Is cardio good or bad? Is it really a neccessary part of a good fat loss program? There\’s a lot of conflicting information going around. Let me set the record straight. First off, anything that increases your heart rate can be considered cardiovascular exercise. Since strength training increases your heart rate it qualifies as a form of cardio. So that tells you that cardio certainly is not a counterproductive way to spend your time. The issue is about what type of cardio you are doing. Aerobic cardio is what you want to avoid. This increases the amount of oxygen demand mostly by the lungs. Aerobic cardio is also performed for an extended period of time (usually an hour or more). You can lose weight this way but the process is slower, and you burn off valuable muscle which slows down your metabolism. The consequence of this is you end up having to work much harder and much longer only to get inferior results.
Strength training can also be used as a form of cardio, however it would be considered anaerobic cardio. This means that the increased demand for oxygen is coming primarily from muscles, not the lungs. This burns more calories while conditioning and strengthening muscles. It is typically done in short bursts. For example, in a circuit training workout, each station may last for one to three minutes. This is by far superior to aerobic cardio for losing fat and weight. Now here\’s the problem; if you want to get lean and mean you should be exercising five or six days per week for best results. Unfortunately, you can\’t strength train that often because your muscles need time to recover. So what\’s the solution? On your non-strength training days, you should be doing power cardio. Power cardio is a hybrid of anaerobic and aerobic cardio. Here are some examples: 1. jumping rope 2. sprints 3. brisk incline walk 4. plyometric circuit
Scrap the aerobic cardio and replace it with power cardio. You\’ll achieve superior fat and weight loss, as well as better muscle retention. When you consider the fact that muscle is a critcal component of a healthy fat burning metabolism, keeping it should be a top priority. But it never fails, everytime I hit the gym there are guys trying to get lean and mean by spending an hour on the treadmill. While some of these guys will make progress, they won\’t ever get the same type of body they would from power cardio workouts.
You have to push at 100% intensity during each power cardio workout. Based on your level of conditioning, you only need to train for ten to thirty minutes. It\’s ok to take a break when you have to, but for no longer than 90 seconds. If you use this in combination with a circuit training routine and quality nutrition plan, you will win the battle of the bulge. Every time you train you should track the details of your performance. Push to do a little better on your next session.
Of course I know that some of you still aren\’t convinced. Some of you will still live and die by 60 minutes or more of aerobic cardio. But consider this final point. Professional sprinters, running backs, and wrestlers all perform power cardio as a part of their job duties. Are these guys typically high fat or lean and mean? There you have it. Don\’t cheat yourself by using less effective methods. Work hard while also working smart.
Fat loss secrets and tips are available on Vaughn\’s site. It\’s also a great resource for circuit training workouts and more.
