Long, slow cardio is not the fastest way to burn fat. Research shows that short interval training workouts burn belly fat faster.

I was one of the first trainers to question long, slow cardio for fat loss back in the late 1990’s and I believe that traditional cardio is over-rated.

Interval training, or interval “cardio” if you want to call it that, is much, much better for fat loss. It burns belly fat in half the workout time.

I figured this out just before the year 2000. Back in 1998-99, I was but a lowly grad student, studying the effects of androstenedione (the supplement taken by the mighty baseball player, Mark McGwire during his record-breaking home run quest in ‘98).

In my study (which was published in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology for any science nerds like myself out there), we had guys use the supplement and go through a couple of weight training sessions. By February of ‘99 I was stuck in the lab, analyzing the blood samples using some fancy radio-active isotopes.

And when I say stuck in the lab, I mean STUCK. I’d get there at 7am, and record my last data point at 11pm. Sixteen hours of mad science. And if I wasn’t there, I was downstairs in the medical library, studying papers on testosterone and training.

Now coming from a very athletic background, this sedentary lifestyle didn’t sit well with me. But there I was, studing for a degree in Exercise Physiology and left with no time for exercise. Or so I thought.

Fortunately, I actually had a 50 minute window once per day of “down-time” while the lab’s gamma-counter analyzed blood samples.

That left me 50 minutes to get to the gym (5 minutes across campus) and get a workout in the remaining 40 or so minutes. I knew that if I applied my studies to the workout, I could get maximum results in minimum time.

As a former athlete, I knew that I had to find a way to stay fit and to avoid the fat gain that comes with working long hours in a sedentary environment. And I also had to stay true to the high-school bodybuilder I once was, so there was no way I was willing to sacrifice my muscle to one of those long-cardio, low protein fat-loss plans that were popular at the time.

Instead, I had to draw on my academic studies and my experiences working with athletes as the school’s Strength & Conditioning Coach. I knew that sprint intervals were associated with more fat loss than slow cardio, and I knew that you could also increase aerobic fitness by doing sprints (but you can’t increase sprint performance by doing aerobic training).

So clearly, intervals were (and ARE!) superior to long slow cardio for fat loss. I had seen first hand the incredible results of sprint intervals in the summer and fall, as the athletes made huge fitness improvements and shed winter fat in a short time using my interval programs. I knew that intervals had to be the next step in the evolution of cardio.

The biggest benefit of intervals? A lot of results in a short amount of time. I knew that I only had 40 minutes to train, and therefore I could only spend 15-20 minutes doing intervals.

I also understand that interval training sounds intimidating to a lot of people, so I need to clear up how an interval training workout goes.

After all, I believe everyone can do interval training for fat burning. Even beginners. For beginners who usually exercise for 30 minutes at 3.5 mph on the treadmill, their interval workout would be to go for 1 minute at 3.8mph and then recover for 2 minutes at 3.0 mph. That’s it. Repeat 6 times. If you are more advanced, you would use more intense exercise.

Interval training doesn’t have to be sprinting for your life. It just needs to start off harder than normal and progress from there.

Most folks hate cardio, so they are happy to use interval training as an effective replacement to lose stomach fat. Here is my list of preferred ways to do your intervals, ranked in order from best to worst, based on my experiences.

1. Sprinting outdoors (Hill sprinting might be the absolute best method)

2. Kettlebell exercises

3. Bodyweight interval circuits

4. Treadmill running

5. Stationary cycle (upright cycling preferred over recumbant bike)

With those 5 interval training methods, you’ll burn fat fast and never have to do cardio again!

A misconception that just does not go away is that you will lose muscle, if you do cardio training. So many people are worried about losing the muscle that they worked so hard to get, that they avoid cardio. Is it really possible to lose large amount of muscle whilst doing cardio?

Most people try to bulk up as much as possible, eating as much food as they can. And often people gain a lot of fat along the way because they avoid cardio workouts. But when people are happy with their muscle weight and try to lose fat then so many people lose muscle as well as fat. And it is not because of intense cardio but mainly because of the strict dieting. And I really do not know many people who consistantly measure their fat percentage. But knowing how much fat you have is essential, otherwise you have no idea if you are losing fat or muscle.

