Note: This is for those who want to shed some excess pounds.
Just a quick something I wanted to share as I believe that many people still struggle with weightloss even after adding in lotsa cardio to their exercise routine. Of course, any carefully planned out weightloss plan that involves cardio + calorie reduction will result in weightloss, but there are ways that we can actually enhance this process and burn more bodyfat instead. Personally, my body responds better when I practice the following.
We all want to burn fat when we exercise, right? But what if I told you that your body’s preferred energy source is not fat, but glycogen? (Glycogen is stored in the liver and muscles and releases glucose (sugar) into the blood when your body needs the energy. Glycogen is the PRIMARY SOURCE of stored fuel in the body). So how do you use your cardio more for burning fat rather than burning glycogen?
The trick is, if you really want your body to tap more into your fat stores instead of glycogen for energy during your cardio, get your cardio first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, or right after weight training.
The reason?
Cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach will tap more into your bodyfat as your body is pretty much in a ’starved’ state since you slept all night without any food. And weight training uses up stored glycogen so your body is forced to rely on stored fat for energy when you get your cardio. Just remember that even though FAT is your body’s way of storing energy, it is NOT your body’s preferred fuel source. Your body will always opt for the readily available glycogen stores when available.
You gotta ‘force’ your body to really dig into its energy stores. Yeah it sounds crazy.. but give it a shot.. it works for me. A 15 minute warmup on a cardio machine before weight training is fine… but I wouldnt go all out and exhaust myself on cardio before I hit the weights. Save that for a more suitable time.
Burn, Baby! Burn!
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Been doing that for the past month or so now. Change my routines around a bit and i’ve been adding cardio at the end of every day that I’ve worked out. Gunning for the results in the long run, giving myself about another 2 1/2 months and gonna check out those body fat % again.
hey another great tip! nicely put, short and sweet. Am doing light cardio after weights for 10mins. My question is, how intense should it be? Cardio is not a fun thing, and I dun dare to run on treadmill after weights coz am all worn out. What do u do? hmm Still my personal opinion is that running seems to be the best fat burner.. at least for me, esp when you separate it into 2 sessions a day, 30min each.
Jon: Good luck! Keep us posted on the results alrite?
steveneleven: Sometimes I feel as if you can read my mind. Anyway, if you wanna burn some serious fat.. i can tell you right now that 10 mins of light cardio aint gonna do much. My routine currently consists of 30minutes of cardio on an empty stomach early in the morning, for about 3 - 4 times/week. Combine this with a calorie restricted diet.. and I can normally see visible results in as little as 1 week. I got my first compliment this morning. ;)
I’ve been toying around with HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), but its not for the weak of heart. I saved one example HIIT routine into my notes in my mobile phone just yesterday to remind me to try it. Here’s how it goes:
“Warm up at a comfortable intensity for 5 minutes. Then, give your maximum effort for 15 to 30 seconds, followed by a 2-minute recovery. You can walk during the recovery or you can just take it down to a very light jog, depending on your current level of fitness. More than likely, though, you will be going so hard that you will need to walk during the recovery. Perform between 6 and 10 of these intervals, and finish with a cooldown.”
The thing is.. I didnt get to try it last night as it got too late (don’t intend to do this at 10PM). Will do more reading up and share what I find once I’m more certain. Cheers.
HAHAHHA, good on you mate! yea it really works, but it takes dicipline, a lot. But ppl really notice, I feel u man!
hmm… well when I run on treadmill, I go for the MYSTERIOUS TRACK, the one with the BIG QUESTION MARK, set my speed variations up to 10.5(which is nuts actually) and set the hill setting(i forgot what its called) at 5.5 I can only last 30min… on 15 onwards u feel like dying, but after 23min onwards, surprising I run with military percision. But at the moment, the ppl ard u(including really hot chicks) is a blur coz of the intense need to focus. Anyway I think I overdid it one time and running on xtreme deficits on normal cal intake. Not a good thing.
ARight now am cutting down on cardio to 2 times a week(bodycombat or running) with 10mins cardio after weight days(4 days). I used to run a lot, and I can tell ya, it can be addictive, that’s when I understood the NIKE ads, they really speak to runners. And when u are all stressed out it is the best de-stresser ever, you just RUN LKE HELL. Hey keep up the great post, awesome
steven-11 - hahah…yes, you are right about the mysterious threadmill run…whenever i do interval training on the threadmill varying from a 6:00 pace to a 4:00 pace…i get stare and the babes all start to evict the threadmill next to mine. :)
actually, to effectively burn fat, you got to take it long and hard.
do a slow 10km run over a period of 1 hour (that’s a 6:00 pace) while maintaining your heart rate to about 60%-70% Max HR. I’ve managed to shed almost 15kg with that method…
but of course, the downside is losing those 16inch biceps and settling for puny 14 inchers!
