) 2-3 times per week for 20-30 minutes. Newer philosophy, but gaining strength.

3) Don't worry about your cardio and focus more on diet - cardio a couple of times per week max with minimal effort just to take care of the last stubborn bit of bodyfat.

There are pros and cons of each method. What do you guys think is the most effective? I would especially love to hear from people who have competed and what they did to get shredded in the months before a competition cardio wise.

Or do you believe that it is individual, like everything else we do?

 

[ponyboy]

20 views and no opinions? Come on, people...

 

[Dr. Pain]

Cardio is a tool.....or if you are Old Enough to remember Felix the Cat....it's like a trick that comes out of his Magic Bag.

First rely on Nutrition, doing as LITTLE or NO cardio...so that the body and metabolism don't un-necessarily acclimate to something we need later in a cut..

Then we use as little as possible for as long as possible, looking at cardio two ways...Traditional, and HIIT (your definitions above will suffice)

We blend the two types.....so maybe start out with...1-2 Traditional (T) and no HIIT (H)...then maybe 1 T and 1 H....then 2 T and 1 H....going on to 2 T and 2 H ......and in severve cases of ass...this can result in two a days near the end (at which time you are sacrificing tons of LBM for that stubborn fat)....of 1 T and 1H a day!

btw...changes are only made weekly to semi monthly

DP

 

[w8lifter]

2 a days suck!