Cardio is not the main cause of muscle loss. You can still maintain your muscles, even if you do 45-minute intensive cardio workouts daily. The main reasons are inadequate caloric intake, inadequate protein or dieting without including a weight training program.

If you want to build muscle then people don´t want to gain much fat. And if people want to lose fat then they don´t want to lose muscle. It is very tricky to do them right. Not eating enough food or skipping meals are much more important factors than doing enough cardio.

Including adequate meal frequency, protein, carbohydrates and total calories to your daily diet is very important. If you are worried about losing muscle then track your lean body mass with skinfold testing and adjust your cardio and nutrition accordingly. You can make the right decisions according to your feedback.

Being fit and healthy is the in thing. Actually, it really never goes out of style. That body is the most valuable asset you could have in your lifetime. Thus it is important that you take good care of it. Give it the proper attention it needs.

When it comes to ensuring and maintaining the health, the best option is to do cardio training.

What Is Cardio Training?

Cardio training involves any activity that requires the use of the large muscle groups of the body in a regular and uninterrupted manner. It elevates the heart rate between 60 to 85 percent of the fastest heart rate you could get.

Some of the usual cardio training activities are walking, jogging, running, aerobics, cycling, tae bo, swimming and rowing. Cardio training is considered an aerobic exercise as one is required to move from one exercise to another.

What Are the Benefits of Training?

1. Gives Energy to the Body

You can expect more energy and higher endurance after some time of regular cardio training.

2. Prevents Diseases

One could prevent heart diseases with regular cardio training. It is also helpful in preventing other variety of diseases like diabetes, obesity and even high cholesterol. The cardiovascular training strengthens the heart and the lungs. The low to moderated type of cardio exercises are required for people seeking to prevent diseases. Examples of these are walking, brisk walking or jogging.

3. Control Your Weight

With cardio training, you are able to burn more calories. This will help one who needs to lose weight. While those who already achieved their ideal body mass, the training will make it easier to control the weight.

Cardio training helps burn calories. However this generally depends on your current weight and the kind of cardio training you are undergoing. Better consult this matter with your physician or trainer, to know the proper type of training for your needs.

4. Lose Body Fats

Some people do not have problem with their weights. However, there may be some excess fats that keep bothering. Cardio training will help in getting rid of those. The activities involve the movements of large muscle groups. Regularly doing the training will make you leaner.

5. Get Rid of Boredom

Cardio training is fun. It pumps up your system. You will definitely feel more energized and on the go.

Recommendations to Better Enjoy the Benefits of Cardio Training

Cardio training is essential when you need to make health improvements. For starters, it is best to do the 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are aiming for weight loss, the training must be done 5 days a week. The more frequent you do it; the more likely it is that you will lose weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in exercise. Avoid going beyond 45 minutes. Remember, it has to be done in a regular basis.

Start now. Walk or ride the bike around the neighborhood now. Follow that aerobics video you purchased. Set a goal and follow that goal. At the same time, modify your diet too. Eat healthy food.

As you increase in the fitness level, the intensity of the training must also increase. This is to have an area of variation and there should always be room for improvement. Implement this by intensifying some parts of the training. If you are into jogging or running, increase speed every 5 minutes for at least a minute or two. It is important that you challenge yourself, so as not to be stuck in a stump.

Avoid doing the cardio exercises before bedtime. You will have a difficult time sleeping if you do so as the energy level of the body will stay high for sometime.

If you are undergoing weight training too, do the cardio exercises right after, not before.

It is best to take a snack 30 minutes before doing the cardio exercises. Do not start with training in an empty stomach. This will not help in achieving the proper momentum when you train. At the same time, avoid indulging in large meals too before exercise. Just give your body the proper supply it will need to sustain exhausting movements.

It is good to do the cardio exercises outdoors. This way you can easily interact with nature and breathe fresh air. You can also simply enjoy going around the neighborhood as you get your system healthier by the minute. It is possible to make some friends among the people who also do their exercises.

