| This article is bound to make a few people angry. If | | | | competitions by doing cardio a few weeks before the |
| you're someone who has an intermediate | | | | show are jeopardizing their chances for getting a |
| understanding of how to get lean muscle, then you | | | | medal position! |
| might have heard that the best way to lose fat is to | | | | If only there was a way someone could lose fat and |
| do boring cardio, exercises that make you puffed out | | | | retain the muscle that they had or even better yet, |
| like treadmill or the bicycle. I'm going to try and | | | | lose the fat they had and GAIN more lean muscle, |
| persuade you today that you're wrong and that the | | | | SIMULTANEOUSLY. And there is. By lifting weights. |
| best way to lose fat is the exactly the same way you | | | | Weight lifting has been commonly attributed to the |
| gain muscle: by lifting weights. | | | | exercise that helps you gain lean muscle mass (in |
| A lot of people know that you only have to do one | | | | conjunction with sufficient rest and diet). But weight |
| thing, keep one thing in mind if you're trying to cut fat | | | | lifting in a certain manner will help you trim down as |
| from your body, no matter the exercise: the calories | | | | well. Let me explain. If you're an experienced weight |
| you put in have to be less than the calories you put | | | | lifter and know how to get lean muscle, you know you |
| out. The biochemical backing for this is that when the | | | | can only get it during the rest phase of your work out |
| calories you put in are less than those you put out, | | | | (that's right, you should actually count chilling out as part |
| you're in an "energy deficit". Your body will turn to your | | | | of your workout!). While you're sleeping, your muscle is |
| emergency energy supplies, ie. fat, to keep it | | | | "repackaging" itself, metabolizing all the protein you've |
| functioning properly. Good. Keep that in mind. What | | | | consumed and turning it into muscle for you to use. Of |
| kind of exercise is cardio? It's a kind of aerobic | | | | course, that isn't the only thing it's metabolizing. |
| exercise, which means oxygen is required (and a heck | | | | Depending on how tiring your work out was, energy |
| of a lot of it, I might add). You breathe heavily while | | | | can burn at a quick rate, even hours after the work |
| doing cardio, but how long does it take for you to | | | | out. |
| recover and breathe normally again? Depending on | | | | If the energy you used up is less than the energy you |
| your stamina and fitness levels, it could be anywhere | | | | took in, you will lose fat. So that means essentially for |
| from a couple of minutes to five minutes. After that, | | | | every work out, make sure the energy you take in is |
| your body returns to equilibrium and stops burning fat. | | | | less than the energy you lose and you can and will, |
| So yes, cardio does burn fat. The thing is, it also burns | | | | lose fat and gain muscle. This is the basis of it. |
| muscle. All the men preparing for modelling | | | | |