Most people going to the gym or working out at home will do cardio exercises because they feel more confident doing cardio than doing resistance training exercises. Almost anyone can hop on a treadmill or stationary bike and begin exercising, but not everyone is comfortable figuring out and doing a resistance training program that uses the weight machines or free-weights. Even so, many people are still doing things wrong during their cardio workouts and it’s probably affecting their results.
One problem I see is there seems to be a great deal of confusion about fat burning during cardio exercise. I think people are too concerned about HOW they are burning calories and not focusing on HOW MANY calories they are burning. Instead of worrying about the “proper” type of cardio exercise (bike, stairs, treadmill, etc), the “best” mode (steady or interval), the “optimal” ratio of intervals and duration.
Some people coast along on the treadmill at 2 to 3 miles per hour at a “walking” pace and they think that just by going for a certain duration, like 30, 45 or 60 minutes, they will get the results they want.
On the other hand, there are those who do a short, high intensity training session like the “5 minute melt down”. And, just because the workout is high in intensity or performed in intervals, they too think they are assured of the results they want.
Unfortunately, fat loss is a function of total calories burned, not a matter of how you burn them. And, the total calories burned is a result of a combination of intensity AND duration, not intensity OR duration.
By focusing on just one variable and excluding the other, the results will be less than optimal for burning the most calories. And remember, intensity and duration are “variables”, meaning you can change them to produce the maximal calorie burn and maximum fat loss based on your current fitness level and time availability.
Another problem is this tricky little myth of the ideal “fat burning zone” which actually encourages people to exercise “slower” and with “less intensely” in order to burn more fat.
Well now wait just a minute. Does that make any sense? Which workout burns more calories? A 30 minute leisurely walk or a 30 minute, sweat drenched, heart-pounding run? Is there any doubt the run burns more calories than the walk?
And yet there are still trainers, authors and infomercial gurus saying we have to slow down if we want to burn more fat? There are 2 reasons people still go for this “fat burning zone” myth. Number one: its easy. People will take the easiest way to try to reach their goals; and it’s easier to go slow than to go fast and hard. Number two: misunderstanding of the fact that low intensity exercise does burn a higher percentage of calories from fat than high intensity exercise does, but the total number of calories burned is far less with low the intensity. The percentage is not what’s important, it’s the total number that matters.
So, the best solution is to focus on burning more calories by increasing the intensity, duration and/or frequency of your workouts.
Ed Ferrell is a certified personal trainer [http://www.fttemecula.com] and owner of Fitness Together in Temecula, CA. Fitness Together provides one-on-one personal training in private workout suites, and complete nutritional programs based on each client’s unique goals. If you are in the Temecula area, visit [http://www.fttemecula.com] to schedule a FREE personal training session and fitness assessment.