Be consistent and stick with the training once you have started it. This is the only way that cardio training will benefit your body and your health in the long run.

Have you ever been able to successful use a weight loss cardio workout to successfully lose body fat?

If you are like most people the answer is yes and no ‘ and usually in the order!

This article is going to go over a few reasons why the average weight loss cardio workout might actually be preventing you from losing weight. Please pay special attention to this article because it can save you lots of time, help you enjoy exercise more, and give you a new outlook on losing with with cardio.

By using “cardio”, I am talking about using cardiovascular exercise on a basic cardio machine such as treadmills, rowing machines, upright or recumbent bikes, ellipticals, or any other common cardio machine you see at the gym or at a department store. This also refers to things such as walking outside or going for a bike ride.

It is very common see someone try to lose weight in the gym by getting on a cardio machine and trying to go for 30-60 minutes at a slow pace. They may try to do this 3, 4, or 5 days per week!

In the beginning 2-3 weeks, you see some results pretty quickly. The weight on the scale goes down and you are feeling great. Soon after however, the weight loss slows down and your progress comes to a crashing halt.

Let’s go over 3 quick reasons why your hit a frustrating plateau with the normal cardio workout, and more importantly, how to avoid it completely.

Reason #1: It Is Boring!

Unless you are training for a triathlon or are a distance runner, you would more than likely have more engaging things to do with your time then being on a cardio machine for 30-60 minutes. A 60 minute cardio workout 3-5 days a week is a sure way to lose all enthusiasm for exercise and be really bored throughout the whole process.

Lots of people do whatever they can to distract themselves during their cardio workouts. The cover the timer with a towel, watch television, read books, or just about anything else to try and distract themselves.

Reason #2: You Burn Fewer Calories Each Time You Workout

Your body will adapt very quickly to doing a very slow and long weight loss cardio workout. Think about it like this. If you went outside and ran a mile right now it would feel pretty difficult if you were not already a conditioned runner. But what if you ran the same mile 5 days per week for the next two months? It would get easier. Your body would adapt to it because that is what it does best.

The same goes for the average weight loss cardio workout that lasts for 30, 45, or even 60 minutes. At first you might burn a lot of calories, but after doing the same type of cardio workout for too long, the body will become more efficient and will adapt.

This means that the workout that burned 300 calories in January might only be burning 150 calories in March! The only thing you can do it so longer or work harder. Neither one sounds like a very appealing option.

Reason #3: The Average Weight Loss Cardio Workout Does Not Stimulate Your Metabolism

Instead of focusing on the number of calories you burned during a single workout, I want you to instead focus on burning calories during the workout and for hours afterwards!

Research has shown that slow same speed cardio does next to nothing to stimulate your resting metabolism. This means that you workout for 45 minutes, burn 300 calories, and then negate the whole workout with a Gatorade afterwards.

How to Fix This Problem

Did you know that you can use a different type of cardio called interval training that can burn a lot of calories during the actual cardio workout and for hours afterwards as well?

When performed correctly, interval training is faster, more fun, and most importantly, has been shown in research to have a dramatic effect on your resting metabolism. What this means is that you might burn 350 calories during your cardio workout, then another 500 throughout the rest of the day!

Interval training is an excellent weight loss cardio workout option for this very reason. Interval training simply consists of using both high and low speeds and intensities at set points in your workout. It can be done on any cardio machine and can even be done walking outside!

If you are truly serious about achieving weight loss with a cardio workout, then learning more about interval training is an absolute must. Your will feel like you got twice the workout in half the time and have a lot more results to show for it!

If you have decided to go for a diet and exercising in order to lose your unwanted weight, then you are probably wondering what type of exercise is the best for you, so that you lose the extra pounds.

Generally, the best type of exercising for weight loss are the cardio trainings. Many people have probably noticed that if they have enough physical activity in their daily lives, they don’t put on weight. This is absolutely true.

1. Types of cardio training

Important to know is, that there are two types of cardio trainings – high intensity and low intensity training. Many people think, that the speed of the training does not matter, but as a matter of fact it does, and so if you do a high intensity training, you would burn fat much faster. The principle of the cardio trainings is that your pulse increases and you start burning calories. The higher your pulse is, the more calories you burn. And this is achieved only with high intensity training.

