EFX and cardio

[sal239]

I have an efx machine in my workout room and i was reading up on doing cardio in the morning before eating anything. I was doing cardio about 3-4 times a week and noticed i was loosing a lot of lean muscle. I was trying to lean up without killing my muscle.

Here was what i was doing:

5:30:am cardio on EFX for about 40-45 min (not killing myself EFX machine read about 500 calories burned)

4:30: Gym: weights (about 45- 1 hour) (4 days a week)

After Gym: cardio on Efx 40-45 min (same intesity)

too much cardio? what would be most benificial for buring the fat, to keep the cardio in the morning before i eat anything or after i workout, or keep both?

any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanx
Sal

[Flex2winny]

yikes....stats, goals, bulking cutting diet....way too many factors bro.....its like asking if I leave my house at 8am, what time will I get to Jamaca?

[SwoleCat]

You were losing lean mass I would speculate because:

1) The EFX machine (whatever that is) was too extreme for lipolysis.

2) Your dietary protocol did not support lean mass preservation and musclular recovery after a weight training session.

3) The cardio AFTER weights is a big killer in over-training, especially when you have already performed a morning session.

I am 100% sure that it's one of those. This is what I do for a living.


~SC~

[oldman]

I would have to agree here that the EFX (elliptical machine) burns way too many calories to do two sessions. You are way over training if you are doing this.

I do not know what your diet is but you might cut your cardio down to mornings on empty stomach and then follow a good clean diet throughout the day. Give that 6-8 weeks and see where you are.. You cannot sacrifice your lean muscle for the sake of burning a little extra fat because your BF % is not going to go down because of the loss of the muscle. You will probably get thinner but you will have no muscle tone/shape/size.

More is not always better.


My 2 cents.. keep up the hard work just work wise

Oldman

[TR'05]

Cut out the PWO cardio...Might have to tinker with your diet.....you need to post more info, though, for anyone to give you sound advice.

[sal239]

ok here is what i eat throughout the day.

My efx (elliptical) question

water intake: about 40-64oz a day

no soda or coffee

Supplement intake:

men's one a day multivitamin (with breakfast)
cranberry plus (cranberry, bluberry extracts) (with breakfast)
green tea extract (after every meal)
caltrat (calcuim) 600 (twice a day after lunch and dinner)
vitamin c 600mg (4:00pm)
b6 50mg (4:00pm)


morning:

6:30am
1/2 cup of oatmeal with 1 cup silk soy milk
3 eggs scrambled (1 yolk only for the lecithin)
8oz green tea

9:30am
1 apple
1 pear

12:30pm

6 oz chicken breast grilled
or
6oz lean steak or ground meat grilled

lettuce with chic peas and broccolli (balsamic vinegar)
2 slices whole wheat bread (whole grains)

3:30pm

4 oz all white meat ground turkey breast burger (grilled )
1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter (crazy richards)
1 apple

7:00pm

6 oz grilled chicken breast
or
6oz filet mignon or ny strip
or
1 - 1 1/2cups white ground chicken or Turkey chili
lettuce with chic peas and broccolli (balsamic vinegar)
1 slice whole wheat bread (whole grain)
1 cup of snow peas ( 1 spray ofi can't beleive it's not butter spray)
1 cup string beans ( 1 spray of can't beleive it's not butter spray)
(both are steamed for about 5 min)
8 oz green tea

so on this diet, am i not getting enough calories to support my workouts

and should i stick to the morning EFX training or after the weights

Thanks for everyone's input
i greatly appreciate it!

Sal

[oldman]

I would bump your water WAY WAY up, that is not enough at all. I would also lose the soy products, this is not conducive for fat loss at all. As far as the cardio Time the best time I have ever found is first thing in the AM on empty stomach and then lift in the afternoon and be done for the day.


what is your PWO meal? I can not see it? I do not think you are getting enough protein for the first half of your day.. Three eggs is not enough to last you until your noon meal.. Think about this.. You went to bed last night and slept all night and then you took in 18 grams of protein from 7-8pm until noon the next day.. Your body is going to eat itself trying to get what it needs.. you are working against yourself... Protein at least every 3-4 hours and I mean good quality protein like Whey and get 50-60 grams, get a good PWO meal right after you lift with protein and dextrose and then have a final meal about 8pm with some chicken again about 60 grams of protein.


Just looked at your meals again, you are only getting about 20-30 grams of protein at each meal.. push it up

This is just my opinion and the experts will tweak from here.


Oldman

[jermazz]

try having some bcaa before and during the cardio, then eat breakfast fight after the gym. and as oldman sad you should get in some more protein to help preserve muscle.
also watch your heart rate, keep below 135 on an empty stomach. any higher than this with low blood glucose (like first thing in the morning or after a workout) the body will go for amino acids because they are more readily available than lipids.