What kind of cardio workout do you do? I just read this blog from Holly Rigsby, the author of Fit Yummy Mummy, and found it VERY interesting! I was just having this conversation with a close friend of mine the other day, and felt lead to share this post with you. Check it out, and let me know what you think!
Written by:
Holly Rigsby
Banking your results on the calories burned on a treadmill?
“Holly, It is hard for me to reconcile that when I was doing a longer cardio workout it would say I burned 500 calories and now when I do the short burst intervals for 15 minutes it says I only burned 160 calories. A few people told me the treadmill reading is wrong anyway. What do you think?”
Thanks, K
Great question!
When Fat Loss is your goal, your concern and focus needs to lie in boosting your metabolism so your body burns more calories 24-7 – not just during the time you are “doing cardio”.
A lot of women fall prey to the number of calories burned on a treadmill for it is immediate feedback…immediate gratification that they are making progress – and their efforts on cardio will erase the # of calories they indulged in the day before.
Well this number can be off by as much as 30% as it does not account for several variable….such as:
~ your body fat percentage. A person who has a higher percentage of body fat will usually burn less calories than a person with more muscle mass.
~ your fitness level. If you’re new to an activity, you’ll usually burn more calories than a fit person doing the same activity.
To further the issue, the typical “Cardio for Fat Loss” mindset is:
The more calories I burn, the faster I will lose weight, the more weight I will lose.
That is great, however, immediate calorie burn is not what makes a difference on your body’s ability to burn more fat and calories all day long.
The elevated calorie burn you see on a treadmill diminishes and goes back to “normal” shortly after the cardio session ends.
This means your body is burning less overall calories.
Consequences of Long Duration Cardio
Plus, the longer you “do” cardio, the more you put your body at risk of taking energy from or burning lean muscle.
This is NOT good if Fat Loss is your goal.
Muscle is the foundation of your calorie burn…the more lean muscle you have – the more calories you burn – all day, all night….sitting down, standing up, sleeping, watching TV….not just when you are exercising.
So in essence – women find themselves doing more and more cardio based on the # of calories burned and the fact that they end up having to do more and more since the entire process ends up backfiring and slowing down their metabolism.
It is very common for women to end up doing long bouts of cardio just to maintain a body they are not happy with, feeling nothing works and there is no other option.
This is why a balanced fitness program is a must.
Not only must you have a concern for supportive nutrition but also a fitness plan that addresses how much lean muscle your body holds.
Resistance Training is the heart of a true fat loss program for it addresses how many calories your body burns 24-7. Following a progressively challenging resistance training workout plan increases your lean muscle and the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn – and the LESS Cardio you will have to do.
Interval Training
Short burst intervals are not going to show a huge increase in calories while you perform them.
Take a look at my example from yesterday:
Yep – after 13 super intense and sweaty minutes – I only burned 112 calories!
If this was my only measure of success – can you see how I could quickly feel defeated and NOT want to stick with this type of cardio plan?
I do not fret!
Due to the intensity and nature of this intervals workout, I know my metabolism will continue to stay elevated for 24-36 hours afterward.
Traditional cardio – while yes has some benefits – will not give you this benefit nor the advantage to faster and more effective fat loss.
Super Busy?
Finding it hard to fit your workouts in?
Then why would anyone choose to spend the precious time the do have “doing cardio”?
Intervals are short!
As busy women, we just do not have the TIME to spend hours every week on the treadmill. Short burst intervals not only allow you to use your time more effectively, but also BOOST your Metabolism for there is no risk of the loss of lean muscle from long cardio sessions.
So my advice is to not base your success around this feature on the treadmill.
You will get results simply by following a balanced resistance training program that incorporates intervals – instead of hours of cardio!
In need of a workout plan that delivers more results in less time? The Fit Yummy Mummy Fat Loss System maps it all out for you – helping you focus your cardio sessions on short, but intense intervals to help you see faster fat loss results.
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