My girlfriend is guilty of this. I notice that when we do our cardio training together, she never sips her water. The bottle just lays in its little cubby-hole on the cardio console and she gulps it down at the end. Did you hear what I said? I said she GULPS it down at the end of the cardio session. Hydration is so important, especially during strenuous physical activity, that even a 2% loss in hydration will affect performance. Dehydration, combined with strenuous exercise, creates an environment of not only physical, but mental stress. How does mental stress affect your performance? If you “feel” that you are over-exerting yourself, chances are you will not increase the level on your treadmill, crosstrainer, bike, or stepper. Chances are as performance decreases, so will your drive to increase the power outage that you may be capable of doing. Hence, steady state cardio work prevails...
The lesson here? Take sips throughout your cardio session every other minute. There are various physical signs that you are beginning to experience dehydration during exercise: 1.) you cannot keep posture and composure during cardio exercise, 2.) your cheeks and face become rosey red and flushed, 3.) you do not sweat normally.
2.) Doing the Same Cardio Machine Day After Day
I know why we all do this. We get good at what we started out doing! Just think 6 weeks ago, you thought level 5 on the elliptical trainer was impossible. Now you are continuously jumping up to level 7 with no difficulty whatsoever. That is a great accomplishment for the standard sedentary individual who has finally adapted daily exercise into their lives and has made some improvements in body composition and overall health. BUT...for the typical hardgainer, this is a carnival merry-go-round. Typically, we need to feel successful to justify the work we put into improving our bodies, increasing strength, or losing fat. I have always said that “success breeds success”. So psychologically, when we “get good” on a particular type of cardiovascular activity (i.e. running, elliptical, rowing, stepper, etc), we tend to believe that we have reached a pinnacle in our training. That’s not a bad thing. But again, for the hardgainer, this can be a vicious cycle of nothingness. This cycle is a result of the body’s specific adaptation to imposed demands (SAID) principle. The hardest exercise becomes easier the better we get at it. Therefore, the better we are at it, the more efficient we become at that particular activity. The more efficient we become at the activity, the less calories we burn. (Read that again if you do not understand) Oh yea...forget the little calorie counter that pops up on the screen. It’s based on total weight and keeps going even when you step on the sides of the treadmill.
3.) Steady State Cardio
We all heard how this one is a waste of time. Let me explain how it is a waste of time in regards to fat loss. The body uses 3 sources of energy to sustain ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) production. ATP is the body’s end-all, be-all source of energy. In order for the body to live, it must continuously produce ATP. Well, it does this in 3 ways. Our immediate source of energy production comes from creatine phosphate (CP), where a creatine molecule is donated to ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) to create ATP. This action is anaerobic and requires only creatine which the body supplies or is obtained from meats. This immediate source of energy lasts only around 5 seconds and is primarily used for power. The second source of energy is glycolosis—the breaking down of sugars to produce ATP. This process is also anaerobic and lasts usually 3 to 5 minutes. Glycolysis refers to the body using glycogen (stored sugar) in blood and muscles to continuously make ATP. This process is the one we usually exercise in. The third and often never tapped into is oxidative phosphorilization. This process is aerobic and calls upon oxygen to aid in mobilizing fat cells to be used as energy. This process allows the body to last longer in endurance type bouts or high intense bouts of exercise. So...how does this correlate with steady state exercise? Easy. When we perform 30 minutes of walking, we never step out of glycolosis as our primary source of ATP production (energy). We are simply burning off the sugars of foods we have eaten in the last 24-48 hours. We never try to sprint on the treadmill, pick the higher level on the ellipticals, or take a spinning class...we basically do what we have been taught or what comes easiest. This has been my argument in regards to watching TV while doing cardio. If your goal is fat loss, you can try the steady state stuff for a while, but when your cardiovascular system improves and your diet is better, then you need to work harder to expedite oxidative phosphorilization. This fat mobilizing process is also known as EPOC (Excessive Post- Exercise Oxygen Consumption). In simple terms it means that the body continues to mobilize fat as fuel for up to 1 hour after an intense bout of cardio (180+ bpm).
4.) Scared to Do Cardio Before Weights
This is an old bodybuilder’s myth that started way back when. Why do we think cardio (the right kind—not steady state) will cause muscle loss? It is okay to perform your cardio BEFORE your strength training—even if your goal is hypertrophy or strength. Why? Because if you follow the proper food intake and understand the amount of calories you need to sustain lean body mass, than intense bouts of cardio (defined as above 180+ bpm, short duration (12-15minutes)) will actually promote muscle gain. The real fear should come from figuring out the total amount of calories you ingested for a 24 hour period. This is what I used to tell my clients...ever see a sprinter? Ever see how muscular they are?
