Stop doing cardio??? Yup… That’s what “the experts”are telling us now – on national TV no less. Can you believe this drivel? Who would have ever thought the day would come when “exercise professionals” would tell us to stop exercising? First was the down sizing of exercise… 8 minutes in the a.m., the 4 minute circuit, 30 second abs, 6 SECOND abs… heck, what else was left? STOP EXERCISING! But of course…
A Tom Venuto “rant”…
Yes, I know, I know… “cardio is not necessary to lose weight, all you need is a calorie deficit and you can get that calorie deficit from food reduction and if you add in weight training, you go a long way towards keeping the lean tissue and increasing metabolism… ”
Well DUH about the weight training – we bodybuilders have known for years that weight training is critically important! And we’ve already beat the exercise vs food restriction debate to death numerous times RIGHT HERE on this blog, and we made our case for the superiority of a creating a calorie deficit by increasing activity, not just slashing calories.
Remember what Jack Lalanne said, “EXERCISE IS KING, nutrition is queen, put the two together and you have a kingdom.”
Ah, but the modern diet industry marketing machine rolls on like a Sherman tank…
And where does that leave me and other people who are trying our best to dispense the harsh fitness truth (while living it at the same time?) It leaves us with in-boxes clogged with emails that say, “Hey Tom, what do you think about this new diet that says cardio is a complete waste of time and might even be BAD for you???
Sorry, but I shall not dignify those emails with a personal reply anymore. It’s not worth the trouble when a simple examination of ones results – an introspective study of past experience and the laws of cause and effect – will give anyone the answers they are looking for.
However, I will give one answer here today – one sweeping swath of wisdom that will help anyone tune down a low signal to noise ratio amidst the diet marketing cacophany and tune in to the the message that matters.
But before I do, I hope you have all read my interview with Dr. John Berardi about “G-Flux” which discussed this very topic: Why higher activity levels – and a higher intake of nutritous food along with it (eat more, exercise more) – is the OPTIMAL approach.
I posted excerpts and highlights of the interview right here on this blog:
The G-Flux Interview Highlights – Dr. John Berardi With Tom Venuto
And the full length, uncut interview was published at my members only site at:
G-Flux – The Complete Interview, With Dr. John Berardi
Its the same message Ive been preaching in my “Burn The Fat” system for years: eat more, exercise more = burn more fat, gain more muscle, get healthier, faster, more efficiently.
Can you lose weight with low activty or with no cardio? Of course you can. Just slash your calories to the point where you have a severe enough deficit. (ummmm, that’s called starvation, by the way). Is this the optimal approach for an able-bodied person? a resounding NO! See:
Can you really exercise less and lose more weight?
and
New Study says “exercise doesnt matter for weight loss?
With more and more fad diet books coming out, hoping to capitalize on your confusion and uncertainty, or hoping to CREATE uncertainty in you by “debunking” things that should be just plain common sense, this information is more important than ever.
I said I would give ONE last sweeping, definitive answer here, and I will do so below with a quote from Dr. John Berardi. John wrote something in a recent article that brilliantly highlighted a point which I have been speaking about for years:
MODEL SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE!
If you are getting confused with conflicting messages from so-called”experts” and even from the scientific community, then STOP for a momentand forget the latest study, forget the latest diet book, turn off theTV, put down the newspaper and look at what the successful people are doing! Study them. ModelTHEM. Mentor with THEM if you can.
If there are differences among those successful people, then look for the commonalities and model that.
IGNORE the fad diets, and the new-fangled contrarian theories, which deep in your own gut, you know are too good to be true. IGNORE the attempted “debunking” of things you already know, which only cause you to doubt your own personal experience.
It doesn’t matter if “the new breakthrough” gets featured on national television… that means nothing… the wheels of the diet book publishing PR machine will keep turning and you can count on new diet fads to keep coming and coming and coming.
RESULTS are what count and results come from the fundamentals.
Fundamentals never change, and hard work on the fundamentals will give you 80% of your results.
Pay attention to results, and model what works, by people who have been there, done that…
THAT is how you cut through the noise, clutter, confusion and continuous media barrage of “The next big thing” – model the success of others.