2. How much cardio is recommended

In order to lose weight, you need to do cardio trainings from 3 to 5 times a week and their duration should be about 30-40 minutes per session. Don’t worry, it’s not necessary to start with this workout at the very beginning. As a start you could do about 10-20 minutes cardio per session. With the time just increase the duration of your trainings. 

Another point you should keep in mind, while doing cardio, is the heart rate. It is recommended that you start your cardio  trainings at 60% of your maximum heart rate. You could calculate this by the following formula:

220 – your age = your max heart rate

When you’ve already got used to that training rythm, you could increase your heart rate up to 70% and more.

3. Cardio before or after weight training?

It is recommended that you make your cardio part of the training after the weight training. If you do it before that, you should keep in mind, that you actually start burning calories after the first 10 minutes. If you do it after the weight training – you start burning calories and fat immediately.

Apart from weight loss, the cardio trainings have many other benefits for your health. They tone your body, faster your metabolism, make you feel full of energy. Whether your main goal is to lose weight or not, you should keep in mind, that physical activity is the best thing you could do for your body, spirit and health!

If you want to learn more tips and tricks about weight loss and exercise, make sure you check:

The Ultimate Weight Loss Guide

In a previous article, I discussed the components of a well-designed fitness program. Such a program should include cardio, strength training, flexibility, balance, and agility exercises. In this article, Jim Borden, a personal trainer with Fitness Together, a gym located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, takes a closer look at the cardio aspect of a fitness program.

Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio for short, is any type of activity that increases the work of the heart and lungs. Examples of cardio activities include walking, running, swimming, rowing, and biking. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines issued by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA), adults should get at least 30 minutes of moderately intense cardio (similar to a brisk walk), five days a week, or vigorously intense cardio (rapid breathing and an increase in heart rate) 20 minutes a day, three days a week. These represent minimum guidelines for individuals who are simply looking to improve their health.

The benefits of cardio are numerous. Cardio exercise can play a key role in weight loss, reduce stress, improve cholesterol levels, provide more energy, enable you to sleep better, and reduce the health risks associated with heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

When designing a cardio program, there are four considerations to keep in mind, known as the FITT principles.

Frequency – how often you should engage in cardio activity. Note the guidelines from ACSM/AHA recommend 3 to 5 days per week, depending on factors such as Intensity or Time (see below).

Intensity – how vigorous the activity should be. There are many ways to measure intensity; one of the best is through the use a heart rate monitor. Intensity can range anywhere from 60% to 90% of your estimated maximum heart rate (MHR). A quick and easy way to estimate your MHR is to subtract your age from 220. Thus, a 50 year old would have an MHR of 220-50, or 170. Generally speaking, the longer your workout (see Time), the lower your intensity should be.

Time – how long the workout should last. Again, the ACSM/AHA have offered guidelines with respect to the duration of the workout. Not counting the warm-up or cool down periods, cardio workouts should accumulate to at least 30 minutes per day, if intensity is at a moderate level, or 20 minutes per day if done at a more intense level. If the goal is weight loss, then the cardio session should be longer than these minimum guidelines. If you cannot complete a 20- or 30-minute session all at one time, then accumulating those totals can be split across multiple sessions during the day. However, it is recommended that such sessions include at least 10 minutes of continuous activity at the desired intensity level.

Type – the particular activity that you engage in. Once again, some examples are walking, swimming, and rowing. Some of the considerations in choosing the type of activity to engage in include your enjoyment of the activity, your current fitness level, and your skill level in performing the activity.

Every cardio workout should include at least a 5-minute warm-up. The warm-up could be any activity that gets the muscles moving and the blood flowing, and should be performed at an intensity below the level to be used in the cardio workout. Following the cardio session, there should also be a cool-down period, which could simply be the same type of cardio activity, but at a decreased activity level. The cool down is also an ideal time to engage in some flexibility exercises.

