Here’s My Problem with Cardio

‘As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles a few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods.’

I’ll often hear people say ‘I’ve been training the past number of months but I’m still not getting the results I want.’

My follow on question is always what kind of training have you been doing? To which the person most commonly says running, spinning classes or some other form of cardio.

Don’t get me wrong, having a good aerobic base is important. It allows you to recover faster between sets and subsequently train at a higher intensity for longer. I recommend people to do cardio.

But here’s the problem. Whether you’re male or female, 99% of people have the same goal – to get lean (if you’re a guy) or to get toned if your a girl (they both mean the same thing).

What people really mean when they say they want to get lean or toned is to improve their body composition. If you’re wondering what body composition means – it is the ratio of muscle:fat you have on your body.

How do you improve your body composition?

1). Get into a calorie deficit – this will reduce your bodyfat

2). Lift weights – this builds muscle

So there’s the magical formula – if you want to get leaner or toned, all you gotta do is get into a calorie deficit and lift weights.

What’s the problem with doing cardio then?

Well there’s nothing wrong with doing cardio. BUT, doing it in isolation without any strength training (i.e. lifting weights) is mainly only addressing number 1). being in a calorie deficit.

However, cardio is not nearly as effective as adding muscle (point number 2) than lifting weights is, which is the final piece of the jigsaw.

Cardio alone can be great for getting you into a calorie deficit but if you’re looking for that leaner and more toned look, you gotta train and strengthen the muscles by lifting weights.

So does this mean I shouldn’t do cardio?

No absolutely not! I ran a marathon last year. But, I combined all of my running with lifting weights in the gym and I managed to maintain my muscle mass. If you like doing cardio, continue to do it.

But, depending on your goals – do you want to look like Sonia O’Sullivan or Sian Walton? Two incredibly fit women with two very different body types!

If your answer is the latter, you got to start adding weight training into your schedule. If you’re a cardio lover, and run say 4 times a week, why not lift weights for 2 of those sessions and run for the other 2?

That way, you’re helping yourself get into a calorie deficit while also lifting weights and adding some muscle.

Be clear on what your goal is and train towards it. Start with the end in mind and reverse engineer it into smaller, attainable goals.

If you’re the complete opposite and HATE doing cardio, I’ll be talking about alternative forms of cardio which doesn’t require you to run or hop on a bike in an upcoming blog. Stay tuned!

Thank you for reading.

If you have any questions, drop me a message.

Talk soon.

Aido