Extreme Cardio For Weight Loss

You don't have to do cardio for weight loss at all. None. Shocking, isn't it? We've been told so many times you have to cardio, aerobics, and cardio in the fat burn zone in order to burn fat. But the truth? You have to control your diet. How you burn calories for weight loss is less important.

The latest research from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, has shown that an 8-week cardio program (3 sessions per week of 40 minutes per session) did not result in any fat loss! On the other hand, the interval training group in the same study lost several pounds.

Traditional cardio is a waste of time. Inefficient, and possibly ineffective. You are much better focusing on your proper fat loss nutrition and strength and interval workouts.

And you certainly don't have to do extreme amounts of cardio. But some people end up taking their fat loss activities to extremes. Making unhealthy, ineffective, and excessive choices.

For example, one reader emailed me about the 7 hours of cardio she did per week. She wondered why she wasn't losing ANY fat. That is an extreme amount of slow and steady cardio. Something I would never advise for a fat loss program. And she still wanted to do more!

I told her absolutely not. If 7 hours per week does't work for you, why would more? With that mentality, you'll end up spending every single non-working waking minute doing cardio. What kind of life is that?

Another reader wrote in about the pitfalls of her excessively low calorie diet...

"I'm on the weight loss track again. I found I wasn't eating enough calories (1000 kcal/day). Filling up on veggies is good (and I love them), but they don't have the calories. Eating walnuts/almonds helped get me there. Eating 1500+ is where I need to stay to lose weight and keep my energy up. I've dropped about 3 pounds this week."

Inside most people, there is going to be the urge to do more, eat less, or obsess even further about food and exercise when you are trying to reach a fitness or fat loss goal.

But taking eating and working out to the extremes is more often counterproductive, and in the long-run, downright unhealthy.

And the unfortunate thing is that the reader that emailed me about her 7 hours of ineffective aerobic training, was skeptical of the strength and interval workouts, because she didn't think it contained enough cardio.

But really, how much could be enough for this woman? 7 hours wasn't getting her any results. What did she want? 10 hours?

We need to understand that cardio is not the be-all and end-all of fat loss programs. There are many ways to burn fat and calories, not just by spending 60 minutes on an elliptical machine.

All you need are 3 workouts per week of 45 minutes per session. Do 20 minutes of total body strength training followed by 20 minutes of interval training. Then spend the rest of your week staying active through fun activities and focusing on whole, natural foods for your fat loss nutrition. No more extreme cardio!

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Fitness Circuit Training

Fitness circuit training will take you through a series of exercise stations, with short rest periods between each station. The amount of stations can range 4 to 10.

Traditionally, circuit training programs were developed to increase muscular endurance and included exercises to help improve muscular endurance such as the bench press, push-ups, leg press and sit-ups.

A circuit would consist of 4 to 10 stations with a low impact aerobic warm-up and cool-down station (you might use a stationary bike). The exercise stations could be set-up using free weights and/or weight machines that train one muscle at a time.

An example of circuit training exercises using your environment is par course exercise training. This style intersperses jogging or walking with numerous strength, flexibility and muscular endurance exercises.

Aerobic circuit training for women is particularly very popular. Four to eight aerobic exercise stations are used with one to five minutes per station with a 15-30 second rest between stations, this is considered one circuit. The different stations will be set up with stationary cycling, elliptical rider, treadmill, stair climbing on a stair master at a moderate pace and the use of a rowing machine.

It will depend on the number of stations that are set-up but the number of circuits completed usually adds up to 20 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise.

One thing to remember that will help you to be successful is to not train to failure at each station. What I mean by this is when the appointed time is coming to an end for that station, you should be able to complete the designated time with out having exhausted yourself.

You should be training some where between 50 percent and 70 percent of your functional capabilities

When participating in circuit training you will notice an increase in strength, improved muscular and aerobic endurance and last but not least weight loss.

