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Is cardio your best, fat-burning friend or your worst, muscle-eating enemy? Read on and become enlightened with the truth, along with both pros and cons of all things cardio.
Back in the 70's and even the early 80's, virtually no physique competitor did cardio in preparation for a contest. By the 90's, cardio had become a staple for those wanting to get lean, with some doing two or even three hours per day in an effort to get super ripped.
It seems that the proverbial pendulum is swinging once again. An increasing number of coaches are urging people not to do cardio, primarily to avoid its' purported catabolic, muscle-burning effects.
Let's take a closer look at the cardio facts.
Types
There are essentially two types of cardio: high-intensity and steady-state. Before we go any further, let's make sure we're on the same page as to how we define each of these two.
Often, when I mention high-intensity cardio to someone, they immediately say, "Yeah, the cardio I do is high-intensity."
Then I ask them how long their intervals are and they either look at me like I'm from another planet, or they think they miss understood what I'm asking and say "I go for 30 minutes."
Wrong answer, Private, wrong answer.
High-intensity, at least as for purposes of this article, is defined as something so intense that you couldn't keep it up for more than 60 seconds no matter how badly you wanted to! So even though your incline treadmill walk may feel like "high-intensity cardio," it ain't.
Running at 10 mph on a 10 degree incline for 10 seconds; now that is high-intensity!
Now that we're on the same page as to the definition, you can clearly see that to do high-intensity cardio, you'd have to do it in spurts do some, rest, then do some more, and so on. That's exactly what we call high-intensity interval training, or HIIT (pronounced "hit").
When most people think of cardio, they think of steady-state cardio. For that reason, I often simply refer to it as regular cardio. Since high-intensity cardio has it own, cool acronym, let's refer to steady-state cardio as "SSC."
Steady-state cardio is any cardio that's done at an intensity low enough such that it can be maintained for a longer period of time. While you may warm-up and cool-down, any cardio session where you keep roughly the same pace throughout your session is steady-state.
That's right, even if you're sweatin' like a ***** in church, it's still not high-intensity if you can do if for more than a few minutes.
Which Type Should I Do?
The answer to this question could be complicated and dependant on a number of factors; but the truth is, it really boils down to one simple question: Which type do you want to do?
If you're not getting ready for an event that's just weeks away, then one of the main factors in laying out your cardio plan should be what type of cardio you enjoy doing.
Generally speaking, I enjoy cardio about as much as watching The View not very much! However, one of the best ways for me to mask the boredom of cardio is to listen to an audio book. If it's a good one, I actually dread stopping my cardio session!
As you can imagine, doing HIIT while trying to listen to Larry Winget's "People are Idiots: and I Can Prove It" is tough to do. Great book, by the way!
For that reason, I prefer to do steady-state cardio. So, although the best, most time-efficient cardio plan for me might be three HIIT sessions per week, that's not what I'm going to do at least not until losing fat becomes a higher priority.
Although we'll discuss specific plans in a moment, for now, just keep in mind that the "best" cardio to do is the type that you'll actually do.
When it comes to cardio (or training, or even nutrition for that matter), don't hesitate to compromise between what's "ideal" and what's "enjoyable." I do this with clients and you should do the same.
If you're truly indifferent about each type of cardio, then your best bet is some of each, as you'll see in a bit.
Before or After Eating?
HIIT ends up burning the same amount of fat regardless of whether you do it fasted or after eating; so when you do HIIT is really not important. There's one less thing to worry about!
SSC, on the other hand, should be done when blood glucose (and ideally liver glycogen) is fairly low. Otherwise, blood sugar (and its' reservoir, liver glycogen) ends up serving as a more significant fuel source. If blood glucose is low, however, the body will be forced to mobilize and burn fat in greater quantities.
Sure, SSC is still "good for you" and still burns calories (and some fat) even if you do it at the "wrong" time. But it's just not as good or efficient.
