Cardio = Waste of time?

[The Badass]

I was just reading an article in MuscleMag international that was talking about how aerobic exercise is more of a waste of time and damaging to your body than a benefit for fat burning.

This is not the first time I have heard this theory either.

Have you heard of this? What do you think Is cardio really a waste of time for fat burning? It's gotta have some kind of fat burning or weight loss benefit, but now it's being debated.

Your thoughts?

 

[spatts]

I don't think it's the best way to lose fat, but it has its upsides.

In the past when I've tried to drop fat for an event, I saved cardio for last. I was able to use straight dieting up until about the 8-10 week point, then I started to slow down on progress, so I added a cardio session in the mornings on my off days. Then when progress slowed there I added interval sprints to a couple days (weekends). Then when I slowed down again, I would add more....bottom line, by the end, I was doing 1 hour AM sessions on an empty stomach, and sprint intervals in the evenings that I didn't train with weights. That was only about 4 weeks worth of cardio; diet did the rest.

The idea is to keep amo up your sleeve. If you pull out all the stops at once, you have nothing to shock your system with down the road.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Do you see fat people or skinny people on treadmills?

If cardio worked for buring off body fat... wouldn't there be a bunch of sleek, buff people with 8% body fat on the cross country ski machines and treadmills?

 

[JG1]

Do you see fat people or skinny people on treadmills?

If cardio worked for buring off body fat... wouldn't there be a bunch of sleek, buff people with 8% body fat on the cross country ski machines and treadmills?

So you're saying cardio doesn't work for burning off body fat?

 

[Bulldog_10]

come on people...cardio works. It won't replace a good diet, but it will definitely help.

And sofa, the fat people on the bikes are the ones that think that cardio WILL replace a good diet.

If nothing else, cardio increases your caloric output, which will put you in a more negative calorie balance...it also increases your metabolism, which will lead to long term drops in body fat.

And forget about fat loss...why not just do it for the heart...it IS cardio.

 

[SofaGeorge]

I haven't seen any evidence in 30+ years that supports cardio as an effective weightloss tool. sorry.

 

[The Red Dragon]

Well I read a study awhile ago, cardio alone does shit to help with weight loss. It's only effective while you're on a good diet, and even then their effects are negligable. If you want to do it by all means, it definately helped my stamina during deads and squats. Why do you think smokers make bad lifters . You can alos get growth hormone spurts if the cardio is intense enough (75-90% of max heart rate)...just sprint or something .

 

[Bulldog_10]

I haven't seen any evidence in 30+ years that supports cardio as an effective weightloss tool. sorry.

So you don't think being more active leads to weight loss, and in particular fat loss? Doing cardio will increase your caloric output, if your caloric input is kept stable, you will lose weight by doing cardio (or not gain as much).

How about the fact that doing cardio (or aerobic activity in general) increases the mitochondrial density in the muscles...and it increases fat stores near the mitochondria making fat more available for oxidation.

 

[slinky]

Cardio is good for a newbie to build up lung capacity. And the "cardio doesn't work" is a over simplified way to say it. In the beginning, sure, it'd be effective. But after awhile, it's time to look at other methods. Like HIIT.

And you know, it all boils down to what the person needs. For me, HIIT is what I need to focus on. If I were a marathon runner or long distance cyclist, then long term cardio would be the way to go.

 

[SofaGeorge]

So you don't think being more active leads to weight loss, and in particular fat loss? Doing cardio will increase your caloric output, if your caloric input is kept stable, you will lose weight by doing cardio (or not gain as much).

How about the fact that doing cardio (or aerobic activity in general) increases the mitochondrial density in the muscles...and it increases fat stores near the mitochondria making fat more available for oxidation.

Numerous studies have proven that you will burn off more calories sitting naked in an air conditioned room reading a newspaper than you will if you go out jogging.

I'm not against cardio. I like to walk my dogs. I like to box. I like to go on mountain hikes.

I just don't have a belief that getting on a treadmill for an hour is an effective weightloss tool. All scientific studies I've read indicate just the opposite.

