Cardio makes you FAT!--- Absolutraining (Long Beach)
Let me clarify a few things. If you are a competitive runner or someone with a solid body composition then this may or may not apply to you. This is addressing THOSE who want to lose fat... And lot's of it! (Please reread this paragraph to avoid confusion).
For starters, you need to understand what causes fat gain. Check out Truth about fat loss for a quick refresher... That being said let's think about what cardio training DOES. It burns calories. It can also burn fat calories if the right training parameters are set. But what you don't know or what gets IGNORED are the other physiological effects of cardio training--- we will focus on just one, there are many.
Let's begin...
Cardio is a form of exercise. DUH, everyone knows that, but it also is a form of chronic exercise. Chronic exercise means long, repetitive, uninterrupted low impact training which puts a huge amount of stress on the body. This is the same type of stress that you get from work, a divorce, school, etc. It may sound strange, but this is just how the human body is designed to handle any type of chronic stress.
Your body interprets cardio training as chronic stress, also know as a form of danger. Any time your body is put in danger the "stress" hormone Cortisol is released. In a healthy environment, this is totally okay and our bodies are well capable to deal with it. But fast forward to today, an unhealthy individual doing a stressful activity; it's not a desirable combination and can cause adverse effects. Cardio training is stressful and if you don't believe me, rush to the doctors office right after a long cardio session to measure your cortisol levels and see for your self!
Does cardio training offer fitness benefits? Of course! It helps improve cardiovascular health, burns calories, can enhance lung capacity/endurance, etc. BUT if you are overweight and need to shed fat then most of what you are getting is muscle loss, a weakened immune system, frail bones, and more importantly a heavy dose of cortisol.
Cortisol is not good when you need to lose weight, however it is highly needed when your body is in fight or flight mode to give you that immediate boost of energy.When your 10, 20, or 50 pounds overweight, you are in a state of insulin resistance. So when you go to do your cardio training your body will naturally secrete cortisol (because it is in a state of chronic stress). When cortisol is released it breaks down your liver glycogen and elevates your blood sugar even more.
In other words, your body is feeding itself extra sugar when you are already in a poor-sugar-handling environment. This will lead to you gaining more FAT!
Overweight + Cardio Training = Chronic Stress = Cortisol release = More FAT deposition
Now that we are clear, you will understand why you aren't seeing the huge transformations with cardio training. Your best bet, endure in a functional strength training and metabolic training program. It's a lot more entertaining and you will see more fat lost and muscle tone in the body than ever before.
Need help then join Absolutraining's Boot Camp OR Kettlebell training programs. Spots are limited. Contact Absolutraining@gmail.com for your free trail.
Comments