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Cross Training Strategies

Cross training involves a training routine that incorporates several different forms of exercise. A cross training machine allows you to exercise various muscle groups throughout your body and provides flexibility and variety. Cross training is very beneficial if you would like to increase and improve your overall fitness levels and attain a very high standard of fitness. It is also suitable for people who are easily bored and like variety when they exercise.

Starting Fresh With Each Activity

Just because you are a highly effective runner or cyclist, does not automatically mean you will be able to immediately excel and train hard when you switch to a new or different sport or activity. Essentially, being in outstanding shape does not necessarily guarantee ultimate fitness in every sport. Begin with your new exercise carefully and gradually increase your endurance levels. By starting slowly and increasing gradually you will maintain your motivation, enjoyment and avoid any injury.

Avoiding Fatigue

It does challenge your body and mind. It is the supreme fitness solution, however, you to need to approach this fitness approach carefully. Adding too many new activities too quickly will lead to a serious case of fitness fatigue. You may injure yourself and feel unmotivated, so go slow.

Alternating Strategies

Avoid cross training with areas that you may have already trained. For example, if you are a runner, you should exercise your arms by lifting weights and give your legs a rest. It is really just common sense, by alternating your fitness approach and strategy you will be able to target and work specific areas and then rest these areas so that the muscles can repair and renew in between training sessions.

If you consider yourself in better than average shape, cross training is a very effective way of targeting different muscle groups and developing them. It allows you to remain fresh and focused by offering variety and a different range of exercise routines. Boredom is one of the main reasons that people don't stick to their exercise routine, so it is important to mix it up whenever you can.

Cross training allows you to ensure that the stress placed on different areas of your body, or on your heart, is balanced and can be varied as required. If your body is becoming far too efficient with your usual form of exercise, then cross training can offer the perfect solution. Cross training can help you to reduce the risk of injury associated with repetitive exercise.

The main benefits of cross training include:

Enhance weight loss
Variety and Added Interest
Reduced risk of injury
Greater rest and repair time for muscle building
Increase flexibility and strength

You can choose for a wide array of different exercises and sports, however you should try to focus on achieving fitness balance. To achieve fitness balance you want to combine the elements of strength, flexibility, speed and aerobic intensity.

Cross training will strengthen your heart, improve your muscle tone, reduce your body fat and enhance your balance and coordination.

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For Diabetics and the Rest of Us, Do Both Cardio and Weights

A new study shows that people with type 2 diabetes lower their glucose levels more when they do both aerobic and weight training exercises than when they do neither or just one of these types. The research was published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Until this study was published, it was unclear what the best exercise routine was for diabetics. The study holds lessons for diabetics and non-diabetics alike.

Timothy Church MD led the nine-month study on 262 sedentary male and female patients with type 2 diabetes. He measured glycated hemoglobin, an accepted measure of how well diabetics have controlled their blood sugar over the past few months, with lower being better. His study has become known as the "Hart-D trial.

" Aerobic exercise included walking on a treadmill for about 150 minutes per week at a moderate pace. Resistance training included working out three days per week with upper body, leg, abdomen, and back exercises. The combination training program included only two days of resistance training per week to keep the total exercise time consistent in all three groups. Therefore, each of the three groups spent about total 140 minutes in exercises each week.

The authors of the study concluded that, although both aerobic and resistance training provide benefits of themselves, only the combination of the two seemed to reduced levels of glycated hemoglobin. In addition, fewer of the people in the combination exercise group needed to increase the amount of medications they required to control their disease. All three of the groups reduced their waists by 1.5 to 2.8 centimeters. Fat mass was reduced by 3 pounds in the resistance training group and 3.7 pounds in the combination training group. But only participants in the combination group were significantly more likely than those in the control group to get to the point where they could decrease hypoglycemic medications or reduce glycated hemoglobin levels.

"We really thought that the walking group and the combination group would be similar, but the combination group was the only group that had significant improvement. They reduced their [glycated hemoglobin] levels, while also reducing the amount of diabetes medications," said Dr. Church, who is director of preventive medicine research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University System in Baton Rouge.

