Last week’s post about high intensity interval training versus steady state training produced more emails, blog comments and web hits than any newsletter so far this year. Obviously, there is a lot of interest in cardio training and how to do it right. Sadly, most people are still doing 2 things terribly wrong and it’s killing their results…
As I thought about reviewing the newest scientific study from Australia this week, or explaining the post workout “afterburn effect” (EPOC) that comes from intense formsof cardio, it dawned on me to backtrack, and ask…
“WHY are people still confused about fat burning cardio in the first place when the solution is drop dead simple, common sense and right in front of our noses?”
I thought to myself,
“if I could help remove the SOURCE ofthe confusion, then regardless of which cardio program youchoose, every decision and action that emerges from yournew understanding would be more productive right?”
RIGHT!
As best as I can figure, there are two major reasonswhy people are still mucking up their cardio programsfor fat loss.
REASON #1 NOT ENOUGH FOCUS ON TOTAL CALORIES BURNED
Most people aren’t burning enough darn calories.
Why? well, I guess they are too busy worrying about the”proper” type of exericse (which machine or activity), the “optimal” mode (steady state or intervals), the “perfect” ratio of intervals, or the “best” duration.
Some people coast along on the treadmill at 2.3 miles perhour or some similar super-slow pace and they thinkthat just by hitting a TIME goal, such as 45 or 60 minutes, thatwith “X” duration completed, they are assured to get the results they want.
On the other extreme, we have folks who have found or createdsome mega-intense, super-duper short training protocol likethe “4-minute wonder workout from Japan.” Just because the workout is high in intensity and it is performed in intervals, they too think they are assured to get the results they want.
What’s missing in both cases is the realization that total fat loss is a function of total calories burned (assuming you don’t blow your diet, of course).
AND…
Total calories burned is a product of INTENSITY times DURATION,not intensity OR duration.
Too much focus on one variable at the exclusion of the othercan lead to a less than optimal total calorie burn and disappointingresults. And remember, intensity and duration are *variables*not absolutes! (“Variable” means you can change them… evenif your “guru” sez you can’t!)
when you understand the relationship and interplay betweenINTENSITY X DURATION you will find a “SWEET SPOT” where theproduct of those variables produces the maximal calorieburn and maximum fat loss, based on your current healthcondition and your need for time efficiency.
REASON #2: TOO MUCH FOCUS ON WHAT TYPE OF CALORIES BURNED
There is one whopper of a mistakethat is still KILLING most people’s cardio programs and that is…
Way too much focus on WHAT you are burning during the workout -fats or carbohydrates – also known as “substrate utilization.”
This idea comes from the notorious “fat burning zone” myth whichactually tells people to exercise SLOWER and LESS intenselyto burn more fat.
Hold on a minute. Pop quiz. Which workout burns more calories?
(A) A 30 minute leisurely stroll through the park
(B) A 30 minute, sweat-pouring, heart-pounding run?
Like, DUH!
And yet we have trainers, authors and infomercial gurus STILL telling us we have toslow down if we want to burn more fat??? Bizarre.
The reason people still buy it is because the “fat burningzone” myth sounds so plausible because of two little science facts:
- The higher your intensity, the more carbs you burn during the workout
- The lower your intensity, the more fat you burn during the workout
And thats the problem. You should be focusing on total calories and total fat burned during the workout and all day long, not just what type or percentage of fuel you are burning during the workout.
It’s not that fat oxidation doesn’t matter, but what if you have a high percentage of fat oxidation but an extremely low number of calories burned?
If you really want to be in the “fat burn zone,” you could sit onyour couch all day long and that will keep you there quitenicely because “couch sitting” is a really low intensity(“fat-burning”) activity.
(Of course, “couch sitting” only burns 37 calories per half hour…)
HERE’S THE FAT-BURNING SOLUTION!
In both cases, the solution to burning more fat is drop deadsimple: Focus your attention on how you can burn more TOTALcalories during your workout and all day long.