Here’s what Dr Berardi had to say:
“I never cease to be amazed by the typical response of the average forum reader or seminar attendee when people who’ve gotten real results come around. There’s either a dead silence or a profound antagonism. This always makes me laugh. Seminar attendees will hang on every word of some “expert” they believe strongly in. Yet when someone who’s actually gotten it done themselves comes around, they’re skeptical.
Weird.
Does anyone know why this is the case? Either way, I recently grilled an audience recently for doing this. A female physique competitor gave a great talk about how she got into shape for competitions. And at the end of her talk there wasn’t a single question. NOT ONE.
Yet, the questions directed at the other presenters – some personal trainers, some nutrition educators, etc were abundant. And the funny thing is that in most cases, the presenters HAD NEVER ACHIEVED the level of leanness or muscularity of the female physique competitor. And most of the attendees were all interested in getting leaner and/or more muscular.
Weird.
The simplest (and sometimes fastest) way to cut through the confusion is to “mentor”, “apprentice”, whatever you want to call it, with someone who’s gotten it done – who’s gotten the results you’re looking to accomplish.”
Weird indeed.
People won’t pay attention to what the leanest men and women on earth have to say about how they actually stripped their bodies of fat, but they will perk right up and throw away everything they’ve ever learned when a single report appears on the news wires about how to lose all the weight you want and get ripped abs with “just 12.7 minutes of exercise per week.”
… Or when a new diet book comes out and says that if you stop exercising that’s the secret to fitness.
Yeah… really weird.
Tom: I agree with you. I lost a lot of weight and was working out three times a week and was tone and fit. Then I got really sick and it has taken me 4 months to recover enough to resume my workouts.In the meantime, due to the Asian flu and the malnutrition caused by constant diarrhea which was one of the most devastating symptoms of that flu bug I found that I could not stop eating and I regained 10 pounds. I felt like a slug again.Finally, with a return to health I resumed my workout regimen and eating sensibly again since I am no longer malnourished due to the aforesaid. Already, in just three days I am seeing the results and feeling great again.The diet industry and the FDA all suck mightily. They manipulate people with their false science and scare tactics. Such dishonesty is so obvious it is surprising that people believe them at all.Look at athletes and there is the truth: You have to move your body with exercise and use the muscles plain and simple. Keep preaching to the choir, we hear you.Kat
GOOD JOB TOM… good JOB~and it so sad for all those people wanting a ‘quick fix”… the true journey it itself.. is more rewarding than the actual weight loss…that “feeling” that comes in within… from all that you have accomplished… the weight loss is great.. but like all things one strives hard to attain…it’s just a small reward within itself…I prefer the journey…and the conquest…have a great day… and thank you for your own commitment to those of usthat really do “GET THE MESSAGE”…
I can’t believe how people are looking for a reason NOT to be healthy. I am 100% in agreement with Tom. I am a 38 year old female who USED to be heavy in the legs and glutes- I was running 60 if not more miles a week. I cut running to 2 days a week ( keeping it in for my heart and good circulation) I started lifting weights- long story short. I am now a professional NATURAL bodybuilder. I eat clean, stay lean and now train others to do the same. When I do a show I do not do much cardio- I let lots of good food do the work. But I still believe cardio is very important for the heart and circulation and for the life of me cannot understand why people are still looking for a way to make it so bad and get it to a list of “danger do not do this or it will kill you” I just had to sound off. Sarah Crane WNBF PRO
I agree with Tom that it’s pretty darned ridiculous to expect stellar results from a downsized exercise regimen.This is where I find myself in a quandary: I would love nothing more than to get rid of cardio altogether (and I know I can achieve the results I want without it), but I still have to pass my Air Force Fitness Test every year and 50% of my score is based on my time for the 1.5 mile run.No matter how hard my strength training regimens are and no matter how “clean” my eating plan is, I HAVE to run on a regular basis to prepare for that terrible 7,920-foot-slog.High-intensity interval training helps a lot, but I still have to get out and pound the pavement. I don’t like what it does to my joints and I find it BORING AS HELL!!! So can you blame me for wanting to minimize the amount of time I spend on cardio?
