Recently a new client asked my why we weren't including much cardio in her programming.
It's a great question. Her main goal right now is to get leaner. And we burn fat through sweating away the pounds doing cardio, right? Not exactly.
It's true that cardio burns calories and that if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose fat. However, cardio isn't the most efficient way to make that happen.
The primary benefit of cardio for your body is it improves the health and efficiency of your breathing and circulatory systems. That's a great reason to do cardio. I'm not saying, "don't do cardio" by any stretch. Keeping your lungs, heart, and blood vessels in great shape is something we should all strive for.
Cardio on its own isn't a great way to lose fat. Obviously, it's better than nothing, but why use it for that purpose when there's a better tool. You can hammer a screw into the wall but wouldn't you prefer to use a screwdriver?
Have you ever seen the people at the gym who spend an hour on the treadmill or elliptical? They come in several days a week, every week. They're working hard but months or even years later, they look the same. Maybe that's you.
This isn't to criticize them because honestly, I have no idea what their goals are. Maybe they want to stay the same. Maybe they love, love, love their time on the machine. More power to them.
What I am saying is it's an inefficient approach to getting leaner. The first time you try to run a mile, it's difficult. You try it again a couple days later and it's a bit easier. You stick with it and within a few weeks it's not that hard, right? This is because your body has become more efficient at it. By definition, it's now less taxing for your body. In order to keep challenging yourself, you'd have to run farther, faster, or both. That's fine, if that's what you're after.
Also, that mile you ran, that left you huffing and puffing? You burned about 100 calories. Have a sports drink or an energy bar after and you've more than replaced the energy deficit you created.
Just so there's no misunderstanding, let me repeat: there's nothing wrong with cardio. It's great for developing cardiovascular fitness. It can even be enjoyable for its own sake.
What's a better way to burn fat, you ask?
Take a two-pronged approach.
First, take a moderate reduction in calories. Yep, eat a bit less. If you maintained your current level of physical activity while eating 10-20% fewer calories, you're going to drop fat. Start by eating just a little bit less. Ask yourself which is more difficult: running a couple miles a day or eating 200 fewer calories a day?
Which takes more time?
The second part is to do strength training. In tandem with the lower calories, it signals your body to hold on to muscle tissue and instead dip into the stored fat for energy. Doing resistance training with the focus on getting stronger will (guess what?) get you stronger. Stronger muscles tend to be bigger muscles. They're useful in day-to-day life. You'll be better at opening pickle jars. And of course, the mirror appreciates your muscles, too. A bonus is that muscles are more energy demanding than fat. It takes less energy for your body to maintain a fat cell than a muscle cell. Having more muscle allows you to have a higher calorie intake for maintenance.
Put simply, if you have two people who weigh the same, the one with more muscle will be able to eat more food without packing on fat. This doesn't mean you can put on half a pound of muscle and all of a sudden have a birthday cake for dinner three times a week. But you'll be able to eat some more without having to stress about it.
"But, what if I eat less, resistance train, and do cardio? That has to be best, right?" Another great question.
The answer is a conditional "it's beneficial, up to a point." All those things stress the body. It's fine if you give yourself time to recover. The more you do, the more difficult it is for your body to recover. When that happens you'll see diminishing returns and eventually negative consequences such as injury. If your mission is to win a fitness show perhaps it's worth the cost. If your mission is to be fitter and enjoy life, it's probably not.
I'll leave you with this today:
1. Eat moderately less food to lose weight.
2. Do resistance training to make sure the weight you do lose is mostly fat. Build, or at least preserve muscle.
3. The main benefits of cardio are healthier lungs and heart, not fat loss.
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