If you want to burn more fat, burn more calories and you cando that by manipulating ANY of the variables : intensity,duration and also frequency.
If you build your training program around this concept, youwill be on the right track almost every time.
BUT WAIT – THERE IS MORE TO IT…
Naturally, we could argue that it’s not quitethis simple and that there are hundreds of other reasonswhy your cardio program might not be working… and I wouldagree, of course. But on the exercise side, the ideas aboveshould be foremost in your mind.
On the nutrition side, you have to get your act together there too.
For example, many people increase their food intake at thesame time as they start a cardio training program, therebyputting back every calorie they just burned during the workout!Then some of them have the nerve to say, “SEE, cardio doesnt work!”
Incidentally, this is the most likely reason that a few studies show that adding cardio or aerobic training to a diet “did not improve fat loss”: It’s not because the cardio didn’t work, it was because the researchers didnt control for diet and the subjects ate more!!
It should go without saying that nutrition is the foundationon which every fat loss program is built.
Choose the combination of type, intensity, duration and frequencythat suits your lifestyle and preferences the best, and WORK THE VARIABLES to get the fat loss results you want, but whichever cardio program you choose, remember that a solid fat burning nutrition program, such as Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle is necessary to help you make the most of it.
Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com
If you’re trying to run at a good intensity (on a treadmill) of say 6.5 – 7.0 mph, but you can only make it for twenty minutes…should you lower the intensity so you can make the 30 minutes?Ultimately my question is does the time length outweigh the intensity in some cases? Is 30 minutes at 5.5 better?Maybe it’s all trial and error.
Jason, the results might be similar either way although there are advantages to going the higher intensity route in terms of boosting metabolism andobviously for time efficiency. The answer is always to let your results dictate your aproach. Its not about the time or intensity per se. Its about the outcome. Did you get the result you wanted? Is your primary goal fat loss? if so, is your body fat dropping every week with your 20 minutes at 7 mph? If so, why change anything. If not, then you are in energy balance and “whats better” is to burn more calories – whichever way you choose.To create or increase a calorie deficit, you can burn more calories by increasing duration at the same speed, or increaseing intensity at the same duration, or increasing both if possible.OR.. if you prefer, you change nothing in your workout and you decrease caloric intakethe point is to burn more calories or take in fewer calories to give yourself a deficit, and whether you do that or not depends on your weekly body composition results. How you do that (add time or speed) is often a matter of your need for time efficiency and even personal preference. More than one way to ‘skin a cat’ and my ENTIRE program is based on that http://www.burnthefat.comYes it is trial and error in one respect, but not in a random sense, more like a feedback loop sense where you set a goal, create an action plan, follow your action plan, measure results, if you got the result you wanted you dont change. If you didnt get the result you wanted you change one of the many variables- increase caloric expenditure via intensity/duration/frequency and or decrease caloric intake from food.