Doing your cardio first and then performing strength training can lead to the EPOC phenomenon that I mentioned above. Of course, this is dependent on your intensity, rep schemes, rest periods, and fitness level.
5.) Old Sneakers
There is no doubt in my mind that 70% of foot and knee problems come from poor or old sneakers. How many times have you seen gym-goers running on the treadmill with old, beat-up sneakers with grass stains, and cracks all over the “p-leather”? I mean, those sneakers are used for Saturday morning lawn mowing and then taken to the gym to perform your 30 minutes cardio routine? C’mon....
In the last 4 years, every client that I met that had old sneakers evidenced by the condition, wear of soles, and or “lack of bounce”, I had them purchase new ones. I would not start their training program until they came to me with new sneakers. Period. An you know what happened? Knee pain disappeared...foot pain disappeared...and clients didn’t cut cardio out of their workouts. They felt better running or doing inclines. You know that pain you feel on the elliptical in your foot? It disappeared with a brand new pair of Addidas. How does sneaker condition affect lower body function? If your soles are worn, or your have pronated or supinated ankles, chances are your foot strike is not optimal on hard surfaces or a treadmill. What this does is create dysfunction at the ankle joint (usually due to dynamic instability) and weak/tight peroneas and tibialis (ankle muscles). This kinetic chain dysfunction travels up to the next joint, which is the knee and then the hip and causes undo stress on the lower back and entire spinal column. This is another reason why people skip out on cardio or like the steady state easy stuff—because their feet can’t handle it! Besides, a new pair of sneakers gives people the sense of starting something new and committing to a fitness program. Hey, it’s worked for me.
Regarding #4, I never have my clients to cardio prior to training because I don't want to "confuse energy systems". Are you saying that 12-15 minutes won't tax my aerobic energy system?
This summer I have been training for and running in 5Ks instead of doing my normal 20 minutes of HIIT 3 times per week. Do you think I still need to get in some HIIT sessions to keep up with my fat loss? Due to my bad diet in the summer with all the festivals and Ball games, I can't compare the results of the running with my normal HIIT sessions on the scale.
If you concentrate on the dieting to lose the extra fat instead of the HIIT, the fat will come off faster. Most often, we rely on cardio to help lose fat...but if we focus on diet to lose teh extra pounds--the HIIT (or cardio) is supplemental to the caloric expenditure.
JP- if your clients perform 12-15 minutes of hard cardio prior to strength does tax the aerobic system, then you are talking about lack of conditioning. If they experience lack of conditioning, cut the weight training session (after cardio) shorter but keep it intense. As their condioning improves...so will their strength and stamina.
Hmm I actually disagree with a bunch of what you said.
#2) So what? If your heart rate is elevated you are burning calories. Your not going cardio to gain stregnth here so what does it matter what machine your on. It could be mowing the lawn, riding a bike, walking, anything with elevated heart rate. If your burning 500cals it doesnt matter how you did it.
There is no such thing as a hardgainer. Thats just an excuse people make. Scientifically show me how someone is a "hardgainer".
#3) steady state cardio. Low intensity early morning steady state cardio is the absolute best thing ive ever added to my day while trying to loose fat. Whats if your last meal is low/no carb? Or your in ketosis (or near it)? I think that just saying that steady state cardio is not a good thing is not smart. If used smartly it can have huge effects. Plus its easy to do and you wont dread it. Even if you are only burning sugars, thats ok too, still burning calories.
# 4) One Word. Intensity.
I doubt many people on here are doing high frequency programs. Almost everyone is on some sort of high intensity program (45-hour long little breaks in workout). If you do even 10 minuts of cardio before your workout (and from you suggestion it would not be steady-state so you will be working somewhat hard at least during these 10 minutes) you are simply not going to have as good of a workout. If never once heard cardio before workout will cause muscle loss, just with the lesser intensity of your workout you wont be getting optimal gain.
Hey Frank,
Its okay..I caught alot of flack from other forums I posted this article on. I will try to rebuttle...
#2)So what? If your heart rate is elevated you are burning calories. Your not going cardio to gain stregnth here so what does it matter what machine your on. It could be mowing the lawn, riding a bike, walking, anything with elevated heart rate. If your burning 500cals it doesnt matter how you did it. Your heart rate level is not an indicator of the amount of calories burned. Usually, in fitness, we use heart rate as a GUAGE to find someone's cardio threshold. If someone came up behind you and startled you...your heart rate would jump up...doesn't neccessarily mean you are burning more calories. There is such a thing as the SAID principle and it is probabaly the reason why alot of people never see or make little gains compared to the amount of work they put into training.
