Why cardio and resistance exercise isn't the best way to lose fat...
If you've been reading this newsletter for any length of time, you'll know
that I'm a big fan of any workout routine that combines cardiovascular (e.g.
cycling, walking or sprinting) and resistance exercise (e.g. weight-training).
In fact, I've talked about this subject so often that I'm worried you're getting
annoyed at me right now for bringing it up again. That's why the headline about
cardio and weights not being the best way to lose fat might have come as a surprise.
Part of the reason I wrote it was to get your attention. But I also wanted
to emphasize the fact that exercise is only one piece of the puzzle when it
comes to burning fat and building muscle.
Before I explain exactly what I mean, here are two examples to illustrate my
point.
STUDY #1: In this study, conducted at Penn State University, a group
of women took part in a 12-week program of diet and exercise [2]. The women
were assigned to one of four groups:
• The first group served as a control group, and did nothing.
• Group two followed a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.
• Group three combined the same diet with regular aerobic exercise.
• The fourth group also followed the same diet, but added aerobic and
resistance exercise (weight training).
As you might imagine, all three groups lost weight.
• The diet-only group lost 13.6 pounds.
• The diet plus aerobic exercise group lost 15 pounds.
• The women combining diet with resistance and aerobic exercise lost
15.4 pounds.
However, the loss of fat was greatest in the women who combined a low-calorie
diet with aerobic exercise.
In fact, the women who trained with weights actually lost 3.7 pounds of muscle.
STUDY #2: The trial, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology,
tracked a group of 31 women during a six-month exercise program [1].
At the beginning and end of the study, body fat levels were measured using
a sophisticated technique called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA for
short).
The program consisted of 90 minutes of exercise (weight-training, running and
military drills) five days each week.
Despite the fact that the women exercised for more than seven hours each week
for six months, they lost only 5.7 pounds of fat. That's just 0.2 pounds per
week.
What do both of these studies have in common?
None of the women in either trial were following a decent diet.
In study one, total calorie intake was too low (7 calories per pound of body
weight). What's more, 70% of those calories came from carbohydrate, leaving
just 15% for fat and 15% for protein. It's no surprise they lost so much muscle.
In study two, the women were not told to change their diet, and could eat what
they wanted.
The bottom line
If you want to lose stubborn fat, then exercise alone — be it weight-training,
cycling, Pilates, or the so-called "core-stability" workouts that
seem so popular at the moment — won't be enough. You'll need to eat
right too. If you want to make this the year when you finally get the body
you want, now's the time to take a closer look at your diet.
For more information, download
a copy of Tom Venuto's excellent book Burn
The Fat Feed The Muscle. There's some great information in there about
what and when to eat, as well as easy-to-follow fat-burning exercise programs
that work.
About the Author
 Christian Finn holds a master's degree in exercise science, is a certified personal trainer and has been featured on BBC TV and radio, as well as in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Fit Pro, Zest and other popular fitness magazines.
If you want better, faster results from the time you spend in the gym, click here now for instant access to his step-by-step muscle-building and fat-burning workout routines.
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References
1. Nindl, B.C., Harman, E.A., Marx, J.O., Gotshalk, L.A., Frykman, P.N., Lammi,
E., Palmer, C., & Kraemer, W.J. (2000). Regional body composition changes
in women after 6 months of periodized physical training. Journal
of Applied Physiology, 88, 2251-2259
2. Kraemer, W.J., Volek, J.S., Clark, K.L., Gordon, S.E., Incledon, T., Puhl,
S.M., Triplett-McBride, N.T., McBride, J.M., Putukian, M., & Sebastianelli,
W.J. (1997). Physiological adaptations to a weight-loss dietary regimen and
exercise programs in women. Journal
of Applied Physiology, 83, 270-279
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