Do you play the cardio game?
You know what I mean, doing cardio to make up for something you did, something you’re gonna’ do or punishing yourself with cardio because you somehow feel obligated? Calories in vs. calories out, right? It’s a little mind game you play with yourself to justify certain treats or to punish yourself at the gym.
“I am so sick of this weight gain, I’m gonna’ do an hour of cardio every day this week!”
“I was bad yesterday so I can make up for it today with 45 minutes on the EFX.”
HOW’S THAT WORKING FOR YOU? (Sorry, but it’s a really great question.)
You might really enjoy cardio or you might be one of the gym regulars who plays the cardio game by doing the obligatory daily 45 minutes to compensate for your diet. Does it feel like you’ve been there for years? Same time, same machine, same TV station ……and …..same body?
I am not sure what your goals are but if you are not reaching them you should examine why. It’s worth a second look to see what might work better.
To be fair, long steady cardio is not all for naught. At the very least there are 2 reasons you should be applauded. First of all, you are sticking to a routine. Each time you get to the gym, you are practicing your habit. The workout habit is great and hard to create. Long cardio leads to better health and can be very enjoyable so continue to do what you enjoy if you have the time.
Secondly, I applaud you for being aware. At least on the surface you are aware of balance. You realize the strong relationship between what goes in and what gets burned. Long slow cardio burns some calories and helps with stress relief and sometimes just feels good, but cardio no matter how long cannot negate a bad diet.
Doing cardio based on fuzzy calorie math–IF your goal is weight loss–may not help you reach your goals.
LET’S DO THE CARDIO GAME MATH.
- 45 minutes of cardio
- ~250 calories burned
- No afterburn of calories
- 250 calories x 7 days = 1750 calories
- 1750 calories burned = ½ pound loss per week because 3500 calories = 1 pound. (It doesn’t really work that way, but for our sake let’s go with it.)
- If you burn 250 calories more per day (unknown number) than you consume (also an unknown number), then you will lose ½ pound a week = negative energy balance.
So the key questions we must answer for this calculation are:
How many calories did you actually consume?
How many calories did you actually burn?
Unless you are a laboratory rat (in addition to being a gym rat) you will never really know these answers. So why waste time counting calories when you cannot live by the math? Maybe you should stop playing the cardio game. The math doesn’t work anyway. You don’t lose one pound just because you burned one pound’s worth of calories. AND you don’t gain one pound because you ate a 16 ounce meal. Type and timing of calories matter because all calories are not equal. That’s a topic for another post.
To achieve a negative energy balance–necessary for fat loss leading to better body composition—choose better exercise methods combined with healthy eating to get amazing results!
ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION INSTEAD:
What is the most effective workout to do in the least amount of time to achieve my goals? Or what is the minimal effective dose?
Not many are willing to commit to 45 minutes of cardio per day, every day especially if it doesn’t bring the results. In order to get in and get out with an effective dose of cardio for weight loss, do bouts of high intensity interval training (HIIT) cardio 2 – 3 times per week combined with progressive strength training 3 times per week.
HIIT MATH:
- 5 – 10 Minutes of High Intense Intervals
- ~30 – 40 calories burned + more calories afterburn (during the next 24-48 hours)
- Metabolic changes occur resulting in more fat burn
- Nutrient usage is greater and more efficient than long, slow cardio
- Greater cardiovascular gains
- Greater power production (golfers-this is what you need!)
- Greater endurance
- Positive hormonal changes
- Less calories stored as fat
Doing HIIT style cardio makes more magic happen.
A simple example of HIIT cardio is to go all out with high speed or heavy resistance on a recumbent bike for 30 seconds and follow it up with 30 seconds of light effort. Repeat these 30 second intervals 10 times for a full 5 minutes on the bike. The key here is the intensity of the short interval not the total time of the cardio. You progress by increasing or changing the intensity. There are a million ways to do HIIT and there is a type that is challenging enough to be effective for you.
I bet this sounds really good so give it a try. Become aware of how your body feels for the following 24 hours. I bet you will notice a big difference in recovery, appetite, and begin to see an increase in muscle and in your abilities to do more and more.
For a change that progresses to even better fitness, you can morph your HIIT training with your strength training into what is called METABOLIC TRAINING. Join in one of my LEAN EATING Crash Course group trainings or get a metabolic workout customized for your needs where cardio and strength training are done simultaneously.
Learn the new math! The old calorie game-type math doesn’t add up, but with HIIT or metabolic training and good nutrition the results certainly do!
Please visit the Events page for dates and times of the next LEAN EATING Crash Course which gives you both a nutrition plan and a workout plan. Or, contact me directly to learn more ways to do HIIT and for solutions that will work for you!
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