4 Things You NEED to Understand About Why the "Average Cardio Workout" May Be PREVENTING You From Losing Stubborn Body Fat
By Tom Gifford, Certified Personal Trainer American Council on Exercise
ATTENTION: If you have ever tried and failed to lose weight by spending 30, 45, or even 60 minutes trying to force yourself to endure long, slow, and painfully boring cardio workouts to try and lose weight, then it is vitally important that you read this article...
1. Did you know that your body adapts very quickly to long, “same speed” cardio workouts, which can make you burn less calories each time you workout?
This is something that at least 95% of people do not understand. The more time you spend doing a cardio workout such as walking, running, using the treadmill, elliptical, bike, rowing machine, etc., the more your body adapts and the less calories you burn! Even worse, most people do a cardio workout and go at the same speed the whole time.
Imagine this. If you went outside to run 5 miles right now, it would be pretty tough if you weren’t conditioned for it. But if you did that same run 5 times a week for the next two months, what do you think would happen? It would get easier!
Your body would become more efficient at doing the same workout over and over. Once this happens, the workout becomes less of a challenge each time you do it. After awhile, you might burn half the calories as you did when you first started.
The only solution then is to run faster or run further. Unless you have a serious passion for running, who wants to do that?
Unfortunately most people make this exact same mistake with their own cardio workouts. They do the same workout repeatedly in the gym or at home. At first they might lose some weight, but pretty soon their body adapts and their progress comes to a screeching halt!
2. Did you know that several research studies have shown that too much long, slow cardio can actually make you lose lean muscle mass, which in turn slows down your metabolism?
This is another major downside to doing too much same speed cardio. Most people have a “more cardio is better” mentality and think nothing about how it is affecting their metabolism. One of the biggest factors to your metabolism is how much lean muscle mass you have!
Having proportionate lean muscle mass turns your body into a calorie burning factory. Unfortunately, excessive amounts of same speed cardio does nothing to help you build lean muscle mass. Even worse, too much of it can make you lose muscle and slow down your metabolism.
Like we just talked about in the first reason, lots of same speed cardio makes you more efficient at doing the same workout. Combine that with a decrease in muscle mass and you have a perfect recipe for a weight loss plateau or even worse, gaining more weight back.
3. Did you know that long, slow cardio workouts have little to no impact on your resting metabolism?
Sure, you might burn 300 calories after spending 45 minutes walking on a treadmill. But unless you are really pushing yourself the whole time, the calorie burn is going to mostly stop when you finish your workout. That means one Vitamin Water or a Gatorade afterwards has, for the most part, negated the calories burned during the entire workout!
Let’s face another fact. The 30, 45, or 60 minute you spend on a cardio machine is usually no joy ride. So many people try to space off and read a magazine, cover the timer with a towel, talk on a cell phone, or do anything else in their power to try and forget there are exercising. For many, exercise is a chore that is often an inconvenience.
A long workout with short term benefits that is also very un-engaging is certainly not an ideal combination for permanent weight loss.
4. Did you know that most people are completely unaware of an alternative method to slow cardio called interval training?
This one is HUGE, so I want you to read very carefully. It could make a huge difference in both the enjoyment of your workouts and your results!
"What Exactly is Interval Training?"
Interval training is a different than the normal “same speed” long cardio routines because it involves changing speed and intensity at specific points in the workout.
Interval training is by its nature fast and effective. When performed correctly, you can get a great interval training workout in only 25 minutes.
Read that again, only 25 minutes at the most - and that includes the warm up and cool down! Who really has the time to go spend 60 minutes on a cardio machine 5 days a week anyway like so many people do?
In fact, one research study found that interval training burns up to nine times more fat cells than normal slow cardio workouts.
And thats just for starters.
Another research study found that subjects who used interval cardio resulted in significant fat loss as compared to other subjects who worked out at a lower intensity.
You don't need drugs, "magic" supplements, crazy crash diets, or special exercise gimmicks with interval training.
One of the best things about intervals is that you can use them with just about any cardio machine you would find in someone’s home, at a commercial gym, or even outside!
“How Would You Like to Permanently Say Goodbye to the Long, Slow, Boring “Average Cardio Workout” and Do Something That is Faster, More Effective, More Fun, and a Better Overall Cardio Workout for Losing Stubborn Body Fat?”
