Are You Doing Too Much Cardio?

        It happens too often, and most people do it. Too much cardio, and not enough resistance training.  What is the first thing that comes to mind when you feel like you have to lose weight? Well first is dieting and in a close second is cardio-sound about right? So many people race to the cardio machines like the doors of Target just opened on Black Friday with the idea that those machines will make all the fat just go away. And not only that, but you would swear they were getting paid by the hour to be on those things! Confession time…I used to do it too.  Second confession…when I was a rookie trainer, I had my clients doing it as well. But, cardio isn't bad, so please don't misinterpret my message. But when it is your sole means of exercising to reach your desired goal, it's time to make some adjustments.

     First things first, let's understand the different muscle fiber types (don't worry it'll be broken down).  The body has three different muscle fiber types, only two are commonly mentioned, fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers (for my technical ones out there; type I, type IIa, and type IIb).  Long steady state cardio, ie walking on the treadmill for hours at a time or running a marathon, uses the slow twitch muscle fibers (type I) which recruits the least amount of muscle activation, but they are more efficient and support endurance (aerobic).  Your fast twitch muscle fibers (type IIa/b), the ones we use during weight training, have a high anaerobic capacity; which means they encourage the recruitment of more muscle activation through their higher capacity for force.  Now looking at it, which muscle fiber do you think will help you burn the most calories by using the most muscle? Those good ole fast twitch muscle fibers!Why is this important? More muscle activation in the larger muscle groups increases calorie usage. Mix weight training with a well structured diet, and we can see how lifting weights (anaerobic/type II/ fast twitch) can drastically help with fat loss as opposed to strictly doing long steady state cardio (aerobic/type I/slow twitch). 

Cardio is not bad, and you will see a difference in your body composition from doing it. But, don't shy away from resistance training, especially if your goal is to lose weight or reduce body fat.  Incorporating resistance training will do wonders for your body.  There's more to it, but I like to hit the wickets to get the point across. Just keep this in mind…more lean muscle burns more fat. You build more lean muscle by exerting force through resistance.-T.H.E.

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