Morning,
The following is from Mike Geary, author of The Truth about Abs. It’s extremely intriguing – enjoy!
Today, I have a rather intriguing discussion about cardio workouts and training. Ideally, this will get you thinking differently and fire you up to trynew things.
You might be aware I’ve been called the anti-cardio guy in the past, but today I’m back posing this question to you…
Do you really need cardio training to get lean and in great shape?
By the way, you’ll see in a minute that I’m not really “anti-cardio”, just “anti traditional cardio”.
Lots of fweekend warriors and fitness fanatics or anyone trying to get in shape or lose body fat, believe they NEED “cardio” exercise to accomplish these goals. They would never even question it. However, I’m not only questioning it, I’m going to refute it!
Get this – are you surprised to learn that some of the leanest and meanest people I know (men and women), NEVER do any type of normal or traditional cardio?
And I’ve spent over 15 years working out in various gyms, and hanging out with athletes of all sorts, so I’ve seen it all.
Sure, there can be a place for low-moderate level cardio for truly overweight or obese or sedentary people, but even in those cases, other types of exercise can be far more beneficial.
Whenever someone comes up to me at the gym and asks me how much cardio they should do to lose more body fat, my answer is always… NONE!!! You should see the crazy looks I get…it’s priceless!
But the fact is, just like the in-shape folks to whom I referred above that never do cardio, I personally haven’t performed what most people would think “cardio” is in years. Heck, I can’t even remember when last I “jogged” on the treadmill, or pumped away on an elliptical, or zoomed fastforward, going nowhere, on the stationary bike. However, in spite of my lack of “cardio”, I enjoy less than 10% fat percentages year round.
Don’t get me wrong… Just because I say I don’t do “cardio”, doesn’t mean that I don’t work my rear off in the gym!
But what exactly is “cardio”? Lots of folks think cardio is just what I described above… striding away bored on a treadmill, pedaling on a stationary bike, or coasting on an elliptical machine. Of course, they’re watching the TV screen at their local gym during this time.
This is what I call “traditional cardio”.
Hmmm, no wonder why many people get blahhed with their workouts and forgo them after a couple months, as they don’t see results.
But if you look closer, “cardio workouts” are any type of exercise or activity that builds up the cardiovascular system. Plainly put, if it gets your heart pumping, and gets you huffin’ and puffin’ and sweating like a March thunderstorm… it’s cardio. I don’t care if you’re holding weights or dumbbells or bookcases or small elephans or …. and everyone calls it a strength training exercise…at its fundamentals, it is conditioning your heart.
Here’s some examples:
Take a barbell clean & press for example, which requires you to lift a barbell from the floor, bring it up to shoulders, then push pressing overhead. And listen up ladies, this applies to you too! Even though this is usually seen as a manly exercise, it makes not a difference if you’re not lifting 250 lbs; if 35 lbs is challenging to you, then you will still get the benefits just as much.
Now listen here: I challenge you to do a hard, consistent set of around 10-15 reps on the C&P.
If you taken on a jeavy enough weight, what you’ll find is that your heart rate is probably up to about 80-90% of your recommended max (!), and you are panting like you just dashed a 100-year sprint to grab that last WII at the holiday discount!
Do the same thing for a set of 15 reps of one-arm snatches or swings with each arm with a dumbbell (2 of my specialty exercises in my Truth about Six Pack Abs manual), and then look me in the face and tell me:
- your legs aren’t burning
- heart isn’t racing,
- you’re NOT gasping for breath.
Next, try 5 minutes straight of rotating lunges, and pushups, and bodyweight squats. Make sure there’s little rest in between! You’ll find your heart pumping and you are gasping for breath and covered in sweat, the good way.
Now, you go and tell me you’re NOT conditioning your heart with this style of training! Typical thinking decrees that these are strength training exercises…but at the same time, they are fullfilling your cardio needs as well.
Not only is an immense amount of time saved, but you also condition and improve almost every muscle in your entire core body with these full body exercises (given they’re done with enough intensity, of course).
This CANNOT can’t be said for that boring stationary bike ride or treadmill jaunt while reading or watching TV.
I challenge you to forgo the “traditional cardio” starting now, and begin training the way I describe in my best-selling Truth about Six pack Abs Program. You will see yourself getting leaner, more defined, and your six pack starting to peak through what used to be your spare tire.
What do you have to lose?
If you don’t find the program as I described, you’re covered by the guarantee… so you really have nothing at all to lose except all of that belly fat that’s been cramping your style for waaaay too long.