I’ll start this entry off with a disclaimer: Of course I realize there are a myriad of health benefits associated with consistent aerobic exercise. Lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol, better endurance, yada yada. That is fine, and I’m not taking anything away from that. As the title implies though, this is about trying to achieve fat loss and why long duration aerobic activity is not the best way to achieve THAT goal.
This entry is not intended to be an in-depth science lesson, but the notion that long duration aerobic exercise (endurance training) is not preferred for fat loss goes against what most people mistakenly believe. But, if you think about it logically, it begins to make sense. First, muscle is the tissue in the body where fat is burned for energy. Endurance training does not make your muscles bigger, and in fact it can make them smaller. Thus, less muscle mass will result in fewer calories burned throughout the day.
Next, endurance training makes your muscles more efficient at energy utilization. Sounds good, but what does that mean? Well, if today it takes 100 calories of energy for you to run a mile, and you stay consistent with your endurance training, you will eventually only need to use 70 calories to perform that same task. So, now not only are your muscles possibly smaller, they are burning fewer calories throughout the day because of the effects of the endurance training.
Don’t misunderstand the point here. Endurance training can make your muscles more efficient, and efficient muscles are good if that is your goal. But, when fat loss is the goal, endurance training will not get you there. Think about this: picture an Olympic 100 meter sprinter. Body like a Greek statue right? Guess what? They aren’t spending their days doing long duration cardio. They sprint, they rest, then they sprint some more. Short duration, high intensity activity. Would you rather look like an Olympic sprinter, or a marathoner? Have you seen what marathon winners look like? I’m not implying that you can achieve the body of an Olympic sprinter, but that is certainly a better target than a marathoner.
And any marathoners reading this, don’t start sending me nasty emails. I have no problem with people who want to run 26.2 miles in an afternoon. I truly admire someone with not only the physical ability, but more importantly the mental toughness, to accomplish that. If that is your goal, fine by me. You’re reading the wrong blog, but I’m guessing you already knew that.
The point here is that the other 99.9% of the population would rather look good on the beach than be able to run 26.2 miles to get to the beach. If you are in that 99.9%, you would make better progress towards your fat loss goals by following a program of regularly scheduled resistance training sessions mixed with high intensity interval training. My Fitness Bootcamp, Body Transformation Course, or Sandbag training programs all fit that bill.
About the Author
Dave Soucy is a coach, trainer, motivator, husband, dad, and former fat guy. His goal is to teach as many people as possible how to achieve a life of health, fitness, and wellness through simply eating right and exercising. Click here to learn more about Dave.
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