Ever see someone sipping on a "sports drink" while walking on the treadmill? That makes as much sense as tanning with an SPF 30 sun block on! What in the hell is the point?
It's a perpetual cycle of "sip drink, burn drink, sip drink, burn drink." I don't know about you, but I'd rather burn fat than Gatorade!
An obvious time to do steady-state cardio is when you wake up, as this is when our blood glucose tends to be lowest. However, many erroneously take this to mean it should be done fasted. That's not true. It's just that you shouldn't eat anything that will significantly raise blood glucose prior to doing SSC.
However, having some fast-acting protein (Metabolic Driveฎ Low-Carb) prior to your AM cardio is a good idea in that it'll get rid of that hollow stomach feeling while raising serum amino acid levels, thus helping prevent catabolism. Likewise, BCAAs will also help in that regard.
Before or After Weight-Training?
Another good time to do SSC is after weight training. Assuming you don't have a carb-laden post-workout drink immediately after, your blood glucose will be low after training with weights. That makes post-workout a viable alternative to doing cardio first thing in the morning.
Unless your goal is to build less muscle while burning less fat, you should never do cardio (HIIT or SSC) prior to training with weights!
Sure, a 10-minute warm-up session is fine, but doing a real cardio session before lifting weights will decrease performance (and the subsequent results) during your weight-training session and decrease the amount of fat burned during cardio.
Just as you should always wipe before pulling your pants up, you should always train with weights before doing cardio.
How Much Cardio Should I Do?
How much cardio one should do is the million dollar question. And, as is virtually always the case, the answer is... it depends.
While a lot of variables and uncertainties exist around the topic of how much cardio, let's look at a few facts.
If you do HIIT, you will need to do less cardio. For those of you busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, HIIT is your best friend.
Since HIIT is taxing to your central nervous system (CNS), you can only do so much before your recuperative capacity begins to diminish. Generally speaking, three good interval sessions per week is about what you can expect your body to tolerate before it begins to rebel.
Steady-state cardio, on the other hand, is pretty dang hard to overdo. Although logging lots of hours per week on the same type of cardio may lead to repetitive stress injuries (i.e. plantar fasciitis), SSC is not very taxing to the muscles or to the CNS.
That's why there's a really high ceiling on how much SSC you can do. 99.9% of the population would stop due to boredom before they did "too much" steady-state cardio.
Now, let's get back to the "How much?" question.
To burn fat, you either have to decrease the amount of available energy in your diet, increase the amount of energy your body burns each day, or a combination thereof.
If we take diet out of the equation, then we're left with energy expenditure. Assuming you don't significantly change your activities of daily living (like going from being a receptionist to a UPS driver), then you're left with just exercise to adjust.
Assuming you're doing about the same type of weight-training routine from week to week, the only thing left is cardio. Therefore, if your rate of fat loss is less than you desire (and the aforementioned variables are the same), then your only choice left is to either do more cardio or do it harder, both of which lead to more energy (calories) being burned.
So, to once and for all answer the question of how much cardio: Do the amount of cardio that leads to the results you want. That's all there is to it!
That leads me to another commonly asked question.
Diet or Cardio for Fat Loss?
Sure, I've read (and still read) everything I can get my hands on to learn as much as possible about burning fat and building muscle. While that has continually dramatically decreased my learning curve, sometimes you just can't beat hands-on experience.
I've prepared for contests by doing crazy amounts of cardio, and I've prepared by doing no cardio at all. Guess what? I got shredded both ways.
But, let me save you some grief: Both of these methods suck!
Assuming you don't have freaky genetics, getting really lean doing little to no cardio requires that your diet be miserably restricted. This leads to inadequate nutrient intake, muscle loss, hunger, and fatigue so bad that you're too tired to talk or even think.
On the other hand, doing hours and hours of cardio is just as miserable and inefficient, even though you are eating more. The end result of both of these methods ends up being inferior to a more moderate diet combined with a more moderate cardio program.