There is no such thing as a hardgainer. Thats just an excuse people make. Scientifically show me how someone is a "hardgainer". Hmmmm...I used to say that too. I can't quote you research, but I can tell you that people that have large muscle bellies and short tendons DO look bulkier (or stockier), than tall people that have short muscle bellies and longer tendons. Look at really tall, lean people...they may have very high calves....usually an indicator of long tendons--not written in stone, but usually the case. Or you can take my friend Brian, who can eat 5 Big Macs and never gain a pound, and me who smells a Big Mac and gains 2 pounds. Genetics?
#3) steady state cardio. Low intensity early morning steady state cardio is the absolute best thing ive ever added to my day while trying to loose fat. Whats if your last meal is low/no carb? Or your in ketosis (or near it)? I think that just saying that steady state cardio is not a good thing is not smart. If used smartly it can have huge effects. Plus its easy to do and you wont dread it. Even if you are only burning sugars, thats ok too, still burning calories.
I don't know much about that ketosis stuff, but I don't doubt you lost inches performing your cardio first thing in the morning. A couple of things I can gather from that...you burnt off alot of stored glycogen, so in order for the body to produce more, it called upon some very important amino acids in the body (BCAAs). This process is called gluconeogenesis, and I belive that you lost circumference-wise inches around your waist, thighs, and arms--but I won't guarantee it was 100% fat.
#4) doubt many people on here are doing high frequency programs. Almost everyone is on some sort of high intensity program (45-hour long little breaks in workout). If you do even 10 minuts of cardio before your workout (and from you suggestion it would not be steady-state so you will be working somewhat hard at least during these 10 minutes) you are simply not going to have as good of a workout. If never once heard cardio before workout will cause muscle loss, just with the lesser intensity of your workout you wont be getting optimal gain.
If you are drained after your cardio and cannot perform strength training, it is a question of overall conditioning.
If you concentrate on the dieting to lose the extra fat instead of the HIIT, the fat will come off faster. Most often, we rely on cardio to help lose fat...but if we focus on diet to lose teh extra pounds--the HIIT (or cardio) is supplemental to the caloric expenditure.
JP- if your clients perform 12-15 minutes of hard cardio prior to strength does tax the aerobic system, then you are talking about lack of conditioning. If they experience lack of conditioning, cut the weight training session (after cardio) shorter but keep it intense. As their condioning improves...so will their strength and stamina.
great article and that is an absolutely spot on post. Diet loses weight and is easy to track the calories. Added cardio not always esential in my books tho
__________________
BFG
"The time for talking has passed, actions are speaking louder than words."
I like your stuff, but you're statements are a little too definative for my taste. You make a lot of good points, but there's plenty of wiggle room.
For instance:
1. If you down some water before your exercise, it's not much different than sipping, throughout. Your stomach and innards act as a reservior.
4. You should do the one that's most important to you, first. I want to be strong and be muscular. I should do weights first. Nothing to do with wasting away muscle, I just don't want to be tired when I'm lifting, I want to be fresh. Is it the end of the world, to do it the other way? Not really...
5. There was a recent study that Lou Schuler quoted that showed fewer injuries in the crowd that used shoes that "should have been replaced long ago" vs those who made sure to replace their shoes regularly. Didn't say why, exactly...
We all heard how this one is a waste of time. Let me explain how it is a waste of time in regards to fat loss. The body uses 3 sources of energy to sustain ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) production. ATP is the body’s end-all, be-all source of energy. In order for the body to live, it must continuously produce ATP. Well, it does this in 3 ways. Our immediate source of energy production comes from creatine phosphate (CP), where a creatine molecule is donated to ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) to create ATP. This action is anaerobic and requires only creatine which the body supplies or is obtained from meats. This immediate source of energy lasts only around 5 seconds and is primarily used for power. The second source of energy is glycolosis—the breaking down of sugars to produce ATP. This process is also anaerobic and lasts usually 3 to 5 minutes. Glycolysis refers to the body using glycogen (stored sugar) in blood and muscles to continuously make ATP. This process is the one we usually exercise in. The third and often never tapped into is oxidative phosphorilization. This process is aerobic and calls upon oxygen to aid in mobilizing fat cells to be used as energy. This process allows the body to last longer in endurance type bouts or high intense bouts of exercise. So...how does this correlate with steady state exercise? Easy. When we perform 30 minutes of walking, we never step out of glycolosis as our primary source of ATP production (energy). We are simply burning off the sugars of foods we have eaten in the last 24-48 hours. We never try to sprint on the treadmill, pick the higher level on the ellipticals, or take a spinning class...we basically do what we have been taught or what comes easiest. This has been my argument in regards to watching TV while doing cardio. If your goal is fat loss, you can try the steady state stuff for a while, but when your cardiovascular system improves and your diet is better, then you need to work harder to expedite oxidative phosphorilization. This fat mobilizing process is also known as EPOC (Excessive Post- Exercise Oxygen Consumption). In simple terms it means that the body continues to mobilize fat as fuel for up to 1 hour after an intense bout of cardio (180+ bpm).
