Why Cardio Doesn't Work for Fat Loss
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Cardio exercise is such a strange thing. In theory, it should work
so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has
tried it knows, the practicality of it just doesn't add up.
After all, some men and women do cardio 6 hours, 9 hours, or more per week, and still have belly fat to burn. On the other hand, it works just fine for others.
British researchers wanted to get more insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren't previously exercising.
(Reference: International Journal of Obesity 32: 177-184, 2008).
Subjects exercised 5 times per week for 12 weeks. That's a lot of
exercise, but it helped the subjects lose an average of 8.2 pounds, which is great - I was positively surprised by the results.
So cardio will work for some people, however, in my experience, it works best in young men, who need the help the least!
Back to the study, the variance in fat loss between individuals was huge. Check this out...
The best subject lost a staggering 32.3 pounds in 12 weeks, while the worst subject actually GAINED 3.74 pounds.
The scientists think they know where things went sour. They
classified the subjects into 2 groups, called the "Compensators"
and the "Non-compensators".
The Compensators were hungrier, and as a result consumed an extra 268 calories per day, all but wiping out their cardio efforts.
Therefore, the Compensators lost the least amount of weight, and scientists believe that was due to the huge "compensatory" increase in appetite experienced by this group.
Does your appetite increase when you do slow cardio? If it does,
research shows it will ruin your cardio efforts.
So if your cardio program is not working for you, check your
appetite and calorie intake to see if you are "compensating" for
your efforts. If you are, you might be better off using a program
of high-intensity resistance and interval training (i.e. Turbulence Training) for your weight loss efforts.
As Australian Professor Steve Boucher has shown in research,
interval training increases hormones called catecholamines. And
increased catecholamines can reduce appetite, among other fat-
burning benefits.
In the real world, few people lose 33 pounds after 12 weeks of
cardio. Heck, few even achieve an average weight loss of 8 pounds with aerobic exercise.
So again, check your appetite, and consider giving high-intensity
exercise a go for your next workout program.
Beat the curse of cardio with high-intensity Turbulence Training.
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author
Learn about the "Dark Side of Cardio" in the free report from Craig Ballantyne at www.TurbulenceTraining.com. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Politically Incorrect Holiday Fat Loss Tips
Politically Incorrect Holiday Fat Loss Tips by Craig Ballantyne
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
I was at a big event last week and was reminded how
important it is to have strategies for this season of high-calorie
parties and busy schedules. But I get ticked off by the tired old
suggestions you find on the Internet or in magazines like Woman's World.
Often the suggestions are lack any substance, because the writers don't want to imply you actually have to make a sacrifice to succeed. They make fat loss sound easy, as if all you had to do was park at the far end of the parking lot and you'd burn all the
calories from 5 shortbread cookies.
Well it doesn't work that way...So here are my politically
incorrect, unique Turbulence Training strategies to help you keep off the holiday pounds.
By the way, I "borrowed" a few ideas from contestants in my
Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. The Transformation is rocking with social support and success stories right now, even while the rest of the world struggles with weight gain, these TT users are losing fat over the holidays.
Click here to get started with Turbulence Training for Fat Loss:
==> http://www.turbulencetraining.com
Strategy #1 - Green Tea & Almonds
One of the most common tips you'll hear is to "fill up" before you
go to a party where there will be lots of goodies.
Unfortunately, most people I talk to have no luck with this tip.
Most people still go to a party and eat everything in sight.
But recently TT users have told me that having a cup of Green Tea and one ounce of almonds has helped them avoid holiday cravings better than anything ever before.
The fiber from the almonds reduces appetite while the small amount of caffeine from the Green Tea seems to increase mental alertness and keep you "energized" at the party.
Hopefully that might work for you...
Strategy #2 - Don't waste your time on any fancy cardio programs
Listen, the bottom line over the holiday season is that your success depends almost entirely on your nutrition.
You can't expect to hit the cardio confessional and burn off last
night's 2000 calorie smorgasboard. That's a 4-hour workout. Instead, don't get into that situation in the first place.
Here are more nutrition tips:
- Focus on portion control (and if you have no discipline, forget
even trying to eat just one)
- Nix all drinks mixed with calorie-containing beverages, or better yet, just stop getting drunk. Period.
- Write down everything you eat to identify your problem spots. Then do whatever you need to do to eliminate your weaknesses. If you don't record your nutrition, chances are you'll miss big
opportunities to change your diet and lose fat.
Strategy #3 - Take care of yourself first.
My friend Holly Rigsby (of http://www.fityummymummy.com) is always reminding busy moms to take care of themselves first, and I think that suggestion applies at this time of year to everyone.
So take a deep breath. Ask yourself as you're running around to
please everyone else, "Have you set aside time for yourself"
Be selfish. Make sure you have had some exercise time, some good nutrition, and some rest before overextending yourself and doing too much for other people when you haven't taken care of yourself and your goals first.