With obesity and the onset on type 2 diabetes rampant in the United States, the Church study holds lessens for everyone who is concerned with their health. Experts' advice for avoiding diabetes tends to mirror that for treating it. This can be summarized as "lose weight, avoid simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and white bread, and exercise regularly." Now this exercise can be defined as doing both aerobic exercises, as on a treadmill, and weight resistance exercises.

Church's study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Its results were published in the November 24, 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. See "Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Training on Hemoglobin A1c Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes - A Randomized Controlled Trial" Church, Blair, et al.,JAMA. 2010;304(20):2253-2262. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1710

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Aerobic, Anaerobic Or Just Exercise

So we can be healthier and more energetic, we decide to get fit, eat right, work out...all of it. Then, just as we're getting started, trying to find out what to do, people throw out technical terms we don't understand. Words like aerobic and anaerobic confuse us and make us feel like we're not smart enough to be healthy. If I've just described you, this article will tell you what the words mean and why, in most cases, they don't matter.

What Is Aerobic Exercise? Aerobic means 'with air'. When a workout routine is aerobic, your body can replenish the needed oxygen (air) to the muscles being exercised. Aerobic exercise is good for heart, lungs, immunity, lower blood pressure, cellular health and helps prevent or control major diseases (like diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis, asthma, emphysema, sciatica, constipation, etc).

Aerobic exercise is the easiest and the most beneficial. If you feel you need to choose between anaerobic and aerobic exercise, choose aerobic. It's as simple and inexpensive as taking a fast walk 3-5 days per week. Other types of aerobic workouts include swimming, jogging, stationary bike riding, rowing, aerobic dancing (jazzercise), and lifting light weights, quickly. In order to get the full aerobic value, the activity should be sustained for 30 minutes total. Imagine that...2-3 hours per week could add as much as 15 healthy years to your life and make the other years much healthier and productive.

What Is Anaerobic Exercise? Anaerobic means the workout is so strenuous it uses oxygen faster than your body can replenish it. An anaerobic workout is any program that is very strenuous, lifting heavy weights, for example. Other anaerobic exercises include sprinting, climbing, long jump, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, leg lifts, squat thrusts, etc. Anaerobic workouts build muscle and are needed so you can perform heavy jobs, like lifting things, running away from danger, take a steep hike, etc. It also helps with the symptoms of some diseases (like arthritis and osteoporosis). Some people use it to get that rugged, buff look, but I'm jealous of them.

Aerobic And Anaerobic Exercise Equipment: Aerobic equipment comes in all shapes, sizes and price ranges, the cheapest and easiest is a pair of walking or cross-training shoes for your aerobic walk. Some of the mid-range fitness equipment includes stationary bikes, treadmills, rowing machines, stair-steppers, etc. You can get really expensive, with electronically assisted equipment that simulates uphill climbs and monitors your blood pressure, heart rate, calories burned, along with charting your whole routine and uploading to computer. For me, I'll take the walks!

There are many types of anaerobic exercise equipment on the market at all price ranges. Some examples are dumb bells, free weights, home gyms, thigh and abdominal workout equipment. If you're on a really tight budget, you can buy bungee cords or medical tubing and make your own anaerobic exercise equipment. Frankly, you could use a stick attached to 2, 2-litre bottles of water for various weight lifting workouts.

Whatever type you do, Choosing The Right Exercise Apparel is important to prevent injury. Whether your preferred workout is aerobic or anaerobic, if you want more equipment but don't want to spend the money, go to garage sales. I guarantee you will find a wide variety of almost new equipment at less than a tenth of the new price.

Just Exercise: For the fitness goals of most of us, any workout is good exercise. Both aerobic and anaerobic workouts burn calories, reduce blood sugar, and are useful for weight loss. Both types help with overall fitness. As opposed to no exercise, any workout improves heart, lungs...the whole body. Any routine started slowly and built up over time will safely achieve a healthy lifestyle. The most important thing is that your exercise routine be easy to do and not a dreaded chore. Whatever program you choose, make sure it's something you could do regularly to keep in shape. If you make it fun enough to do it regularly, you don't even need to know whether it's aerobic or anaerobic...you just need to do it.