Tom, I would like to thank you for the energy and enthusiasm you put into what you do! You make this all so simple and straight-forward for us morons! It’s like gestalt when I read your newsletters: wow, it’s that simple, why didn’t I think of that before?! So thanks so much!I have a question for you on this. I have been focusing soley on calories in and calories burned now for about a month or so and the results are ground-breaking for me. I still watch what I eat and in what proportion of protein, fat and carbs but I no longer worry, like you said whether I am burning fat or carbs! How stupid can we be!But the one area I still don’t understand is recuperation. My major workouts are at night (I guess like most people) because of my schedule. Sometimes, if I had pushed the intensity the night before, I feel sluggish during the day, and it feels like my metabolism has slowed down. Then I start worrying that one night of higher intensity, while it burned more calories, leads to burning less calories the next day! Helpppp!!What can you recommend on or give insight into this?Well, thanks in advance! And thanks so much for doing what you do!Patrick
Hello-I recently had a metabolic test done on a treadmill at my gym and was told that my Anaerobic Threshold is 185 but when I’m in a cycle class or on a bike, it would be about 10 beats lower. They tell everyone this as if it is an accepted exercise “truth” but when I asked why, they couldn’t explain other than to say that running is weight bearing whereas cycling is not. Aside from the fact that the trainers at my gym need some more education, can you explain why the AT difference might be true??? Is one’s AT different for EVERY activity?? Thanks. Shari
Patrick, thanks for your post. Be sure to fuel your workouts with adequate nutrition, especially when we’re talking about weight training and high intensity cardio training. If youre training with intensity, your metabolism will remain elevated unless your calories are far too low. See my interview in right hand side bar, with john berardi regarding the g flux or energy flux concept of eat more burn more. If you eat less and try to go overboard on aerobics/cardio at the same time that could potentially decrease metabolism and hurt your recovery and even cause loss of LBMtrain hard, expect success!tom
Um, So it comes down to this: FIT= Frequency, Intensity, and Time. You can arrange each element any way that suits you.You can be fit. But if at the end of the equation you do not smile, then it will not work long term. So start with the equation another way:Smile= …. Whatever you do you to make you pleased with yourself without the apbrobation of others will always be sufficient.
Shari,I am a Certified Athletic Trainer who has been working with college athletes for almost ten years. I can provide an answer to your question. I agree that your personal trainers could use some more education, because they only provided you with a partial truth. It is true that your anaerobic Threshold can be lower when performing certain types of aerobic exercise. Upright biking does not typically result in this effect, but recumbent biking or swimming may, due to the position of your body. When your body is more horizontal, the heart’s stroke volume (how much blood is pumped with each pump by volume) tends to increase. As such, the same volume of blood can be pumped through your blood vessels with fewer beats per minute. Hence, the difference in threshold. There are theories to explain why this happens including the effect of gravity on circulation, but none have been scientifically verified. Unless you are training to be an elite swimmer, bicyclist, or distance runner, I wouldn’t worry much about this number regardless of how much emphasis is being placed on anaerobic threshold by your personal trainer.
Thanks for todays info. We tend to forget that even though there is always new information and new techniques The simple basics work the best.Does anyone have any comments on body fat percentages in older women? I have been working out for a several years, have a resonabley good diet (110+g protein per day and 1200-1500 calories), but I can’t seem to get that body fat below the low 20’s. I only weigh about 115 and have built up some good muscle, but the fat just doesn’t want to drop.
Hi,You can maybe make a picture graph of intensity, time and calories burned, that would be so useful! :) I too dislike the sloth and even more so, the people who run 5 minutes then walk for 10 minutes and continue this cycle at least 3 times, surely its not efficient way of burning calories this way and especially when the gym is busy they should just let someone else use it! It saddens me that a lot of people don’t do any research before going to the gym and expect somehow to get fit! They should all read your blog!I run at a consistent pace of 5 minutes per km for around 20 to 25 minutes, tell me what i can do to run for a longer time?! I always end up stopping because I just run out of energy and get more tired, i always sweat too much (and i wear glasses) if i drink lots of water beforehand, and also i dont do warmup or cooldown. also would running outdoors be better than treadmill for me? do u have any tips? thanks for reading!