I can see where you're going with this, but I can't overstate the important of defining "cardio." Using it synonymously with "aerobic training" isn't a good thing to do. Steady-state cardio has been a HUGE factor in my success as a powerlifter because it's in the right intensity range. I went into great detail here:
I should also add that doing cardio before you weight-train is absolutely silly. 5-10 minutes to warm-up is one thing, but challenging aerobic/anaerobic endurance training prior to lifting has no place in the pursuit of size and strength.
Good stuff, though, John; it's always good to bring some concepts to the table to encourage debate.
Hey Frank,
Its okay..I caught alot of flack from other forums I posted this article on. I will try to rebuttle...
#2)So what? If your heart rate is elevated you are burning calories. Your not going cardio to gain stregnth here so what does it matter what machine your on. It could be mowing the lawn, riding a bike, walking, anything with elevated heart rate. If your burning 500cals it doesnt matter how you did it. Your heart rate level is not an indicator of the amount of calories burned. Usually, in fitness, we use heart rate as a GUAGE to find someone's cardio threshold. If someone came up behind you and startled you...your heart rate would jump up...doesn't neccessarily mean you are burning more calories. There is such a thing as the SAID principle and it is probabaly the reason why alot of people never see or make little gains compared to the amount of work they put into training.
There is no such thing as a hardgainer. Thats just an excuse people make. Scientifically show me how someone is a "hardgainer". Hmmmm...I used to say that too. I can't quote you research, but I can tell you that people that have large muscle bellies and short tendons DO look bulkier (or stockier), than tall people that have short muscle bellies and longer tendons. Look at really tall, lean people...they may have very high calves....usually an indicator of long tendons--not written in stone, but usually the case. Or you can take my friend Brian, who can eat 5 Big Macs and never gain a pound, and me who smells a Big Mac and gains 2 pounds. Genetics?
#3) steady state cardio. Low intensity early morning steady state cardio is the absolute best thing ive ever added to my day while trying to loose fat. Whats if your last meal is low/no carb? Or your in ketosis (or near it)? I think that just saying that steady state cardio is not a good thing is not smart. If used smartly it can have huge effects. Plus its easy to do and you wont dread it. Even if you are only burning sugars, thats ok too, still burning calories.
I don't know much about that ketosis stuff, but I don't doubt you lost inches performing your cardio first thing in the morning. A couple of things I can gather from that...you burnt off alot of stored glycogen, so in order for the body to produce more, it called upon some very important amino acids in the body (BCAAs). This process is called gluconeogenesis, and I belive that you lost circumference-wise inches around your waist, thighs, and arms--but I won't guarantee it was 100% fat.
#4) doubt many people on here are doing high frequency programs. Almost everyone is on some sort of high intensity program (45-hour long little breaks in workout). If you do even 10 minuts of cardio before your workout (and from you suggestion it would not be steady-state so you will be working somewhat hard at least during these 10 minutes) you are simply not going to have as good of a workout. If never once heard cardio before workout will cause muscle loss, just with the lesser intensity of your workout you wont be getting optimal gain.
If you are drained after your cardio and cannot perform strength training, it is a question of overall conditioning.
Hope this helps!
Early morning low-intensity cardio a low-carb meal the night before is still used by many. And it works very well. Its possible to loose some aminos, but really, if your taking a BCAA supp while trying to slim down (which you really should be to help preserve muscle) muscle loss is not going to be the issue.
And on the 'hard gainer' thing. If you eat a big mac and gain 2lbs well then you are the opposite of a hardgainer. Someone like this would be better to stick to the older bulk/cut cycles. I know because im the same way. I can gain 20lbs in a month by just upping my calorie intake and eating clean ive found. On the plus side. The pounds seem to come off easier then most people.