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How to Choose a Fitness Rowing Machine - Some Considerations

Fitness rowing machines offer an excellent all round training which is kind to the joints yet gives a demanding, aerobic exercise that uses muscles in both the upper and lower body. They are high-priced though so it is a good idea to do research on the different types before you pay money for one to make sure the machine you finish up with is the most appropriate for your needs. The least expensive rowing machine you will doubtless find is approximately $500 and the priciest nearly $2500 so you really want to understand which type to buy and which features you would need.

Considerations When Purchasing a Fitness Rowing Machine

Rowing machines do need quite a lot of room so if you do not have the space to leave one in place all the time you could obtain a machine that can be folded up and put away. You will also want quite a large, well ventilated space to use your rowing machine in, preferably with room for a TV as training can be quite boring when done for extended periods. A number of machines do make quite a lot of noise so if is a concern you may want to consider a magnetic rowing machine as these are a great deal quieter. If you are going to use the machine on a daily basis we would recommend a magnetic rowing machine that is intended for intense use. For infrequent use a hydraulic machine will be suitable as these also are more likely to be much smaller and more convenient to put in a cupboard to store.

Several of the less expensive rowing machine don't have computers for output of readings like time,stroke rate and distance. While not truly necessary these are very good ways to watch your progress and to stop you being bored during training. They sometimes come as optional extras but we would recommend buying them as they will make your work out much more effective and enjoyable.

Variable Resistance Machines

A good number of the rowing machines you can buy have an adjustable resistance so check the range as some are rather limited. A machine with a broad variety is much more functional as you can effortlessly change the intensity of the workout by changing the resistance.

More Considerations Before You Buy

Ensure that the foot plates and seat are totally adjustable and that you fall inside the weight limits of the machine.

Before You Buy a Machine - Try One Out!

Machines differ a lot in their motion and in how easy they are to use. if you can try out some different types of rowing machines at the gym. If you are purchasing online make certain that the seller has a return policy so that if you find the rowing machine is not suitable for you it can be exchanged for a different one.

The Some Different Types of Fitness Rowing Machines

Hydraulic Rowing Machines

These are as a rule the cheapest machines and also are likely to be smaller which makes storage a lot easier. They use cylinders full of oil for resistance. The movement can be somewhat jerky and they do have a tendency to leak after a few years use. We wouldn't recommend a hydraulic rowing machine for intense, daily use.

Air Resistance Rowing Machines

In these machines air flows over a fly wheel to to produce the resistance. Though you can acquire air rowing machines from around $200 we advise spending a small amount more to obtain a superior quality machine at approximately $400. Resistance as a rule covers a broad range which really replicates the sensation of rowing in water and resistance increases as you row faster. On the other hand they do have the drawback of being very noisy particularly at high speeds.

Water Resistance Rowing Machines

In these types of rowing machines, water in a cylinder provides the resistance. They are among the higher priced machines with prices starting at in the region of $900. They give a very smooth movement which is very comparable to the feeling of rowing in water and you can even hear the water moving past you as you row! They do require some maintenance however as you will have to to restore the water occasionally.

Magnetic Rowing Machine

An adjustable magnet provide some resistance in these sorts of rowing machines. They are fairly small machines which makes them easier to store than some of the others and they are exceptionally quiet. They don't need any maintenance and impart a very smooth motion.

In Conclusion

Purchasing a high-quality fitness rowing machine is a rather large investment so you must ensure before you buy that you are going to use it regularly. If at all possible you will have used rowing machines at the gym so that you are familiar with this type of exercise. Rowing machines are examples of fitness exercise machines that are excellent buys as they give you a very good all-round aerobic exercise which tones all of your muscles at the same time.

