Let's talk about cardio today.
Slow, long distance cardio.
If you've been following me for any length of time, you know that I don't like slow, long distance cardio... as a tool for fat loss.
I wanted to re-emphasize this point. Because, in an amusing turn of events, I recently had a conversation with my husband where he believed that I didn't like cardio activity AT ALL. I remember looking at him with this puzzled look on my face. "Whaaaa?" He thought I was very pro-weights, pro-strength training, pro-anything-BUT-cardiovascular-activity...
"But I always tell you about interval training, hon..."
Well, he had specifically remembered a conversation we once had where I told him that running a few miles every day wasn't going to do a lot for his fat loss goals. And he focused on that. Not even thinking about interval training as a different form of "cardio", he just focused on the thought that his wife was weirdly anti-cardio.
But it was just a misunderstanding. I simply don't like slow, long distance cardio... for fat loss.
So, let me first describe WHY long distance, steady-state cardiovascular activities do diddly-squat toward your fat loss results:
Last week, I explained that I had become more efficient at snowboarding... so I didn't have to work as hard. Well, when you run at one speed or one intensity - after a short amount of time, you become more efficient at that intensity. That doesn't mean you get better at burning fat. That means you don't have to burn as much fat to do the same work! Essentially, being more efficient means your body doesn't have to work as hard - and you get less out of the same activity.
How do we bypass this? Most people stay at the same speed/intensity and simply add on more time. With the way the body adapts to an activity (pretty darn quickly), you will soon be running or doing some form of cardio all day! I don't think most of us have time for this. And without any extra challenge added on to this form of cardio, we simply stop making any progress.
So, that's reason #1 for why long, slow cardio is not optimal for fat loss...
IT IS TOO EASY TO BECOME EFFICIENT AT A CERTAIN INTENSITY - AND WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY TO DEVOTE TO CARDIO!
Reason #2 for my dislike for long, slow cardio as a fat loss tool...
LONG, SLOW CARDIO DOES NOT BURN ANY CALORIES AFTER THE ACTIVITY IS OVER. IT HAS LITTLE EFFECT ON METABOLISM AND 24-HOUR CALORIE BURN.
Whereas intense interval training will often cause your body to burn extra calories for 24+ hours after you've finished the exercise (wow!)... slow, long distance cardio will only burn calories during the activity.
Think about that.
Intervals = possible 24 hours of extra calories burned
Steady-state cardio = 1 hour or less of extra calories burned
What will give you better fat loss results??
It's simple! Intervals! Intense exercise!
NOT slow, long distance cardio!!
In fact, there were three different long-term studies that studied two groups. One group did no cardio at all and another completed 45 minutes of cardio on 3 separate days. All three studies lasted 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. And the results were staggering. They all showed NO SIGNIFICANT FAT LOSS RESULTS for the group that did the extra cardio. NOTHING!!
Slow cardio is great for people who are training to run half marathons, full marathons, and triathlons.
But it absolutely sucks as a fat loss tool.
Keep hammering that into your brain if you really want to shed any excess fat.
What to do instead? Strength training and cardio intervals!
Tomorrow, we'll delve more into intervals!!
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7 comments:
What you're writing is false.
Does your body adjust? Yes. However, your broad paint brush is absolutely ludicrous. People who are more out of shape take a ridiculously long time to adjust to cardio training at high intensity. (not just walking on a treadmill, which is a waste of time and money as you can do that outside for free) To intimate that all people would eventually need all day for cardio to work is just stupid and naive.
Is interval training good? Yes. Are you a trainer who lacks a broad knowledge of she's talking about by basing it on a small sample of people? Definitely. But that's the trainer way.
I appreciate your opinion. But I do NOT appreciate your attacks on my character or my knowledge.
What I'm writing is completely valid - AND based on well-structured research. A LOT of it, I might add.
Am I exaggerating a bit when I say you'd have to do cardio all day? Yes, of course. Sometimes, people need exaggeration to wake them up. I am certainly passionate about this stuff... not naive in the least.
