The Pitfalls Of Cardio… Why Your Cardio Workout Could Be Killing Your Results
When it comes to working out, a lot of us are brainwashed about the way to get great ripped results. This is a bigger issue for women but I see plenty of men making this same mistake quite often as well.
Spending too much time and relying too much on cardio. If you’re spending over 30 minutes on your cardio going the same old speed, then you’re going to be left disappointed.
Sure the cardio deck at the gym is probably twice the size of the free weights section, but the truth is that cardio is not the best way to lose fat, to gain definition or to get any visible positive results… quite the contrary…
Cardio can actually be ruining your chances at a tight, lean, ripped body!
Why Long Cardio Endurance Sessions Suck…
1. You’re burning muscle, not fat. What a rude awakening! As a huge fan of running I hate to write this… but it’s true. Your body needs energy to keep you going on the machines and after 20 minutes it’s going to start breaking down your muscle, which is very energy rich!
2. Slow down your metabolism. You’re muscle is your fat burning powerhouse. It’s very metabolically active, requiring energy to keep it happy, repair it after workouts and build more. And where does this energy come from? From fat! So, if you are losing muscle mass then you are killing your metabolism!
3. Takes way too much time! You’re body doesn’t want to work harder than it has to, so when you begin an activity your body starts to adapt to it so it has to work less the next time you do that same activity. How does this affect your workout results?
If you start by running 2 miles, sure you will burn some calories lets just assume 200 calories, but after a few sessions that burn will be decreased to 180 calories and this continues. In order to keep getting results you have to run longer and faster. What if I told you I could have your burning twice that in more than half the time?
These reasons alone should be enough to have you re-evaluating your own fitness strength training workouts.
So what kind of workout will give killer results?
There are two main workouts I have my clients do, and I do myself.
The first is a solid total body strength-training program. Like I said above, muscle is the fat burning system of the body, so the more you have the more calories and fat you burn in a given day.
Plus your metabolism stays revved up even higher for up to 48 hours post weight training workouts. Let’s examine… for each pound of muscle you have that’s an extra 40-50 calories you’re burning a day (even when sitting on the couch), now lets say you do an amazing weight training workout… you burn a bunch of calories during the workout and because of the stress and damage you placed on your muscles you will burn an additional 100-200 calories in the next 24 hours!
And the second workout that is important?
Interval training. This form of cardio requires no more than 20 minutes of your time! And you can burn twice as many calories from long cardio sessions!
Intervals require an up/down intensity. So you start off light for a few minutes, pick up the pace for 1-2 minutes, go back down, back up, and back down for a total of 20 minutes. The confusion on the body and heart not only up your endurance and improve cardio health but you get great fat burning results as well.
Just to really give you an idea… a study revealed that 2 ½ hrs of interval training in 2 weeks is equivalent to the benefits you would get from 10 ½ hours of normal cardio in the same 2 week period. Which do you prefer?
So there you have it, why cardio could be the reason your results are stagnant or even getting worst. Stop being disappointed and start doing something to give results! Start a great weight training program today!
Taylor Ryan is the head trainer and co-owner of the popular women’s site The Art Of Weight Lifting. She is passionate about women’s fitness and as a fitness freak herself really loves to push herself and her clients to get amazing results. Visit her women’s strength training fitness blog to get her Free 4 Video Series on Women’s Training.