Overall conditioning? Maybe. But if 15minutes of cardio takes 2lbs off of my deadlift, im not going to do it at this stage in my training.
Ill write some more stuff when I get off work here, I have some bookmarks on my home computer about this stuff.
I guess its hard to say for all this though, what works well for one person could suck for the next. And goals are going to be different.
IMO one of your better articles. As with any item where you're making up rules there's going to be exceptions BUT it seems overall solid enough.
#1. kinda iffy on. this has more to do with the duration of the excersise (in my view) than being anti-hydration. and just personal preference. if you're properly hydrated going in, your entire session is 15min or under, you'll *probibly* not be in any danger of dehydrating. but again that's just my style of workout, so I'll respect the statement as written.
#2. is especially profound IMO. not only do you become more effecient at something and it become less effective, but you're also limiting your body to that stimulus. you'll burn more calories PLUS perform better overall.
#3. as a RULE I think that's right. if you're in less than stellar shape (but not freakishly out of shape) and your #1 priority is fat loss then you could probibly do better than steady state.
#4. again, this is a priority thing. If you're a lifter of super heavy things, then you probibly don't want to do energy systems work pre-lifting. if you're joe schmuck trying to look decent w\ fat loss being #1...then I could see this being true. In a perfect world I'd say different days if possible. Fat loss as #1, non compition person energy systems work followed by a full body workout (possibly a depletion) doesn't seem too un-plausible.
#5. bad shoes can f*ck you up...nuff said.
It doesn't seem too much of a stretch (for me) to believe that some people have a harder\easier time putting on muscle mass than others. The "hard gainer" card is overplayed by those of us with lack of dedication, proper eating, and intensity BUT I could see some people having a harder time than others, everything being equal.
As with LD, your articles come a bit too strong for my taste, too, but hey, you got to have style, right
While I agree with the shoe comment, e.g. wear shoes appropriate for what you are doing that will give you enough support if you have issues (like too high of an arch in my case), I think you take it a bit far. There is a difference between deformed and dangerous and comfy not brand new shoes. Also, most shoes people wear for aerobic activities do change the kinetic chain, so I don't see a point there. Also, someone recently posted a study where old vs. new shoes showed old shoes cause less injuries. I hope someone digs up the link. Also, numerous brands are coming out with "cose to barefoot" varieties trying to adapt to new research showing barefoot is the way to train.
Early morning low-intensity cardio a low-carb meal the night before is still used by many. And it works very well.
Oh please I thought this old gem had been thrown out once and for all with the Jane Fonda Thigh Master and Abs'cercise Magic Machine that gives you results in 3 days
It makes no difference whatsoever !!!!! But if it keeps you going trying to lose that fat all power to you
__________________
BFG
"The time for talking has passed, actions are speaking louder than words."
Everyone is different and people cannot make statements that define everyone. Steady state cardio my be good for some and not for other, cardio before weights may suit some and not others. The thing I have learned over the last 3-4 years of reading and learning is; do what is best for you and use the information as a guideline and try different things. Don't just read one article/post and say "I can't do that because xxx said so".
I have heard that you should replace your shoes every 2-3 months.
Doing the same machine/cardio everyday, that may be what suits someone and as long as they are doing something active then the better for them.
I drink water during hockey, etc, but I find that if I drink too much I get a full belly or will cramp a bit. Sipping is fine, but not too often.
As far as number 1 is concerned I dont find that to be a "mistake" more a thing of preference. If i am doing cardio I want to focus on my cardio and I doubt drinking my water before rather tahn sipping during is going to cause a decline in my performance. A "Mistake" would be people drinking gatorade befroe/during/after cardio when their goal is fatloss(conditioning aside). That is a mistake. And while 2% loss in hydration affecting perfomance is a fact, its not really an important one for someone who has a desk job and just wants to get active 3 times a week so they dont find themselves driving home from Mc donnalds grabbing their chest when they are 40.
Oh please I thought this old gem had been thrown out once and for all with the Jane Fonda Thigh Master and Abs'cercise Magic Machine that gives you results in 3 days
It makes no difference whatsoever !!!!! But if it keeps you going trying to lose that fat all power to you
I will say it worked VERY well for me.
I do know that glycogen stores are going to take more then 12 hourse to deplete fully (probally take a few days). But without a doubt they will be lower then the steady state cardio will burn them off quicker and move to fat.
Im always scared to do cardio with any intensity, the fact that I 'couid' risk muscle loss is not worth it to me.