Let me ask you a question.
Have you ever thought the following to be true:
"The more cardio I do, the more weight I should lose...right?"
If you are like many of the people I have helped, you have tried losing weight by pounding away on a cardio machine such as the treadmill, elliptical, upright bike, stationary bike, rowing machine, stairstepper, etc. for 30, 45, or even 60+ minutes.
The problem?
Despite your best efforts, all your hard work has never yielded any long term sustainable results.
You put in lots of time and energy along with a decent diet, but the scale has not budged more than a few pounds.
In fact, usually you lose a few pounds in the first few weeks, only to gain it all back and then some.
And if thats not enough, the mere thought of enduring another loooong cardio session makes you dread exercise more than ever.
Well guess what?
If you have had enough with the long, boring, non effective cardio workouts that you have been doing, I may have the right solution for you.
It is a new method of cardio called “interval training", and it is about to take the mainstream exercise world by storm.
A Little About Me, Why I Love Interval Training, and Why I am Sure You Will Too
My name is Tom Gifford and I am a 26 year old Fitness Professional from Pennsylvania. I have been involved with the fitness industry now for over 7 years and have spent more time in the gym than most people spend at their homes!
I have a bachelors degree in Kinesiology - Movement Science and I am a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise.
I have spent months and months working in research labs for exercise physiology and biomechanics here in America and I even spent 6 months doing research and studying exercise in Sydney, Australia.
In fact when I was in college I was the only student in the country to recieve the Joe Q. Bryant Award from the American Council on Exercise.
I've spent thousands of hours training clients and working with people in the gym to help them attain their fat loss goals.
I currently travel all around the country attending seminars to always stay on top of every new advancement in the field of exercise science.
Just recently I have been to Boston, Providence, Florida, Reno, Las Vegas, Sydney, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Philadelphia. I have over 100 published articles and I am an Expert Author in EzineArticles.co.
You can say that I have spent my fair share of time learning about fitness.
Where Most People Go Wrong With Cardio
I have seen so many people start coming to the gym, using a cardio machine, and go at a slow pace for 30, 45, or even 60 minutes.
It almost never fails - they are there at the gym consistently for a few weeks, they look no different, and then the dissapear until the next year.
I remember back when I was in high school I would try to lose the last few pounds of body fat so I could get a six pack before going to the beach. I didn't know any better at the time, so I would get on an elliptical 5 days a week for 45 minutes each time.
I worked my butt off until my shirt was soaked with sweak each time.
And guess what happened?
NOTHING.
In short:
I always hoped that the "more cardio is better" method would start to work and would help me actually lose body fat by doing cardio 5 days per week, but that never happened.
I even tried just about all of the popular "fat burners" that I had hoped so much would finally make the difference.
Now, lets dwell on this for a second.
I spent almost 5 hours a week for over 2 months trying to get lean by doing long, slow, boring cardio workouts! Each workout became more and more frustrating because in my mind I was doing everything right. And yet the results in the mirror told a much different story!
There's a lot more to this lesson.
Sure, I put in lots of time and effort, but I went about doing it completely the wrong way. I had no concept of how to increase my metabolism through using interval training. I didn't even know it existed! I also went about strength training and changing my diet completely the wrong way too!
Seriously think about this for a moment.
Does this sound at all familiar to the way you approach exercise?
Do you have a "more cardio is better" mentality?
Do you avoid strength training like its the plague?
Are you completely confused about how you should be eating to lose body fat?
Now I don't know about you...but I had no idea what was right or wrong because every magazine and article I read all told me something different! I just went with what I thought "should" work. Despite my best efforts, I ended up wasting a lot of time, being very frustrated, and more confused than ever.
No doubt about it, I did not have the slightest clue about what worked.
This became a problem that I was determined to solve. I began attending college and decided to major in Kinesiology, which is a fancy word for "exercise science." I spent whole summers working in research labs, I read lots of journal articles on exercise physiology, biomechanics, exercise psychology, and more. I learned firsthand from some of the smartest professors in the world with regard to how the body burns fat in the most efficient way possible.
Sure enough, I slowly began to learn that I had done just about everything completely wrong. I had spent so much time working out and trying to eat "right" only to find out that I had it all completely backwards.
