We’ve all witnessed it, we’ve all wondered why. You see the same guy/gal busting their ass on the elliptical or treadmill for over a year, only to see minimal results burning body fat. How is it that one of the biggest industries in the world – cardio equipment – can be so inefficient. Well I’m going to show you 3 reasons why burning fat with cardio is not as effective as you may think.
Now let’s establish something first. We both know dieting is an imperative part of effectively losing body fat – so I am assuming you’re read this article with a healthy diet in mind.
Here is why cardio does not work as good as you think.
First, the more cardio you perform, the more efficient you become over time. If you jog on a treadmill for 1 year, I would hope you could run a longer distance at a faster pace 1 year later. Your body becomes more efficient because of the training. For example, if you can jog 5 miles when you start, and 6.5 miles a year later, your body will become more efficient overall so within that 1 hour of jogging you will probably have burned relatively the same amount, even though your distances are different. This is the first reason why cardio does not work when attempting to burn fat with cardio.
The second reason cardio is an ineffective method of burning fat is because it doesn’t demand an after burn effect. There is no caloric expenditure after the workout is over. Your muscles may be fatigued, but they do not require repair. I look at cardio as a one-dimensional way of trying to burn fat. This kind of method is not as effective as other methods like high intensity resistance training or interval training..
The third reason cardio does not work effectively is because it strips muscle from your body. This is bad because muscle is responsible for jacking up your metabolism. And we all know that a higher metabolism allows you to burn more calories. Muscle is known as your all natural fat burning system. Although people intend on burning fat with cardio, they are also depleting the effect their natural fat burning system, muscle, has on burning fat for them. This is the the third reason cardio is ineffective and inefficient.
Cardio as the sole method of fat loss is a waste of your time. I am not saying cardio is bad for you – it has many healthy beneficial side effects. But if you are using cardio for the purpose of burning body fat – you will not see desired results as quickly as alternate methods. It is time to switch your routine if burning fat with cardio is your number one method of losing weight.
Read this article: Burning Fat with Cardio – 3 Reasons it Does Not Work
