Cardio Workouts Do Your Cardio Workouts Measure Up?

Do You Really Need "Cardio" Workouts?

Are cardio workouts or weight training more effective for losing fat...

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

In this article, I have an intriguing discussion about cardio workouts, which will hopefully get you thinking differently, and trying new things.

You may know I've been called the anti-cardio guy before, but this week I'm back posing the question to you... Do you really need cardio training to get lean and in great shape? By the way, you'll see in a minute that I'm not really "anti-cardio", just "anti traditional cardio".

Most fitness buffs, weekend warriors, or anyone trying to get in shape or lose body fat, consider it a fact that they need "cardio" exercise to accomplish these goals. They would never even question it.

However, I'm not only questioning it, I'm going to refute it! In fact, you may be surprised to know that some of the leanest and meanest people I know (men and women), NEVER do any type of normal or traditional cardio. And I've spent over 15 years working out in various gyms, and hanging out with athletes of all sorts, so I've seen it all.

I will say that there can be a place for low-moderate level cardio for really overweight or deconditioned people, but even in those cases, there can be more effective methods.

But what exactly is "cardio"?

Most people would consider cardio to be pumping away mindlessly on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, or coasting on an elliptical machine, while watching the TV screen at their state of the art gym. This is what I call "traditional cardio". Hmmm, no wonder the majority of people get bored with their workouts and give up after a couple months without seeing results.

But if you look closer, "cardio" exercise can be considered any type of exercise or activity that strengthens the cardiovascular system. I'm not going to get into anything technical like increasing your VO2 max or anything like that. To keep it simple, if it gets your heart pumpin, and gets you huffin and puffin, it's cardio. I don't care if you're holding dumbbells or a barbell and everyone calls it a weight training exercise...it's still conditioning your heart.

Let's take a look at a couple examples. Take a barbell (or dumbbell, or kettlebell) clean & press for example, which involves lifting a barbell from the floor up to shoulders, then push pressing overhead. And listen up ladies, because even though this is usually seen as a manly exercise, it doesn't matter if you're not lifting 250 lbs; if 45 lbs is challenging to you, then you will still benefit just as much.

At first glance, most people think of the barbell C&P only as a weight training exercise or strength exercise. However, I challenge you to do a hard set of around 10-15 reps on the C&P. If you used a challenging enough weight, what you'll find is that your heart rate is probably up to about 80-90% of your recommended max, and you are huffing and puffing like you just ran a 100-meter sprint (which by the way, sprinting kicks the crap out of jogging any day if you want the easiest way to lose the flab).

Try the same thing for a set of 20 reps of one-arm snatches or swings with each arm with a kettlebell or dumbbell, and tell me your legs aren't burning, heart racing, and you're gasping for breath. How about trying 5 minutes straight of bodyweight squats, lunges, and pushups with very little rest. Again, notice your heart pounding, sweat pouring off of you, and chest heaving for breaths!

Try and tell me you're not conditioning your heart with this style of training! Conventional thinking says that these are weight training or strength training exercises. However, they are fullfilling your cardio workout needs as well (saving you time!).

Not only do you save time, but you strengthen and condition almost every muscle in your entire body with these full body exercises if you do them with enough intensity...something that can't be said for that boring stationary bike ride or treadmill jaunt while reading or watching TV.

Reading or watching TV while you workout is a joke!

Seriously, if you can read or watch TV while doing any exercise, you're not concentrating enough on what you're doing, plus you're probably not working out hard enough to see any real results.

Lean Muscle Gains And Rock Hard Abs

So how many more hours this week, month and year are you going to spend on that treadmill? Is this really the best way to lose stomach fat and get rock hard abs? Gain lean muscle, be more energetic and healthier? No! You need to use total body exercises in short but intense workouts. You are spending and wasting way to much time!

The old ideas about spending countless hours week in and week out with long cardio workouts on a machine are proven to be ineffective. Do you want to add some lean muscle (remember the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism)? Do you want to lose stomach fat and get rock hard abs?

Total Body Exercises Should Be 90% of Your Workouts:

This is the most effective way to workout whether your looking to lose stomach fat, get rock hard abs or build your biceps. Let's make no mistake here hard work is required, extreme fitness demands that your workouts are intense. Total body exercises build muscle and lose fat faster.

Total body exercises work your whole body, get in workout and get done plus shorter workouts prevent burnout which is inevitable with those marathon cardio sessions.

So if you are ready to lose stomach fat, have rock hard abs, be stronger, more energetic and healthier, here is all there is to know about total body exercises:

Total body exercises saves time. The biggest plus is having to go to the gym less; 3 total body workouts a week (if your training at maximum intensity) will do the trick.

Your weight training workouts should be done in 45 minutes or less. That's just three to four hours per week. With total body workouts, it is all about the quality of exercise you do and not the quantity, or the amount of time.

Total body weight training workouts should be done three times per week. Add in 1-2 interval training workouts on your off days.

The Light Weight High Rep Myth:

In your weight training use heavy weight and low reps (4-8). Another falacy is using light weights and high reps. This type of training does not burn fat at a higher rate. You want to lose stomach fat and get rock hard abs? Use heavy weights and keep your rest periods short.

3 - 5 total body exercises are enough per workout. As an example:

1A) deadlifts
1B) Incline Dumbbell Press

2A) Clean and Press
2B) Burpees

Keep workouts short. Keep your rest between exercises short. Weight training affects the natural homones of the body connected to muscle building and fat loss.

Let me see shorter workouts that are proven more effective for muscle gains or fat loss seem's pretty much a no brainer. Marathon hour plus workouts or total body workouts of 45minutes or less that get you quicker and better results. I know what I chose how about you?

You can do this workout based on time blocks, meaning set a timer for 15-20 minutes(shorter if your a beginner) see how many reps you get in the time frame.