Dave – thanks for your post. the best advice I can give you is to look at your weekly results. Are you working on fat loss? Is your body fat going down? If not, then you adjust your cardio and or nutrition and go back at it for another week. thats the “feedback loop” process. You can get a pretty effective workout in 20 to 25 minutes, so the question is “do you need to do more?” let your results guide youAs for the folks running for 5 then walking for 10, lets not be too hard on them, they may not be ready for non stop running yet. Also, some people simply prefer to walk. part of my point in my article today was that you can choose to manipulate any of the variables – duration, frequency and or intensity. Short and intense is more time efficient and arguably straight up more effective, but walking is great too, just takes longer to burn the calories. each has its place at the right time, in the right context.In either case, the beginner who is walking or the more advanced person who is running and wants to run more, its all about progression. Adding just a little bit more time and a little bit more distance slowly, gradually, but surely, the same way we bodybuilders add a little more weight on the bar and an extra rep or two at a time…if youre simply “bonking’ due to energy, then check your nutrition!best regards
Dear Tom,First, sorry for my English; I’m fine to read, but not in writing… I really LOVE your book and I lost 12 pounds since january by following your advices. I’m 100 lbs at 13% BF, while eating plenty of carbs, 5 times a day. Now I’m reajusting my intake to maintain my actual weight. I’m trying to raise my calories from 1300-1600 to 1500-1800 as a beginning, because I’m a bit affraid to regain some of the weight loss!That said, my question is :Summer is in and I do quite long runs cycling outside (for fun, not for fat loss). Yesterday, I did 56 miles, which means I burned more than 1500 calories through cycling. I know I have to raise my intake in order to fuel the machine properly, but should I raise it that much? What would be the best way to fit the caloric requirements with those days spent doing “cardio” for hours?Thanks!
Hey Great article!Most people miss the point and I hope they “take in” what you just said.Personally, I like the interval training.I run hard for 2 minutes, then walk for 1 minute, then repeat, for 30 to 40 minutes.I push it, when I run or lift. I think that’s the key…push it, work it, you’ll burn the fat as long as your diet is correct.thanks,Phil
Hello Tom, I really do commend you on your email today about 2 cardiomistakes. In all my life I have never before read a more succinctexplanation of what must be one of the most common mistakes inhuman’s endeavours to live longer with good health. You are one in amillion!Kindest regards Bob
I’m 65 and doing an hour two days a week and two separate hours five days a week on a treadmill and use a heart monitor to keep my heart rate above 135. My average heart rate for the hour is usually 139 – 143 and I use the calorie counter from http://www.triathlontrainingblog.com to calculate my calories burned. The treadmill says 650 calories but the calculator says 963 calories burned. The formula used to calculates the calories based on age, weight, heart rate and duration in minutes is:Men: C/min = (-55.0969 + 0.6309 x HR + 0.1988 x weight + 0.2017 x age) / 4.184Which should I believe? Thanks and your book is the first thing I’ve ever read that really tells it like it is for losing weight.
It sounds from everyone’s posts that the “right” kind of cardio is like most things in life – a balancing act. You’ve got to remember to consider frequency, intensity, time, as well as what you enjoy, how much time you have available, and how quickly your body recovers. This is a great topic and the discussion has helped me remember the importance of all these different elements.
“A BALANCING ACT”bingo!. Yes. Very well put. Thats exactly what i was talking about – AND, I might add, balancing those exercise variables (type, frequency, intensity, duration, mode) AND personal variables (time available, preference, injuries, recovery) in order to achieve a **specific outcome**. The oucome not necessarily being “to get a workout” or “to get sweaty” b ut to get LEAN (if that is your goal)tom
I wrote:’A’ runs for 3 miles and burns 100 calories, sits down and waits for ‘B’.’B’ walks for 3 miles and burns 100 calories, and meets ‘A’.Who burns the most calories?Client: they burn the same amount.Nope, ‘A’ burns more – he expended 30 calories while he sat and waited.This was for the clients who drove to the gym, walked on the treadmill, and drove home, hired a cleaner, hired a gardener, and have their food shopping home delivered.I had one client who insisted on phoning his brother for a lift up the hill they both lived on after a gym visit.Then they complain they don’t loose weight.yours,MJ
TomI do enjoy reading your stuff – you are a breath of fresh air with your witty sensible comments/facts.Many thanksLinda
Tom,great newsletter. I have been doing the eliptical trainer for 6 months. It was working well. I was eating right and doing the cardio 4 to 5 times a week for 1/2 hour. The I stepped it up to 45 minutes AND used and interval program (bursts of higher intenensity).Deffinitley a better result. I guess that should be obvious with more calories burned from the longer duration while i kept my diet the same, but I thnk the interval program added something more. Plus it makes it less boring. Thanks for the info.Phil