So the answer is, both. To speed up fat loss, slightly tweak both your cardio and your diet.
Here's a nifty little chart to summarize the pros and cons of HIIT and SSC:
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Pros:
Boosts metabolism for up to 24 hours.
Burns far more calories per unit of time.
Less boring.
Can be done anytime.
Tends to promote "athleticism."
Cons:
Hard to do!
Taxing to the CNS.
Slightly increased risk of acute injuries (i.e. a pulled hamstring).
Steady State Cardio (SSC)
Pros:
Easy to do.
Not taxing on the CNS.
Can be very "relaxing" to the mind.
Cons:
Doesn't significantly boost metabolism.
Not very time efficient.
Tends to be boring.
Should be done with low serum glucose.
The main difference between HIIT and SSC is that the former is way harder but ends up burning way more fat, while the latter is much easier to do but doesn't offer the "bang for the buck" that HIIT does.
How Do I Put All This Together?
Below are a couple of sample cardio plans to give you an idea of what you might need to do. Most people would steadily lose fat on the Fat Loss Cardio Plan if their diet and training were on point.
Those of us who seem to have inherited the fat gene as opposed to the lean gene may have to do something a bit more extreme to lose at a satisfactory pace. However, reserve the Extreme Fat Loss Cardio Plan for when you absolutely need it.
Always try to get results with less cardio as opposed to more.
Fat Loss Cardio Plan
Two 20-minute HIIT sessions per week.
Two 45-minute SSC session per week.
Extreme Fat Loss Cardio Plan
Three 20-minute HIIT session.
Five 50-minute SSC session.
Doesn't Cardio Burn Muscle?
Yes it does. And saving pennies you find on the ground will make you money. But neither is significant.
The "cardio burns muscle" argument is about the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It's perpetuated by the fact that we want cardio to somehow be bad so we can justify not doing it.
The human body prefers to burn carbs and fat, in that order. Protein only serves as a fuel source during extreme circumstances, like starvation and prolonged, intense exercise (think "marathon"). If you're eating a decent diet and not training for hours on end, then very, very little protein will be used for fuel.
If you're a savvy trainee and use certain anti-catabolic strategies, like taking BCAAs, then you'll protect yourself from the tiny bit of protein (from your muscles) that may've been burned during exercise. Taking a protein supplement and/or BCAAs prior to or during exercise will serve as good "insurance" against any potential muscle loss.
Let me briefly point out that while using BCAAs for anti-catabolic purposes is a smart idea, they have anabolic benefits above and beyond that. So they're not just for dieters doing cardio!
But even if you were to engage in the most piss-poor nutrition plan, cardio doesn't just eat up muscle as some claim, so don't throw the baby out with the bath water and avoid cardio because you might burn 1 gram (1/28 of an ounce) of muscle while losing five pounds of fat!
Now take some damn BCAAs and do the damn cardio! (Sorry, I'm having flashbacks to the piece I wrote for TMUSCLE called Advice You Don't Want to Hear.
But She Got Lean with No Cardio!
One way to support the argument against cardio is to point out someone who got lean without doing any of it. That's all fine and dandy, but just because a girl has red hair, doesn't mean all people with red hair are girls. It's flawed logic.
As Tony Robbins often says, "Success leaves clues." So let's look at what most successful (or lean) physique competitors or models do.
Besides those rare individuals who are naturally very lean (1 in 25 people at best), most people in great shape used a significant amount of cardio to get there. Don't be afraid to follow in their footsteps and do some cardio.
It doesn't mean you're copping out, it means you're realistic.
The good news is that once you achieve the degree of leanness you want, you don't have to do nearly as much cardio to stay lean.
Wrapping Up
Cardio is a tool, a tool that when used properly, can cause amazing changes to your physique. Don't be scared to use it, but don't abuse it.
