Strength & Conditioning Myths - Debunked! Part 2

Myth #2:  You must do a lot of steady state cardio if you want to lose fat.

Driving to the gym to walk on a treadmill is the funniest thing ever.

The problem with this one isn't so much the cardio part.  Cardio is a good way to burn fat for a lot of people.  The problem is, that in the real world, where people have jobs, kids, homes, and other interests besides looking awesome and spending lots of time in a gym, cardio is not the best answer for fat loss.


There are 3 main problems with steady state cardio, and this is without even mentioning the fact that it's horrendously boring:

• Time consuming - Steady state cardio can burn a lot of calories.  But, to burn a lot of calories, you have to do it for a long time.  Because when you stop, your body's metabolism quickly reverts back to it's resting state.  Running 6 mph for an hour burns roughly 700 calories, so to burn one pound of fat (approximately 3500 calories) in a week, you would have to run at that pace for 5 hours without changing your diet at all.  I don't think the average person has an extra 5 hours a week to spend on exercise.  I know I don't.

• Repetitive stress injuries - Any experienced runner can tell you that pounding pavement for 10-20 miles a week can take a toll on your joints and bones.  Runners can suffer from shin splints, stress fractures, knee and hip bursitis or tendinitis, foot problems, and a host of other ailments.  Our bodies were built to either move slowly (walking) or to move really fast (sprinting).  Long distance running is an unnatural movement.  Your joints are not built to handle that kind of pounding, especially on hard surfaces.   If you are overweight, this only makes the damage worse.

• Your body adapts to it pretty quickly - This a secret that Billy Blanks would never let you in on, or Tae Bo sales would plummet.  Have you ever started a running program for the first time, and by the middle of the first day, you're just ready to die?  Then by day 2 you feel a little better, day 3 better still, and by day 5 you're cruising along with no problem?  That is your body adapting to the activity.  When this happens, you become more efficient at the activity you're performing so your body actually uses less energy than it did when you started.  Yes, that means that you now have to run even longer just to burn the same amount of calories.  Spending MORE time for the SAME results?  I say SCREW THAT NOISE!

 

Sorry Billy, you and your nipples gotta go.

Thankfully there is a much, much more time-efficient way to burn fat and look better, that I will get into on Tuesday.

Until then, have a great weekend!