Cardio is a Waste of Time for Fat Loss

Here's an article by Craig Ballantyne describing some of the problems with traditional aerobic or cardio exercise. It's clear that interval training is more effective and more efficient. Even if you're planning to use interval training for lean muscle gains, fat loss is always a welcome benefit.

Cardio is a Waste of Time for Fat Loss

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

While the mainstream fitness media still insists that aerobic exercise is a great way to lose weight, Turbulence Training users know that interval training is the better way to burn body fat.

Still not convinced?

A recent study published by the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, subjects aged 40 to 75 were instructed to do 60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day for 6 days per week for an entire year.

Given the amount of exercise, you'd expect weight losses of 20, 30 pounds, or more, right?

Well, the surprise findings showed the average fat loss for female subjects was only 4 pounds for the entire year, while men lost 6.6 pounds of fat over the year. That's over 300 hours of aerobic exercise just to lose a measly 6 pounds of blubber. Not time well spent, in my opinion.

So what's the better way? Stick with Turbulence Training, using interval training and strength training to get better bodysculpting results. With intervals, you'll achieve more fat burning results in less workout time.

The next time you are out exercising, perform a session of interval training. If you are walking or running outside, find an incline that can challenge you for 60 seconds, then walk down for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.

If you walk or run on a treadmill, adjust the incline or speed to safely increase the challenge for 60 seconds, then return to the normal pace for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.

You can also use a rowing machine, bicycle or stationary bike, or even an elliptical machine to do intervals.

But whatever you do, stay away from boring, ineffective cardio exercise workouts and stick with Turbulence Training for your fat burning program.

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss.

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One thing that amazed me about the above article was the lack of results from traditional cardio methods. It's one thing to know that interval training works and traditional cardio doesn't, but quite another to actually see some numbers.

One of the major benefits interval training has over traditional cardio is resistance. With the added element of resistance (with weights or bodyweight only), you give your body a reason to keep (or build) muscle mass. This firms you up for when the fat comes off, and in fact, helps boost your metabolism so that fat comes off even faster.

If you're interested in this type of exercise (more fun, easier to stick with, and faster results), Turbulence Training is the best place to start - especially considering the bonuses!

What is Interval Training?

Simply put, interval training is mixing hard work with easier work during a single workout. This allows you to keep moving without overly fatiguing any single muscle group. It is closely related to circuit training. There are several benefits of interval training, including increased fat loss, lean muscle gains, better workout efficiency, and decreased boredom.

For example, you might do some hard lower body work followed by some easier upper body work, with little rest between. This lets you rest one part of your body while another is working, maximizing the overall effectiveness of the workout. In other words, you rest without really resting, which keeps your heart rate going.

Another example is varying the intensity within a single exercise. Say you're on the treadmill. You could jog for one minute, then sprint for 30 seconds, immediately slowing back down to a jog for one minute, then back to a sprint for 30 seconds. Repeat this for the necessary number of sets.

Another one of the benefits of interval training is flexibility, which helps avoid boredom with your routine. However, not all exercises lend themselves to an easy interval training routine. Craig Ballantyne has put a lot of thought and planning into his ebook, Turbulence Training which deals specifically with this. It's a great interval training and high intensity interval training handbook.

Whether you are considering interval training for lean muscle gains or for fat loss, I encourage you to get a copy of Turbulence Training - and all of the bonuses that come with it.