ShareSomeone very wise, Craig Ballantyne I believe, once said, “Doing long, slow cardio is like sleep walking through life.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
With all the best intentions to lose fat, is your workout plan flawed?
Is Cardio Making You Fat?
Slow cardio is the devil for fat loss, and in this short video below, I’ll explain why.
Check it out now (I’ll wait for you).
Every time I step foot into the gym, there is at least one of them. You might have seen them too. People walking or jogging on the treadmill, biking or elliptical. Watching TV. Doing their boring cardio for 30, 40 or even 60 minutes.
It’s hard to miss.
Over time, these same people start to GAIN weight and get fat despite doing their daily exercise.
Huh? Isn’t working out supposed to help you lose fat, improve your strength and get you in overall awesome shape?
Yes. Well, that’s the plan.
You see, working out is NOT a magic trick. Simply “doing your time” is not enough. Showing up is only part of the game.
Getting to the gym is the easy part. Working hard and training SMART is the bigger chunk of the pie (well no more pies, but apple). Doing your workout with intensity, sticking with the plan and avoiding the temptations of your trigger foods is the real challenge.
3 Problems with Cardio
Back to cardio. Here are my three reasons why it could be making you fat…
1. Adaptations
Your body is an adaptive creature. I realize we’ve discussed this in previous posts, but the only reason I bring it up again is because it’s that important. Over time, your body’s energy needs are reduced, due to your body increasing efficiency.
Keep your workout intensity the same and you’re body will figure it out. Less calories burned, more workout time, and hello plateau.
Winning Tip: Spice up your training with intensity
2. Stressed?
Ah, good ol’ stress. Seems it gets the blame for everything that goes wrong these days.
Cortisol is the hormone released by the adrenal glands in the body in response to stress. Yes, all exercise creates a physical stress on your body – and a certain amount is essential for life.
Here’s the thing. The problem is the longer your training session, the more cortisol is released. And excess cortisol has been linked to a GAIN in belly fat.
Winning Tip: Avoid training for longer than 45 minutes – unless of course you’re training for an endurance event.
3. Hungry?
Doing loads of cardio makes you hungry. In fact, doing a lot of any exercise will make you hungry – but can you control it? It’s far easier to blow through a tub of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream than it is to run for two hours.
Winning Tip: Don’t get into the “workout to eat whatever you like” vicious cycle. This habit will do more harm.
Bonus Problem…
Cardio is boring. You know it. Imagine if there was no television, no magazines to read and no one to chat with.
Just you vs. the dreadmill.
Now is that fun? Does the thought of doing cardio like that get you psyched? Do you look forward to those workouts?
It certainly doesn’t float my boat. But you can still lose belly fat without selling your soul to the elliptical.
What Can You Do Instead?
MRT. Bet you knew that was coming!
Bring more intensity – less workout time. Lose the belly fat FAST without dying of boredom on the dreadmill.
Have an awesome day,
KV