MSgt Kelly Rende wrote:I don’t like what it does to my joints and I find it BORING AS HELL!!! So can you blame me for wanting to minimize the amount of time I spend on cardio?Cant blame you one bit… which is why we seek maximum EFFICIENCY in our training as youhave found with HIIT, and its why we must all choose “activities” that we can enjoy, and not be locked into a mentality that “cardio” is one thing — long walks on the treadmill, or an hour on the elliptical, for example.Perhaps it is beter that we achive our calorie burn by thinking in terms of increasing “ACTIVITY” not necessarily “AEROBICS” or ‘CARDIO.’ The words carry a certain baggage with them which induces dread of work or boredom, where we could easily find a way to get more activity that is fun and challenging…. but increase our “activity” we must, if we want optimal results
Tom, I always find your articles great, but this one is just OUTSTANDING !Elinor
Another comment that Dr. J.B. said that struck a cord with me was about getting to goal and blinking and watching the weight come right back on because of the way it was taken off. I’m proof positive of that happening over and over and over again. I’ve finally learned my lesson(I’m a tauras and very bull-headed).It’s like I just didn’t want to believe that I did need to work out more AND eat more to get the body I want. The last “commercial, fad” weight loss program I did was written by a body builder, but was manipulated to appeal to the masses and get very quick results.(lose up to 30lbs in 6 weeks! I did, but at what cost?) I will always be greatful for doing that program because it taught me how to eat every 2-3 hours and to do resistant exercise. BUT…it was designed for 6 weeks, not long term AND the cals are way too low.Without me doing it, however, I would never have been open to Burn the Fat Feed the muscle or Dr. J.B.’s program. Luckily my science background took hold and now I am on the road to recovery and to the body of my dreams. And I’m willing for it took take as long as it needs to so that it will be permanent this time.
I saw the [deleted to protect the not so innocent] interview with the [deleted again] book interview. Could not believe it was on prime time TV. Before BFFM I may have falling for this kind of garbage. Sorry for all those who may choose this path. Thanks to you Tom, I wont be sucked in to these kind of things ever again.Christy Phelps
I had to see this for myself, and I watched that interview with [name deleted] the person I assume you are talking about. I picked up numerous discrepancies, or maybe it was just a case of nondisclosure in his responses.I loved how he cited that study about the 16 “very fit” women who were on the treadmill for 45 min/5 days a week for 16 months and they gained a pound.My immediate question was: what kind of nutrition plan were these women on that they were doing all this cardio and gained weight. My second question was: were they varying their routine? And what intensity are they exercising at. Also, he never specified whether the pound gained was LBM or fat.He didn’t say anything about what they were eating-or not eating. He made 3 claims as to why cardio doesn’t work: it increases appetite, it’s hard on the joints, and you don’t burn as many calories as you think.I would say, based on my own experience, these are true-to a degree. After a workout, I am absolutely starving. But I don’t want my hard work to go to waste, so I’m not going to start shoveling junk down my gullet! I usually try to have 1/2 piece of fruit and lots of water. Then, I am satiated enough to go about making my dinner without looking for munchies.Some cardio is hard on the joints. But there are plenty of other exercises and equipment that minimizes joint stress. I found that raising the incline a few degrees on the treadmill actually helps my knees.I’m assuming that when he says people don’t burn as many calories as they think, they are using the machine’s calorie counter or not using one at all.I thought his whole interview was a bunch of B.S. Apparently, so did a lot of the other folks who commented on this “diet plan”
Thank you Tom. What you say is such good common sense, but oddly, common sense seems to be very rare these days.Eat and exercise well – what could be simpler? I’ve never felt better.