With a little trial and error, you'll figure out the exact type, frequency, and duration that'll help you achieve the lean physique you desire.
Back in the 70's and even the early 80's, virtually no physique competitor did cardio in preparation for a contest. By the 90's, cardio had become a staple for those wanting to get lean, with some doing two or even three hours per day in an effort to get super ripped.
It seems that the proverbial pendulum is swinging once again. An increasing number of coaches are urging people not to do cardio, primarily to avoid its' purported catabolic, muscle-burning effects.
Let's take a closer look at the cardio facts.
Types
There are essentially two types of cardio: high-intensity and steady-state. Before we go any further, let's make sure we're on the same page as to how we define each of these two.
Often, when I mention high-intensity cardio to someone, they immediately say, "Yeah, the cardio I do is high-intensity."
Then I ask them how long their intervals are and they either look at me like I'm from another planet, or they think they miss understood what I'm asking and say "I go for 30 minutes."
Wrong answer, Private, wrong answer.
High-intensity, at least as for purposes of this article, is defined as something so intense that you couldn't keep it up for more than 60 seconds no matter how badly you wanted to! So even though your incline treadmill walk may feel like "high-intensity cardio," it ain't.
Running at 10 mph on a 10 degree incline for 10 seconds; now that is high-intensity!
Now that we're on the same page as to the definition, you can clearly see that to do high-intensity cardio, you'd have to do it in spurts do some, rest, then do some more, and so on. That's exactly what we call high-intensity interval training, or HIIT (pronounced "hit").
When most people think of cardio, they think of steady-state cardio. For that reason, I often simply refer to it as regular cardio. Since high-intensity cardio has it own, cool acronym, let's refer to steady-state cardio as "SSC."
Steady-state cardio is any cardio that's done at an intensity low enough such that it can be maintained for a longer period of time. While you may warm-up and cool-down, any cardio session where you keep roughly the same pace throughout your session is steady-state.
That's right, even if you're sweatin' like a ***** in church, it's still not high-intensity if you can do if for more than a few minutes.
Which Type Should I Do?
The answer to this question could be complicated and dependant on a number of factors; but the truth is, it really boils down to one simple question: Which type do you want to do?
If you're not getting ready for an event that's just weeks away, then one of the main factors in laying out your cardio plan should be what type of cardio you enjoy doing.
Generally speaking, I enjoy cardio about as much as watching The View not very much! However, one of the best ways for me to mask the boredom of cardio is to listen to an audio book. If it's a good one, I actually dread stopping my cardio session!
As you can imagine, doing HIIT while trying to listen to Larry Winget's "People are Idiots: and I Can Prove It" is tough to do. Great book, by the way!
For that reason, I prefer to do steady-state cardio. So, although the best, most time-efficient cardio plan for me might be three HIIT sessions per week, that's not what I'm going to do at least not until losing fat becomes a higher priority.
Although we'll discuss specific plans in a moment, for now, just keep in mind that the "best" cardio to do is the type that you'll actually do.
When it comes to cardio (or training, or even nutrition for that matter), don't hesitate to compromise between what's "ideal" and what's "enjoyable." I do this with clients and you should do the same.
If you're truly indifferent about each type of cardio, then your best bet is some of each, as you'll see in a bit.
Before or After Eating?
HIIT ends up burning the same amount of fat regardless of whether you do it fasted or after eating; so when you do HIIT is really not important. There's one less thing to worry about!
SSC, on the other hand, should be done when blood glucose (and ideally liver glycogen) is fairly low. Otherwise, blood sugar (and its' reservoir, liver glycogen) ends up serving as a more significant fuel source. If blood glucose is low, however, the body will be forced to mobilize and burn fat in greater quantities.
Sure, SSC is still "good for you" and still burns calories (and some fat) even if you do it at the "wrong" time. But it's just not as good or efficient.
Ever see someone sipping on a "sports drink" while walking on the treadmill? That makes as much sense as tanning with an SPF 30 sun block on! What in the hell is the point?