But wait, there's more. Things started to "click" for me and sure enough, after years of trial and error and thousands of hours spent doing things totally wrong, I started to actually gain muscle and lose body fat.
I started to use this new type of training I had learned called "interval training" and it worked wonders. I also learned some awesome new methods of using strength training to sky rocket my fat loss results even more! Once I had the right formula for interval training and strength training and I learned how to eat right, the result was amazing.
For the first time I could actually see my abs! It is a pretty great feeling and it is something that is possible for you too!
When I Became a Personal Trainer...
When I became a personal trainer and started working with clients, I showed them how much better interval training was compared to same speed cardio. Each one of them loved how they felt like they got a better workout in less time.
Since I can only work with so many clients per day, I wanted to come up with a way to teach more people how to use interval training when I couldn't be there to teach them in person.
I finally decided to write a manual that I could give to my clients to explain in more detail the scientific reasons why interval training is better than same speed cardio for someone who wants to lose body fat.
Also, I wanted to include lots of other workouts they could use to continue to have more variety!
I took all the information I had learned from years of research and personal application and condensed it all into one package that is a simple, down to earth, step by step fat loss system for using interval training, strength training, and eating the right foods at the right times.
Introducing Part I of The Great Cardio Myth Package.....
"The Great Cardio Myth E-book"
See what some other people are saying about interval training..
The Great Cardio Myth is a detailed step by step guide which will teach you how to use interval training with any cardio machine at home or in the gym. This system contains all the information you need to permanently forget about the long, painfully boring cardio workouts once and for all
In a nutshell, here's the low down on interval training:
“Interval Training has shown in university research to drastically increase your metabolism for up to 36 hours after your workout”
Thats right, in another research study participants who used interval training instead of same speed cardio showed an elevated metabolism for up to 36 hours after they were finished exercising.
Think about it. You could exercise for 1 hour doing a long "same speed" cardio workout that has been shown to have virtually no effect on your metabolism. Sure you burn a few calories, but just one big meal at some point afterwards can negate the whole workout.
Or, you can do a kick butt 25 minute interval training workout and have your metabolism increased for the other 23 ½ hours in the day! Just think of all those extra calories that you would not be burning otherwise.
“Your cardio workouts will be convenient and faster than ever”
When you use the right structure for your interval training cardio workouts, your workouts will be faster and more effective than ever. You will feel like you are getting five times the workout in a fraction of the time. All you need is 20 minutes at the least and 25 minutes at the most.
The key for saving time exercising with interval training lies in the basic structure of the workout. You will be alternating back and forth between higher and lower intensities in a way that will work your body hard in the right way at the right times.
“Interval training makes your cardio workouts more engaging and fun”
Don’t you agree that sometimes normal cardio routines are just plain boring?
You start off feeling ok for the first 10 minutes, then you cover the timer with a towel and try to force yourself to stay on there for "another 30 minutes”. Even looking at the T.V. or reading a book doesn’t help! You are a busy person with a lot to do, so who has time to do spend that much time in the gym?
One the other hand, when you use interval training you will be manually changing speed and intensity in a simple and easy way to understand. Because you will changing intensities in a simple way every 1 or 2 minutes, you will find yourself always thinking 1-2 minutes ahead as opposed to 30-40 minutes when your normal workout is finished.
By breaking the cardio workout into smaller chunks with various intensities, the time goes by much faster!
Using these “mini time landmarks” throughout the workout gives you something to think about and focus on.
With interval training:
You will stay engaged, attentive, and will love the way you feel after the workout is over!
“Your cardio workouts will be specifically geared for fat loss”
In all honesty, your current "same speed" cardio workout is actually not physiologically capable of effectively helping you lose body fat.
Let’s say that right now you went outside and tried to run 3 miles. If you haven’t been running regularly, it would feel really tough! But, let’s say that you ran 3 miles 5 days a week for the next 6 months.
How do you think you would feel then?
After doing the same workout over and over again, your body will adapt and it will get easier!
This means that you essentially burn less calories the longer you do the same workout simply because the challenge is diminished with repeated exposures.
So how does this apply to what I do in the gym?
If you go into the gym and always do a cardio workout where you go the same speed the whole time and consistently use a “moderate” intensity level, your body is going to adapt to that type of workout.
