Don't Fight Fat with Cardio!!!
I was having a conversation today with one of my clients when I was reminded of what is arguably one of the fitness industry's biggest misconceptions.
We were reviewing all the training he did by himself last week when he said "I skipped one of the weights sessions and went for a run instead".
When I asked him why his response was "Well I need to improve my cardio fitness because I want to lose weight".
WRONG!!
He couldn't have been more wrong! I have explained this to him before but his statement just reconfirmed that there is widespread belief in the "myth" that cardio based exercise is the most effective way to reduce body fat.
The facts behind the myth!
To help explain why the above statement is a myth I will summarise 3 key points made by Alwyn Cosgrove in his article Energy System Training For Fat Loss. For those who haven't heard of Alwyn, he is one of the most experienced and exciting trainers in the fitness industry and really knows what he is talking about.
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There is no "Fat Zone". Many cardio machines in gyms these days have the ability to measure your heart rate and calculate an ideal "fat burning zone" for your workout.
This is based on the concept that you burn a greater percentage of fat at certain workout intensity. This is true...at higher intensities the percentage of fat used as energy decreases but at higher intensities the total calories burnt are far higher.
As a result high intensity workouts will mean a higher number of total calories burnt as well as a higher amount of fat used for energy.
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Cardio training does not help your body become "better" at burning fat. With increased cardio training your body will become more efficient at getting energy to fuel your workout but that does not necessarily mean it will be any more efficient at burning fat.
When you think about it, after an extended training period you will eventually need to go for a 40 minute run to burn the same amount of calories that you once burnt during your 30 minute run. Doesn't sound very smart does it?
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Cardio training does little to increase your metabolism. Your body's ability to burn the energy that it requires during the day is largely due to the amount of muscle that it carries.
By maintaining or even building more lean muscle your metabolism will naturally increase as it develops more "engine power" to burn fuel.
In saying this it is important to understand that cardio training does nothing to maintain let alone increase muscle in your body, and can actually contribute to a loss of muscle mass within your body.
For more evidence in disproving the myth go to Alwyn's website and read some of the great advice he gives in his many articles.
Guess who's back on the horse!!!!!
Yep...it's true! The sun came back out today in London and I was back on my trusty steed (an old but functional hybrid road bike that the previous owner thought would look better with some dodgy red paint work).
Last night I had made the decision to ride to work no matter what the weather. Thankfully the sun came out which helped me to ignore the 3*C weather at 6am this morning.
Not only was I back on the bike but I was also back at the gym trying to lift the heavy stuff. For the past couple of weeks I have been following a strength building program based on something that I read in an Anita Bean book.
I will be doing a review of some of Anita Bean's work in the near future.
What about the food?
As for the food I managed to pick up some whole meal pita bread, falafel, hummus and tabouli which hit the spot and kept me away from the school canteen. Dinner will be a light steak and asian green salad.
It's a beautiful day!
In the words of one of Ireland's favourite son's - Bono, today was a beautiful day. I really think that the sun combined with exercise make's such a big difference to someone's day and can have a positive effect on all aspects of your life.
Personally I had a better day at work, had more energy right throughout the day and was in a great mood all day long. Bring on tomorrow!!!
Cheers
Chris
Chisel Fitness Master Trainer
A Cold Start
Hi Again,
Well thanks to the shoulder injury and the cold snap in London I don't have much to report on the exercise front. I gave the gym a miss as the shoulder is still on the mend but I have vowed to return tomorrow.
Apparently the weather will clear up a little which will hopefully mean no snow and I will be back on the bike in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
I did however find a good recipe for dinner that some of you might want to try. Check out this recipe for Spinach and Pepper Lasagne from the Fresh and Wild website.
Fresh and Wild have plenty of great ideas for healthy recipes so keep an eye out as I will be recommending and adding a few to this site shortly.
Cheers,
Chris
Chisel Fitness Master Trainer
Welcome To My Conscience
Recently I have started to listen to some health and fitness podcasts whilst working out in the gym. Today I was listening to one from The Health and Fitness Show that I downloaded from The Podcast Network. The girl who was presenting suggested using a blog to keep a training and nutritional diary each day.
Here's where you come in!!
So that's what I've decided to do. Seeing as though this site is constantly under construction I thought I would use this news space to record my daily efforts.
That way you (the millions of online community members who probably don't even know this website exists) can act as my conscious as I write about my daily committments.
So here it goes!!
As it turns out today might not have been the best day to start this whole thing off but hey.... I had to start somewhere.
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Woke up at 5.30am to fit a gym session in before work. The sudden cold snap in London meant that I used the tube rather than ride my bike the 12km into work. (Exhibit A)
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My left shoulder injury decided to reappear during my first set of bench press so I ended up on "light duties" for the rest of the session. (Exhibit B)
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Forgot to pack my chicken stir-fry lunch and ended up eating at the school canteen. (Exhibit C)
Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury....I present you with the evidence. Like I said - not the best day to start a diary but it can only get better.
Chris
Chisel Fitness Master Trainer
Make No Excuses!!!
We all start training programs with the best of intentions at a time when our motivation levels are high. But how often do you really stick to your program?
Have you ever found it hard to stay inspired? Are there voices in your head willing to offer excuses for missing a session or two? Read our article "Make No Excuses!" for some tips to help you stay committed to your training goals.
Chris
Chisel Fitness Master Trainer
Welcome to Chisel-Fitness.com.au
Hello and Welcome to Chisel-Fitness.com.au.
This site has been set up to provide up to date, quality information on various topics within the health and fitness industry. We will be regularly updating with articles and information to help you with your training so check back regulalry to see what we have added.
Also keep and eye out for information about Chisel-Fitness.com.au Personal Training.