It's a perpetual cycle of "sip drink, burn drink, sip drink, burn drink." I don't know about you, but I'd rather burn fat than Gatorade!
An obvious time to do steady-state cardio is when you wake up, as this is when our blood glucose tends to be lowest. However, many erroneously take this to mean it should be done fasted. That's not true. It's just that you shouldn't eat anything that will significantly raise blood glucose prior to doing SSC.
However, having some fast-acting protein (Metabolic Driveฎ Low-Carb) prior to your AM cardio is a good idea in that it'll get rid of that hollow stomach feeling while raising serum amino acid levels, thus helping prevent catabolism. Likewise, BCAAs will also help in that regard.
Before or After Weight-Training?
Another good time to do SSC is after weight training. Assuming you don't have a carb-laden post-workout drink immediately after, your blood glucose will be low after training with weights. That makes post-workout a viable alternative to doing cardio first thing in the morning.
Unless your goal is to build less muscle while burning less fat, you should never do cardio (HIIT or SSC) prior to training with weights!
Sure, a 10-minute warm-up session is fine, but doing a real cardio session before lifting weights will decrease performance (and the subsequent results) during your weight-training session and decrease the amount of fat burned during cardio.
Just as you should always wipe before pulling your pants up, you should always train with weights before doing cardio.
How Much Cardio Should I Do?
How much cardio one should do is the million dollar question. And, as is virtually always the case, the answer is... it depends.
While a lot of variables and uncertainties exist around the topic of how much cardio, let's look at a few facts.
If you do HIIT, you will need to do less cardio. For those of you busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, HIIT is your best friend.
Since HIIT is taxing to your central nervous system (CNS), you can only do so much before your recuperative capacity begins to diminish. Generally speaking, three good interval sessions per week is about what you can expect your body to tolerate before it begins to rebel.
Steady-state cardio, on the other hand, is pretty dang hard to overdo. Although logging lots of hours per week on the same type of cardio may lead to repetitive stress injuries (i.e. plantar fasciitis), SSC is not very taxing to the muscles or to the CNS.
That's why there's a really high ceiling on how much SSC you can do. 99.9% of the population would stop due to boredom before they did "too much" steady-state cardio.
Now, let's get back to the "How much?" question.
To burn fat, you either have to decrease the amount of available energy in your diet, increase the amount of energy your body burns each day, or a combination thereof.
If we take diet out of the equation, then we're left with energy expenditure. Assuming you don't significantly change your activities of daily living (like going from being a receptionist to a UPS driver), then you're left with just exercise to adjust.
Assuming you're doing about the same type of weight-training routine from week to week, the only thing left is cardio. Therefore, if your rate of fat loss is less than you desire (and the aforementioned variables are the same), then your only choice left is to either do more cardio or do it harder, both of which lead to more energy (calories) being burned.
So, to once and for all answer the question of how much cardio: Do the amount of cardio that leads to the results you want. That's all there is to it!
That leads me to another commonly asked question.
Diet or Cardio for Fat Loss?
Sure, I've read (and still read) everything I can get my hands on to learn as much as possible about burning fat and building muscle. While that has continually dramatically decreased my learning curve, sometimes you just can't beat hands-on experience.
I've prepared for contests by doing crazy amounts of cardio, and I've prepared by doing no cardio at all. Guess what? I got shredded both ways.
But, let me save you some grief: Both of these methods suck!
Assuming you don't have freaky genetics, getting really lean doing little to no cardio requires that your diet be miserably restricted. This leads to inadequate nutrient intake, muscle loss, hunger, and fatigue so bad that you're too tired to talk or even think.
On the other hand, doing hours and hours of cardio is just as miserable and inefficient, even though you are eating more. The end result of both of these methods ends up being inferior to a more moderate diet combined with a more moderate cardio program.