When starting a cardio exercise program, you should start slow and focus on proper mechanics, good posture, and safety. If you cannot meet the minimum guidelines indicated above, then gradually build up to that point by adding a little bit more each time. This will help improve your endurance, and once you have reached the time goal, you can start to tinker with the intensity levels as a way of adding variety to your workouts.

Remember, any movement activity is good for you, so just make a commitment to get started on a cardio program, and you will begin to reap the benefits immediately.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

Most workout programs, in my opinion, are examples of cardio body building and are wrongly based on bodybuilder isolation movement exercises and marathoner extended aerobic training.

This is NOT the path to optimum fitness excellence!

The cardio body building combination is actually the biggest training mistake you can make.

Now before you get angry…

There is absolutely nothing wrong with training like a Bodybuilder or Marathoner… especially if you are a Bodybuilder or Marathoner.

I am just proposing that the training philosophies of Bodybuilders and Marathoners are not the path to an optimum level of fitness where all of the physical skills of cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and toughness are improved… Whether you adhere to the philosophy of each group alone or in combination.

I know this goes against most physical training protocols used in commercial gyms around the world that adhere to the cardio body building combination as the training methods of choice.

It is easy to see how these training protocols came to be combined…

In an attempt to improve fitness on a more general level for the non-professional fitness enthusiast, gyms and health clubs throughout the world have prescribed the typical cardio body building program of isolated movement strength training and extended aerobic training sessions.

The belief was that if isolated movement weight training is effective for Bodybuilders, and extended aerobic sessions are effective for Marathoners, that a combination of the two training methods would give the general fitness enthusiast the best of both worlds.

The fact is, Bodybuilding training methods are more concerned with muscle growth than muscular strength, power and endurance… and both of these training methods almost completely ignore the other physical abilities like coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and flexibility.

It is no wonder why millions of people participating in cardio body building inspired fitness programs fail to meet their over-all fitness goals… They are making a big training mistake.

On a personal Note…

I am guilty of training in the cardio body building fashion in my younger years in preparation for wrestling season.

I would lift weights using isolation exercises and run long distances to increase aerobic capacity.

I quickly learned in the first week of practice that the inflated muscles and aerobic capacity that I gained through cardio body building training did little or nothing to provide the fitness level needed for my chosen sport.

Oh well, there is nothing I can do about that now… but there is something that YOU can do to improve your physical training in preparation for sport, work, life.

Reflect on your current workout program…

If your current workout program looks like the cardio body building protocol described above… don’t despair.

Any exercise is better than none, so you have not completely wasted your time.

In fact… the isolated movement strength training has given you some degree of strength, and the aerobic exercise is an essential base of fitness.

However, to improve your physical training and optimize your performance you must be prepared to radically change the methods you use in pursuit of strength, conditioning and fitness excellence.

Be honest with yourself… are you getting the most out of your current cardio body building physical training program?

Are the exercises and methods you are using best suited to improve over-all fitness… or do they only focus on muscular size and cardiorespiratory endurance?

Ask yourself this question…

Is your current physical fitness training program based on the acceptable and deliberate compromise of competence and ability to perform in ALL the areas of cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and toughness to produce optimum performance results under the greatest amount of circumstances?

If not, it is probably based on the cardio body building fallacy… and your physical training can be greatly improved.

If your goal of physical training is to inflate your muscles and perform monotonous, single intensity aerobic exercise for extended periods of time… do nothing.

If your goal of physical training is to become a better human being suited to successfully overcome the random challenges of sport, work and life… It is time to change your physical fitness training program to one not based on the cardio body building fallacy.

One of the most important exercises is cardio. You can lift as much weight as you want but without endurance it will get you no where. People kill themselves trying to get more definition on their stomach by doing hundreds of crunches a day. You can do all the abdominal workouts in the world but without the right diet and exercise you won’t see any definition.

One of the best cardio workouts is running. You can burn up to 700 calories in an hour. The only problem is that unless you have some really good running shoes it will be very hard on your ankles and joints. You can either get some good running shoes or move it over to the treadmill. Running on a sidewalk will give you shin splints where on the treadmill it absorbs more impact.

