Monday, December 24, 2007

The Cardio Secret

Fitness trainer


Confession: Cardio Works

I hate cardio... but I like the results. Yes, it's true, I've written entire articles about the drawbacks of excessive cardio. And I usually find myself spending a lot of time convincing my new clients that cardio isn't the answer to their body composition woes. But the truth is that cardio, when done correctly, works. Big time!

Oh, I know, most of you are used to hearing statements like these:

No offense, but these statements are usually made by people, who, let's just say, could use a little cardio! But that's a whole other article.

Seriously though, I've been so suffocated by the above statements that I've actually lied about how much cardio I really do! Because the truth is, every time I want to drop body fat, the first thing I do is increase my cardio. Yet when asked for fat loss advice, I tend to gear most people toward adapting healthier eating habits and devoting more time in the gym to weight training.

Almost hypocritical, right? In fact, I increase my cardio so much that I'm doing about 30-60 minutes a day! That's more then some of the "cardio freaks" do! But you know what? It works for me, everytime!

You know who else does an insane amount of cardio? Figure competitors. You know, the ones with the sickly low body fat levels. The ones who, more or less, look just like you and I all year round, but when they're heading for that stage and have to shed every last ounce of body fat off their nearly perfect physiques, not only do they do cardio, but they almost abuse it!

Kind of makes you think, doesn't it?

I asked figure competitor and MWA contributor, Olesya Novik, how much cardio she does. Here was her response:

"I may do anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes of cardio, five to seven days a week, depending on how I'm coming along. If I hit 70 minutes, I'll usually start splitting the session into two — one in the morning, on an empty stomach, the other after training or later in the day, a couple of hours after my last meal."

She doesn't look fat tome!

IFBB Pro Figure competitor and Biotest athlete, Gina Aliotti, had this to say about cardio:

"Off-season I do four to five sessions a week of 30-45 minutes per session. On-season, depending on where my body is at, I start with one session five to six times a week and continue to build up to seven days a week, twice-a-day 45 minute sessions."

She doesn't look fat to me either!

Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Why does "too much cardio" seem to work for some people, but not for others?


The Truth about Cardio

If you've been around the fitness scene for any amount of time then you know how controversial the subject of cardio is. It's discussed in every fitness magazine on the shelves today and every "expert" has an opinion about it.

People often wonder, "Should I do cardio? How much is too much? Will I burn muscle? Which is better, intervals or straight paced?" And the debate goes on...

Cardiovascular activity burns calories. Burning calories is good for fat loss. I've never heard anyone argue with that! Most people join a gym in attempt to lose weight and have more energy. Cardio does that! Therefore, they believe cardio is the answer. Makes sense, but unfortunately, it's not that simple!


Not Your Average Joe (or Jane)

More goes into sculpting a lean, fit body than just the amount of cardio performed (or not performed!). And when the average woman attempts to transform her body, she makes most, if not all, of these mistakes below.

She...

These mistakes are what give people the not-so-desirable results they achieve, not just the cardio they do. And it's no wonder; the above ten practices should be in a book on how to get fat, not lose fat! So of course, given this ugly equation, cardio is going to kill their muscle! They're not doing anything to maintain or preserve it!

The point I'm trying to make is that cardio fails to bring many people positive results because nothing else they do, neither inside nor outside the gym, is supportive to fat loss and muscle preservation.

That's why most of the advice I give out tends to seem "anti-cardio." I see people already doing the cardio, yet doing nothing else right! Most of them need a kick in the pants when it comes to their nutrition and training in order for the cardio they're doing to work.


How to Make Cardio Work for YOU!

When successful people use cardio to drop body fat, they don't just do cardio. They tighten up and tweak their diet, increase their protein, lift weights, and quickly find their countertops filled with supplements that preserve muscle, mentally prepare them for training, and enhance their recovery.

And that's the difference!

If you're currently eating right and lifting weights in an effort to lose fat, then adding cardio will get you results much faster than diet and resistance training alone. If, on the other hand, you're doing a lot of cardio with little or no results, then you need to supplement and eat properly to make all that cardio pay off.

Since the main concern with doing "too much cardio" is muscle loss (which quickly leads to misery and fat gain!) here are a few rules concerning supplementing, eating, and lifting, to ensure that cardio brings you fat loss success.

Are you ready? On your mark, get set, go find that six-pack!


Rules for Supplementing

All kidding aside, supplements can aide us in looking well above average. In the last several years, science has come up with some pretty cool supplements. They're made to assist us in shedding body fat while holding on to lean mass when dieting. No kidding!

Remember, muscles don't grow when you're training them; they're actually breaking down at that time. Resistance is a stress. Instead, muscles grow when they rest, if you give them the right nutrients. If you don't supplement your diet and training in order to recover and re-build properly, then you're an idiot (and I mean that more as a warning than an insult).