Tom:Any person with minor or even little fitness experience knows what happens when you stop doing cardio: you start loosing stamina and resistance to strenous physical activity (getting “out of shape”!)I personally challenge any advocate of the “no cardio” program to test the veracity of this just doing the following: (1) train cardio for one or two months. Gauge yourself at the end of the test period, logging in how fast, how far or for how long you are able to do cardio. (2) Stop doing cardio for the same period of time you did cardio and only do one of those “no cardio quick fixes.” Gauge yourself again and tell me how fast, how far or for how long you were able to do it this time. No surprisingly you will realize you are feeling “old, wasted and out of shape.”
hi, Im new to your site and want to start by saying thanks for creating it !!! Untill a few years ago I was at the gym 5-6days a week, just because I love weights, Ive been looking for a place to get advice as Im very eager to return to my old healthy life.Ive always listened to my body as my guide, it knows what it needs(ignore wants). When I was diong this I got the best results. I have been amused for years at the constant out pour of EASY fix stuff’ they bring out and I fear that so long as people are lazy(and there getting worse) they will never stop creating these ‘best/fast you dont have to do any thing pills’. Its sad.The feeling of achievement when you reach a goal cannot be felt if you take the easy way(even if it happens to work) !!! I have ross-river-feaver, and this has given me an understanding of lazy that should be illeagal,,, but I want to turn it around, make it motervational, ‘they’ say there is no help or hope of me loosing the 30kg/65+lb Ive gained,(have lost the other 15kg),, I dont know how yet but I WILL dump the rest too, and now i have some where to look for the knowledge thats not socialy pleasing,but real advice.thank-you Mr Tom Venuto.
Hello Tom.Over the last 15 years I have been improvising my workout due to bad knees. Since I can not use cardio equipment, I workout on 10 different professional weight machines, a program I upgraded from what I was trained in the early 80’s at W3.I call the workout “aerobic circuit training”. Continuous reps done at a speed of one full rep every 2.5 seconds. Weight per machine ranges from 10/lbs to 90/lbs. 300 reps per machine. I always build up to 300 when I have a lapse in my program. Typically it runs 1.45 to 2.0 hours. Before my workout I hit the sauna for 30 minutes to warm up my muscles.It works great for me, and I pass my annual checkups with flying colors. It is the quality of your workout that really counts.
Terri wrote:I have been improvising my workout due to bad knees. Since I can not use cardio equipment, I workout on 10 different professional weight machines, I call the workout “aerobic circuit training”. Yes, Absolutely! “cardio” does not necessarily mean an hour on a bike, treadmill or stairmater. “cardio” can be done with circuit weight training, body weight circuit training and lots of other ways. Those with knee problems, orthopedic injuries and so on, or those who just want something different and more engaging, can depend on a solid nutrition program and be innovative in their exercise programs, but with few exceptions, most people CAN find ways to innovate and get in their share of cardio.
Stop doing cardio????? That might be the dumbest thing ive ever heard. Whoever came up with that obviously has no idea what the effects of stopping cardio training does. I know that without cardio, i would most likely weigh 200 pounds by now, instead of 140. I do cardio 6 times a week for the sport i do, most of the time 2 sets of it ( swimming and running) and in no way do I feel that its bad for me, mainly b/c im an endurance athelete and my stamina and leg strength would suffer greatly if i stopped. And, personally, all those “quick fix” wieght loss things discust me, just b/c of all the hours of hard work that I put into my training every day.
Tom, people have a hard time accepting the truth, especially if short term gratification is offered!It is as the apostle Paul says, “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Tim 4:3-4 While the context may appear different, it isn’t because both scenarios reveal the human condition. Besides “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Mat 13:57I share your frustration at how easy people will jump to the latest ‘quick fix’ solution. Not that it is required, but I encourage you to stay the course because nothing beats truth, which is the foundation of common sense.SMC
I can’t even imagine not doing any cardio, not only for the benefits, but it really makes me feel good..I can attest to the fact that you can and will ose weight while doing cardio..I have lost a total of 18.6#’s and I have 6 more to lose, I would not have been able to do it without doing someform of cardio!