RELATIVE intensity in cardiovascular work is what will lead to fat loss. That is what I'm saying. If you're extremely out of shape, then brisk walking may be intense for you. But, high intensities, relative to YOU personally, is what will create the elevated metabolism, the extra calorie burn, and the ensuing fat loss. So, as someone gets in better shape, they will need to increase the intensity to continue to get a fat loss benefit (not increase the time).
If you are upset because you don't wanna believe that more intense cardio will give you better fat loss results - well, then, enjoy your denial and mediocre results. If you are not a trainer that spends his/her free time researching, learning, and experiencing what really works for fat loss in the real world, then I don't think you can so harshly comment on the advice of another trainer that you don't know anything about.
Please realize that there are some of us out there who devote their lives to helping other people cut the crap and get results. I would appreciate if next time, you would show your face - or simply keep your rude, unproductive comments to yourself.
Thanks.
anonymous- people who are drastically out of shape may be doing "high intensity" work by walking. it is relative to the individual.
Kim is correct and you are a stupid coward, posting with no name.
Dear Anonymous,
It's fine to post your own opinion, but it's NEVER ok to attack someone else's personal character.
As Kim always does she gives advice and it's up to us (her clients) to take it. It's obvious that you never met Kim nor worked with her because all her workouts she gives to her clients are made especially for that person and their needs.
So....before you attack Kim, get your facts straight. She is the best trainer in the world, who works really hard to see to it that she makes a difference in the lives of all her clients.
Oh and one more thing.....
If I were to stoop down to your level "Anonymous" I say that you are the stupid one, and a coward at that, you don't even have the guts to post a name. Get a life dude...Better yet get in that gym and do some interval training!
Hi Kim, I need/would like your opinion. I came across a weightlifting/fitness/diet program on the internet which passed my "common sense" test and I am in the first week of a 12-week program.
One of the first decisions I needed to make is do I want to gain muscle or lose fat during the 12 weeks and then base my caloric intake on the decision. Obviously both can be done in one program to some degree but he really wants me to focus on one aspect. After roughly determining my basic daily caloric needs, I chose fat loss (eventhough I need much more muscle) because of summer coming up.
On this beginner program, I lift 3 days (MWF) a week (combination strength lifts), do cardio for 2 days (TTh) and rest on the weekend. He wants me doing LOW INTENSITY CARDIO (nothing above 130 bpm) because I am already in a caloric deficeit and doesn't want a HIIT cardio program wearing me out. Do you agree with low intensity cardio in this example? Would I be looking at my lifting days as the HIIT training you are talking about?
I would love your opinion. Thanks!
BTW...On this program, if I were in the muscle building (caloric excess) phase, he would be having me do HIIT intervals for my cardio.
Chris -
Thanks so much for your question!
My opinion...
Fat loss is a difficult endeavor. We need to create a huge disturbance in the body in order for the body to allow any shedding of fat to occur, right? Low intensity cardio will not provide enough of a disturbance.
It seems as though your weight-lifting program is not too drastic - which is good! We definitely want you to have time to recover. So, adding HIIT (which would be my STRONG recommendation) would not take too much out of you, in my opinion. Besides, when trying to do something that your body doesn't really want to, like losing fat... you're gonna have to deal with some loss in energy and some tiredness. The trick is to make sure you get plenty of rest, get plenty of water, and to eat the right foods.
Let me back up what I'm saying with this... when I trained for my last figure competition, I was in caloric deficit for 12 weeks as well. I weight trained (not metabolically, but for strength) 4x/week, normally on an upper/lower split. And on the lower body days, I did HIIT. No more than 25 minutes... but it was hard! And, although I was tired at the end of the day, I dropped down to 8% bf AND I continued gaining muscle during the entire training period.
So, to answer all your questions... I think HIIT is essential for fat loss, even when calorie deficit is present. I think that it's completely possible for you to put on more muscle while you are in caloric deficit (as long as you lift relatively heavy and allow your body to rest/recover) - b/c muscle gain comes more from the exercise stimulus than it does from the excess cals. I think that diet is the most important aspect in fat loss, but that the stimulus from HIIT and heavy lifting is a strong adjunct. And I think that low intensity cardio is a waste of time.
Chris... what's your email so that we can keep in touch?
Here's mine... deliberatemovement@gmail.com
Cheers!
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