I think that we, collectively, as bodybuilders, powerlifters, and weightlifters can agree…cardio sucks. It sucks even more when you don’t know what you’re doing or why you’re doing it. I’m here to help give you some direction so that you can have more productive cardio sessions.
CARDIO FOR FAT LOSS
The first thing that comes to mind for most people is the idea of using cardio for fat loss. First, let me tell you that cardio is an excellent tool for fat loss. If you’re sedentary then it will surely burn more fat than doing nothing. If you lift weights then the extra cardio work can be enough to burn those extra calories that you need to stimulate more fat/weight loss. We need to differentiate between weight loss and fat loss. Eating properly + exercise to end up in a caloric deficit will yield weight loss and we make other changes and focuses to ensure that we are maximizing fat loss and minimizing muscle loss. In this article, we want to maximize fat loss.
There are different types of cardio, and some of them are better for fat loss than others. Many of your gyms likely have “smart” cardio equipment that will tell you what your heart rate needs to be at to maximize fat loss. Choosing the right cardio for your goal is the first step. Let’s think about a marathon runner versus a sprinter. The sprinters carry more muscle and are way more jacked! While both forms of cardio have heart benefits and burn calories to lead to weight loss…one of them is better for muscle than the other. Doing low intensity cardio for long periods of time (like walking or more similar to a slower pace of a marathon) might be great for weight loss and overall endurance, but it may not be working in your favor when it comes to muscle. Doing high intensity interval cardio (HIIT) is likely going to give you the fat loss and heart benefits without causing as much muscle loss. In the end, you’re eating to be in a caloric deficit and weight loss will occur. The question to ask yourself here is if the cardio style is promoting your body’s ability to retain muscle (think sprinter) or if it’s causing it to adapt and be more efficient (think endurance athletes). Remember that we have different types of cardio and you should do the research to make sure the cardio that you are doing is in line with your goals.
HIIT VS LISS
I just mentioned High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) cardio. Both can lead to weight loss. Both can lead to fat loss. However, when given the option I would choose HIIT most of the time.
HIIT cardio is shorter and more intense. Not only will this be more favorable for anybody that doesn’t like cardio, it will help increase your “weightlifting endurance” and make you a better lifter in the gym. It packs more of a punch in a shorter period of time. Because of this, HIIT cardio is my preferred cardio for post-workout. The best “side effect” of this is that you’ll be in better cardiovascular shape for your weightlifting exercises. The short and intense bursts during HIIT cardio mirror the short and intense bursts of weightlifting. Improving cardio with HIIT will improve your performance with the weights.
LISS cardio is longer and less intense. This is great cardio for a rest day or for those of you that ever try things like fasted cardio, etc. With the right intensity, this type of cardio can be great for overall heart health, endurance, and health benefits. This type of cardio is also easier to recover from because it is less intense overall. The biggest downsides to this type of cardio are that it takes a long time to perform and your heart rate never really gets elevated outside of your comfort zone (unless you purposefully push harder). This is best for those of you that are just starting out, those of you doing fasted type cardio sessions, those looking for overall long form endurance, and/or those of you looking to get extra work in on rest days.
OTHER BENEFITS
This is the reason I wanted to write this article. So many people do cardio just for “fat loss” and that’s fine…but cardio is more than that. Cardio is “cardioprotective” which means that it’s great for your heart. Your heart is pretty important, so doing cardio for your heart is a great idea for health, performance, and longevity. However, that’s not my favorite reason for cardio either.
I mentioned “weightlifting endurance” earlier in this article. This is the biggest reason everybody should be doing some type of cardio. High Intensity cardio is best for this. A simple 10-15 minute HIIT session is enough to help you perform better.
Why do I need to worry about “weightlifting endurance”?
Let’s say you go hard when you lift weights in the gym, but if your endurance is shit then you won’t be able to lift to your muscle’s potential. Imagine doing barbell back squats with 225lbs and feeling like it’s a great workout but your legs are capable of 275lbs…and the reason you are using 225lbs is because of poor “weightlifting endurance”. Weightlifting is a burst of all-out effort for a short period of time. HIIT cardio is a short burst of all-out effort followed by a short rest. It mimics weightlifting! If you can improve your HIIT cardio performance then you’ll have better weightlifting endurance…with better weightlifting endurance then you can lift a heavier weight for more reps…and that’s the exact stimulus we are looking for to build a bigger and stronger physique!
So, there you go…nothing wrong with low intensity cardio for weight loss if that’s your goal. However, if you’re trying to get jacked, increase your strength and performance, and still lose body fat…then maybe add more HIIT cardio into your program.
If you are feeling lost in the gym, I have created several eBooks that have full workout programs with instructions and information to help you. Check them out here.
In the end, there isn’t a “type” of cardio in existence that will burn fat if you have a bad diet. Get your nutrition in order and toss in some cardio. With the right diet, you can eat enough to maximize fat loss and minimize muscle loss. This means you’ll get leaner, perform better, and hold on to as much of your hard-earned muscle as possible!