And guess what happens when your body is adapted….
That’s right, the more you get used to it the less challenged your body will be....and the fewer calories you will burn.
The problem with doing long slow cardio workouts is that you are training yourself as an endurance athlete and are hoping that fat loss is a side effect.
To burn fat you need to train for fat loss as your primary goal, and that is specifically what interval training does.
Because of the effect that interval training has on your metabolism and the way you use various intensities, it is almost impossible for your body to adapt to the same workout!
“Special step by step section for beginners”
If you are a complete novice, there is a special section for you.
People of any fitness level can use interval training. I have had people who weight 300lbs and 70 year old women doing various types of interval training. All you need are the right tools and the right understanding.
You can enjoy the awesome benefits of this kick butt workout technique even if you have never been in a fitness center before!
If you have not been exercising for awhile then you have nothing to worry about.
If you are one of those people who don't like to go to the gym, then no problem. There is a special section that details how to use interval training outside as well.
Whether you exercise in the gym, have a cardio machine in your home, or would rather do it all outside with no equipment, this section will take you step by step through the stages of implementing an awesome metabolism boosting interval training program!
If you get stuck in any way, all you need to do is send me an email and I will be glad to help.
“Learn how to use interval training on any common cardio machine, or with no equipment at all!"
In The Great Cardio Myth, I thoroughly go through exactly how you should use all the popular machines that are in the gym. This includes machines such as the:
You can use your favorite machine over and over or you can try doing some new things. Adding some variety into your workouts is a sure way to keep your attention engaged!
You will learn how and why each type of cardio equipment needs to be used a certain way in order for interval training to be truly effective. There are a few major mistakes that I see people make when first using this type of training. In this section you will learn the specifics of each type of cardio machine.
There is a special section about how to use interval training outdoors too. For those of you who want to be outside when the weather is nice, this is the perfect section for you.
You can gain so much by using The Great Cardio Myth interval training techniques.
But it doesn't end there.
There's Even Better News for You...
The Great Cardio Myth Ebook is only the first part of the package!
In addition to my clients using interval training in place of same speed cardio, I also have them do some very simple yet very effective strength training circuits.
You see, so many times I see other people using ONLY the strength training machines!
Machines aren't all bad, but I guarantee that you could make a lot more progress in less time using free weights and your own bodyweight.
In fact, this type of "circuit" strength training that I use with my clients is so fast and effective that it increases strength dramatically as well as creates a very high metabolism so that they continue to burn calories for hours after we are finished working out.
Introducing Part II of The Great Cardio Myth Package...
Dumbbell/Bodyweight Fusion Strength Training Workout E-book
By Craig Ballantyne
This 8 week strength training program is written by world reknowned fat loss coach Craig Ballantyne. Craig is an author for popular magazines Mens Health, Mens Fitness, and Shape.
This program takes a simplistic approach to fat loss using just your own bodyweight and some dumbbells.
It is perfect for anyone who wants to workout at home. If you go to a gym, you can use this program and avoid waiting in line for the strength training machines.
If you are going to burn body fat permanently, then you are going to achieve that result by combining interval training with the right kind of strength training and the right diet techniques.
Introducing Part III of The Great Cardio Myth Package...
Eating Right Made Simple E-book
This 139 page ebook could easily sell all by itself. It contains over 120 pages of healthy recipes for appetizers and soups, main dishes, side dishes, breads, desserts, salsa, seasonings, salad dressings, beverages, and more!
There is also lots of information about how to read food labels, portion sizes, planning a nutritious day, facts on fiber, fat, salt, and the basic rules for eating healthy.
If you want to eat healthy but also want to have lots of variety then this is the perfect book for you.
Between the information from The Great Cardio Myth, Dumbbell/Bodyweight Fusion, and the recipes in this book, you will have all the tools you will need to start eating right to lose body fat like never before!
You also get these other awesome bonuses absolutely FREE...
Bonus #1: The Forgotten Piece of the Fat Loss Puzzle($29.99 value)
This awesome bonus ebook focuses on what I call the "Great Strength Training Myth", which is one that I have heard hundreds of times from people in the gym. They say:
"I don't want to lift weights because I don't want to get big and bulky"
If you believe this to be true, your chances of permanently losing body fat are definitely going to be greatly diminished.