Hi Tom,have you heard of Dr. Al Sears? He claims that long cardio training results in a downsizing of lung and heart capacity which can actually be dangerous, as the heart fails to deal with unexpected short and intense bouts of exercise. A friend of mine died at a race when asked to do a second round for his team as he was way in the lead. Everyone knew he was really fit. He did cardio on a daily basis and was in his fifties.My personal experience is that I went down to 8% body fat after 2 years of cardio training with an average of 5 hours a week. But I also lost a lot of muscle and to tell the truth I didn´t feel too great either.I now do weight training and intervall training but have stopped long cardio sessions. I feel much better.Any comments?All the best,Max
Max,”Interval training” IS CARDIO! its simply cardio done with alternating periods of high and low intensity.Semantics. Call it what you like.But some people are so anti aerobics that they insist on calling cardio “INTERVAL TRAINING” or “ENERGY SYSTEM TRAINING” (I guess cardio sounds too much like “aerobics”… god foribid anyone do “aerobcis!” … its just so… 80s… and so…. UNmanly… LOL!)Whether energy system training is the scientifically correct label for intense cardio or not, I always get a good chuckle out of that when I hear it.weight training + cardio is the optimal combination of exercise for long term body composition improvement and optimal health. what type of cardio and how intense depends a lot on the individual.re: slow cardioive been a bodybuilder for 24 years. . Many bodybuilders do intense interval cardio. But many others do nothing but slow cardio. Bodybuilders are some of the leanest people on the face of the earth.Ive been able to reach low single digit body fat with either longer moderate cardio, or interval training. they both work just fine. the difference is, the longer moderate cardio… err… takes longer!Have you ever heard of the National Weight Registry?According to the national weight registry, which tracked the behaviors and results of almost 5,000 formerly obese people who lost on average 60 lbs and kept it off long term, the single most popular form of physical activity to achieve that permanent weight loss was …drum roll…walking (read: long, slow cardio)For years, the majority of my clientele, despite my “hardcore bodybuilding” background, was very overweight and obese men and women. Ive seen hundredslose weight and keep it off with walking + weight training + good nutrition.NOBODY can tell me that “cardio” or “aerobics” doesnt work… they can only say that slow cardio is the least time efficient and “most boring” way to do it (and the latter is a matter of opinion)High intensity interval training is effective and time efficient. But its not appropriate for everyone. If you can do it, by all means do it. But lets not knock “aerobics”, “cardio” or “lower intensity” exercise.If you want to bring up the guys who died during a long run, then you should also bring up the guys who got mangled during their weight lifting session or who dropped dead of a heart attack during their HIIT workout. To the gurus or even MDswho like to point out the Jim Fixx’s of the world… Please. Should we stop aerobic exercise or become sedentary because working out is “too risky???”Did you know there is a risk of death or coronary incident when you do a maximal treadmill run right there in the doctors office? Injuries happen, but when training is approached inteligently to minmize risks, they are exceptions. You can find exceptions to ANYTHING – like the guy who smoked and drank a bottle of whiskey every day of his life and lived to the jolly age of 100. Which is why arguing your point from exceptions is the weakest form of argument.Exercise must be prescribed on an individual basis, according to ones health status and according to results. If fat loss is slow for example, you can add more activity on top of your weights and HIIT rather than cut calories.