Hi Tom,I don’t usually reply to newsletters or visit blogs but just felt I had to reply to this one. I was also one of those people who was so confused between what type of cardio to do. In fact that was the reason I was initially drawn to your website in the first place. I could not find any trained professional including kinesiologists to give me a definitive answer.I saw from e xperience that working out of my “fat burning zone” (more intensely) AND running at a steady pace for 40-45 mins did more for me than any of the other conflicting advise I was getting.I am so grateful to you for clearing up the confusion. I love your program but more especially I love your approach. You speak with confidence and assurance because you KNOW. Many so called professionals are just repeating what they’ve read and they don’t know for-sure.I recently (within the last 2 years) picked up a lot of fat weight. Prior to that I was in good shape, was exercising twice a day (cardio in morning, weights in the evening), six times per week. Then I decided to study medicine (I am a 43 year old woman). Miraculously I got accepted (a whole other story) and then my perfectly structured life changed. I was under so much pressure (having to do chemistry, physics, math, biol etc – all the premed stuff that I had not looked at since finishing school 25 years ago) so I stopped exercising because I had so much to study and I ate badly because I had no time to make a proper meal. Result – I picked up 14kg in 12 months. I went from 55kg to 69kgs, all of that was fat.I began to feel absolutely exhausted, nervous breakdown exhausted and depressed. I hated what I had become yet I could not find the motivation to change. When I eventually did decide I had to get a grip, and needed expert help but I could not find any one to give me a definitive answer. you see I had some knowledge and training experience (I was previously in good shape), I needed some one to fine tune the knowledge and experience I had. It seemed like most trainers get by on very little knowledge and experience, because when I challenged their theories or asked them to explain the physiological reason behind it -they fell to pieces.In Jan this year I did an internet search and found your website. There were so many to choose from but I took a chance on yours — thank goodness! However I only started the program in April. It took so long to read you e-book because I could read little bits in-between my studies. I was dying to start but wanted to read everything first.I have corrected my eating, and no longer second guess they way I do my cardio. I do a 5km run in 38 mins and burn 400calories each time and I love it. I don’t stick to my training schedule 100% of the time because I am still under extreme pressure (second year medicine is a killer) so my weight loss is not as great as it could be (I’m loosing 300g per week) but I have reversed the downward spiral and I feel soooooo much better!Thank you so much, I am so grateful for your advice and I love the newsletters. They are nice little reminders.
Thanks Pete for the answer to the AT question. You are just who I’ve been looking for!
I was so pleased to finally read something on cardio and weight loss that makes sense — thank you for being such a consistently practical and informative resource Tom!I bought a heart rate monitor and tried working out in my fat burning zone for about a month and hated it! It just never made sense to me that working at that slow pace and burning less calories would result in more fat loss, so I ditched it and returned to HIIT. Plus, I felt so much better when I pushed it and worked up a good sweat (which has the side benefit of cleansing your body of toxins), and working out hard enough to get a good dose of endorphins is what keeps me motivated to workout consistently as it helps keep my mood elevated and reduce stress. I think we need to listen to our bodies more because so many of the answers we seek are within us if we just tune in and use our common sense. If you’re wondering what form of cardio is right for you, for instance, why not alternate between the two to see which one you like best?Regarding how to increase duration or intensity when you already feel tired from your workout: the way I did it was in very small increments, adding just another minute, say, at a time and then gradually adding another. I started running when I was 75 pounds overweight and could only jog in short spurts and had to mostly walk, but I stuck with it and eventually built up to a 40 to 60 min HIIT run that is now second nature.Most of our limitations are caused by our thoughts and if you can start telling yourself that you *can* workout longer or harder and then you push yourself just that extra minute, you will experience lots of little successes that will eventually add up to big ones.If I feel really depleted after a workout I find it helpful to have a snack of a banana, an apple, or a handful of raw, unsalted nuts afterwards, and to look at my overall diet to make sure I am fueling and hydrating myself well enough. Be Well!
