Cardio for weight loss is overrated
Every day on the way to my training studio, I pass a couple of commercial gyms. They’re pretty typical of most gyms in that they have all the cardio machines lined up in their front windows.
There are countless rows of treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bikes, etc. and most of them have a small flat screen TV attached so people can cardio for hours and not miss any of their favorite shows.
I shake my head in amazement every time I pass those gyms.
Why?
Because cardio is the most overrated aspect of weight loss.
Don’t get me wrong; Cardio has some merit, especially when it comes to general fitness and heart health. But as a means of losing weight it is very, very overrated.
I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve trained or consulted with who have been so frustrated that they spend over an hour doing cardio every day and are stuck. They do not lose weight and some even gain weight.
Don’t feel bad if you are one of them because you are not alone. He’s had the “cardio for weight loss” mantra stuck in his skull for years and it’s largely a lie.
Let’s go over some of the reasons why cardio for weight loss is overrated.
You know that “fat burning zone” that many cardio machines have attached to it? It is that magical zone where your body begins to burn nothing but fat. At least that’s what you’ve been told over the years.
There is no such thing as a “magic fat burning zone.” Your body doesn’t magically flip a switch in this heart rate zone and start burning nothing but fat.
Getting out of the “fat burning zone” is the old mantra of “Do it for 20 minutes before you start burning fat.” That’s just ridiculous because you’re always burning fat no matter if you’re sitting in front of the TV or running a marathon.
Another old lie about cardio for weight loss is that more has to be better.
No, he does not do it. I don’t know why people get it into their heads that they have to exercise for hours and beat themselves up to lose fat. It’s just not the case. I don’t know if people have some kind of torture mentality or punishment mentality that if they mess up their diet, or if they have weight to lose, they have to punish themselves with an hour on the treadmill, but it’s not true.
Where did this idea come from? I’m not sure, but it probably grew out of the aerobics craze of the ’80s, and thankfully, it’s starting to die out.
The truth of the matter is that cardio is seriously overrated. You can, and will, get amazing results by lowering your cardio, increasing intensity, and spending more time with resistance training (the way I teach in my 10-minute workouts).
You will lose more fat; have more energy and free time. You’ll be stronger and leaner and feel so much better than if you spent all your exercise time doing cardio.