 

[JG1]

Numerous studies have proven that you will burn off more calories sitting naked in an air conditioned room reading a newspaper than you will if you go out jogging.

Could you just post one of these studies? I'd love to read it.

 

[Mike_Rojas]

I love sprinting

 

[Toozee]

I'm a fan of sprints, as opposed to "regular cardio".
What's the consensus on sprints ???

 

[slinky]

Sprints kick ass. I prefer the jump rope and heavy bag; but I'm going to throw in a Saturday spring session as a "pick me up".

 

[Nonerz]

Could you just post one of these studies? I'd love to read it.

yeah, that seems far fetched.

IMO...

cardio = burning calories

I think cardio is more of a "getting fatter prevention" than burning fat. Doesn't that depend on several other factors rather than just the act of cardio itself?

Unless you're overtraining, I don't think it's a bad thing if you're trying to lose weight, but ultimately...diet is the key. Just my 2 cents...

 

[Diabolik]

cardio = burning calories

I think cardio is more of a "getting fatter prevention" than burning fat. Doesn't that depend on several other factors rather than just the act of cardio itself?

Unless you're overtraining, I don't think it's a bad thing if you're trying to lose weight, but ultimately...diet is the key. Just my 2 cents...

I totally agree. Cardio is not going to help you lose fat if your diet is shit. Doing low intensity cardio helps burn fat though, I believe 60% of MHR is the target heart rate.

I mean come on, if you don't burn fat while doing cardio, how come runners are so damn thin and ripped? It burns calories people. I'd love to see some of those "studies" too.

-Diabolik

 

[Bulldog_10]

Numerous studies have proven that you will burn off more calories sitting naked in an air conditioned room reading a newspaper than you will if you go out jogging.

I hope this is an exaggeration. And I'm with JG1, I'd love to read something like that. I'll sit naked in my air conditioned room all day.

 

[spatts]

I like a combo of moderate "cardio" and HIIT sprints.

My moderate sessions are something fun like walks with my son, bike rides, lately pushing something around in a wheel barrow (uphill and down), sled dragging for distance, etc...

HIIT sprints I do on a track (100s and 200s) or on the field (40s). I get the most out of these.

I don't try to regulate the moderate sessions, that's just part of my lifestyle and activity level in every day life.

The sprints keep me grounded...I will always be a sprinter at heart and there's a combonation of fire and nostalgia for me out there on the track. Not to mention it melts the fat off of me WHILE adding muscle, as long as I'm working it around my training appropriately.


BTW, slinky, animalmass got me a 900 pound tire yesterday.

 

[JG1]

Personaly, 60 minutes on the treadmill at 4.0mph 3% incline first thing in the morning MELTS that fat off me. Granted, diet has to be in check, but the cardio just speeds up the process SO much.

I may start doing some sprints at night on my off days.

Spatts,

For someone who has never done HIIT sprints before, how would you go about setting up a session of these? I'm clueless on how to set it up for it to be effective. I'd probably do them on my treadmill.

 

[slinky]

BTW, slinky, animalmass got me a 900 pound tire yesterday.

Yee ha! The fun has begun! That's some serious tire!

 

[spatts]

Oh yeah...it's a "team flipper" for sure. lol

JG1, I'd go by feel. If you hit a track, sprint until you have to stop, then walk until you can talk again, then sprint till you have to stop, and walk until you can talk again. I'd do maybe 20 mins of that. As you progress, you will find that the portion of that time tha you can sprint will increase. Then you can start adding in some fun stuff like jog-stride-sprints, parachute sprints, etc..

 

[jeremys]

some types of cardio are better than others

as spatts pointed out in other threads...compare a sprinter and a distance runner. who is leaner? who has more muscle?

 

[Nonerz]

I'll sit naked in my air conditioned room all day.

I second that!

 

[Bulldog_10]

Could you just post one of these studies? I'd love to read it.

Still waiting...

 

[SofaGeorge]

Still waiting...

You are going to be waiting a long time.

In order to get the references to the articles you are going to have to dig up a back issue of Pearson and Shaw's THE LIFE EXTENSION WEIGHTLOSS PROGRAM. It has been out of print since 1985... and I don't have a copy anymore.

