Whenever we tell people that we do very little aerobic activity to keep our weight down, they always seem a little baffled. Unfortunately, the concept of lots of weekly aerobics to achieve successful weight loss has been so ingrained into our brains that the average exerciser has just accepted it as gospel.
But large amounts of cardio for weight loss is a big fat waste of time, and we suggest that you do not do any of it.
What is termed as cardio (or aerobic activity) is anything past a walk and before a sprint. These activities are what we in the fitness industry call steady state.
Steady State – Not So Great
Steady state exercise can be anything from jogging, to biking, to hitting the elliptical trainer in the gym. It is called steady state because the exerciser’s heart rate stays at one steady number (usually about 65% of it’s max) for a long duration of time (usually for an hour or more).
Why is this bad for weight loss? First off, the body adapts to any stress that you apply to it. That’s basic physiology. For example, if you want to become a better golfer, you hit bucket after bucket of balls at the driving range. Soon, your body will become accustomed to this movement pattern and learn how to do it efficiently with fewer muscle fibres and less energy expended. This is great for the golf course, but not so great for the weight loss participant.
Running on the treadmill for an hour or being on the elliptical trainer – week in, week out – elicits the same effect as that golfer. Granted at the beginning you will see changes, but in time those changes will stop happening and you will hit that dreaded “plateau”.
This is because you are doing the same thing over and over – with no change in heart rate rhythm or movement – and your body has become very proficient and is now recruiting fewer muscle spindles and burning fewer calories as an energy source (American Journal of Physiology).
Injuries, Anyone?
Large amounts of steady state cardio is also damaging to the body, due to its continuous and repetitious movements. Connective tissue doesn’t like be used in the same direction, in the same pathway, using the same joints for long periods of time. It’s called repetitive stress injury for a reason.
Instead, when working towards a goal of weight loss, your mission should be first to address what you do in the kitchen and then second to burn the most calories (energy) you can (check out our signature plans: 6-Week Shape Up & our Go-Fit 21).
Once you’ve clean up your diet, because that is truly 75% of the weight loss solution, then hop off the treadmill and get your butt into the weight room.
Pumping Iron = Low Body Fat
Research and leading exercise experts are now steering people towards higher intensity activities performed for shorter durations of time like weight training.
Short, intense resistance training programs actually raise the body’s fat “releasing” hormone HGH (Human Growth Hormone), something that a long bout of steady state cardio does not do (Romijn JA, Coyle EF, Sidossis LS, Gastaldelli A, Horowitz JF, Endert E, Wolfe RR).
Get Your EPOC Going
Strength workouts also build bone, boost energy, control blood sugar levels and insulin, and if you perform your strength workout in a circuit pattern (with little to no rest in between the exercises) you will also improve your heart and lung health.
Additionally, circuit training provides you with more calories burned after your workout session, a phenomenon called EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption).
Because you have trained at high intensities, it takes the body more energy (up to 36 hours more) and therefore more calories to bring it back to pre-exercise state (Kravitz & Reynolds, PhD).
Strength training also builds your lean muscle mass, which in turn increases your BMR.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the measure of the amount of energy your body requires to perform its normal vital functions, and the more lean muscle you have, the higher your BMR is. Whereas steady state cardio does not evoke enough of a demand on the body to build substantial lean muscle mass.
Final Word
Now, before all you runners, bikers and swimmers start sharpening your pencils to write me scathing letters, please note that this research is regarding the most effective strategies for weight loss, and my intention was not to dissuade anyone from ANY activity.
If you like to run, run. If a 4-hour bike ride turns your crank, ride. But, if weight loss is your goal, then you need to look past the treadmill and at the dumbbell rack for effective result.
Check out our YouTube channel for over 50 fat-burning workouts!
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