Cardio for Fat Loss
There are many different ways that people use cardio to help them lose fat, however I believe that the most effective strategies are High Intensity Interval Training and low intensity cardio.
Remember how I was telling you about the extraordinary benefits that a weight lifting offers in regards to losing weight? Well this form of cardio capitalizes on that side effect by utilizing anaerobic exercise to complete this goal. HIIT consists of extremely hard, short spurts of cardio (such as sprints) for about 15 minutes. This brief session has the same aftermath as working out, basing most of its fat burning effect on the fact that your metabolism is more efficient throughout the remainder of the day. An example of a HIIT session is doing 10 sets of 30 second wind sprints. Don’t take this very ephemeral cardio session for granted though, it is tough and you will earn every calorie that you burn.
The other method that I prefer is low intensity, long duration cardio. I always like to play it safe when it comes to conserving muscle, and this is by far the safest method. When I do cardio, I usually burn ~400 calories because, again, I want most of the weight that I lose to be fat and not muscle. If I do a moderately intense exercise, like jogging at 7 MPH, I will burn 400 calories quicker than if I walk. The important difference is that only about 40% of those calories will be taken from fat sources and the rest will be derived from carbohydrates. However, if I walk longer and burn 400 calories, about 65-70% of the calories that I burn will be from fat sources.
But why does it work out like this?
To convert fat to an energy source that we can use, it requires oxygen. When we are jogging, we don’t have enough oxygen to enable this process to occur as much, in regards to how much energy we need, as it would if we were walking. This is why walking burns more fat calories, percentage wise, than a more intense cardio session. Also keep in mind that your carbohydrate levels will already be low because you have cut them out of your diet. You want to make sure that what carbs you do have goes to supply your glycogen stored in your muscles. Doing more intense cardio will hinder your recovery and eventually cause muscle loss!
Ok, so now your diet and training is in check, but what about fat burning supplements?