Durk and Sandy were good friends of mine. They pioneered thermogenisis as a weight loss technique... and launched the first ephedrine product for weight loss.

I attended many of their lectures on the subject back in the '80s... and read the research articles (and their book) between '85 and '89.

It's ancient history... not a new topic. I'm not going to go digging for them.

Do a GOOGLE search if you want to try to find them. The search term will be "thermogenesis." I'm not sure what you will find.

 

[Bulldog_10]

You are going to be waiting a long time.

In order to get the references to the articles you are going to have to dig up a back issue of Pearson and Shaw's THE LIFE EXTENSION WEIGHTLOSS PROGRAM. It has been out of print since 1985... and I don't have a copy anymore.

Durk and Sandy were good friends of mine. They pioneered thermogenisis as a weight loss technique... and launched the first ephedrine product for weight loss.

I attended many of their lectures on the subject back in the '80s... and read the research articles (and their book) between '85 and '89.

It's ancient history... not a new topic. I'm not going to go digging for them.

Do a GOOGLE search if you want to try to find them. The search term will be "thermogenesis." I'm not sure what you will find.

I've been looking through a shitload of journal articles, old and new through the electronic indexes at my school. No sign of anything that says that you can burn more calories sitting in a cool room than when exercising.

I'll keep looking though.

 

[SofaGeorge]

I've been looking through a shitload of journal articles, old and new through the electronic indexes at my school. No sign of anything that says that you can burn more calories sitting in a cool room than when exercising.

I'll keep looking though.

Starting point will be to get a back issue of Durk and Sandy's book. They site all references.

You might also try doing a search in their old newsletters. www.lifeservices.com publishes their archives... but I'm not sure how far back it goes.

I put their theory to the test years ago... turned the AC down to freezing. It definitely seemed to help bodyfat loss.

Armand Tandy was one of the old time bodybuiding writers. He wrote one of the first articles about this back in the '60s. He lived on the beach in Santa Monica... then moved inland. It is always 20 degrees cooler on the beach. He found when he moved inland that he started to put on body fat. He moved back to the beach and got skinny again.

 

[Zander1983]

Your body burns more calories than its baseline level when trying to alter your body temperate in either extreme hot or cold environments.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Your body burns more calories than its baseline level when trying to alter your body temperate in either extreme hot or cold environments.

Hot too? I'd never read that. Can you site it?

I'd love it if that is true. I love saunas. (I started doing saunas whenever I could after reading about them as GH releasers.) They are a fun way to finish a work out. (Best part is at my gym nobody else uses the sauna so I have it to myself.)

 

[Zander1983]

Hot too? I'd never read that. Can you site it?

I'd love it if that is true. I love saunas. (I started doing saunas whenever I could after reading about them as GH releasers.) They are a fun way to finish a work out. (Best part is at my gym nobody else uses the sauna so I have it to myself.)

I have absolutely no idea where I read it originally, but I'll have a bit of a browse...

I didn't know sauna's helped GH release. But if they do, GH release does stimulate fat burning...

 

[Zander1983]

It appears I was wrong:

Marken Lichtenbelt, WD v, Westerterp-Plantenga MS, and Van Hoydonk P. Individual variation in the relation between body temperaure and energy expenditure in response to elevated ambient temperature. Physiol Behav 73: 235-242, 2001

Abstract:
The question we address here is whether a mild increase in environmental temperature affects body temperature and energy expenditure, focusing on the individual variation in the relation between energy expenditure and body temperature. We studied eight normal weight healthy females, 48 h at an ambient temperature of 22 degreesC, and 48 h at 27 degreesC. Energy expenditure GEE) was measured in a respiration chamber. Subjects' skin temperature was measured continuously from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.: forehead, infraclavicular zone, thigh, hand, and foot. Core temperature was determined tympanically. Body composition was determined by under water weighing. Exposure to 27 degreesC caused a significant increase in body temperature (both skin and core), a decrease in temperature gradients, and a decrease in energy expenditure. At 27 degreesC 24 h EE, adjusted for body composition, was significantly related to body tympanic temperature. The decrease in 24 h EE, at 270C ambient temperature, was significantly negatively related to the increase in T-tym, indicating individual responses in adaptation to elevated ambient temperature. Changes in temperature gradient (comparing 27 degreesC with 22 degreesC) were negatively related to changes in EE. This shows that individuals differ in their response to an increase in environmental temperature regarding the relative contribution of insulative or metabolic adjustments. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

 

[RusPA81]

Do you see fat people or skinny people on treadmills?

