Cardio Misconception #1

[2Thick]

A lot of people seem to be pushing themselves very hard to lose fat during a cardio session.

The truth of the matter is that your body does not use fat as a primary fuel when you push your body past a certain level of moderate exertion. If your heart rate goes too high, then you will be using carbohydrates as your fuel and not fat.

Therefore, jogging (or equivalent) during a cardio session should never let you get out of breath. You should be at a level where you are above a normal heart rate but not too high. As long as you keep your heart rate up for 20 minutes, then you have burned off some fat.

 

[latinus_spicticus]

So what? If you go on a walk and keep your heart rate elevated _just enough_ to burn fat for 45 minutes, the total caloric (fat only) expenditure will be very low because you did not do hard enough activity to cause a lot of energy expenditure. So you might as well just read a book or stare at the ceiling while burning fat at an extremely low rate.

On the other hand, you can expend huge amounts of energy (and thus, calories) via high-intensity cardio like sprinting, sled-dragging, any type of interval training. Of course, you will burn some carbs along with the fat, but the overall caloric loss (and hence, fat loss) will be much greater. This type of training also continues to elevate metabolism for hours after cessation of whatever activity performed.

Getting lean at any level is a function of calories in vs. calories out. Low intensity cardio may expend mainly fat kcals, but relatively few ones. High intensity cardio expends fat and carbohydrate kcals, and at a much higher rate. Keeping intensity low makes the process slower and more boring, but less painful. Perhaps that is why many prefer it?

 

[slobberknocker]

What's cardio?

 

[bicepts101]

Keeping intensity low makes the process slower and more boring, but less painful. Perhaps that is why many prefer it?

i definatly agree!

 

[The_Eviscerator]

Getting lean at any level is a function of calories in vs. calories out. Low intensity cardio may expend mainly fat kcals, but relatively few ones. High intensity cardio expends fat and carbohydrate kcals, and at a much higher rate. Keeping intensity low makes the process slower and more boring, but less painful. Perhaps that is why many prefer it?

Very true... but doing high intensity cardio all the time will make you weak and defeat the purpose of what you are trying to accomplish.

I see a lot of people go balls out on cardio and guess what? Most of them look like shit. I will stick with the longer, slower fat burning method.

 

[latinus_spicticus]

Very true... but doing high intensity cardio all the time will make you weak and defeat the purpose of what you are trying to accomplish.

I see a lot of people go balls out on cardio and guess what? Most of them look like shit. I will stick with the longer, slower fat burning method.

What population sample are you talking about? The people at your gym?

When was the last time you've seen someone dragging a sled, doing interval training or sprinting? I rarely, if ever see it. Most of the joggers, walkers, treadmillers, etc., on the other hand, are flabby and weak looking.

And it (high intensity cardio) only takes 10-20 minutes 2 to 4 times a week max, so it does not "make you weak or defeat the purpose..." This would only be true if the caloric deficit caused was so great that calories in the form of muscle were burned. At the same time, try eating a hypocaloric diet and walk for 6 hours a day and tell me you don't lose muscle. Owned.

 

[manny78]

2Thick: I think you just made a new friend called "Nelson Montana".

 

[2Thick]

So what?

Go read a book on human physiology and come back when you are finished.

 

[Nelson Montana]

Anybody here lift weights?

**edited**

You are pushing it, kid.

2Thick

 

[variation]

what's with all the editing of Nelsons posts, I want to read them ;(