Cardio Will Not Scorch Unwanted Body Fat

Are you like most women I know who mistakenly believe that the best way to burn fat, trim down and tone up is by doing lots of “cardio?”  If you believe this LIE, you’re not only WASTING YOUR TIME and setting yourself up for INJURY, you’re actually preventing yourself from “getting fit” and developing a nice lean, toned body!

If you’re a “cardio queen” who spends a lot of time on machines, follows a strict daily running regimen, or attends a step class four days per week, this may be hard to hear, but the truth is, doing excessive amounts of cardio only breaks your body down and makes it impossible to achieve a tight butt, sexy thighs and sleek arms!

So, if you’ve been doing lots of cardio and you’re wondering why your body shape isn’t improving, listen up!  Because you could be suffering from Chunky Aerobics Instructor Syndrome (a.k.a CAIS)!  But don’t worry, I have some tips to save you from this nasty syndrome that will help you sculpt a lean, fit and fabulous body! 

You may be wondering what exactly is CAIS?  A term cleverly coined by renowned strength coach, Charles Poliquin, Chunky Aerobics Instructor Syndrome is simply a term that describes the typical cardio addict, who despite logging countless hours on a treadmill, running hundreds of miles, or wearing down her favorite sneakers doing step class, sees absolutely no fat-burning results!

So let me be very clear here, doing a lot cardio will not help you keep off body fat!

I personally NEVER do “cardio!”  I don’t like to spend a lot of time at the gym as I’m very busy, so when I’m training I want to make every training session count; I don’t waste my time doing exercises that won’t help me achieve my fitness goals to build strength and maintain a lean, toned body.  With that said, you will never see me on a treadmill, elliptical machine or stair climber!

So if cardio isn’t the answer to building a strong, fit and toned body, what is? 

Your answers are resistance training and interval training, not cardio!

Here are three solutions to help you get fit and feel good about yourself:

1).  Interval Training

If you really love to use cardio machines or go running, training in intervals is a great way to mix up your exercise routine. 

Here’s how it works: 

You alternate periods of intense effort with periods of rest.  For example, if you like to use the treadmill, instead of walking on it at the same speed for 30 minutes, try alternating 30 seconds to three minutes of running at 80-90% maximum effort with 30 seconds to five minutes of rest. 

If you’re a beginner, you will probably find that starting with 30 seconds is more than enough and as you progress in your training you can build up your intensity an rest periods.

This type of training helps you build a better body than cardio training!  And if you don’t believe me, picture in your mind the anatomy of a sprinter; she is lean and fabulously fit!

2).  Resistance Training

Every woman needs to do some resistance training—but I’m not talking about body building here!  Doing some exercises with free-weights or cables, is a great way to build some healthy lean muscle, boost your metabolism, and burn off unwanted fat.

Here’s how it works:

There are so many ways to design an effective resistance-training program, but if you have goals to sheds some fat and get more toned, performing total-body exercises like squats, push-ups, pull-ups and lunges back-to-back in a circuit is not only a great way to sculpt a fit body, but build your cardio respiratory function too.  So with circuit training, you can “kill two birds with one stone” as the saying goes!

Resistance-training circuits give you a much bigger bang for your calorie-burning buck than cardio!  Because you actually continue to burn calories long after your resistance training sessions have ended, where with cardio training alone your calorie burning reduces pretty much the second you step off the treadmill!

3). Combine Interval Training with Resistance Training

There are several ways you can do this, but typically what I prefer to do is my resistance-training workout first, followed by intervals.  It takes me no more than 40 minutes to get all of that fat-burning fun in, plus a warm-up.

If you want some fresh ideas for workouts, check out my videos at friendyourbody.com/video.

A final word:

To see changes in your body, your body needs to see changes in your workouts!

You must always keep your body guessing.  To get the best results, mix up your training routine every 4 weeks. 

Follow these tips you you’re on the road to building a better body!  

Your get-fit guide,

Melissa Koerner