If cardio worked for buring off body fat... wouldn't there be a bunch of sleek, buff people with 8% body fat on the cross country ski machines and treadmills?

I think the reason you see so many fat people or cardio machines is that there are a lot of people who think that they can simply run the treadmill once a week and then go home and eat cake. Its like saying that weight lifting doesn't work because I see so many skinny guys working out. It works for people who do it right. Now, is cardio the most efficent way to lose weight. I really am not a diet expert, but from what I understand it is not.

 

[CAESAR7]

how about just not stuffing your face full of food all damn day, wouldn't that burn the fat off too?

 

[SofaGeorge]

I think the reason you see so many fat people or cardio machines is that there are a lot of people who think that they can simply run the treadmill once a week and then go home and eat cake. Its like saying that weight lifting doesn't work because I see so many skinny guys working out. It works for people who do it right. Now, is cardio the most efficent way to lose weight. I really am not a diet expert, but from what I understand it is not.

I'm not saying that cardio doesn't burn of ANY body fat... just that it isn't a great way to do it. Cutting carbs will do a lot more for you than running on the treadmill.

You can burn calories chewing a hamburger.

 

[RusPA81]

I'm not saying that cardio doesn't burn of ANY body fat... just that it isn't a great way to do it. Cutting carbs will do a lot more for you than running on the treadmill.

You can burn calories chewing a hamburger.

I completely agree. Thats what I was saying. People think that they can do cardio and lose weight when in fact diet will do much more. Cardio is just to knock off the final pieces.

 

[gonelifting]

Please people, Do me a favor. Don`t tell my wife about this. We have sex for the cardio. That`s all I got left... please!!!

I like sprints too, they kill me though. Can`t seem to "cool down" after due to the lactic acid in my legs makes them UNABLE to move.

 

[FitFossil]

Cardio = waste of time?

For some people it seems to be. I look around the gym and so many people are doing cardio but never putting any EFFORT into it (same with their lifting, but that's another thread), so it's no wonder their bodies never change. I'll bet I SLEEP harder than these people! I mean, there's a REASON it's called a WORKout right? I'm a HIIT devotee (2x week for 20 min), so in that respect I think cardio is great because you get better results with less time.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Cardio = waste of time?

For some people it seems to be. I look around the gym and so many people are doing cardio but never putting any EFFORT into it (same with their lifting, but that's another thread), so it's no wonder their bodies never change. I'll bet I SLEEP harder than these people! I mean, there's a REASON it's called a WORKout right? I'm a HIIT devotee (2x week for 20 min), so in that respect I think cardio is great because you get better results with less time.

Interesting you mention HIT for cardio... the best research study I ever read for cardio was HIT. The researcher made a very powerful argument that 3 one minute bursts of real intensity did far more than an hour of meandering on the exercise bike.

The author's conclusion: cardio without intensity is not effective.

It made me feel great about my sprints.

 

[Judah Bauer]

Starting point will be to get a back issue of Durk and Sandy's book. They site all references.

You might also try doing a search in their old newsletters. www.lifeservices.com publishes their archives... but I'm not sure how far back it goes.

I put their theory to the test years ago... turned the AC down to freezing. It definitely seemed to help bodyfat loss.

Armand Tandy was one of the old time bodybuiding writers. He wrote one of the first articles about this back in the '60s. He lived on the beach in Santa Monica... then moved inland. It is always 20 degrees cooler on the beach. He found when he moved inland that he started to put on body fat. He moved back to the beach and got skinny again.

I'm not sure about this. What about the "seal effect"...ie. when your cold your body tends not to burn bf...Empirically...the colder the environment generally means the people that live there have more bf as well. I think there was someone out there who used to preach about drinking a bunch of cold water to raise metabolism...the long and short of it I believe was that it did work for a very short time but you quickly adapted.

