To do or not to do cardio?

We all are looking for that magic balance of nutrients/calories, weight training and question of 'to do cardio or not to'. I for one am still working on what works best for ME not only for what I will look like come comp day, but how I feel during and what will happen to my body post!  

I am realising that more and more figure/sport model competitions are choosing trainers based on their training methods for example trainiers that stress that the human body should NOT do cardio for a contest prep. I ask you this...... Will one method work for all? Me thinks not. 

Of course cardio should not be the focal point of getting body fat down as food and eating for YOUR individual body type will make all the difference HOWEVER, cardio CAN make or break you come contest prep time. If you are doing intense cardio more than 8 weeks out from a comp PLUS weights you are destined for a future body and physcological melt down. You have either start your prep 'fat' and/or you are not eating the correct balance of macronutrients your body requires for optimum repair, muscle tone and fat burning. Two things I want to add my two bob about (this coming from my own personal experience) :

1) If you honestly are doing everything 'right' in terms of diet and are busting your ass doing cardio but your body is NOT responding, there is something wrong with your body and will only be doing more damage. If your trainer tells you to cut your calories and do more cardio, I suggest abandoning ship. While the results will come for the short time, the dangerous health risks will creep up on you eventually...... and it's not worth it!

2) If you are with a traniner that is giving the same advices to all clients, I suggest pulling your finger out your ass and doing your own research. There is no 'one size fits all' approach and this includes the ever growing 'no cardio' philosophy.

If you trainer doesn't accept that they do NOT know everything about health and inparticular have any real knowledge of every single client's indivudual chemistries and 'how' an individuals body is breaking down nutrients and repairing, then its all just face value isn't it? No real facts.... It's just guessing!

The fact is every one of us is different and we all require an individualised plan and this can also vary year to year.. The answer in knowing what YOU need to do and change as you lead into competition is right I front if you- THE MIRROR...

Gaining understand and paying attention to your own body and how it is/isn't responding to certain foods and exercise is the key in maintaining a healthy body and mind which also looks amazing come competition day. 

All I can say based on my own recovery from an autoimmune disease and this based on a factual blood analysis of my chemistries, is that I didn't do any cardio vascular workout for 1 year and no weights for 8 weeks, changed my mactrinutient intake for my body's chemistries and all to allow for optimum repair for my body and mental health. Even though my body has responded, am burning fat, reversed my autoimmunity and feeling great, I can also see what my body needs for me to step on stage in great condition. 

For this I am now adding 30 minutes of cardio away from my weights and I'm 6 weeks out from comp day. Every other year I was killing myself to get the fat off by doing over 1hr cardio plus weights from 12 weeks out. All I can do along with my traniner is base results of my changes week to week and make changes if needed. I am lucky to have a trainer that continuous to learn and do his own research while allowing his clients to learn and gain knowledge too. 

I have used my failing body as a tool in gaining knowledge and true insight into what I need for me. Not one person on earth will honestly be able to look at me and tell me what it is I need to get into the best shape of my life and maintain health during and post competition. As much as I'd prefer to NOT do cardio,  I'm getting ready for competition and my trainer and I are basing what I need to change/add on how I'm feeling (which is great by the way) and how I look. So if anyone asks me if I'm doing cardio, I say YES I am.


I also want to express I am genuinely concerned for women who have trainers having them gain a lot of weight (fat really) to put on muscle. How much muscle do you really think a natural female will gain in a year? The damage to the metabolic/hormonal system not to mention the physiological challenges this brings is damaging. If you think then getting in to contest shape after a heavy weight gain will be easy, think again. Also women carb loading like the blokes do on refined sugars and/or consuming crazy cheat meals.... YOU are doing harm and in my opinion are being stupid!

If you aren't making educated and individualised changes for yourself (with or without a trainer/ coach by your side), be very careful. The damage you could be making wont show immediately.... But they will eventually!

Georgia x