Today’s #ThursdayQandA comes from a Rockaholic in his 40’s looking to burn fat so he can be confident taking his shirt off this summer. He asked specifically about cardio. I’m waiting to hear back on if there will be strength training involved, what his nutrition looks like, and if he has any past injuries to consider. I’m going to send him this:
Honestly dude, cardio isn’t the best way to burn fat. That happens mostly through nutrition, so check out the #NutritionTipTuesday archives for my thoughts there. Strength training is also proven to be more effective for burning fat than cardio, since your new muscles mass will boost your metabolism 24 hours a day, whereas an hour on the treadmill won’t even burn the amount of calories in a cheeseburger. Here’s how to set up a routine.
I want to start there because your goals are more important than your method of achieving them.
As for cardio, I love it. Walks, runs, and hikes are as helpful for my mind and spirit as they are for my body. Physically, the biggest benefit of cardio is that it is good for, well, your heart. Obviously your heart is super important, which makes cardio super important (just like your goals!), but cardio is not a magic weight loss approach. It can still help, though.
There are two types of cardio: steady or interval. Steady is doing the same thing at the same intensity for a long time. This is best left for activities you enjoy like the aforementioned walks, runs, and hikes in my case. Those are fun for me. They make great habits and hobbies, but probably shouldn’t be the bulk of a fat-burning strategy. Improving your nutrition should be. Steady cardio is still a great addition, and many people prefer it to the more-effective intervals.
Intervals are where you go at a nice relaxed pace for a minute and a half, then go ALL-OUT (or close to it) for thirty seconds, then go back to the relaxed pace for a minute and a half, then go ALL-OUT (or close to it) for another thirty seconds. Repeat for X amount of times. This approach gets real brutal real quick- it’s amazing how long 30 seconds feels compared to how short the 90 of rest just were! This is the most effective form of cardio to burn fat. It’s also super efficient, as 5 rounds will only take 10 minutes! I'd recommend of a 5 minute steady session beforehand to warm up.
If I had it my way, you’d be getting plenty of protein and vegetables, strength training 2+ times a week, interval training 1-2x a week, and doing any forms of steady cardio that you ENJOY! It’s not about my way though, it’s about yours. I hope this helps you find it.
Have fun and do your best,