Is Cardio Good Or Bad For Your Fat Loss Workout?
Articles - Lifestyle
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.
by VaughnCouncil


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.

You can also use strength training as a means of cardio. But this type of cardio is called anaerobic. The oxygen stores in the muscles are used, which burns more calories and results in greater fat loss. Circuit training workouts are a great way to get in anaerobic cardio. But you can't strength train five to six days per week, which is the recommended frequency for fat loss. Strength training at that frequency would not allow your muscles enough time to recover. There is a solution to this riddle. Power cardio should be your weapon of choice on days that you won't be strength training. Power cardio can best be described as a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic activity. Brisk incline walking, plyometric circuits, jumping rope, and sprinting are just a few exercises to pick from.

Substitute aerobic cardio with power cardio and you will see better results in less time. You will also maintain muscle instead of burning it off. Since muscle helps kick your fat burning metabolism into overdrive, this is extremely important. Supporting muscle retention should be a key part of any quality fat loss program. Yet and still, I continue to see guys jogging for an hour on the treadmill. Don't get me wrong, some of them will make positive strides. But they will never get the same level of high quality results they would have from power cardio.

To do power cardio effectively you must push as hard as you can the entire time. Each session should last ten to thirty minutes, based on how fit you are. Ninety (90) seconds should be the maximum length of any break. When you link this with a circuit training routine and good nutrition, you'll have a great fat loss program. Calories will continue to burn long after your workout is over. Don't forget to track the details of each workout and be sure to push a little harder every time.

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.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

Vaughn Council has created a fat loss program focused on circuit training workouts and effective nutrition. Visit his site for more information and as a great resource.