Cardio to lose fat, THEN weights?? NO, NO, NO!

I hear it all the time.
Women get advice from their well-meaning husbands/boyfriends/partners/male friends/even female friends to do a bunch of 'fat-blasting' cardio before they even think about entering a gym to grab some steel... in order to prevent any "bulking".

Oh geez.

Here I go again...

Exercise is not as simple as:
Cardio for fat loss
Weights for muscle

NO NO NO!

Yes, cardio can help you lose fat. But only through relatively intense bouts of cardiovascular activity.

And, yes, weight training will help you build muscle. But it is also the absolute BEST tool for turning your body into a fat-burning machine!!

Just like yesterday's post, when I reiterated that exercise AND diet go hand and hand in the physical transformation process...

Strength training and cardiovascular activity go hand in hand in the realm of fat loss!

Strength training activities - including beneficial exercises like rows, presses, squats, lunges, pushups, pullups, etc - will give you more muscle. Muscle burns fat - so if you have more muscle, you'll automatically burn more fat at any given moment. That's called an elevated metabolism. You'll enjoy that :)

It's also important to note that a pound of muscle is much smaller than a pound of fat... so if you add muscle, which will burn off the excess fat, you'll be smaller!

But here's the kicker...

Too much cardio will cause you to lose that hard-earned muscle. So, we need to add shorter bouts of intense cardio - to avoid losing muscle AND to get the maximum fat-burning benefit from that cardio activity!

Dumbbells and treadmills go hand in hand, my peeps.


Unless you want to do a bunch of boring cardio...
Lose a little fat, but slow your metabolism way down b/c you've eliminated some lean muscle too...
Start weight training and struggle because of your weaker frame...
Gain an appetite from the hard work...
Start eating more because of the appetite...
Since your metabolism is slower, gain back the weight you lost from your countless hours on the treadmill...
Then look "bulkier" because you've actually gained fat (not muscle)...

It's not too tempting of an experience, eh?

I know that advice from friends and loved ones is well meaning. But it's wrong.

Like I said yesterday, get your ass in the gym.
Stop avoiding the weights by wasting your time on the treadmill.
Cut that time in half. Work out w/ more intensity.
And pick up those dumbbells!

Dumbbells and treadmills go hand in hand...