Let's take a brief look at the supplements that greatly assist us in losing fat and preserving muscle.

A Post-Workout Drink like Surge

I consider this supplement absolutely essential. Surge plays a huge role in building and preserving lean muscle tissue, as well as speeding recovery.

When you're in a proper fat loss program, you're in a slight calorie deficit, your carbohydrates are moderate to low, and you're asking your body to train frequently. That can, and will, only happen for so long without some help from proper supplements. I never train without Surge .

Low-Carb Metabolic Drive

Not only is the quality in this stuff the best around, but the convenience of protein powder makes it easy for people to increase their protein intake and their meal frequency.

If you find yourself constantly saying, "I don't have time to cook," then here's your answer. You can't get more convenient than protein powder in a shaker bottle!

BCAA's

BCAA's are another essential supplement. You have to remember that you're not eating a surplus of calories or carbohydrates, yet you're demanding a great workload from your body and asking it to recover in order to do it all over again! You need all the help you can get! That's where supplements come in.

What do BCAA's do to help you shred fat and hold onto your muscle? BCAA's promote protein synthesis in muscle, increase both growth hormone and insulin, increase anabolism, decrease catabolism, decrease post-workout soreness, increase exercise endurance, increase lean body mass, and improve strength.

HOT-ROX Extreme

HOT-ROX Extreme has been scientifically proven to promote fat loss 5 times faster than exercise and diet alone. Need I say more?

Okay, maybe I should say more. Maybe I should also add that this potent stuff has also been shown to target stubborn areas of fat, most commonly in the lower body, abdominal, and lower back area.

Flameout

Flameout makes it easy to add healthy fats to any and every meal you choose. Flameout has been shown to significantly decrease our levels of body fat through increased insulin sensitivity and increased metabolism. It also decreases muscle soreness (very important with recovery and frequent training).

ZMA

Enhance strength, endurance, recovery, and growth. ZMA is an advanced zinc/magnesium formulation designed to replace deficiencies caused from exercise and stress. On top of that, it'll help you sleep like a baby when taken before bed.

You can't train again, or as intensely as you should, if you're not recovered from the last session!


Rules for Nutrition

1) Eat every few hours

Going too long in between "meals" is one of the worst things a person can do if losing body fat is their goal. Infrequent eating makes your body kick into panic-survival mode, slowing metabolism and breaking down muscle in order to conserve energy and survive.

Instead, eat smaller meals every 2.5 to 3 hours. If you're somewhere where you're unprepared (shame on you!) or you can't eat on time, at least pop a few BCAA's. But don't make a habit out of it!

2) Eat protein in every meal

People who work out regularly need double the amount of protein that's recommended for sedentary individuals. This is especially important when dieting, because calories are being restricted and muscle can be easily sacrificed and used for energy and recovery.

Generally, woman should aim to get 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, per day. For a 130 pound woman, that would come out to 130-195 grams. That's about 20-30 grams per meal, assuming you're eating every few hours!

(Your supplements help a great deal in this area also, specifically Metabolic Drive.)

3) Eat your fiber!

All your carbohydrate sources should be high in fiber. Fiber has a slow rate of digestion and keeps us feeling satiated longer. Eating foods with plenty of fiber helps keep our blood sugar at a more consistent level (meaning you're less likely to crave junk and binge).

Vegetables, old fashioned oats, oat-bran, beans, sweet potatoes, and fruit all contain fiber. Try to get at least 25 grams of fiber a day.

4) Eat your healthy fats

There are so many benefits to eating healthy fats! Foods like salmon, walnuts, almonds, avocados, olive oil, flaxseeds, and omega oils (Flameout, fish oils, EPA/DHA oils, and/or flax oil capsules) should make up 20-30% of our daily calories.

Healthy fats aid us in fat loss, protecting our muscle mass, maintaining cellular activity and energy production, mental clarity and focus, and health, vitality, and longevity!

5) Eat enough calories

Everyone knows they're not supposed to over-eat when they're trying to lose weight. But did you know that under-eating by too much, or for too long, can also hinder your results?

When dieting, you want to create a slight calorie deficit in the equation of calories-in and calories-out. The most effective way to do that is to use common sense when you eat and increase your activity. If the deficit is too much, you'll send your body into panic-survival mode, and as mentioned above, that's a bad place for dieters to be. You'll quickly find yourself unmotivated to work out, tired, grumpy, irritable, and maybe worst of all, missing the results you're working so hard to get.

A general formula and starting point for calories would be body weight multiplied by 12. For example, a woman who weighs 150 would eat 1,800 calories. Then, based on results, you make adjustments as needed.

The average person should aim to lose 1-2 pounds a week. If you're not, either decrease your calories by about 100-200 calories per day, or increase your cardio a tad by adding 5-10 minutes a session (or a combo of both).