At least some of the proper scientific investigators DO SUPPORT YOUR POINTThey say that dieting is actually a strong predictor of future weight gainThis is their conclusion :”We asked what evidence is there that dieting works in the long term, and found that the evidence shows the opposite” Tomiyama said.In future research, Mann is interested in studying whether a combination of diet and exercise is more effective than exercise alone.”Source : Dieting Does Not Work, Researchers Reporthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070404162428.htm
yes, according to the news reports of the UCLA study, they also said,“Exercise may well be the key factor leading to sustained weight loss. Studies consistently find that people who reported the most exercise also had the most weight loss.”No surprise really when researchers report that “diets don’t work.”what works for fat loss is super simple:NutritionWeight trainingCardio trainingALL together in combination.and be SURE you have your calorie deficit…. most people underestimate caloric intake – sometimes by huge amount.this is an almost fool proof formula if you follow it with consistency.Add motivation and social support and you cannot lose…er.. you cannot not lose :-)
Hi Tom,First of all thanks for the great bodybuilding/nutrional tips. I am 48 ,weigh 220, 16% B.F. (going down)Thanks to your routines my biceps are now 19.2 from 17, and will be trying your Incl DB chest routine today (from your other blog), with my training partner, who is my 19 year old son.We both love Ronnie Coleman’s DVD’s but regarding your article today, theres no doubt who our role model is. YOU!!. I think you are one of those genuinly nice, honourable guys that don’t mind sharing expert knowledge with us regular guys. Keep up the excellent service you are performing.God bless you in all things. Allan.(South Africa)
Hello TomI reckon you got it spot on. I used to train all the time for a period of 14 years. Then I left the defence force and suddenly found myself faced with a time problem. So, end result – for 10 years I never trained again. Became fat and lazy. It sucks.So, 2 months ago I finally got to a point where I had enough. Purchased a book called The Abs Diet – this guy preaches very much the same theory as you do. Started some intensive reading, started to base my intake according to his list, and got back into the gym!So now I train 5 mornings a week. Up at 5 and in the gym at quarter to 6. Two mornings cardio – oh damn, should I apologise in advance? – and 3 mornings a weight circuit, which REALLY shows me who is the boss! The unfortunate fact is that Mr Tummy is still boss, but not for long! I can already see good results in the arms, chest and shoulders area, also legs and calves, and just feel SO MUCH BETTER about myself!I have lost around the waist – I can feel it in my pants. Literally! A notch down on the belt thankyou very much. But, I made a decision not to weigh. I dont like the idea of becoming “married” to the damn scale. I have toned down on bad things such as take aways, coffee etc to a VERY large degree, even though I still do the odd pizza, and am down to maybe a cup of coffee per day. Not bad for a real coffe-holic. This way, I am really enjoying myself and I know that in 6 months time, I will look like a different person. Great goal to work for!Thanx for the wise words.
re: Dr. berardis observations: The weird silence is because everyone wants results WITHOUT work.That is why the Diet industry is an industry. Most people arewilling to spend money but not TIME AND EFFORT doing work. Thank you for doing what you do. It is encouraging to hear SOMEONE speaking the TRUTH in the cacophony of stupidity.For me life has been busy and I have never MADE the time to do what it takes to be fit. I had this idea that other things were more important. I am just starting to realize that this is not true and that if I don’t take time to care for myself, no one will..Keep up your good work. I appreciate it and need it.Stella
Tom Venuto, quoting Dr. John Berardi, said:“I never cease to be amazed by the typical response of the average forum reader or seminar attendee when people who’ve gotten real results come around. There’s either a dead silence or a profound antagonism. This always makes melaugh. Seminar attendees will hang on every word of some “expert” they believe strongly in. Yet when someone who’s actually gotten it done themselves comesaround, they’re skeptical.Weird.Does anyone know why this is the case?>>to answer Dr. berardis questionBecause of the large amount of information that humans must process daily, people create conplex hierarchies to manage data input. The brain is creating order out of random events.At the top of these hierachies are “expert” “officials” “leaders” “celebrities”. We give our power to these people. We do not have to think. We can take the magic pill of their wisdom and therefore shirk responisibility if it does not work.When some one who is on our level in the hierarchy says “this is my experience” , people get hostile because they can no longer plead ignorance and deniability. Some one has done it Some one knows whether it works. Some one took the time to reason it out. Some one did not just sit there in the seminar and nod at the proper moments and then hit the fast food places on the way home. What is my excuse?It isn’t just at diet seminars. Think of a tribal meeting where the chief says “we must make arrowheads the way our grandfathers did out of flint’ And then a young guy steps up and says “hey see this black dust? well if you heat it and pound it as it cools and shape it the arrowhead is must stronger.” And then the the tribe gets ticked off and beats the guy to death as a witch.I enjoy your news letterAnn