Why?
Because adding lean muscle mass is one of the best ways to increase your resting metabolism! Strength training can help to skyrocket your fat loss results as long as you do it the right way. In this ebook we go in depth about:
In this ebook you will learn the simple truth about how you can use strength training to help lose more body fat than you ever thought possible. Combine this with interval training and it will be bye bye belly fat.
Bonus #2: Bonus Interval Workouts ($19.99 value)
This ebook gives you 9 different interval training workouts that are all under 28 minutes long. It starts with interval cardio workouts for the absolute beginner and then shows you how to progress to intermediate and advanced workouts. These workouts will give you excellent variety that will give you a detailed step by step blueprint to get started with interval training.
Each workout has specific sections for how to use it with the treadmill, elliptical, upright and recumbent bikes, rowing machine, and the Schwinn Airdyne bike.
Bonus #3: Special Interview with Fat Loss Expert Josh Hillis ($19.99 value)
Josh has recently been featured in USA Today for his unique and effective approach to fat loss training. He specializes in helping people lose the last few stubborn pounds of body fat. He recently released his first book called The Stubborn Seven Pounds. In this three section interview we go in depth about:
PART 1: The most common questions and mistakes that people make when working out for fat loss
PART 2: Josh attacks the common myths about exercise that keep so many people from getting results
PART 3: Josh tears apart the "common workout" that so many people do, which consists of a long bout of cardio, lots of ab exercises, and using the strength training machines. Josh explains why this is an inherently failed approach that will be sure to keep you frustrated and your waist line from shrinking.
So what exactly do you have to lose?
To be completely honest with you, if you do not change what you are currently doing then you will never lose the body fat that you want to. You will continue to try to force yourself to do long bouts of boring cardio while trying to eat as little as possible. Even though you try to make good progress, the scale number never seems to permanently changes and you just get more and more frustrated.
It is not your fault that you have endless amounts of conflcting information about diet and exercise. The media and all the magazines with "lose 10 lbs this weekend" on them just make the problem even worse!
With The Great Cardio Myth package you will finally learn exactly how to combine:
You will have a great feeling of confidence as you spend less time in the gym, more time with the people and the hobbies you love, and more time shopping for new clothes once the ones you currently have are too big!
To Recap, In the Great Cardio Myth Package you get:
Each of these three books could easily sell for $29-$39 ALONE. When you order this package, you get them all for one ridiculously low price in addition to these other special bonuses...
For the next 50 people who order, this package is available at the discounted price of only $29
That is over $170 of value for only $29!
After that, the special introductory price will be raised to an amount that I have not yet decided upon.
With The Great Cardio Myth, you will love how you can vary your routine quickly and easily anytime you want to. In fact, using different machines is a great way to keep challenging your body in new ways!
But there is even better news for you....
“This package comes with an 8 week no strings attached money back guarantee”
I am so confident that you will love using interval training as your new way of doing cardio that I will make you a cast iron promise:
“If within 8 weeks, and for any reason whatsoever, you feel that The Great Cardio Myth is not for you, simply send me an email and receive a full and courteous refund, no questions asked!” That is over $170of value for only $29, and there is an 8 week no strings attached money back guarantee! Don't waste another workout doing a long, slow, boring cardio routine that takes up a huge chunk of your time and gets you nowhere. It is time for you learn what really works and start applying it so you can lose the stubborn body fat and get on with your life.
Your friend and fat loss coach, Tom Gifford, BSc, CPT P.S. I paid special attention to make sure each aspect of the package is written in down-to-earth and easy to understand terms. It is an easy read with no scientific jargon that you do not need to try and understand. Within just a few hours you could have a new approach to exercise that will help you get lean and sexy! P.P.S There is a 100% Money Back Guarantee so you have no risk whatsoever! P.P.P.S Interval training and circuit training has already worked for thousands and thousands of people and it can work for you too. The Great Cardio Myth e-book is available for download instantly after your purchase! After purchasing you will be taken to a secure download page where you can download The Great Cardio Myth and each of the special bonuses. This package is available in Acrobat format. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download Acrobat Reader for free here.
Click Here to Download the Complete Program The Great Cardio Myth for just $29 Start Losing Fat Today!
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