Cardio does work for weight loss...its "a way"...maybe not the best..but obviously it does work. For some people, its the easiest and and preferred way.

 

[SofaGeorge]

I'm not sure about this. What about the "seal effect"...ie. when your cold your body tends not to burn bf...Empirically...the colder the environment generally means the people that live there have more bf as well.

This is not supported anywhere in medical literature.

 

[zero%bodyfat]

plent of cardio is why im ripped

 

[Judah Bauer]

This is not supported anywhere in medical literature.

either way..I've never seen a ripped eskimo.

 

[Mike_Rojas]

either way..I've never seen a ripped eskimo.

Off topic: Eskimos were very lean before they ran into white men and started eating all the white flour, sugar, etc. Just like the Indians before they ate all that junk.

On topic: I usually fatten up in the winter months and lean out in the warmer months.

 

[Nonerz]

Mike, is that because of the weather...or is it an effort to get into your "bikini?"

 

[Mike_Rojas]

Mike, is that because of the weather...or is it an effort to get into your "bikini?"

LOL... No, I'm more active in the summer. Dusk is later, so I can do physical things after work - like ride a bike or take a walk or whatever. When the sun goes down at 5 I just hang out at home and be a bum.. and eat more. So for me, it has more to do with daylight hours then temperature.

 

[Spartacus]

I kinda feel that some running/jogging is good for helping to free fat from the buttocks and that area in general...I know the sentiment is you can't spot reduce..but when I gain some weight its all about the waist and butt...my arms/chest stay lean though I may have added 10lbs of fat...I'm always lifting and then there are periods when I drop cardio..I never add fat to my upper body...seems because I'm always working those areas..so when I wish to lean out I add some running to exercise the butt..seems to me logically if your body is mobilizing fat to meet energy requirements then wouldn't it pull the Kcals from the areas most proximal to the working muscles?..or is that if your body is genetically prone to adding fat in certain areas,then when your reducing fat the body pulls the most from the areas where you add the most?..on another note I notice that doing some running/jogging significantly increases bowel transit times..I've always felt(no pun)that if the food is moving along quickly through the GI system you'll absorb less calories..I'd estimate that we don't absorb betw 25-33% of the calories we eat..nelson?

 

[Judah Bauer]

Off topic: Eskimos were very lean before they ran into white men and started eating all the white flour, sugar, etc. Just like the Indians before they ate all that junk.

On topic: I usually fatten up in the winter months and lean out in the warmer months.

thats not true.

 

[Mike_Rojas]

thats not true.

Ok, this thread is going in a weird direction, but when someone tells me I'm wrong I want to prove myself.

Ever hear of Dr. Vilhjalmur Stefansson? In 1906 he lived with the eskimos for a while. He said he never saw a fat Eskimo. Here is what he said:

"Eskimos, when still on their home meats, are never corpulent—at least, I have seen none who were. Eskimos in their native garments do give the impression of fat, round faces on fat, round bodies, but the roundness of face is a racial peculiarity and the rest of the effect is produced by loose and puffy garments. See them stripped, and one does not find the abdominal protuberances and folds which are so in evidence on Coney Island beaches and so persuasive against nudism.
There is, however, among Eskimos no racial immunity to corpulence. That is proved by the rapidity with which and the extent to which they fatten on European diets."

The Europeans brought obesity to the Eskimo. This is from Harper's Monthly Magazine, December 1935.

 

[Judah Bauer]

Ok, this thread is going in a weird direction, but when someone tells me I'm wrong I want to prove myself.

Ever hear of Dr. Vilhjalmur Stefansson? In 1906 he lived with the eskimos for a while. He said he never saw a fat Eskimo. Here is what he said:

"Eskimos, when still on their home meats, are never corpulent—at least, I have seen none who were. Eskimos in their native garments do give the impression of fat, round faces on fat, round bodies, but the roundness of face is a racial peculiarity and the rest of the effect is produced by loose and puffy garments. See them stripped, and one does not find the abdominal protuberances and folds which are so in evidence on Coney Island beaches and so persuasive against nudism.
There is, however, among Eskimos no racial immunity to corpulence. That is proved by the rapidity with which and the extent to which they fatten on European diets."