Daily Muscle - sorry if i appear to be rude for leaving comments here…:) saw your HIIT and this is mine for comparison sake.
1km at 10km/h - slow pace(sp)
1km at 12km/h - fast pace(fp)
800m at 10km/h - sp
800m at 12.5km/h -fp
400m at 11km/h - sp
400m at 13km/h -fp
200m at 12km/h -sp
200m at 13.5km/h -fp
100m at 12.5km/h -sp
100m at 14km/h -fp
total distance : 5km
time taken: +/- 23minutes
this has taken my 10km time off from a slow 1hour 10 minutes when i first ran to my personal best of 48minutes the same distance… nothing to shout about where those ahrdcore athelete are concerned as they could manage a fast 35minutes over 10km. But for average joes like me, that’s a lot of improvement. :)
cheers!
Hi guys and gals, HIIT is considered one of the best cardio to burn fat no matter how many pounds u wanna shed…the fact is ppl don’t always do it right cos it is difficult and u got little time to recover(2 mins)…so u gotta get urself a stopwatch and discipline…for me 5 mins warmup(walking)…then 30 secs full speed running(90-95% max HR)…2 mins walking…then repeat the 30 secs runnin and 2 mins walkin…if u get it right…i guarantee u wont last more than 15-20 mins…normally HIIT is considered as favourites for soccer, basketball and football player…if u wanna save time and get a fast results, HIIT is the cardio for u…but b4 that, check with your doctor first…cos HIIT is not for the weak of heart like dm said…hav a fun weekend..
Err…. HIIT is not for beginners ya. For those who has a heart beat per minute of > 80 when idle. Please improve your fitness first before even thinking of HIIT. You will die of heart attack.
actually, you won’t die doing HIIT la…
if you are a beginner, maybe can start by doing something similiar to HIIT like, instead of going 95% (i can’t even touch 95%, at my current age, that would mean 181bpm) maybe you can start at 80%?
when i does HIIT, i’m always in my 90% range during those fast paced period…i don’t believe in walking/strolling for 2 minutes but instead will give those slow paced period at least 70% effort…
hmmm intresting…i like…hehehe DM theory is superb…just kinda wonderin..if u run early morning on empty stomach…how does the body runs then?..i mean..how do u activate the body to use its readily bodyfat which stores nicely somewhere in our body? i believe our body is like a car..to start the engine..we need fuel..which for us human being would be carbs..to activate the aerobic energy system..so even a single slice of bread before u start will activate the post effect of training(which is ur metabolic increase due to training and last up to 8-12 hours to burn bodyfat..provided u dont sleep after that laa!)..according to ACE 2002-Intervals vs endurance: our body prefered energy depends on he intensity of the workout.
1)so let say if ur in the burning fat zone which is 55-70% of ur maximum Heart rate, then the preferred enegy level would be from instant carbs inside ur body then bodyfat. e.g : a 10km marathon. the trick is that ur bodyfat fuel will only be activated after 25-30 mins so u are required to go for a longer period of time to maximise the result..say 45 min minimum.
2)if ur going for intervals, which intensity is 75-90% of ur MHR, then glycogen is the preferred energy choices. u can train for a min amount of 15 min because with glycogen..u cant last long.. so let say if u do an intervals ratio of 1:1 e.g 1min high intense(90%), 1 min rest(75%)..
so the main question is which training burn cal the most?
lets say u run for 45 min aerobic mode(easy), u be burning 300-400 cal? 60-80% of that comes from bodyfat..so thats roughly around 320 cal of fat maximum..
but if u opt for maximum intervals, say 20 min of it, u be burning roughly 300-500 cal..depending on how high is the intensity…agreed?..only u be using more of ur glycogen/aerobic anaerobic system..and 30-50% of the cal u burn will come from bodyfat only..its lower in % ..but think about it..50% of 500 cal is equal to 250 cal from bodyfats..thats quite alot for a 20 min run/sprint/step and so on..plus the best effect of intervals is…after the workout..ur body will still burn bodyfat up to 8-12hours..post effect of the intervals training which increase ur impedence(metabolic rate)..same effect as weight training..so if u think about it…thats more than what u can achieve on normal cardio workout…plus the side effect will make u a fitter person(cardio vascular fitness level)..now u aint gonna get that from normal aerobic training..it just burn cal while working out…but onces u stop..basically thats it..the down part of it?..like DM said..its NOT for the weak hearted..its not advisable to out do urself without proper time frame of training..
so i guess is the main question is..how much time do u HAVE to exercise?and where’s ur fitness level AT?