There is no question that Dr. Lowry's science is spot on: fasted state cardio will indeed produce a greater effect on lipolysis. However, the actual overall effect is to be questioned: He advocates 100 workouts, which will burn 200-300 kcals each session. Let's assume that Dr. Lowry's methods allow for 75% of those calories to come from fat (which is probably far higher than it actually is) and during sprints, 30% comes from fat...moderate running splits the middle at 50% (these are roughly true)...well, for a 170 pound individual, they will use ~ 18 cals/min jogging, and 26 cals/min sprinting. If we look at the difference, in a 20 minute HIIT (30 seconds:30 seconds intervals, for ease) session (5 minutes jog warmup, 15 intervals, and 5 minutes jog cooldown), that individual will have burned 510 calories (vs. Dr. Lowry's 200-300). Aside from the fact that total caloric expenditure ultimately is the determinent for body composition, as well as the increased lipolysis over a 12-24 hour period derived from EPOC that is not a result of fasted cardio, let's look at the differences in actual fat burn: Even assuming 75% fat utilization from Dr. Lowry's methods, that amounts to 150-225 cals of fat. From the 20 minutes of HIIT: 220!! You have achieved, at most an advantage of 5 extra calories. Hell, even if I spot you 100 calories additional and pretend that 100% of your fasted cardio energy came from fat, that would amount to 10,000 (after the 100 days)/3500 (one pound of fat), which equates to 3 additional pounds (and again, taking epoc into account, there would be even less of a difference). Hardly worth the associated risks, and potential catabolic affect on your muscle.
First off let me get this straight. Im now talking from a 'cutting down' perspective. I fully agree that for someone who wants endurance or better overall health, go for the higher intensity cardio.
but I hardly think you can talk about a potential catabolic effect on the muscle of the steady state cardio when you compare it to HIIT.
When cutting down you want to preserve as much muscle mass as possible of course. Its going to be harder to do this with HIIT. Timing of the HIIT session, nutrition prior to and after the session will have to be correct too, but you hardly ever see people talking about nutrition and HIIT to preserve muscle mass.
Now with the low intensity cardio as you mentioned may burn more % fat. When you put this togethor with already eating in a calorie defeciency then it works out quite nicely.
Ive tried both. Low intensity cardio worked much better for me. HIIT drained me for the day and left me feeling weak. Not to mention the dread of doing it. Puking on the side of a road cant be that healthy.
1. This constant drinking seems OTT to me. It's commonly believed that 2-3% dehydration adversely affects performance. Quite how much it affects performance is unknown to me so it might not even be that much. I've read many times that it's a 2-3% decrease in BODYWEIGHT due to dehydration that causes problems. For a 90KG man that is 2.25 litres at 2.5% loss. That is a heck of a lot of fluid to sweat out. That would likely only happen during a long hard race in hot weather, not down the gym. Bearing in mind you might drink 1/2 litre before you start exercising you can see that drinking nothing during running for a period is quite probably fine. From a personal standpoint, I never drink when running unless it's a long race. I don't feel any ill effects. I fail to see how this is a "mistake" worth concerning myself about. I can't help thinking that the modern way is to get embroiled in minutae like this. The body is well designed to deal with periods of no food and no water. It's one thing when trying to shave a few seconds off a world record but quite another for the average guy trying to keep fit. IMHO
2. I'm not sure how the term "hardgainer" applies to CV work. Sure you have SAID but specific adaption to running isn't such a bad thing. Sure vary your exercise but there is a lot to be said for getting good at one thing before switching, even if it's just to see your progression.
3. Steady state cardio is not a waste of time for fat loss and it certainly isn't a waste of time for health. It might not be the optimal solution but it's certainly not a waste of time. It expends calories. It assists in metabolic rate regulation. It has various health benefits. Also a lot of people enjoy this sort of exercise. If you do this for decent periods it is beneficial to you. Surely we don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water?
4. Whilst I'd agree that the fear of cardio is someone overplayed, it still doesn't make sense to perform intense cardio before lifting heavy weights. It won't help you lift weights. It's likely to tire you out. If anything, some steady state would be better, as a warmup at least.
5. Not sure about this point. I don't have the stats. But then I doubt anyone really has stats to say that 70% of problems are due to poor or old shoes. How old? How poor? It could be right but who knows.