The Europeans brought obesity to the Eskimo. This is from Harper's Monthly Magazine, December 1935.

I'm sure the eskimo's weren't fat par se...but the original point I was trying to make was that they weren't really "lean". If you look at the physique of alot of African's/Aborigines ect...they actually were pretty ripped...easily 8%... An eskimo subjectively labeled as not "corpulent" could easily be 15 - 20%. In short...the point I'm trying to make is cold weather doesn't seem to lend itself to low percentages of bf (although it could lend itself to "healthy" levels).

 

[Mike_Rojas]

I'll buy that . The body probably tries to store a thicker layer in cold weather.

 

[TC2]

Cardio doesn't =fat loss????

When I want to lean up as much as possible, I up my boxer routine.

I don't change my diet in any way. And I get shredded.

 

[Zander1983]

Cardio doesn't =fat loss????

When I want to lean up as much as possible, I up my boxer routine.

I don't change my diet in any way. And I get shredded.

The definition of "cardio" is really blurred. Boxing is far removed from passing time sitting on a stationary cycle or walking on a treadmill.

A well timed discussion outlining some experts opinions on cardio: http://www.testosterone.net/nation_articles/262card.jsp

 

[casualbb]

I can't for the life of me find the study (thanks for nothing, pubmed), but I recall seeing a study that indicated that between the two types of fat: subcutaneous (below the skin) and visceral (organ cushioning), subcutaneous fat was burned preferentially when dieting was combined with cardio as compared to just dieting. A little food for thought.

-casual

 

[YOURBODY2000]

Cardio

Lets get real on Cardio. Nothing beats Weightlifting for developing lean body mass. So weightlifting and building muscle will help with getting that lean physique. A lean physique will always burn more calories because of the muscle from weightlifting. So a muscular body will burn more calories. Cardio works but not too much of it. A key to losing weight is to burn more calories than you take in. And doing cardio will burn those excess calories. But doing cardio about 4 times a week is good.

First, please understand that "Cardio" is but one tool or weapon that we have in the "Fat Loss Arsenal" If used too early or too often, the body adapts, and cardio becomes less effective for fat loss, usually generating Bodyweight and Lean Body Mass Loss. This slows the metabolism.....as each pound of sacrificed LBM would have burned 30 to 50 calories per day, possibly Fat calories!


When people want to lose fat, they automatically think of adding cardio to their programs. Problem is, most people do the wrong kind of cardio and do far too much of it.

Traditional cardio, that which is done at 60-80% of MHR at a steady pace for long bouts (40-60 minutes), is the least effective way of reaching your "lean body" goals. Often with TC, the first thing a person depletes is their liver and skeletal glycogen. This not only compromises energy levels for the more valuable resistance training (valuable at building LBM and promoting metabolism)...but produce a frequent or constant "state of tiredness" in the participant. Next...... cardio often catabolizes LBM, as this is easier for the body to do than oxidize bodyfat.......and finally...near the end of the cardio session...some FFA (Free Fatty Acids) are liberated and burned. But at what a cost?

So, if you're gonna do cardio what is the best way? Well, our number one goal when trying to lose fat is to increase our metabolism, this is the key to burning fat! Aside from proper nutrition, we can increase our metabolism by adding or maintaining our lean body mass, and improving our cardiovascular system. A fit body will use fat as fuel more than an unfit body. A body w/ more muscle will burn more calories at rest than a body w/ less muscle. So the cardio we choose must a) be intense enough to elevate heart-rate and boost metabolism and b) preserve muscle mass. (via Shorter duration)

 

[collegiateLifter]

sorry for pullin this more off topic but...

Off topic: Eskimos were very lean before they ran into white men and started eating all the white flour, sugar, etc. Just like the Indians before they ate all that junk.

to be correct, as a whole no one was really obese at the beggining of the 20th century, whites indians, eskimos, whatever. Obesity has only reached epic proportions in the last few decades.