The article says:”The higher your intensity, the more carbs you burn during the workoutThe lower your intensity, the more fat you burn during the workoutAnd that’s the problem. You should be focusing on total calories and total fat burned during the workout and all day long, not just what type or percentage of fuel you are burning during the workout.”But if the aim is to burn fat, surely the type of fuel being burned does make a difference. If you’re mainly burning carbs and eating more to fuel those carb-burning workouts, where’s the fat loss? According to my heart rate monitor, the afterburn effect from HIIT is short-lived. It seems to me that the solution is even simpler than the article suggests; exercising at the hardest rate that you can maintain for 30 minutes to an hour is going to be the best fat-burner every time.
Hi !I know i am a pain in the neck, but i want to make your life easier to explain the two most important variables in fat burning, so may i suggest that you can use the diagrams exercise steering wheel-ESW, food steering wheel -FSW, and lifestyle steering wheel – LSW, all you have to do visit http://www.kedarstyle.com volumes 1,2, and 3. You have my permission.professor ervin kedarkedar2@012.net.il
steveyou wrote“But if the aim is to burn fat, surely the type of fuel being burned does make a difference.”Surely. But it depends on your perspective. The problem is if you focus only on the PERCENTAGE of fat burned DURING the workout without also looking at the TOTAL calories burned, and therefore the TOTAL fat burned (sleeping: burns a high percentage of fat for fuel but very low total calories or total fat)AND you have to look at 24 hour and long term effects (long term fat oxidation) not just durin gworkout effects because if you burn more carbs during the workout, you tend to burn more fat for fuel later in the day (there is compensation over 24 hours so that a primarily “sugar burning” workout might end up burning same amount or more fat over 24 hours as a “fat burning” workout)steve wrote“If you’re mainly burning carbs and eating more to fuel those carb-burning workouts, where’s the fat loss?”Fat oxidized during other 23-23.5 hrs of the day… 24 hour calorie deficit. 7 day calolrie deficit, etc. most of your calories burned come the rest of the day and most of the day youre burning fat. Of course you CANT eat more if it closes your deficit – thats a big problem.Many people do more cardio and eat more food and close the deficit.also, youre NOT burning mainly carbs, just a higher % of carbs with higher intensity — see:Low intensity exercise – 30 minutesFuel mix: 50% fat, 50% carbsCarbs burned: 110 caloriesFat burned: 110 caloriesTotal calories burned: 220High intensity exercise – 30 minutesFuel mix: 33% fat, 67% carbsCarbs burned: 222 caloriesFat burned: 110 caloriesTotal calories burned: 332fat loss during workout is same – but high intensity burns morecalories if duration is same,and therefore, we will predict that high intensity workout will yield greater 24 hour fat loss due to larger caloric deficit (thats the WHOLE point)Youre still thinking too much in terms of WHAT you burn during the workout instead of total calories burned and 24 hour energy balance (deficit or surplus)steve wrote“It seems to me that the solution is even simpler than the article suggests; exercising at the hardest rate that you can maintain for 30 minutes to an hour is going to be the best fat-burner every time.”I dont like to make generalizations, but I will generally agree with that because you are looking for that sweet spot of maximum caloire burn and fat burn. Personally speaking from experience, I have mentioned numerous times before that I have always achieved optimum fat loss results with SS 40-45 minutes pinnned at the maximum intensity possible or with long-ish interval training, 30 minutes or so. for