The trick to a good work out is to workout hard enough to where you break a sweat. A fifteen minute strenuous workout is sometimes more beneficial than a two hour workout with less progress and less sweat. Try running on the treadmill in intervals. Try switching the speeds. It confuses the body and breaks a sweat faster than jogging for thirty minutes.

Switch between jogging and sprinting every minute or so and watch how the drops of sweat start coming down. Cardiovascular exercise is crucial to your health. Cardio gets your blood pumping and sheds the excess calories which then turn into fat. No matter how many crunches you decide to do, if you don’t do enough cardio then you will have excess fat covering your strong abs.

A fit body is 80% diet and 20% exercise. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables is the way to go. Try eating dark vegetables versus the lighter ones like iceberg lettuce. Try eating spinach instead. Cut back on fats and oils. Sugar is your abdominals worst enemy. The more sugar you cut from your diet the easier it is to burn all of your excess weight. It will also lower your cholesterol which in turn will get your heart healthy. Eating oats and brown rice will lower your cholesterol and is high in fiber. Stay away from white starches; all it does is creating a tire around your waist. Make sure you drink a lot of water, eat veggies and fruit. You will see your abs and be in good health in no time at all! All it takes it the discipline to make it your lifestyle. Diets are only temporary so make sure you make it your lifestyle.

ercise is always the first thing that omes to mind whenever anyone wants to lose weight.There is no doubt that by doing cardio,along with changes to your diet,you will get results.

Cardio exercise is basically any exercise that is going to raise your heart rate and force you to breathe harder for an extended period of time. Cardio exercise has many benefits apart from weight loss. Cardio will give you more stamina and more endurance. It will improve the health of your heart, and it will improve the ability of your lungs to the point where your body can receive more oxygen more easily.

The more oxygen you can get into your body, the more energy you will have. Cardio will also have a positive effect on your body’s abilities to cope with stress. Cardio exercise can be performed through various methods such as brisk walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, using a stepper and so on. The method will depend on your preference. While engaged in cardio exercise you will without doubt burn calories.However this will come to a halt shortly after finshing cardio.

There is another method of exercising that you should do along with cardio in your weight loss program, which will substantially increase your results. This method is to start weight training. Most of the population is unaware of how valuable training with weights can be when it comes to losing weight successfully. When you are weight training, your metabolism gets a huge boost. Not only does it burn calories while you are training, it continues to burn calories for many hours after you have stopped training.

As we get older we naturally start losing muscle and in later life this can cause problems with joints, bones and our abilities to lose weight. So it’s important that we do what we can not only to keep muscle but to increase it where we can. Weight training is not just about bodybuilding or power lifting. All types of athletes and sports people use weight training in their routines, and they are not all body builders and power lifters.

When you only do cardio, you will lose weight. Keep in mind that some of the weight that you lose will be muscle and not just fat. This is something that really needs to be avoided. The fact is that the more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you will burn. Your body requires many more calories to keep muscle on your body compared to what it takes to keep fat on your body. When you cut back on calories and start cardio, your body will try to get rid of muscle because it is calorie expensive. This will have a negative effect on your body when it comes to weight loss.

Weight training has many benefits and should be an important part of a weight loss program.

Weight training will make you stronger. It will allow your body to burn more calories. It will offset the natural muscle loss that comes with age. It will make you look better. It will protect your bones and joints. It will keep your body firm and toned. You will feel more confident within yourself.

Throughout time a strong physique has received respect.

As you can see weight loss is only one benefit you will receive from weight training. Everyone should have some sort of weight training routine in their exercise program because the benefits of it are too numerous to ignore.

Weight training doesn’t have to mean grunting and groaning in a gym. If you have not trained with weights before or haven’t trained for a long time then you can start with bodyweight exercise. Weight training is about pushing or pulling at a weight. Your body can act as this weight through exercises like push ups, free squats, crunches and pull ups. When you think you are ready for the next step,you can join a gym or buy your own weights,which are pretty cheap if you buy used ones. This will save you the time and membership fees of going to a gym. You can substantially increase your results with cardio and weight training.