 

[KillerLoop]

SofaGeorge - So is lying in cold bath a valid method for fat loss? I've heard this theory argued over a few times.

 

[~ThaGame~]

does unhealthy heart=no cardio
yes it does
hit up the cardio at least once a week for 30 mins, fat or skinny

 

[zero%bodyfat]

Re: Cardio

Lets get real on Cardio. Nothing beats Weightlifting for developing lean body mass. So weightlifting and building muscle will help with getting that lean physique. A lean physique will always burn more calories because of the muscle from weightlifting. So a muscular body will burn more calories. Cardio works but not too much of it. A key to losing weight is to burn more calories than you take in. And doing cardio will burn those excess calories. But doing cardio about 4 times a week is good.

First, please understand that "Cardio" is but one tool or weapon that we have in the "Fat Loss Arsenal" If used too early or too often, the body adapts, and cardio becomes less effective for fat loss, usually generating Bodyweight and Lean Body Mass Loss. This slows the metabolism.....as each pound of sacrificed LBM would have burned 30 to 50 calories per day, possibly Fat calories!


When people want to lose fat, they automatically think of adding cardio to their programs. Problem is, most people do the wrong kind of cardio and do far too much of it.

Traditional cardio, that which is done at 60-80% of MHR at a steady pace for long bouts (40-60 minutes), is the least effective way of reaching your "lean body" goals. Often with TC, the first thing a person depletes is their liver and skeletal glycogen. This not only compromises energy levels for the more valuable resistance training (valuable at building LBM and promoting metabolism)...but produce a frequent or constant "state of tiredness" in the participant. Next...... cardio often catabolizes LBM, as this is easier for the body to do than oxidize bodyfat.......and finally...near the end of the cardio session...some FFA (Free Fatty Acids) are liberated and burned. But at what a cost?

So, if you're gonna do cardio what is the best way? Well, our number one goal when trying to lose fat is to increase our metabolism, this is the key to burning fat! Aside from proper nutrition, we can increase our metabolism by adding or maintaining our lean body mass, and improving our cardiovascular system. A fit body will use fat as fuel more than an unfit body. A body w/ more muscle will burn more calories at rest than a body w/ less muscle. So the cardio we choose must a) be intense enough to elevate heart-rate and boost metabolism and b) preserve muscle mass. (via Shorter duration)

you are right on some things wrong on others. the body does not "adapt" to cardio. continually doing cardio increases you conditioning to preform the cardio. your body just doesnt say for instance....{well since ive been doing cardio for a while im going to stop burning fat while doing cardio.} there is no shift. that is what you are saying and that is wrong.


in my opinion if one is doing cardio. they should ALWAYS stay hypercaloric so there body is in a constant state of growth. but do long intense durations on something hard like the stair climber (burns 1000 calories and hour on level 6 you will be soaked from head to toe in sweat and puddles of sweat will sorround you

so do the cardio. its definitly the easy alternative to stay ripped for life then dieting and feeling like shit or doing drugs

 

[Jacob Creutzfeldt]

Anytime there is an alteration in enviornmental temperature there has to be an increase in the calories your body burns as series of defense mechanisms have to tightly regulate body temperature or you will die. You're body can probably withstand a varience of temp between 90 and 108 farenheit without 100 percent fatality. Anyone who records there body temperature accurately over the course of the day will find it varies perhaps a few degrees at most no matter what the ambient temperature is.

Think of it in terms of electric appliances. The most energy consuming ones are the ones that create temperature change whether cooling or heating. Both electric dryers and air conditioners are energy hogs. If you sit in a sauna you will burn more calories than a near body temp enviornment, if you sit in a tub of cold water, you will burn more calories than a near body temp enviornment. This all depends on all other metabolic functions staying equal of course.

The intensity of cardio follows a similar priciple, but a bit more complex because now motion is in the picture. The majority of caloric energy expended during your cardio session is expressed through creation of heat. All of the energy you expend running on a track isn't used to propel you forward. Friction is going to geometrically decrease the amount of energy available for motion and transpose it for heat production. If you doubt that motion creates friction and friction creates heat ask why you will sweat in an enviornment less than your body temperature. Intense cardio will burn vastly more calories in the same timeframe than a lower intensity cardio. This doesn't even take in the postworkout elevation in calories required for your body to create a greater magnitude of adaptation to the higher intensity stress.