ME, thats the sweet spot.You cant simplify it down to one prescription though, because one prescritption doesnt fit everyone. The key is the manipulation of intensity TIMES duration to find YOUR sweet spot for maximum calorie and fat burn, and each individual has to account for current fitness level, personal preferences, time available, goals, etc when choosing the exercise prescription. In some cases that prescription might be an hour walk, in others a 20 minute HIIT session 3X a week, for others 30 min moderate 6 days a week. All three could be successful but not all of them will fit everyones health, personal preferences and lifestylesThe only problem with steady state highest intensity cardio is it is very very hard to do compared to HIIT. The rest breaks in the intervals make the time go by quicker with less overall perceived exertion as compared to highest intensity steady state work…Einstein wrote:“When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours that’s relativity.” highest intensity steady state work is like sitting on a hot stove.GR hunter (international journal of obesity 1998 22:489-493) wrote:“The factor that probably has the greatest impact on energy expenditure is volume of work, which is a function of intensity and duration of exercise. Since high intensity and high volume can be very fatiguing, interval work (that is high intensity work interspersed with low intensity work) is one way to combine relatively high intenities with large volumes“keep in mind high intensity and long duration are inversely related, so when you get up there to around 45 or 60 minutes, intensity is no longer “high”. So when you talk about longer durations, we are really taking about moderate intensity or high-EST intensity steady state workpeople tell me “I did HIGH intensity intervals for an HOUR today!” and I chuckle and say to myself, “maybe you did intervals but they werent HIGH intensity intervals.”Its a balancing act and theres going to be some trial and error to find your sweet spot, but if you focus on the calorie deficit for each day and the total calories burned you WILL be on the right tracktv
Interesting. Work out more, work out harder, and you’ll be more fit! Who knew?KAT
thank you and good night!:-)
Tom! You’re not going to believe this! No wait you will believe this because you told me so!!I was indeed trying to eat less and go “overboard” as you put it, on the workouts (weights then aerobics.) So I took your advice and for the past three days I have increased my calories. Not just any food but good food, oatmeal, eggs, protein, rice, etc. Then I pushed my treadmill work from 30 minutes to 45.Well, Saturday morning when I woke up, I was like in shock! I could visibly see a difference in the “mush” just below my navel which I tried to get rid of last summer but couldn’t! I couldn’t believe it! And the next day the same thing! And this morning more! So I went and weighed myself and found that I lost approximately a little under a pound with no visible change to muscle mass!!! My goal of being ripped by this summer is now in reach! Last year I just didn’t have it all right! But thanks to you I do now!Well, I cannot thank you enough Tom!! At 47 years old I am now the leanest I have ever been in my life!Please keep up your drive to do this for all of us! It is greatly appreciated!
THANK YOU TOM!!!!I have read sooooooo much about this and you have just settled all the confusion in my mind (by the way, I knew I was right!!!!) It just all clicked when you spelled it out below and now I feel confident that what I have been doing is the correct way! It is working, too!!! As long as I control the calories! (Always has been my problem!)I am so glad I came across BURN THE FAT!Keep all the great info coming!!!! Greatly appreciated to have your dedication!Pat ZimmermanStruggling, but still working hard!