For years, it was common knowledge that you had to stay in the target heart rate zone to efficiently burn fat. However, the last few years have seen a rise in the popularity of shorter, intense cardio workouts to burn fat.

Training in your target heart rate zone came about when it was revealed that lower intensity exercise (like walking) burns a greater percentage of fat calories during the activity. More intense work on the other hand burns predominantly carbohydrates. So people would try not to train too hard, because if they did, their body would switch from burning fat, to burning carbohydrates. What most people don’t realise though is that you cannot rely on calories burnt during an activity to lose weight.

Calories burnt during the activity do little to help us lose fat. The critical component of successful fat loss relies on our metabolism and certain hormones flowing through our body. This is why shorter more intense workouts are much more efficient.

Training at a lower intensity burns calories only during the activity. As soon as you stop you will stop burning calories. This is because this form of training hardly raises your metabolism. Also longer, less intense cardio sessions hardly stimulate our body to release hormones which will help our fat loss progress. If done long enough though, you can actually stimulate a hormone that works against us…cortisol. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone which actually eats away at muscle. This is obviously a bad thing!

On the other hand, shorter, more intense cardio workouts release certain hormones, most importantly Growth Hormone. The amazing thing about growth hormone is that it helps us build muscle, and does its best to stop fat from storing on our body. We could eat as much as we want and we won’t put on any fat. (However if you got an absolutely voracious appetite, you might, at worst very slowly put on some fat.) That’s why if we got the hormones flowing in abundance in our body, an occasional pig out day, or binge isn’t going to hurt our progress.

Another great benefit of intense training is that it raises our metabolism substantially, for up to 48-72 hours afterwards. Seeing how it keeps the metabolism elevated for up to 3 days afterwards, imagine what would happen if you did these cardio workouts every other day. Your metabolism would be like a fat destroying furnace!

A good real world example is to compare the difference in physiques between marathon runners and sprinters. Which physique would you prefer? How do you think they train? Marathon runners do hours upon hours of long distance running, whereas sprinters train intensely and explosively. No matter what training we do, our body works by adapting to the stress and making it easier.

So with all the training marathon runners do, cortisol will be running rampant in the body, destroying muscle. This is simply the body adjusting to the workload and making it easier for itself. Too much muscle will only hinder the athlete’s performance (and joints mind you!). That’s why marathon runners have very little muscle.

On the other hand, if we trained like sprinters, with short explosive bursts our body will actually want to keep muscle and burn fat. This is because we need our muscles to better perform the workouts we are subjecting the body to. Also, the body, when exposed to this type of training actually wants to rid the body of its excess fat. This is because the fat on the body is simply hindering its performance. Hence, this is why short, explosive training stimulates hormones like growth hormone which help us build muscle and burn fat.

Well then how should you train? It depends on your goals. Do you want to look like a marathon runner or a sprinter?

If you want to be as thin as a rake, go running for hours on end.

However, if you want that lean, muscular physique much like a sprinters, here are a few suggestions:

30-100m sprints: Set out a distance and sprint all out for the set distance. For recovery, walk back to the starting line. As soon as you get back, sprint again. I wouldn’t do more than 8 total sprints in a workout. For example you could do 6 x 60m sprints.

Intervals: Pick an exercise you like, (running, swimming, cycling, boxing, skipping etc.) and give a near maximum effort (80-100% Max) for 20 seconds, followed by 40 seconds of rest or light exercise (40-60% of max). Repeat 5-6 times. No more than 10 reps is necessary. If you can do 10, focus on going more intense in each interval. I personally like doing these with shuttle runs over a distance of 10-20m.

10 minutes constant max effort: Pick an exercise (running, swimming, cycling) and go as hard as you can for approximately 10 minutes. Try to outdo yourself. You could do 10 minutes every time and try to beat the distance every time you do it OR you could have a set distance and try to beat the time every workout. I personally go down to the oval and time myself over 8 laps of the track.

In finishing, for maximum fat loss, I would recommend doing no more than 4-5 sessions a week. That equals, at most to 60-70 minutes of training time a week. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but if you spend every single one of those minutes going as hard as possible, your metabolism as well as those hormones will melt the fat off your body in no time.