1. This constant drinking seems OTT to me. It's commonly touted that 2-3% dehydration adversely affects performance. Quite how much it affects performance is unknown to me so it might not even be that much. I've read many times that it's a 2-3% decrease in BODYWEIGHT due to dehydration that causes problems. For a 90KG man that is 2.25 litres (at 2.5% loss). That is a heck of a lot of fluid to sweat out. That would likely only happen during a long hard race in hot weather, not down the gym. Bearing in mind you might drink 1/2 litre before you start exercising you can see that drinking nothing during running for a period is quite probably fine. From a personal standpoint, I never drink when running unless it's a long race. I don't feel any ill effects. I fail to see how this is a "mistake" worth concerning myself about. I can't help thinking that the modern way is to get embroiled in minutae like this. The body is well designed to deal with periods of no food and no water. It's one thing when trying to shave a few seconds off a world record but quite another for the average guy trying to keep fit. IMHO
2. I'm not sure how the term "hardgainer" applies to CV work. Sure you have SAID but specific adaption to running isn't such a bad thing. Sure vary your exercise but there is a lot to be said for getting good at one thing before switching, even if it's just to see your progression.
3. Steady state cardio is not a waste of time for fat loss and it certainly isn't a waste of time for health. It might not be the optimal solution but it's certainly not a waste of time. It expends calories. It assists in metabolic rate regulation. It has various health benefits. Also a lot of people enjoy this sort of exercise. If you do this for decent periods it is beneficial to you. Surely we don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water?
4. Whilst I'd agree that the fear of cardio is someone overplayed, it still doesn't make sense to perform intense cardio before lifting heavy weights. It won't help you lift weights. It's likely to tire you out. If anything, some steady state would be better, as a warmup at least.
5. Not sure about this point. I don't have the stats. But then I doubt anyone really has stats to say that 70% of problems are due to poor or old shoes. How old? How poor? It could be right but who knows.
1.) Not Drinking Water During the Workout
I mostly agree. Duration of exercise plays a huge role in the importance of this IMO. A 15-20 minute run isn't going to require any hydration during the activity, before and after would be fine. An hour of cardio, especially in warmer weather definitely requires some water, and anything over 60-90 minutes really should involve water and electrolyte replacement.
2.) Doing the Same Cardio Machine Day After Day
I mostly disagree with this one. There are efficiency gains from performing an exercise, for sure, but the effect of that on caloric burn is negligible. Under extreme SAID logic, elite marathon runners would need very little additional caloric intake from running 125 miles per week, after all, they perform the exact same activity almost endlessly. On the contrary though, elite endurance athletes eat almost non-stop when they are not training otherwise they wouldn't get enough nutrition to fuel their activities.
3.) Steady State Cardio
Agree Completely with this one.
4.) Scared to Do Cardio Before Weights
Depends on the workout and individual IMO. As long as the total workload from both allows the trainee to meet their goals, it's fine. I run before weights a fair amount myself, but I'd never do more than 3-5 minutes before say, a PR attempt on Squat
5.) Old Sneakers
Agree completely, especially where running is concerned.
I should also add that doing cardio before you weight-train is absolutely silly. 5-10 minutes to warm-up is one thing, but challenging aerobic/anaerobic endurance training prior to lifting has no place in the pursuit of size and strength.
Good stuff, though, John; it's always good to bring some concepts to the table to encourage debate.
Yeah, as I was reading, I was thinking the EXACT same thing. Seems counterintuitive to me.
First off let me get this straight. Im now talking from a 'cutting down' perspective. I fully agree that for someone who wants endurance or better overall health, go for the higher intensity cardio.
but I hardly think you can talk about a potential catabolic effect on the muscle of the steady state cardio when you compare it to HIIT.
Numerous studies show that endurance exercise is muscle wasting. How is an anaebolic activity such as HIIT going to waste muscle?
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When cutting down you want to preserve as much muscle mass as possible of course. Its going to be harder to do this with HIIT. Timing of the HIIT session, nutrition prior to and after the session will have to be correct too, but you hardly ever see people talking about nutrition and HIIT to preserve muscle mass.
I hear that question asked all of the time...why in the world would HIIT be such a recommended form of exercise during a weightloss diet if it wasn't muscle-saving?
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Now with the low intensity cardio as you mentioned may burn more % fat. When you put this togethor with already eating in a calorie defeciency then it works out quite nicely.
Again, the % is higher, the total caloric expenditure is lower, meaning that the total amount of fat burned during the activity is less, and numerous studies show that the specific energy substrate used during exercise has no effect on actual fat/weight loss: just the total calories burned. "Aside from the fact that total caloric expenditure ultimately is the determinent for body composition, as well as the increased lipolysis over a 12-24 hour period derived from EPOC that is not a result of fasted cardio, let's look at the differences in actual fat burn: Even assuming 75% fat utilization from Dr. Lowry's methods, that amounts to 150-225 cals of fat. From the 20 minutes of HIIT: 220!! You have achieved, at most an advantage of 5 extra calories."
