Thursday, September 15, 2011

What Type of Cardio Is Best For Fat Loss?

You wanna lose fat. And you want to do it FAST!  To burn off that fat, you've got to burn calories. There's no way around it.  To that end, the most common piece of advice you'll hear is "do more cardio."

Easier said than done. Especially when you consider that there is so much conflicting information out there. Some people say you need to do hours on end of cardio.  Yet others say that long bouts of cardio are a waste of time. Instead what you need is interval training cardio.   

So who's right!? And more importantly, what should YOU do so you can start burning off that fat faster than ever before?

Here's the skinny (sorry, no pun intended)...when it comes to what kind of cardio to do, it depends.

Let me explain.

If you're looking for changes in your body composition (the relation muscle of vs fat on your body), then running for at a low intensity for a long duration is not the best route.  Intervals are king here.  
 
Take for example, the two different breeds of runners: the marathon runner on one hand, and the sprinter on the other.  More often then not, you will see people who run for miles at a time who either look like they haven't eaten in weeks and can't even take on grandma Betty in a wrestling match, or you will see someone who looks like they just sit on the coach all day watching re-runs of The Jefferson's.   The sprinter on the other hand usually looks very muscular and has the power to go with it.  





 
Let me put it in a different way.  Here in New England it can get pretty cold and heating costs can really get expensive.  We are always looking for ways to save our hard earned money so we look for tips to save on energy.  One of the main things we are told is to keep the heat at a consistent temperature.  By doing this, the motor doesn't have to keep turning on and off throughout the day/night.  In turn, you don't use up as much energy so your bill won't be as high.  

On the other hand, if you are constantly cranking up the thermostat (temperature) when you get cold and turning it back down when you get too hot, you will make the motor work harder.  This is a sure-fire way to wanna pull your hair out when you get the bill.  

Hopefully by now you have made the connection from the heater and the runner,  but if not, here it is:  When it comes to fat loss, low intensity/long duration cardio is like the energy efficient heater saving you money (and calories) and sprinters are equivalent to using more heat (and calories) by drastically cranking up and turning down the temperature.   So unlike your energy bill, you should strive to be less energy efficient and more of a energy guzzling furnace. 

The main purpose of cardio in any training/fat loss program is to expend extra calories once you've ALREADY established a caloric deficit from diet - and are on a sound weight-lifting program.

So in the end, the mission is to burn enough calories to create enough of a deficit that you'll lose weight.  Both low-intensity and high-intensity cardio can do that but the trade off is time and efficiency. With low-intensity cardio (like walking) you have to do more of it to burn a decent amount of calories.  This is why most recommendations for low-intensity cardio are between 45-60 minutes.

On the other hand, high-intensity intervals burn the same amount of calories in half the time (usually).  So with just 20-30 minutes of intense interval training, you can burn the same number of calories as you do with 45-60 minutes of low-intensity steady state cardio.  That's DURING your exercise bout.  Intervals also offer another benefit that most people don't know about, and that is EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption).  Without getting too technical here, it means your body turns on it's "after burners" and continues to burn calories at a much higher rate up to 24-36 hours AFTER exercise!








That said, too much of a good thing (on either end) is never a good thing.  So the best advice? Mix it up.

Do maybe 2-3 high intensity sessions a week.  If you still need more cardio than that, then add in maybe one or two extra bouts of low-intensity cardio.  The only caveat here is that you want to do this gradually. That is, if you're severely out of shape, start by only doing low-intensity cardio.  Once you've lost a bit of weight and have improved your cardiovascular system, then start adding in one intense cardio session a week.  Then build to two.

By mixing things up this way, you're reducing the chances of overuse injury. And, you ward off overtraining (5 high intensity cardio sessions a week plus weight training is overkill!)

So there you have it - cardio demystified!

If you are running at a low intensity/long duration to burn fat (like so many people do), you are not going to maximize your efforts.  Start small then build up. Then mix in both interval-type workouts with low-intensity workouts and you'll see your fat loss speed up.  Remember, although interval training is far superior than steady state cardio, you must use good judgement.  It is better to start off slow and build yourself up than to do too much too soon.  

P.S.  I spoke specifically about running because everyone can relate to that but cardio isn't just about running.  For example, the cardio benefits offered by kettlebell ballistic exercises like the swing and snatch are unmatched.  Interval training can easily be done using kettlebells and in the next few days I will show you how you can use your kettlebell to burn maximum amount of fat off your body in the shortest amount of time.  

Untill then...

Have fun, train smart, get strong,

Nelson

P.P.S. Photos are courtesy of Google images

Monday, September 5, 2011

Labor Day

Enjoy the time off today with friends and family but make sure you stay safe.  I know many people will be eating outside of their normal routine, and that's okay.  Just make sure you get focused and back on track tomorrow so you don't lose any steam. 

Days like today can keep you from going crazy and can feel like a breath full of fresh air for some people.  For others, it may seem more of a nuisance than anything. 

However you feel, make sure you stay focused on your goal and keep it simple.  If you have been eating according to your goals and haven't been missing any of your training sessions, take today to unwind.  If you haven't been so diligent with your exercise and/or nutrition, just make wiser choices and make sure you don't continue down the same path.

Either way...have a safe holiday and enjoy the day!

Have fun, train smart, get strong,

Nelson