i can go on more but i dont wanna bored u guys to death…what do u think everyone?Let me know..i can teach u guys how to count ur MHR using the Karvonan formula..the simplest?..220 minus ur age..add intensity and add another 5-10 beat if ur fit..beginners?..start slow..
oh ya…cardio is best done in early morning like what DM said..and weight training?..after 3pm…heh
HIIT works for me..i do a 16 minutes session on the treadmill where I alternate between speed 5 for one minute then ramp it up to 13 for a minute then reduce it to speed 5 again. its pretty tiring but it will rev up ur metabolism like helll..
i noticed that if i do low intensity cardio, i wud have to increase the duration from time to time to see results..like now i wud have to do at least 50 minutes to shed some fat. lowest bodyfat i ever reached was 11% when i was in the UK but that was too much of a torture for me. now im at 17% and i guess achieving 15% wud be more realistic especially in msia.
hmm i do agree that HIIT cant be done by any tom dick and harry. but if u r between 20s to mid 40s then i guess there is no excuse to not try it out.
like eiji22 said, its good for soccer players, basketballers etc bcoz they do it during the game! if u notice these players sprint then walk..then sprint again during the match..so they do HIIT all the time. \
my personal advice wud be to mix it up. have one or two HIIT sesssions in a week with two or more low intensity cardio. surely ull lose those love handles.
healthfreak: Interesting.. the last guy I spoke to regarding the ‘theory’ of cardio in the mornings on an empty stomach also gave me your version - that its better to eat something first. He was ACE certified. Anyway.. the cardio on empty stomach concept is nothing new, and there has also always been two schools of thought on this issue. I just speak and recommend what works for me, thats all. Karvonan formula? Hmm.. man.. you do know your stuff dont you? My guess is that you’re ACE certified - and there aint many in Malaysia. Anyway, thanks for your comments bro - even I have learned a thing or two from them. ;)
muazzam: The problem with us Malaysians is that we’re too lazy to even ride on an exercise bicycle for 20 mins! Pamper them with all the ASTRO you can watch.. and maybe they’ll squeeze out 30 minutes… its a dilemma I tell you.
DM: hehe i wish i was..just a freak for knowledge i guess…anyway i do agree with u…there’s always 2 thoughts for anything..2 diff school i guess..it depends on ind to choose wat works best for them ey?..n i do agree most malaysian are kinda lazy..hehe including me!!
Hi DM, need your advice…i ve gained a considerable amount of muscle now i need to loose the unwanted fat that comes with it…the most i ve done on cardio is 5 mins b4 and 10 mins after weight training with 5 days a week split training workout. can u suggest the best approach to loosing the fat while maintaining muscle?
thinking of doing the HIT cardio on an empty stomach also HIT after weight traning?
max: for a start, that’s not enough cardio you’re doing. Even for ‘health benefits’, the American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM, recommends that you get:
1. Moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
2. Vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
See: http://tinyurl.com/36dyon
You aren’t even getting that. What more for fat loss? Try to aim for 30 mins/day, 5 days/week - with a slight calorie reduction and see how that goes. It’s gonna be painful at first - but once you get the hang of it.. you may just become a cardio addict.
HIIT can be hard on your body, and I don’t think you should do it everyday. You could perhaps try 2 - 3 times out of the 5 days per week on HIIT.
What say you?
yes i will try that Dm, thanx coming from u i know it will work!
btw, after a weight training workout im almost dead..well not really but more like no energy left so can i take my protein supplement 1st b4 doing the cardio? or take in some fat burner ? just a thought… slap me if im wrong hehe
max: Do you eat anything before your weight training? You should be consuming a light meal, approx 90 mins before your workout - even if you don’t.. I don’t see how you can be so drained. Perhaps you’re not eating enough?
I’d save the protein shake for post-workout, even after cardio. The goal is to tap onto your bodyfat for energy, and not give your body anything else it can tap on. Not even a sugary drink. This is quite important if fatloss is your goal..
i normally have a protein shake with a fruit like banana 1 hour b4 workout…i think i lack the stamina as i dont normally do cardio so i have to endure it and start doing it as i really want it to work! gotta get the abs to show man hehe
Thanx DM, will let u know my progress in due time…
max: Sounds good - maybe you’re not eating enough the rest of the time? It can make a difference you know. All the best - and keep me updated. :) Just shoot me an email anytime you got a question, and have on your hols coming up soon.
