Q: I read that you guys got super ripped without doing any cardio. I also saw that Arnold had incredible fat loss with no cardio, relying on weight training only. Is that true?
A: According to John Balik, former Publisher of IRON MAN magazine and Arnold’s friend and one-time training partner, the only thing close to real cardio that Arnold did was occasional walking or running on the beach…
Arnold’s pre-contest weight-training workouts were six days a week, and often twice a day, so that was enough to keep Arnold burning fat and building muscle right up to his show.
There’s more on that in the Fat-to-Muscle Workout e-book—and how weight workouts equate to high-intensity interval training. Remember, HIIT is interval cardio, which research says is the best fat-loss activity.
Us? We’ve found that the need for cardio depends on your genetics and metabolism. For example, Steve has a faster metabolism than Jonathan. So Steve always needed very little cardio to get ripped quickly…
Steve got leaner with gradual calorie cuts over a period of weeks. Jonathan, on the other hand, has a slower metabolism. He got best fat-loss results adding activity—gradually upping his cardio.
While Jonathan did use calorie reductions as well, he found that keeping his protein high and getting a bit more fat helped his muscle size increase as he lost fat…
The last two weeks or so before a photoshoot, Jonathan would do two short cardio workouts a day, four to five days a week. Steve did only one cardio session a day two to three days a week. (Our diets and ripping-phase programs are outlined in Xtreme Lean.)
Again, it all depends on your genetics and metabolism. However, there is a constant: We both did gradually reduce our energy intake. In other words, slight macronutrient tweaks can get you a leaner physique.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
Build MASS with Bodyweight Training
One way you’re guaranteed to pack on stacks of muscle is through a process called muscle protein synthesis (MPS), which more than doubles 24 hours after an intense workout…
Until recently, MPS was only elevated when trainees would lift 70-90% of their one-rep max…
That’s not only dangerous for your joints, but it also sets you up for high injury risk every time you exercise…
It used to be believed that training with your own bodyweight couldn’t get you the same results as training with your 70-90% one rep max… Until NOW.
–> How to build MASS with bodyweight training