Get Off The Freaking Treadmill!: Why cardio as we know it DOESN'T work

 

It's about that time, people. It's the first week of April and everybody is trying to drop that belly fat accumulated by the gallons of hot cocoa consumed and the near hibernation that is snuggling up in blankets by the fireplace and watching "The Holiday" until you pass out. You probably haven't done anything to raise your heart rate since voraciously stuffing your face during the Holiday Stretch Mark block of the year (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years...geez that's a lot of calories!). Maybe you made it to Valentine's Day when your heart thumped at the sight of the candy and chocolates your beau gave you. What a workout! Regardless, you've got some fat to drop before hitting the beach and you've got those crispy new half-pound Nikes on deck ready to kit the pavement for a run.


STOP!!! What I'm about to say in this post is very unpopular, particularly with the masochists that need to kill themselves for an hour. Cardio in terms of low-intensity, steady state running and biking is NOT very effective when it comes to rapid fat loss. *Cracks knuckles* Let's get into this...here's why.

•  Okay, I'll admit it- low intensity exercise such as walking and jogging has shown to burn a higher percentage of fat during the session. But the overall amount of calories and fat burned pales in comparison to the higher intensities and that's what really counts.
•  Walking places 1-2x your body weight in stress on your legs every time your foot hits the ground. When running, those forces go up to 2-3x your body weight. That makes running a plyometric exercise (I'll address walking later).
•  In advanced plyometrics, for elite athletes (which chances are you are not), no more than 140 foot to ground contacts is recommended per session. For us normal people, that number is closer to 120 reps. One mile of running involves 1500 foot to ground contacts...you read that right.1500 repetitions. Even if you break that down by foot, that's still 750 reps per foot which is still over five times the amount of reps that world-class athletes perform. Hellooo injury!
•  By the way, do you know how many calories you end up burning in that over-exerted mile? About 100. All that stress for one-hundred freaking calories?!?! That's about 1/3 of a Snickers bar! And what's worse, as you get more efficient at running, that number will decrease (see #1 in "5 Tips to Avoid Discouragement in Exercise") and you'll have to run longer or run faster to get the same results, which we just learned raises your chances of injury. Walking will also burn about 100 calories per mile, but it will also take much longer to get the same effect, rendering it fairly useless.
• You will only burn more calories than at rest while you are doing the exercise. When you slow down and stop, your body essentially does the same.

Wow Jordan, that's pretty depressing. What is going to work then? I'm glad you asked.

1. Diet

   This should be a no-brainer by now. You can hit the gym all day long every day for the next year, but if your diet sucks, you can kiss all that you thought you worked for goodbye. Obviously you don't want to eat too much, but you don't want to starve yourself either. Studies have proven over and over again that a caloric deficit of over 1000 calories can result in a decreased...

2. Metabolism

    A high metabolism is the key to fat loss. Have you ever seen someone who was super muscular and could eat a whole lot of anything and not gain any fat? That is metabolic manipulation at its finest.There are numerous factors that dictate your metabolism: genetics, age, gender, hormones, stress, body mass, and body composition (drugs too, but we won't go there). The first four are things you really cannot change, not naturally at least; but notice that the last three can be changed, and thus we shall focus on them.
   
   1. Stress depends on the individual, but it can either dramatically raise or lower your metabolism. Try to take out the guesswork by eliminating it altogether.
   2. The higher your overall body mass, be it fat or muscle the higher your metabolism is. It takes more power to move an aircraft carrier than a rowboat.
   3. The higher your lean body mass is, the more fat you burn 24/7. Fat doesn't contract or use energy, muscle does both. So if heights and weights were even, a person at 8% body fat will burn more than a person at 16%. Even better, the person at 8% can eat more and get away with it!

3. Movement

   This is where the running dies and the gym applies. 3 quick tips:
   
   1. Hit the weights- We already learned that lean body mass burns more fat, and this is how you build it. Don't be afraid to train heavy (ladies, you won't get bulky) because your body will respond to the muscle breakdown by building more muscle. More muscle = higher metabolism = fat loss.
   2. Large muscle groups- Do me a favor and snap your fingers. That burns calories! The more you move, the more calories you burn. Squats, cleans, snatches, deadlifts, burpees, whatever. The more muscles are involved in the movement, the better.
   3. Circuit training- Without getting too scientific (if you want to, look up "EPOC") circuit training is generally the best form of exercise for fat loss. Higher intensity, fewer rest periods, and it saves time if you do it right. This is true cardio.
    

Feel a little better now? I'm sorry I had to bring such a typhoon on your cardio parade, but one of the main creeds of health and fitness professionals is to "Do no harm," and I'm only protecting you 'cause I love ya!! Happy training and I'll see you guys on the beach!





Hopefully not Jersey Shore either.