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4 Steps To More Effective Aerobic, Streching, and Weight Training Exercise

We all know that well-balanced diets include the different nutrients we need to maintain health and well-being. But did you know that your exercise program needs to be well-balanced, too? There's three types of exercise to include in your work-out diet.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise burns energy and oxygen, through continuous movement of the largest muscles in your body (your thigh muscles). Aerobic activities include bicycling, swimming, jogging, and (a great one for beginners or those who are recovering from illness) walking. If you're just starting, try 10 minutes a day four days and increase as it feels comfortable until you're exercising 30 to 60 minutes. Some people find that adding variety to their program (a new route every day; alternating classes and stationary biking) keeps them motivated.

Finding the right pace for aerobic exercise is important. Rambling at too comfortable a pace may not maximize the benefits of aerobic exercising, but overdoing can make exercise "anaerobic" (non-oxygen burning). A good way to make sure you're exercising aerobically is to measure your heart rate. After exercising, put your fingers (not your thumb!) across your wrist (palm up). Count the number of pulses you feel during 10 seconds, then multiply that by six to convert it to a one-minute heart rate. Keep your exercise heart rate to 55 percent to 80 percent of your estimated maximum heart rate (220 - your age)

If that's too much math, you can estimate using the sing/talk test. While you're exercising, carry on a conversation with your gym-buddy or (if you're exercising at home) sing a song ("Yankee Doodle" works well). If you feel just as you would if not exercising, pick up the pace a tad. If you're out of breath and having to puff after each word, you're no longer in the aerobic range - cut back a bit to get the full exercise benefit.

Strength Conditioning or Weight-Training

Strength conditioning can include callisthenics, lifting free-weights, and machine-assisted lifting. Strength condition helps build muscles that can stabilize joints and may help prevent bone loss as you get older.

Strength conditioning seems to help weight loss. Conditioned muscle burns more calories even between aerobic exercise sessions. training seems to assist with retaining if you're And if you're on a reduced calorie (weight reduction) diet, weight training may help you lose more fat and less lean muscle.

Some women are nervous about weight bearing exercise because they are afraid of getting "too bulky" or looking "too masculine." Not to worry: men make testosterone in large amounts, which may contribute to that sort of muscular development; women generally don't respond to strength training the same way and are more likely to lose inches as they work out.

Stretching Is Very Important

Stretching helps retain joint and tendon flexibility while you exercise. In addition, stretching may be an important part of recovery from a previous injury; your healthcare provider may recommend special stretches to part of recovery from an injury or stroke.

How To Stretch Safely:

Keep in mind that overstretching can increase your risks of being hurt during exercise. Here are some tips to help ensure that you are getting the maximum benefit out of stretching before or after exercise:

* Start gently. When you're first starting out, you may not be able to stretch your joints very far. Don't push it or you may end up damaging your tendons, ligaments or muscles

* Stay gentle. The American College of Sports Medicine notes that the "no pain, no gain" method of stretching may destabilize your joints. Try a gentle stretch of the muscles you use for 10 to 30 seconds. If it hurts, there's a reason.

* Match stretches to exercise. If you're an avid dancer, make sure that your legs and ankles have been gently stretched; if you lift weights, stretch your arms and legs.

*Accommodate your history. If you've had a previous injury, make sure that your stretches accommodate rather than exacerbate it. Your doctor or a sports medicine practitioner can help you to finding the right stretches and will often have handouts showing you how to perform them.

Remember, before starting any exercise program, you should consult with your health care practitioner to tailor it to your needs, particularly if you are 40, have existing health issues or a prior significant injury, or have suffered in the past from heart disease or stroke.

"Three things every exercise program should have," American Council on Exercise 2001

Amisola, R.V. "Physical activity, exercise, and sedentary activity: relationship to the causes and treatment of obesity." Adolescent Medicine Volume 14, issue 1, pages 23-35 2003.

Cussler, E.C., " Weight lifted in strength training predicts bone change in postmenopausal women." Medicine and Science of Sports and Exercise , Volume 35, issue 1, 2003

Garry, J., "Physical Activity and Exercise at Menopause," Clinics in Family Practice, Volume 4, issue 1, 2002

Hobson, K. "The stronger sex. Women who lift weights get healthier, better bodies--not, new research shows, bulkier ones." US News World, Volume 132, issue 16, p 52-53

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