We all know someone who’s on the treadmill from the time you get to the gym to the time you leave, attempting to sweat his or her way to a better body but seeing virtually no results. These forever-runners have no shortage of the consistency, persistence, dedication, and discipline required to reach the appearance they desire, but make little to no progress regardless of their endurance.
Considering the hours upon disappointing hours focused on burning calories, it’s worth addressing the benefits and limitations of cardio as well as some pros and cons of different types of cardio.
Which Type of Cardio is Best for You?
To begin with, I think it’s important to establish an undeniable fact: cardio does not lead to weight loss if you fail to reach a caloric deficit at the end of the day. This is why we see people dedicated to insane amounts of cardio without ever tipping the scale if they fail to regulate their intake. If this sounds confusing, check out my article on Energy Balance for clarification.
With all that being said, cardio is an effective method of burning calories to help reach a caloric deficit, not to mention several obvious health benefits. From pick-up basketball to hiking up mountains, cardio comes in infinite forms. Here I’m going to divide it into three categories that encapsulates all types: low-intensity, moderate-intensity, and high-intensity.
Low-intensity
40-60% of max heart rate
100-200 calories per hour
Low-intensity steady state cardio, LISS, includes anything that keeps your heart rate around 50% maximum beats per minute, typically some form of walking. The biggest upside to low-intensity cardio is the simple fact that it requires nothing more than walking, making it super convenient for those who aren’t looking for anything strenuous. The downfall is that an entire hour of walking can be countered very easily by just a couple bites of food. Not to say that burning a couple hundred calories won’t help you reach a deficit, but it can be undone extremely quickly without a properly tracked food intake. Also keep in mind that our bodies become increasingly more efficient at cardio the more we do. This means your body burns less calories per hour as your cardiovascular endurance improves.
Moderate-intensity
60-70% of max heart rate
200-400 calories per hour
This is where the treadmill warriors spend the majority of their time. The biggest issue with using this type of cardio for fat loss is that as endurance improves, you have to increase the time spent in this range to continue burning the same amount of calories. With this category particularly, fat may not be the only thing being shed. High amounts of moderate-intensity cardio have been shown to decrease testosterone levels in men and have a catabolic effect on muscles. If your physique goals are that of a marathoner, then you may not have a problem with putting your body in this catabolic state, but there are ways to burn calories without jeopardizing muscle.
High-intensity
75-95% of max hear rate
400-700 calories per hour
High-intensity interval training, HIIT, has become increasingly popular with the crossfit crowd, and for good reason. Although your body can’t sustain these heart rates for long periods, alternating intervals of high intensity will burn calories much faster than less intense forms of cardio. HIIT has also been found to target fat cells rather than turning to muscle for energy, making it a prime choice for those looking to preserve lean mass. As you can probably tell, this is my personal go-to when I want to increase my energy output in the least amount of time possible. The main issue people have with HIIT is that while it burns the most calories, it is also the most stressful for the body. My response to those claims is that any activity puts some amount of stress on the body, that’s part of burning energy, but the most intense form can lead to overtraining in less time than LISS because it burns calories so much quicker.
The truth is that cardio should be used in moderation for those looking for a lean, muscular body. It can be viewed as a supplement that can assist you in reaching a caloric deficit, but should not necessarily be a staple in everyone’s daily routine.
The bottom line is that cardio can be effective for weight loss if you have an understanding of energy balance. At the end of the day you have to weigh the pros and cons to choose which forms you will incorporate into your routine when you need to burn a few extra calories.
What’s your choice of cardio? Let me know in the comments below!
I hope this was helpful! I'm sure you have comments, questions and opinions, so feel free to reach out to me.
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