6) Don't eat too many calories

This seems like a "duh" but you'd be surprised at how many people do endless amounts of cardio when the end result is that they're just off-setting the surplus of calories and bad food choices they take in!

I don't know about you, but if I'm not going to lose fat by doing this much cardio, I'd rather eat a little less and skip the cardio altogether! What I mean is that you don't want to do all this cardio and supplementing just to maintain.

The best way to do this right is to keep a food log for as long and as often as you need to (oh, boo hiss!) and weigh yourself once a week. Reason being, if you're not getting results and therefore, need to make a change, you won't be able to if you don't know what you're eating now. Keep in mind that weight does fluctuate, especially in women given where we're at in our menstrual cycles, but generally speaking, you want to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

7) Don't completely deprive yourself!

Obviously your results would be quicker if you completely sustained from every pleasure of life! But the truth is most of us just can't (and wouldn't want to!) live that way.

It's okay to have a favorite "cheat" food once or twice a week, just plan for it (meaning it shouldn't be in response to a spontaneous binge), and use common sense and moderation. You'll be less likely to binge, and your results will come quicker if you enjoy the process without completely depriving yourself!


Rules for Lifting

1) Lift!

I find that 35-50 minute lifting sessions, 3-4 days a week (more specifically every other day) to be ideal.

2) Go heavy!

I wouldn't go over 10 reps, unless you're a beginner. Four to 8 reps is even better. You want to keep the intensity/load fairly moderate/high, to fire off those fast-twitch muscle fibers (which aerobic work doesn't do).

3) Stick to compound movements

Squats, deadlifts, lunges, chin-ups, pull-ups, rows, dips, chest presses, shoulder presses, and their variations, are compound movements that should make up at least 70% of your lifting sessions.

I like to choose 4 each workout, then for the last 2 exercises or so, I do some biceps, triceps, abs, and calf exercises.


10 Cardio Questions, Answered

1) How long should you do?

If you're serious, I'd recommend 30-60 minutes a day. Either one session or split into two (one in the morning and one later in the day, or after lifting).

Now, before you start with the "I don't have time" reasoning, let me just say this: I honestly think people spend more time bitching and complaining about their bodies than they do actually working out! Maybe if some of these women cut the excuse making they'd find the time to train.

Obviously some sacrifices will have to be made, but you'll be surprised at how much time you really do have when you make an effort (24 hours a day actually — see, plenty of time!)

2) How often should you do cardio?

It depends. I'd say a good starting point is 30 minutes, 4 times a week. Over time you can work up to 30-60 minutes, 5-7 days a week. How often really depends on several factors though: how your body is responding (are you getting results?), time allowance, how quickly you want to lose the weight, etc.

Some people need more cardio than others. I've worked with people who seem to have stubborn chunky genes and they don't see results unless they do cardio at least 5-6 days a week for 40-60 minutes. Others can do 3-4 sessions a week and get great results.

You have to do what works for you, meaning, adjust based on your results. If you're happy with the way things are going, then keep doing it! If not, make a change. Add one or two extra sessions a week and tack on 5-10 minutes per session.

3) When should you do your cardio?

Whenever you can!

My recommendation is first thing in the morning, but I should note that that has more to do with getting it done and out of the way than any other reason. Priorities should always be done early in the day. Once the day gets going, you know how it is! And it gets frustrating when you can't fit it in. Get up an hour earlier; it's worth it!

That's my reasoning for that time of day, but there's also scientific research that has shown us that since our body's glycogen stores are low at that time (after an overnight fast), our bodies will burn more fat for energy. We have to be careful though, because demanding intensity at that time can also cause us to break down some muscle tissue as well (and we don't want to do that!). For this reason, make sure you supplement correctly.

Another popular time to do your cardio is right after you lift weights, for the same reason: glycogen stores are low. I do my bike in the morning and if that's also a lifting day for me, I do another 20-30 minutes of cardio after I lift. That just works for me, but experiment with what times works for you and... just do it!

4.) How hard should you work?

That would depend on how long you're doing it! Intensity and duration are inversely related. Meaning, the longer you go, the less intense you can be. Obviously you can't sprint for 60 minutes!

So if 60 minutes is your goal for that session, make sure you're working at a pace you can maintain for 60 minutes. If your goal is 30 minutes, your intensity should be higher since you won't be doing it for as long.

If you find yourself barely breathing with 40 minutes to go, you're not going to make it! Your heart rate is too high to maintain. So lower your resistance and/or speed so you can make your time goal. You want to make your time goal!

I find it best to play each session by ear. If you're just not feeling it that day, then keep the intensity lower and go for longer. Or, if you've just downloaded some great new music, then crank it up and have some fun! But try not to be so rigid and "by the books" about it, especially since you'll be doing so much of it. Lighten up and just go with how you feel that day.