Tom: I’ve never written you before, but have been a fan of BTF and all your e-mails for almost a year now. I just wanted to let you know I read and appreciate every one. I get plenty of strength training in all the bodywork I do, but was missing the cardio. I bought a Bowflex Treadclimber a month ago and LOVE IT!!!!!!! I am perfectly comfortable working out in my living room with the headphones on to TV or music and push it hard for an hour (at least)a day. I am sleeping much better and am definitely feeling and looking better. Thank you for your wisdom and constant encouragement!!!!!! I am grateful. Linda
Great newsletter Tom, and I can actually hear the frustration in your email of “why don’t they get it”? Your emails are amusing too and keep me motivated.RegardsTerriMelbourne, Australia
Hi Tom, my gains, errr losses! continue!I seriously had thought no more recently than a few weeks ago that I would never be able to make the “mush” on my lower abdomen go away. I was resigned to live with it and was so depressed I almost thought to give up. But thanks to you it is like a dream come true!I could show you my pictures of before (220 pounds on 1/1/2007) and after (174 pounds 7/01/2008) and they are pretty dramatic. But to me I wish I had a picture from last week to show you the difference between last Wednesday say and today.I never considered myself a bodybuilder and just called myself a weightlifter because of all the fat all around my body. But not anymore. I am on the cusp of looking like a full blown bodybuilder. I look in the mirror and say wow. And, in the mornings, I half expect it to have gone back! but when I see the definition is still there i can’t believe it! I look in the mirror and it’s like whoa is that me?!Well, I cannot thank you enough!Best of success always to you!Patrick
Tom, your discussions on cardio recently have been absolutely awesome! Thank you so much for delivering the honest unbiased truth.I’m growing rapidly sick of reading the sales pitches of many fat loss experts saying that they should ditch the long duration boring cardio. It’s all marketing hype for their products and leads to mass confusion for the customer.Angie and I just covered this topic ourselves since it’s the most often asked question in our inbox.http://unstoppable-fatloss.com/blog/6-pack-abs-couple-4/I love the responses that you’ve received on this post. Margaret mentioning having fun and smiling, Lady G with the balancing act, and KAT with the hard work, were all awesome!Personally I love both HIIT and long duration cardio. It’s all about compliance to me and when I add both to the mix I don’t get tired of either of them and it makes things interesting.There’s no need to over complicate things. It often leads to paralysis by analysis and nothing gets done.It’s time that other fat loss experts step up to the plate as you have Tom and teach what’s really in the best interest of the consumer and reader rather than focus on profit and hyped up marketing.You rock dude! Truly a ‘guru’ for the people.Scott Tousignantwww.Unstoppable-FatLoss.com
Great article… cardio seems to be such a touchy subject.Isn’t it different for every body though? I mean take me and my partner for instance – I lose weight best with a combination of cardio and weight training. He loses it with weight training. Cardio doesn’t benefit him nearly as much as weight training…I don’t know, I’m just sick of people only doing cardio to get in shape! Spinning forever or raking up the miles on a treadmill – that just seems boring!I just wanna say this though – a couple of weeks ago I was asked to join a friend on a half marathon. I hadn’t done any training – just a couple of 5K runs around the block and a few [Mckenna method] HIIT sessions. Granted I didn’t actually RUN the whole thing – but the HIIT seemed just as beneficial as the more long distance thing when it came to a REALLy long distance. It does come down to your effort though – if you REALLY want to look good or achieve that goal – you really really have to put the hard work in. I haven’t yet heard of anyone achieving a long lasting anything without hard work!
I understand were someone would lose weight going real fast doing cardio, but NO ONE should lose weight fast! That is the reason for YO-YO weight gain and loss. If someone wanted to get the most of their cardio, it’s all in their heart rate. If they are below their heart rate, no, they will see no change,. If they are over their heart rate, they will stress their heart. Going over could causes “overtraining syndrom,” wich may cause fatigue, depression, anxiety, unhealthy weight loss, and fear of working out. It’s all in the heart rate of that person who is doing cardio. Cardio= heart (i.e) stregnthen the heart. Please do not fill people with these misconceptions. I was the person who ran to fast, and too long. I ate all the right foods I did stregnth training, but I was still tired. I lost weight in all the wrong places, I developed anxiety and sleep loss. After I changed the ways of my cardio, I FEEL GREAT!!!!!!! Now I feel sexy, energized, and happier than ever.
tom is this right?i run for 5 mins then rest for 1 min then run again for 5 mins then so on and so fort until i completely get the 45 mins duration.i took a rest for 1 min because i just coudn’t catch my breath.i’ve been doing this for one month.i do also lifting but not much because i’ve already got my upper body shaped but my problem now is my lower tummy,i just can’t get rid of that belly fat on that area.