So the answer is, both. To speed up fat loss, slightly tweak both your cardio and your diet.
Here's a nifty little chart to summarize the pros and cons of HIIT and SSC:
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Pros:
Boosts metabolism for up to 24 hours.
Burns far more calories per unit of time.
Less boring.
Can be done anytime.
Tends to promote "athleticism."
Cons:
Hard to do!
Taxing to the CNS.
Slightly increased risk of acute injuries (i.e. a pulled hamstring).
Steady State Cardio (SSC)
Pros:
Easy to do.
Not taxing on the CNS.
Can be very "relaxing" to the mind.
Cons:
Doesn't significantly boost metabolism.
Not very time efficient.
Tends to be boring.
Should be done with low serum glucose.
The main difference between HIIT and SSC is that the former is way harder but ends up burning way more fat, while the latter is much easier to do but doesn't offer the "bang for the buck" that HIIT does.
How Do I Put All This Together?
Below are a couple of sample cardio plans to give you an idea of what you might need to do. Most people would steadily lose fat on the Fat Loss Cardio Plan if their diet and training were on point.
Those of us who seem to have inherited the fat gene as opposed to the lean gene may have to do something a bit more extreme to lose at a satisfactory pace. However, reserve the Extreme Fat Loss Cardio Plan for when you absolutely need it.
Always try to get results with less cardio as opposed to more.
Fat Loss Cardio Plan
Two 20-minute HIIT sessions per week.
Two 45-minute SSC session per week.
Extreme Fat Loss Cardio Plan
Three 20-minute HIIT session.
Five 50-minute SSC session.
Doesn't Cardio Burn Muscle?
Yes it does. And saving pennies you find on the ground will make you money. But neither is significant.
The "cardio burns muscle" argument is about the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It's perpetuated by the fact that we want cardio to somehow be bad so we can justify not doing it.
The human body prefers to burn carbs and fat, in that order. Protein only serves as a fuel source during extreme circumstances, like starvation and prolonged, intense exercise (think "marathon"). If you're eating a decent diet and not training for hours on end, then very, very little protein will be used for fuel.
If you're a savvy trainee and use certain anti-catabolic strategies, like taking BCAAs, then you'll protect yourself from the tiny bit of protein (from your muscles) that may've been burned during exercise. Taking a protein supplement and/or BCAAs prior to or during exercise will serve as good "insurance" against any potential muscle loss.
Let me briefly point out that while using BCAAs for anti-catabolic purposes is a smart idea, they have anabolic benefits above and beyond that. So they're not just for dieters doing cardio!
But even if you were to engage in the most piss-poor nutrition plan, cardio doesn't just eat up muscle as some claim, so don't throw the baby out with the bath water and avoid cardio because you might burn 1 gram (1/28 of an ounce) of muscle while losing five pounds of fat!
Now take some damn BCAAs and do the damn cardio! (Sorry, I'm having flashbacks to the piece I wrote for TMUSCLE called Advice You Don't Want to Hear.
But She Got Lean with No Cardio!
One way to support the argument against cardio is to point out someone who got lean without doing any of it. That's all fine and dandy, but just because a girl has red hair, doesn't mean all people with red hair are girls. It's flawed logic.
As Tony Robbins often says, "Success leaves clues." So let's look at what most successful (or lean) physique competitors or models do.
Besides those rare individuals who are naturally very lean (1 in 25 people at best), most people in great shape used a significant amount of cardio to get there. Don't be afraid to follow in their footsteps and do some cardio.
It doesn't mean you're copping out, it means you're realistic.
The good news is that once you achieve the degree of leanness you want, you don't have to do nearly as much cardio to stay lean.
Wrapping Up
Cardio is a tool, a tool that when used properly, can cause amazing changes to your physique. Don't be scared to use it, but don't abuse it.
With a little trial and error, you'll figure out the exact type, frequency, and duration that'll help you achieve the lean physique you desire.
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