Hi DM, Thank you so much for writing this blog. Someone finally answered so many of my questions about running, dieting and weight loss. I’m currently doing a separation diet for weight loss, where 4 days are alternating, protein, starch, CH and fruit. I’ve taken up running at the time I began the diet which was now about 40 days ago. I’ve already lost 20lb and it’s all going well. I’m up to 10k a day in around 55 mins. I usually get on the scale twice a day, as I like to know what’s going on with my body. I normally run at night (which as I just read above not ideal, but that’s the only time I can find for it) and normally in the morning I’m always about a pound less than the night before. This weight evaporates overnight, which is great. This works on each of the days (protein, starch, CH) except for the fruit day. I’ve been trying to figure out why, as other people normally (who don’t exercise much) lose the most weight after their fruit day, and I’m exactly the opposite. After reading your blog I finally understood why. On my fruit day I’m not allowed to eat anything else but fruit, which is packed of sugars. So I assume, that when I get on the treadmill this tremendous amount of sugar is enough fuel for my body to last for the whole time I’m running and it doesn’t even have to touch my body fat. Am I right? Is this how it works?
I mean the diet is great, and easy to follow, and I’m halfway through it, so I wouldn’t stop for the world, but I guess on the long run it’s not ideal for running. And I have to say I’m a complete cardio-addict by now, so I’m planning on running for a few more years :-)
Hi to all you HIIT fans,
Just wanted to share my experience… I love HIIT for reducing my love handles,. I, like many have tried to find the most efficient way to get rid of my baby handles and finally I found it through my own experience and determination..yep HIIT.
I began by waking up each morning and going on the elliptical trainner on an empty stomach. Warmup by light jog for 4 minutes, 30 min workout (consisting of 15 sec sprint/45 sec light jog), then cool down of 5 minutes light jog, then stretch the muscles. An hour or so after I would eat porridge. After 3 or 4 days I would vary the workout and increase sprint time, after about 6 weeks I was sprinting 50 secs/2.15 min light jog. To my suprise, just after under 2 weeks, I began to see a line just under my rib cage, the top of the packs. After so many days, my packs started to reveal 1 pack at a time. After 3 weeks, I noticed that the 4th pack started to show. To describe it to you, it was like leaking tank of water, slowly revealing what was hidden in the tank. This is what motivated me even more. What I had done, was working. The important thing to remember is that your body adapts to things quite well, and it becomes more efficient at handling the crap you give it, so you always have to keep it guessing by changing intensity, etc. Ok, so what motivated me was seeing my packs slowly appear as the weeks went by. I couldn’t believe that this was getting rid of my handles, this is what worked for me and I don’t care what anyone says, I’ve proven to myself it works. One thing is if you start getting light headed, you are working yourself too hard. I’ve read that this sort of work out eats your muscles too, but I really didn’t notice, what was more significant though, was the amount of fat around my belly that was disappearing! Finally found a way!! Experiment, do what works for you as our bodies are all different, what works for me may not work so well for you. Try it, change it, and stick to what works.
After 2/3 months, I was content with seeing a faint 6 pack, silly me, I stopped, as I was content with this. My workout was 3 mornings, then rest, sometimes I would mix it up and work out for 5/6 morning then rest. Funny thing is that I would wake up and if I felt to do it I would, toward the end, having been content with the results so far, I eventually gave up as I’m not usually a morning person. Sorry if it was long but I had to share with someone!
Happy work out!! =)
ok, so I’m newly qualified as a gym instructor and I’m trying to get my head around some information because I want to be able to offer correct advice at the gym I work at… and I’d appreciate some help and corrections! So, glycogen is burned before any fats are burned right? And therefore if the goal of the individual is to burn some of their fat then this can only happen once their glycogen store has been depleted first? If someone is training on a treadmill for twenty minutes and then going onto some resistance machines and weights for a further hour then they would have used their glycogen up in the cardio and then start using their fat as energy throughout most of the weight training right? But would they not be burning as much fat as they would were they to do the cardio after the weights? Am I right in thinking that weight training allows the metabolism to continue burning fat for some time after anyway. Indeed, does cardio have this effect also? If fat is burned in the weights session due to depleting the glycogen when doing cardio first, is the body going to burn a lot less fat than it would if it were it doing cardio at the end after most of the glycogen had been burned, or is there little difference between fat burned as a result of cardio exercise and fat burned as a result of weight training?
If someone were interested in maintaining muscle definition and maybe also continue building that muscle, I can see the importance of keeping fat levels down, so I assume it is just as important this person burns sufficient fat. Or would a low fat diet be enough to keep the muscle definition. If we dont eat much fat then am I right in understanding the body stores more of what we do eat anyway than it would if we ate more in the first place?
Why do some sites talk about burning calories and gycogen as two diferent things, as if calories are only fat and not glycogen? I read that calories are only burned after the glycogen! surely glycogen burning is calories burned too? (Haha burning! No wonder we get so hot training!)
also, (sorry, I have lots of questions!!) how come doing lots of cardio exercise can decrease muscle mass?
Thanks for your help, and patience!
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