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Thoughts on Cardio for Weight Loss

In the last three days I have read a lot of Cardio-Hate.

Some of it has been pretty severe, including statements like:

X Cardio can stop fat loss DEAD in its tracks

X Cardio wrecks your joints

and even…

X Cardio can KILL YOU

Some of these statements are a little to ‘out there’ for my tastes, but I will say that when it comes to weight loss cardio is a waste of time.

Sure, 30-40 minutes 2-3 times per week is easily manageable, but that’s not what some people are doing.

No, some people are doing and hour in the morning and then another hour at night, and they do this 5-6 times per week!

And these people aren’t runners or cyclists, they’re the zombies at your gym slaving away on the treadmill or elliptical. They are there when you start your workout, and they are there when you leave…

The truth is, pounds are lost in the kitchen, ounces are lost in the gym (thanks Amy for the quote)

When it comes to weight loss, your success mostly come from your diet, HOWEVER those ounces in the gym?  They count big time – so if you’re going to go to the gym use your time wisely.

Please don’t slave away on a treadmill or elliptical machine for two hours a day, when you could get far better results without wasting two hours of your life every day.

If you still don’t believe me, and still feel the need to ‘walk away the pounds’ then I think you need to check out what Craig Ballantyne has to say about cardio.

It’s extreme, but he makes an excellent point – bottom line – you could use your time better.

—> Craig says ‘Stop trying to walk away the pounds’

In the end, it’s not really about cardio as much as it is using your time well by having a well designed workout program – and that’s something that Craig delivers in spades.

September 7th, 2013 | Training

Living Longer or Living Younger?

I’m not exactly a history buff, but I do know that people enjoy a good story.

So I’m going to start today’s post off with a little Greek Mythology…

The story of Tithonus is a tragic one.

Tithonus is the guy who was granted eternal LIFE, but not eternal YOUTH.

(Big Mistake)

Long story short, time passes, and Tithonus degenerates into bedridden senility, spending his everlasting days begging for death.

(Tragic and heavy, but hey..that’s Greek mythology for you)

The truth is the dream of eternal youth is nothing new. It’s featured in just about every culture throughout history…

From Vampires to the fountain of youth..I think it’s a given that a large number of us like the idea of staying young for a long time.

And thanks to 20th century science and research we’re getting closer and closer to this becoming a reality.

Of course I’m talking about the cool research connecting calorie restriction to increased lifespan.

But the problem arises when we stop to question… Is it really longer LIFE we want, or is it longer YOUTH??

And…which does calorie restriction offer?

Currently the research is suggesting a positive association between eating less and living longer, but not necessarily a longer ‘youth’

But there are things you can do…but if you do them wrong, you can actually create the Opposite effect <– Not good.

Resistance training COMBINED with Eating less could be your fountain of youth.

But only if you do it correctly.

And by correctly I mean use resistance training as a tool to build and maintain your lean body mass.

This is in direct opposition to the way many people use resistance training: As a outright attack on their bodies!

Having blown knees, bad shoulders and a chronically sore lower back in your twenties is SPEEDING the aging process, NOT slowing it.

So to be absolutely clear: A good weight training program does NOT have to involve beating the life out of your body.

The secret to a long life full of youthful vigor?

Eat less, move more, and use resistance training as a tool to build and maintain your muscle, rather than to hurt and tear down your body.

November 19th, 2010 | Training

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