I like to either shoot for calories or distance. (Yes, I know the machines aren't 100% accurate, but if you're using the same machine, then it's always off by the same amount! So we can use it as a guide.) Say for example my goal for that cardio session is to burn 700 calories on the elliptical. It could take me 40 minutes to do that, or it could take me 60! Either way, I reach my goal.

I usually find myself working harder the first 20 minutes or so to get my heart rate up. Then, after that, I somewhat enjoy the rest of the ride, keeping heart rate at a more comfortable level.

5) What about fasted cardio?

I've never been a fan of fasted cardio, but with the right supplements, I find it works well in a fat loss phase. In fact, I do it just about every morning now, but not without taking my BCAA's and HOT-ROX first! I take those upon waking then do my cardio 15-30 minutes afterward.

I'm also prone to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) so I have to be careful. If you find yourself feeling weak, dizzy, sick, annoyed, or unmotivated while doing cardio at this time, try filling your water bottle with half a scoop of Surge and sipping that as needed throughout the session. I often don't finish the Surge, but it's been a lifesaver for me!

6) What about the "fat burning zone?"

What about it? It's crap! Have you ever seen the people in that "zone?" They're the ones going so slow you wonder why the heck they even bother! Beats the couch I guess, but not by much.

It takes people who work in that zone eleven hours to burn one pound of fat. You should be sweating and exerting some energy, not reading a romance novel!

For the most part, you want to stay in the 65-85% of your max heart rate. To find that range, simply take 220 minus your age. For our example, I'll use a 30 year old.

220 - 30 = 190. 190 multiplied by .65 = 123.5. There's your low end. 190 multiplied by .85 = 161.5. There's your high end.

So a good heart rate range for a 30 year old is 123.5 to 161.5.

7.) Should you do intervals or straight paced cardio?

I wouldn't worry too much about this. If you're eating the way you should be, you probably won't have the energy to do all-out sprints. That being said, throwing in a few bouts of intervals every few minutes (by increasing resistance and/or speed for a minute or two) wouldn't hurt. Doing so may also help to elevate your heart rate, keep your body guessing, and prevent boredom!

8.) Does it matter which cardio machine you use?

Not really. Obviously some machines, like the cross-trainer or elliptical, will make you burn more calories than say the upright bike. But me personally, I'd take the less intense bike over those ass-kicking ellipticals any day!

When you're in a fat loss phase and you don't have a surplus of calories to go on, gosh, some days you're just lucky to move! It depends on how much time I have. If I have 30 minutes, then I'd choose an elliptical of some sort and throw in some intervals (because it kicks my butt quicker). If I had 45 minutes or longer, give me that bike please!

But to prevent both mind and body from boredom, mix it up. Or wear one type of machine out, then move on to the next one, and rotate that way.

I find this to be a personal thing. Some people need a constant change or they drop dead of boredom. To others it makes no difference. Just as long as you do the cardio, your heart rate is up and your body is in motion, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

9.) Will you ever learn to like cardio?

You will once you see your abs! In all seriousness, I never thought I'd say this, but yes, I believe as your body adapts, your health improves, and your clothes start falling off, you will start to at least somewhat enjoy it as part of the process. You do build up a tolerance too. Thirty minutes might seem long at first, but once you start putting 40 or 60 minute sessions in there, 30 will seem like a breeze! The chemical release of endorphins are kind of addicting too!

Obviously some days will seem less tedious and more enjoyable than others. But get some good cardio music to listen to and hang in there!

10.) How long should you do this insane amount of cardio for?

That's up to you! When you reach your goal, you can begin to cut back, but I wouldn't just stop cold turkey! If you're doing 6 days a week, cut back to 4 or 5. If you're doing 50-60 minute sessions, knock that down to 30-40.

Usually a comfortable "maintenance" program is 30 minutes, 3-4 times a week. Just don't get completely lazy and sloppy with your eating and training... or you may find yourself back on the program!


Putting It All Together

Just so you can see what I mean, here's what a typical day could look like, doing cardio first thing in the morning, then lifting later in the day.

*Approximate totals, 1,416 calories, 163 grams of protein, 74 grams of carbs, 52 grams fat. These totals do not include the calories in Surge.


Conclusion

So I'm officially out of the closet! I admit it: cardio works.

People often ask me what's more important when it comes to fat loss and obtaining a lean physique. They ask me to single one thing out — diet, cardio, lifting, or supplements. The truth is, I can't single one thing out. Everything works together. Nothing works by itself.

No, you don't have to follow all these rules; you can just look average. Just do what average people do: "wing" your diet and training and be too cheap to buy supplements.

The rules above are what separate "us" from "them." Don't be average.

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