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Ive tried both. Low intensity cardio worked much better for me. HIIT drained me for the day and left me feeling weak. Not to mention the dread of doing it. Puking on the side of a road cant be that healthy.
Puking on the side of the road isn't HIIT: it's poor training and/or diet.
I hear that question asked all of the time...why in the world would HIIT be such a recommended form of exercise during a weightloss diet if it wasn't muscle-saving?
Frankly, the whole HIIT thing has gotten pretty dogmatic recently IMO. It's a good form of exercise, don't get me wrong, but we're typically comparing 20 minutes of HIIT to something like 30-35 minutes of steady state cardio for equivalent caloric expenditure over a 24 hour period. These are not exercise durations that are going to yield any significant risk to lean mass in a typical healthy person.
If we're comparing HIIT to something like a marathon training program, there's something there, but in the context of equal caloric expenditure, I view it as trivial.
What about the increased lactic acid build up while doing hiit? A sign that anerobic resperation is occouring. Less effective.
bipennate, actually hiit is rarely suggested for a muscle saving approach. You right in that it does burn more calories, as it is recomened for weight loss. Very few of these weight loss programs care to much about saving muscle. Notice how none of them go into the importance of BCAAs.
And when I did hiit, dont worry I actually did it. My diet was spot on in my opinion. Jogging for a minute and all out sprinting for 30 seconds is going to leave everyone rough. I dont do things half asses and hiit absolutley killed me. Ive raced mountain bikes, been in adventure races, and nothing hit me as hard as hiit and my results wer not even good.
What about the increased lactic acid build up while doing hiit? A sign that anerobic resperation is occouring. Less effective.
How is fast glycolysis and the phosphogen energy systems, which deliver the highest rates of energy, "less effective?" If they were less effective, why would the body use these systems in an oxygen-depletion state? Saying that lactic acid buildup represents poor effectiveness makes no sense...what about all of that lactic acid buildup when lifting weights?
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bipennate, actually hiit is rarely suggested for a muscle saving approach. You right in that it does burn more calories, as it is recomened for weight loss. Very few of these weight loss programs care to much about saving muscle. Notice how none of them go into the importance of BCAAs.
Again, I have absolutely no idea where you're getting your information from...Saying that HIIT isn't muscle saving while on a hypo-caloric diet (although, for the record, I agree with GSP that in general, 30 minutes of running isn't going to do diddly-squat as far as muscle catabolism goes, assuming sufficient nutrition) is like saying that lifting weights won't be muscle sparing! Sprinting is an anearobic activity that promotes forceful muscle contraction and power expression: the recipe for building muscle!
If you're not going to listen to me, this is what Joel Marion wrote on the subject: "Eating on the run: It works
It was originally thought that while consuming a meal before exercise may have a positive effect on performance, it would certainly have a negative effect on the amount of fat lost as a result of that session. Consequently, consuming a meal prior to exercise was frowned upon and performing cardio in a fasted state became the staple recommendation to optimize fat loss. However, all theory aside, some research may show this not to be the case.
Three recent studies found that consuming a carbohydrate-containing meal prior to cardiovascular activity had no adverse effect on substrate utilization during exercise (the amount of fat versus carbohydrates used as energy during exercise).2,3,4 Furthermore, the study analyzing time to fatigue found that people who did not consume a meal before exercising tired faster and performed at a lesser level than people who did eat prior to the session.4
Also, it should be noted that performing cardio in a fasted state can be detrimental to muscle growth. Its catabolic—or muscle-wasting—effects can decrease lean tissue in those people who are not meeting their caloric needs. This is especially true if you’re trying to shed that very last bit of fat."
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And when I did hiit, dont worry I actually did it. My diet was spot on in my opinion. Jogging for a minute and all out sprinting for 30 seconds is going to leave everyone rough. I dont do things half asses and hiit absolutley killed me. Ive raced mountain bikes, been in adventure races, and nothing hit me as hard as hiit and my results wer not even good.
True, but vomiting should not be part of the equation...there's a difference between "rough" and doing something wrong
5 Small, But Crucial Cardio Mistakes
I hear that question asked all of the time...why in the world would HIIT be such a recommended form of exercise during a weightloss diet if it wasn't muscle-saving? 
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