Strategy #4 - Get on a roll
This one comes from a TT Transformation contestant who is too busy losing fat to get off track over the holidays.
Don't procrastinate till January 1st. Get started now. Dozens of
men and women are doing their Turbulence Training Transformations right now - through the heart of the holiday season.
They aren't waiting for Jan. 1st to show up. They are taking
control now, and getting on a roll, and not letting anything (from
work parties to peer pressure) get in their way.
Strategy #5 - Exercise in short bursts whenever you can
Don't be afraid to dance at your Christmas party. Don't worry, there is bound to be at least one worse dancer than you out on the floor. Have fun and get down!
On a more serious note, here's how to avoid falling off the fitness
program during the busy holiday season.
Get your butt out of bed 15 minutes early so you can have 3 minutes to wake up and 12 minutes to do the December 2007 Turbulence Training 12-Minute Workouts.
Get this workout as part of your bonuses when you start using
Turbulence Training today: http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Stay healthy and fit over the holidays,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author
Learn about the "Dark Side of Cardio" in the free report from Craig Ballantyne at www.TurbulenceTraining.com. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.squidoo.com/Turbulence-Training-Ebook-Review
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
I was at a big event last week and was reminded how
important it is to have strategies for this season of high-calorie
parties and busy schedules. But I get ticked off by the tired old
suggestions you find on the Internet or in magazines like Woman's World.
Often the suggestions are lack any substance, because the writers don't want to imply you actually have to make a sacrifice to succeed. They make fat loss sound easy, as if all you had to do was park at the far end of the parking lot and you'd burn all the
calories from 5 shortbread cookies.
Well it doesn't work that way...So here are my politically
incorrect, unique Turbulence Training strategies to help you keep off the holiday pounds.
By the way, I "borrowed" a few ideas from contestants in my
Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. The Transformation is rocking with social support and success stories right now, even while the rest of the world struggles with weight gain, these TT users are losing fat over the holidays.
Click here to get started with Turbulence Training for Fat Loss:
==> http://www.turbulencetraining.com
Strategy #1 - Green Tea & Almonds
One of the most common tips you'll hear is to "fill up" before you
go to a party where there will be lots of goodies.
Unfortunately, most people I talk to have no luck with this tip.
Most people still go to a party and eat everything in sight.
But recently TT users have told me that having a cup of Green Tea and one ounce of almonds has helped them avoid holiday cravings better than anything ever before.
The fiber from the almonds reduces appetite while the small amount of caffeine from the Green Tea seems to increase mental alertness and keep you "energized" at the party.
Hopefully that might work for you...
Strategy #2 - Don't waste your time on any fancy cardio programs
Listen, the bottom line over the holiday season is that your success depends almost entirely on your nutrition.
You can't expect to hit the cardio confessional and burn off last
night's 2000 calorie smorgasboard. That's a 4-hour workout. Instead, don't get into that situation in the first place.
Here are more nutrition tips:
- Focus on portion control (and if you have no discipline, forget
even trying to eat just one)
- Nix all drinks mixed with calorie-containing beverages, or better yet, just stop getting drunk. Period.
- Write down everything you eat to identify your problem spots. Then do whatever you need to do to eliminate your weaknesses. If you don't record your nutrition, chances are you'll miss big
opportunities to change your diet and lose fat.
Strategy #3 - Take care of yourself first.
My friend Holly Rigsby (of http://www.fityummymummy.com) is always reminding busy moms to take care of themselves first, and I think that suggestion applies at this time of year to everyone.
So take a deep breath. Ask yourself as you're running around to
please everyone else, "Have you set aside time for yourself"
Be selfish. Make sure you have had some exercise time, some good nutrition, and some rest before overextending yourself and doing too much for other people when you haven't taken care of yourself and your goals first.
Strategy #4 - Get on a roll
This one comes from a TT Transformation contestant who is too busy losing fat to get off track over the holidays.
Don't procrastinate till January 1st. Get started now. Dozens of
men and women are doing their Turbulence Training Transformations right now - through the heart of the holiday season.
They aren't waiting for Jan. 1st to show up. They are taking
control now, and getting on a roll, and not letting anything (from
work parties to peer pressure) get in their way.
Strategy #5 - Exercise in short bursts whenever you can
Don't be afraid to dance at your Christmas party. Don't worry, there is bound to be at least one worse dancer than you out on the floor. Have fun and get down!
On a more serious note, here's how to avoid falling off the fitness
program during the busy holiday season.
Get your butt out of bed 15 minutes early so you can have 3 minutes to wake up and 12 minutes to do the December 2007 Turbulence Training 12-Minute Workouts.
Get this workout as part of your bonuses when you start using
Turbulence Training today: http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Stay healthy and fit over the holidays,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author
Learn about the "Dark Side of Cardio" in the free report from Craig Ballantyne at www.TurbulenceTraining.com. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.squidoo.com/Turbulence-Training-Ebook-Review
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