Cardio Sucks.
Some of you may have heard me say that, many of you probably think the same thing. Let me explain...
Some of you may wonder why I don't recommend cardio, at
least for clients who are looking to lose weight/fat. Let me explain why.
It has been my experience that cardiovascular training is extremely
ineffective for weight loss. Not only have I determined this by observing thousands of clients clients throughout the years but I have also experiment with this for myself and have found it to be true. This short recent example should help explain why. Typically in my training now I do very little if any of what would typically be called "cardio training". My strength training workouts are hard and intense and have a definite cardiovascular benefit but I do almost none of what most people would consider cardio, ie: jogging, biking, etc. That being said I follow The PROGRAM nutrition
protocol very closely, I'd say 90% of the time, and I can honestly say I am maintaining a level of body fat at 45 years old that is
lower than it has ever been in my life, with the exception of when I
was 18. I credit that entirely to The PROGRAM nutritional protocol and intense strength training.
ineffective for weight loss. Not only have I determined this by observing thousands of clients clients throughout the years but I have also experiment with this for myself and have found it to be true. This short recent example should help explain why. Typically in my training now I do very little if any of what would typically be called "cardio training". My strength training workouts are hard and intense and have a definite cardiovascular benefit but I do almost none of what most people would consider cardio, ie: jogging, biking, etc. That being said I follow The PROGRAM nutrition
protocol very closely, I'd say 90% of the time, and I can honestly say I am maintaining a level of body fat at 45 years old that is
lower than it has ever been in my life, with the exception of when I
was 18. I credit that entirely to The PROGRAM nutritional protocol and intense strength training.
Last week while traveling I decided to try a new workout which was basically a high-intensity interval training class. The class was
great and I really enjoyed it. I love getting a good sweat and I
actually enjoyed pushing myself cardiovascularly. It reminded me
very much of the years I spent boxing and playing hockey, etc. I was out of breath for most of the class and I sweat like I haven't sweat in years. I wore a heart rate monitor during the class so the
instructor could keep an eye on my heart rate and calorie burn
throughout the class. When it was all said and done the calorie
counter told me that I burned approximately 500 calories in the class. I am always suspect of these equations that determine calories burned, as there are many factors that affect that true number, but let's agree for this example that I burned about that seems about right.
great and I really enjoyed it. I love getting a good sweat and I
actually enjoyed pushing myself cardiovascularly. It reminded me
very much of the years I spent boxing and playing hockey, etc. I was out of breath for most of the class and I sweat like I haven't sweat in years. I wore a heart rate monitor during the class so the
instructor could keep an eye on my heart rate and calorie burn
throughout the class. When it was all said and done the calorie
counter told me that I burned approximately 500 calories in the class. I am always suspect of these equations that determine calories burned, as there are many factors that affect that true number, but let's agree for this example that I burned about that seems about right.
About 30 minutes after the class, when I finally stopped sweating and got my heart rate back to normal, we headed out for something to eat. Typically at this time of the night, about 6:30 PM, I am usually ready to eat a relatively light dinner consisting of about 6 to 8 ounces of protein, some good fats and a large salad of some sort. This time of day is typically fairly easy for me to stick to The PROGRAM nutritional protocol and willpower is never an
issue. Since starting The PROGRAM approximately 2 to 3 years ago, I rarely crave processed carbohydrates anymore. Well, this particular night was much different... After completing my 500 cal cardio class, I was on the hunt for some refined carbs! As my friend and I walked through Denver looking for restaurants I was drawn to the coal-fired pizza restaurant across the street. Now it's not to say that I don't sometimes eat pizza. Sometimes I will take the kids out for it or we'll order it on a Saturday night. But this particular time was different. I had to have pizza. Like, the "I have to have pizza or I will kill you" kind of had to have it. I could not deny this craving. In fact, I wanted to wash it down with a nice cold
large Coke (which I did not).
issue. Since starting The PROGRAM approximately 2 to 3 years ago, I rarely crave processed carbohydrates anymore. Well, this particular night was much different... After completing my 500 cal cardio class, I was on the hunt for some refined carbs! As my friend and I walked through Denver looking for restaurants I was drawn to the coal-fired pizza restaurant across the street. Now it's not to say that I don't sometimes eat pizza. Sometimes I will take the kids out for it or we'll order it on a Saturday night. But this particular time was different. I had to have pizza. Like, the "I have to have pizza or I will kill you" kind of had to have it. I could not deny this craving. In fact, I wanted to wash it down with a nice cold
large Coke (which I did not).
It should be obvious by now that I gave into my craving, went to the pizza restaurant and proceeded to devour what I would guess to be about 900 to 1000 cal worth of pizza in all of it's refined carbohydrate glory. Needless to say I did not feel great about an hour after this indulgence nor did I feel good until for the next 12 hours or so. It took me quite a few PROGRAM- friendly meals to reset my blood sugar levels. Now, think about the average person who does high-intensity cardiovascular training (spin class, running etc.) in an effort to lose weight. At the same time, this person is attempting to follow a reduced-carbohydrate diet (hopefully) and they find it extremely difficult. My example should explain why.
It is almost impossible to stick to a reduced carbohydrate diet while performing lots of high intensity cardiovascular exercise. Your body simply demands the carbohydrates to replenish it's carbohydrate stores after high-intensity cardio exercise. The solution? Well obviously doing high-intensity cardio exercise and burning 500 cal and replenishing with 1000 cal is no way to lose weight. A better solution is to limit the cardiovascular exercise, focus instead on intense strength-training and muscle building exercise, and maintain your reduced carbohydrate (The PROGRAM) diet. And by the way, if you are worried about "heart-health" and crap like that, the proper resistance training program will have your heart and lungs pumping and healthier more than any "cardio" program. ;-)