Thanks for this Tom. You showed great control by just coming short of calling some people ‘idiots.’ Where are a person’s “common sense” when they need them the most. (I share your sentiments…and wish people would listen to those who have “been there done that”)D
Tom, You are tooooo funny. I love your newsletters…….I’m not listening to anyone’s advice anymore…just my 43yr old body…to figure out what works and what doesn’t…btw I quit listening to weathermen too…….(I have been lifting weights with a Paul Chek certified trainer since October ’06…..still weigh a gorgeous 163! (at 5’7″ on a good day) but boy is my body different!! ….. kickin’ ass and takin’ names……….Love yaAnne
iam following BFFM diet plan for about 5 months now. I read one of the article by Tom and it said that if you practice something for 21 days then it becoms a habit. So i thought i will give a try for early morning cardio.I started doing early morning cardio from March 2007 and to my surprise i am still continuing… i run 5 miles everyday morning. It feels amazing. Elevated mood levels and more mental strenth and what not.. i don’t think i will ever quit doing cardio. Just look at the results below of how my waist size reduced quickly when i included cardio..In March 2005 i weighed 195 pounds with 42″waist.After all the different combos of fat burning strategies(following the so called research by Experts) in November 2006(Before BFFM) i wieghed 173 pounds with still 39″ waist. i literally starved myself to death to reduce 20 pounds, but i achieved only little reduction in my waist.i purchased Toms Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle (BFFM) book in December 2006..i followed BFFM diet with no cardio and by Feb 2007 i weighed 166 pounds with still 36″ waistAfter i read the article by Tom i started cardio from March 2007 and now i weigh 155 pounds with 31″ waist.i feel stupid that i should have started my cardio right from the beginning… Anyway we all learn from mistakes… Someday the researchers who said “Stop doing Cardio” will learn from theirs..BTW, The goal i set is to get a six pack.NEVER, EVER GIVE UP CARDIO…………
Hi Tom! I always enjoy your work :) About this article—after I read it I came to only one conclusion. The people who are ready to believe “no exercise” is BETTER for you are the ones who are looking for the perfect excuse to NOT reach their full potential and realize their own dreams! But its ok because this is forgivable in anyone! Its only human nature to want something to be easy or excusable! But its truely DECIDING to BREAK that barrier that pushes us from a much-wanted dream into an awesome livable reality! Its the LITTLE descions that make us STRONG enough for the BIG ones! Jeepers, even as babies we CRAWLED first :) I lift weights and today I was so pressed for time and starting to get hunger pains so bad –insulin spike :( — I HAD to pull into McDonalds! Even though I SO wanted that 99 cent dbl cheeseburger…I opted for the 99 cent chicken sandwich instead…it wasn’t the BEST choice altogether BUT it WAS the BETTER choice! And my day wasn’t ruined cause I liked my attitude! We cant always make the perfect choice. Will power and persistance are constantly practiced and never perfected!!! So let them believe for a second that they can take NO action and be satisfied…they will be joining the succsessful people soon enough! strength & love to all …and especially to those in doubt! Thanks :)
Dear Tom,I understand your frustrations with people wanting to talk to experts and not people who have achieved results. I think the cultural mindset is that if it wasn’t done by scientific research it can’t be proved. Therefore we have to ask the researcher not some isolated “uneducated” “dolt” exercise freak how to loose wieght. As a mid-level health care provider I tell patient who ask about weight loss methods to look at the people with the least amount of body fat as the authorities on fat loss. Body builders especially have developed techniques for fat loss because they have to in order to survive in the field. Competive body building has evolved methods to which medical science has not caught up(or rather not applied). There is good science supporting body building techniques but I think that because there is so much science, much of which is contradictory, that “experts” who have to have a referrenced article or other expert in order to offer scientific credence to an idea that these experts wind up going in circles and never believe that the “dolts” might have it right.A case in point; I was at a diabetes conferrence at about 4 years ago and spoke with a couple of experts about weight lifting health and diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol control. I told them how with weight training alone my cholesterol values came under control. My total cholesterol went from 226 to 163, my good cholesterol (HDL) rose from 35 to 50, my bad cholesterol (LDL) went from 183 to 43( above 100 we build plaque on our arteries but less than 80 we reduce the plaque on arteries), and my triglycerides went from 495 to 70. So dramatic were my results that one of the experts said “thats impossible”. I was initially stunned. I thought she’s a medical doctor so she can’t be really stupid but I just told her what DID happen and she told me it was impossilbe. I realised her ineptidude was no different that nearly all Physicians with whom I have ever discussed this topic (yet they are the ones people ask question of or listen to). The science is there but they are either overwhelmed or confused.Cholesterol is the precursor to the steroid hormones one of which is testosterone. We know that strenuous weight lifting stimulates testosterone production. Ha -what do you think happened to my cholesterol when I started a strenous weight lifting program. Bingo one thing that happened to it (among others) was to produce the extra testosterone. And of course we all know that tryglyceride are consumed by the muscle tissue and liver (fat being a better energy source than glucose), so guess what happened to those tryglycerides. BAM energy for those muscles. Furthermore muscle consumes 70 % of the bodies glucose. Jumping about in the science a bit, where glusose goes so goes tryglyceride and visa versa( partially as a result of the increased muscle and liver activity insulin sensitvity improves–as do leptin-adiponectin-ghrelin-etc signalling pathways–) Anyway, me thinks I babble too much!You are the experts!ThanksMDS
Hi Tom, even a month later I wanted to leave a comment on what you wrote. I’m writing from Italy where I’m tying to make people familiar with the insufficient results of pure diets. As you say and you mention Dr Berardi, the idea is: find people that succeded and don’t just listen and shut up (like in the story on Dr. Berardi) LISTEN CLOSELY AND MODEL ! I studied NLP (Neuro linguistic programming) and I base my work on that since 2003. Reading your use of language I can see a lot of that, probably naturally.My suggestion to people still stuck with questions on a lower level (meaning nutrition, calories, details…) is to learn to listen and to ask questions that bring to THEIR STRATEGIES. They may be not conscient of what they thought or believed to succeed but they had a strategy, FREE for us to ask for and learn.Debora Conti
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts. It is always great pleasure to read your posts.
Hi TomI’ve been reading your posts for some time now. I was one of the many customers of your BFFM program who fell off the wagon, mainly because I didn’t follow it properly. I was neglecting one of the four cornerstones – changing your behaviour. I too, was looking for that miracle, ultimate, complete program that will give you the body of your dreams without the need to work for it. It does not exist.Recently, some fire got lit up inside my belly and I read your program again. This time, ALL of it. I started applying your goal setting techniques and even got the Goal genie program. I have to say, I never thought it would be as effective as it has been, but I have started up again, and this time, its my new lifestyle, not a temporary fad diet.I think the reason most people would pay more attention to some so-called “guru” with his miracle, state-of-the-art new effortless weight loss program, as oppose to the bodybuilders and physique athletes , who clearly “walk-the-talk”, is because they know that, if they ask the physique athletes about how to get a body like theirs, they wil be told the truth, it’s only through hard work and living a healthy lifestyle. Because our bodies are, whether we like it or not, a product of our lifestyle. Therefore my formula is change your lifestyle = change your body.My dream body is waiting for me to uncover it. Like a sculptor looking at a piece of rock and seeing a masterpiece hidden in there. I intend to achieve this goal by October next year. Will keep you informed of my results. I am also planning on getting David Grisaffi’s “Firm and flatten your abs” program and integrate that into my training. I am quite excited and anxious about this. My girlfriend finds my new found passion for health and excercise a bit strange, but she will see the results in due time.Thank you once again for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. You truly are the mentor I have been looking for.God bless.
All this stuff is really quite simple. Just lift weights, preferably twice a week and in a proper rep range(5-20). Do your cardio, I do 1-2 hours a day so I can cut on 4,000 cals at 5’10 180. Maintain a calorie deficit, hit you minimum protein requirement, and get the rest of the cals from whatever. The cardio should take care of any stubborn fat issues, so you don’t have to drop your carbs down. I’m under 10%, looking leaner everyday on my way to 5%, and eat ice cream and pizza everyday too. I’m in college, so I have the time to lift and do cardio daily. Usually about 3-4 hours daily exercise.