Fat Loss and Cardio Tips
By Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
MsFit
In years of dealing with clients in real life and online, one thing holds true for most all and that’s a desire to lose fat. Along with outcry of fat loss comes a whole host of controversy of how to properly and effectively achieve it.
With the vast amount of mixed information available about fat loss and cardio, how do you know what to do, what to believe, and what to invest your time in? You can find information on everything from cardio burns fat to cardio is not necessary for fat loss. Some fitness trainers worship cardio like it’s a God and others run from it like the plague.
How is someone new to the sport of fitness able to make sense of any of this?
So, the million dollar question is: Do you need cardio to lose fat?
Okay, this is a two-fold answer, but for most of the people the answer will be yes; you do need to engage in cardio to prompt fat loss.
The gifted few who may not need cardio to burn fat are those who are genetically gifted, and those who have eaten super clean for the majority of their life to where they trained their metabolism to use food as either energy or building properties.
For the rest of us, cardio will need to be a factor in a fat loss regimen.
The tricky part is implementing cardio so it’s an effective fat burner.
When: When to do cardio is another question that has been beaten to death. I find that some people can pick apart a cardio program and make it more confusing than it needs to be.
On the basic level, do cardio when it’s convenient for you.
Another option is, if you can do fasted cardio then do so. Fasted cardio is an effective fat burner. NOW, this is true as long as you are not under eating. If you are feeding your body the right amount of nutrients of quality it needs each day for energy and building, then fasted cardio will not burn muscle. However, under eating and doing fasted cardio will burn muscle and not fat.
A different option is cardio after weight training. If you have to group your cardio and training sessions together, then do your cardio after weight training so you can utilize your glycogen stores (weight training fuel stores) for your workout.
Finally, if none of the above fit into your schedule, then it’s perfectly fine to split cardio and weight training into two separate sessions in the day, such as fasted cardio in the morning and resistance training in the evening.
Discover additional information how to do fasted cardio and spare muscle loss!
How Much: An effective fat-loss cardio session simply needs to be short, yet intense. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), popularized by Bill Phillips, has been proven to be effective.
HIIT is a cardio program designed to improve cardio performance and fat loss. HIIT combines moderate and high intensity cardio levels into one program, allowing you to alternate in such a way that boosts your metabolism and burn fat.
Another effective fat-loss cardio format is Guerilla Cardio. Guerilla Cardio is an 8 week cardio program that is very high intensity, in which you use 100% all out intensity for a full 4 minutes. That’s it. The cardio workout itself is just 4 minutes.
After a 4 minute warm-up, crank out 20 second all out sprints with 10 seconds of rest and repeat 7 more times, and wrap it up with a 4 minute cool-down. This high intensity back and forth method will boost your metabolism, improve cardiovascular fitness, and literally melt fat off of your body.
Lean how to keep cardio out of a rut and always effective for fat loss
Type: The type of cardio you choose should be fun. If you are a runner, then run. If you are a swimmer, then swim. Your cardio options are not limited.
If you don’t find any type of cardio fun, then working on the treadmill, elliptical, or bike can possibly change that by challenging you. Cardio equipment allows you to monitor and control your speed and change your intensity and levels.
Fat Loss and Cardio Tips Conclusion
There is no real right or wrong answer to cardio and fat loss. They all have their benefits and drawbacks. They key is in being consistent with one format and monitor your progress. When you find you are at a standstill, make a change.
In all, it’s not just the effects of cardio on fat loss but it’s what you do each day which affects what is burned during cardio. If you continually under eat and overtrain, then yes, you will burn muscle doing cardio fasted.
If you continually eat food of quality in the proper amounts and keep your cardio balanced, then fasted cardio is a great way for you to achieve your fat-loss goals.The quality of your lifestyle has a greater impact than just cardio itself.
Sculpt the body of your dreams!
Online Personal Training
Are you getting bored with your fitness program?
Are you frustrated with not making any progress?
Are you having trouble staying consistent with your fitness program?
Are you unsure of how to construct a proper eating and exercise program?
If you answered yes to any one of the above questions, then online personal training is for you! Whether you need assistance with getting an exercise routine started or looking for suggestions on how to improve your current workout regimen, online personal training will make the difference in how successful your program is.
Date |
Weight |
BF% |
Lbs fat |
Lbs muscle |
| 12/28/06 |
119 |
25 |
30 |
89 |
| 1/6/07 |
118 |
24 |
28 |
92 |
| 1/14/07 |
119 |
22.6 |
27 |
92 |
| 1/21/07 |
116 |
22 |
26 |
90 |
| 1/29/07 |
117 |
22 |
26 |
91 |
| 2/5/07 |
116 |
20.4 |
24 |
92 |
| 2/12/07 |
116 |
20 |
23 |
93 |
In 6 weeks this female client lost 5% body fat, 7 pounds of solid fat and gained 4 pounds of lean muscle mass, transforming her body and lifestyle.
Working with an online personal trainer can help you:
|
Become a more consistent exerciser |
|
Eat a more healthy diet |
|
Provide better and quicker results |
|
Make you accountable |
|
Allow you to get the most out of each workout. |
Sign-up for your online personal training program today and get the body YOU deserve!
IMMEDIATE ATTENTION REQUIRED!
There is a crisis in health freedom.
On April 30, 2007 the FDA will close the public comment period on a 'Guidance' which will classify every alternative practice as medicine so that only licensed physicians can carry out the procedure AND vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc., will suddenly become 'untested drugs' which will be forbidden!
Bad? Really Bad! But public outcry can stop this assault on your health and your freedom.
Spread the word! Tell everyone in your 'Circle of Influence,' professionals, alternative practitioners, nutrient and herb companies, everyone!
Let them know how important their participation is to make sure the FDA backs off from this repressive course.
Please share this link with them and urge them to take action: http://tinyurl.com/2u7ghc
Yours in health and freedom of choice,
Dr. Robert O. Young
If you value your freedom and right of choice, then you will do your part and fill in your information and take a stand and be heard. If you fail to take action, you could lose your freedom to take vitamins, minerals, and herbs, the basic components of life, healthy, and vitality.
Fitfully Yours,
Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
aka: MsFit
**The contents of this newsletter should not be considered as medical advice. You should consult a physician before starting a fitness program.
This newsletter is protected by copyright, 2007, Karen Sessions, All rights reserved. You may use this newsletter in your e-zine or website as long as the copyright and links remain intact.**