The more intense the exercise the greater caloric expenditure. The greater The temperature change, the greater the caloric expenditure.

 

[Judah Bauer]

Re: Re: Cardio

you are right on some things wrong on others. the body does not "adapt" to cardio. continually doing cardio increases you conditioning to preform the cardio. your body just doesnt say for instance....{well since ive been doing cardio for a while im going to stop burning fat while doing cardio.} there is no shift. that is what you are saying and that is wrong.

your body actually does adapt to cardio...it becomes much more efficient. especially on the bike and treadmill. You'll burn significantly less calories at 4.0mph after a month of doing it consistently than your first time.

 

[Bulldog_10]

All of the energy you expend running on a track isn't used to propel you forward. Friction is going to geometrically decrease the amount of energy available for motion and transpose it for heat production. If you doubt that motion creates friction and friction creates heat ask why you will sweat in an enviornment less than your body temperature.

Sweating and heat production during exercise has nothing to do with friction. It comes from the fact that muscle contractions are nowhere near 100% efficient. When it breaks the bonds in ATP, I think it is something like 30% (probably less) of that energy that actually goes toward muscle contraction, and the rest is given off as heat...producing increased body temp, producing sweat.

 

[Jacob Creutzfeldt]

Sweating and heat production during exercise has nothing to do with friction. It comes from the fact that muscle contractions are nowhere near 100% efficient. When it breaks the bonds in ATP, I think it is something like 30% (probably less) of that energy that actually goes toward muscle contraction, and the rest is given off as heat...producing increased body temp, producing sweat.

Chemical reactions create heat, but so does friction. Whenever matter is in motion within a system without a vaccuum heat is created. Friction occurs while muscle fibers contract, joint move, and, and even air resistance and molecules moving will create it.

If you look at the way heat builds in a car engine to make an analogy of the human body the combustion (use of fuel) will create heat, but so will the friction caused by motion. Otherwise there would be no need for oil to reduce the heat created by friction. You could avoid engine overheating by just using a radiator and coolant. Drain the oil out of a car, run it, and watch the temperature gauge. I'll bet my left eye that the engine will overheat and cause seizure due to the effects of the heat created.

 

[JG1]

Interval Build-Up Running (IBUR)

JG1, I'd go by feel. If you hit a track, sprint until you have to stop, then walk until you can talk again, then sprint till you have to stop, and walk until you can talk again. I'd do maybe 20 mins of that. As you progress, you will find that the portion of that time tha you can sprint will increase. Then you can start adding in some fun stuff like jog-stride-sprints, parachute sprints, etc..

What do you think of IBUR? I see Christian Thibaudeau recommends this, and was thinking of maybe doing it on Wednesday and Saturday nights (non-training days). This will be in addition to my every day morning cardio session.

Here's what he recommends:

The only thing I'm not sure about is how I'm going to time myself.

 

[spatts]

Re: Interval Build-Up Running (IBUR)

The only thing I'm not sure about is how I'm going to time myself.

Another reason to go by feel.

Conditioning is a factor here too. If you're a beginner, a 70 second sprint can seem like forever. I mean, that's more than a 1/4 mile for me.

There are a million different ways you can organize your intervals, but it's really all designed to accomplish the same thing. I try not to overthink it, and just haul ass.

 

[Jacob Creutzfeldt]

Re: Interval Build-Up Running (IBUR)

What do you think of IBUR? I see Christian Thibaudeau recommends this, and was thinking of maybe doing it on Wednesday and Saturday nights (non-training days). This will be in addition to my every day morning cardio session.

Here's what he recommends:

The only thing I'm not sure about is how I'm going to time myself.

I'm actually going to try a method similar to IBUR. If you want to measure progression and can't time yourself then use distance instead. Keep adding distance to the sprint portion and decrease the distance of the recovery portion.