If the thought of doing endless boring cardio sessions, in the hope you burn calories and burn off unwanted body fat, makes you want to tear off your toenails with a pair of pliers instead.
I’ve got some great news for you.
Cardio is not required for fat loss.
In fact…
Depending on your age and the current condition you’re in, stress levels, and other health-related indicators, cardio exercise may be the worst thing you can do for weight loss.
So strap yourself in, stop scrolling on your phone, and remove any distractions… because you’re about to discover how losing weight without cardio exercise is easier, faster, and way more enjoyable.
Plus…
How to lose weight using comfortable, boring weight loss methods that’ll have excess fat falling right off you.
The Ugly Facts Of Cardio Only For Weight Loss
If you just do cardio for weight loss and you don’t do any form of strength training, you simply become a smaller shapeless version of what you look like now.
Without strength training, you’ll still have wobbly parts, your body composition still looks soft, doughy, and weak. Don’t panic, this can all be avoided by doing strength training.
The only exercise that creates a firm, athletic, nicely shaped body is strength training.
Which Cardio Burns The Most Fat?
What if the cardio that burns the most fat is something you absolutely hate to the point of… eating raw snails sounds more enjoyable.
Or what if…
What someone considers “the best” fat loss cardio is an exercise that hurts your body, because what’s best for someone else might be the worst thing for you.
The reality is this, there is no best cardio.
There’s a better question to ask, and that question is…
How do I stop feeding the fat?
If you don’t feed the fat, it can’t grow, survive, or multiply.
And it’s easier to stop feeding the fat than it is to do some supposed cardio fat loss workout.
- Great Nutrition = faster fat loss
- Focusing on cardio as the main source of fat loss = slower fat loss or no fat loss
How Much Cardio Do I Need To Do To Lose Weight?
Let me show you using some maths because everything is numbers:
In 1kg of fat there are 7,700 calories.
And let’s say some genius on the internet says, “cycling is a great way to burn fat.”
If you divide 7,700 calories that make up 1kg of body fat by the 720 calories you might burn riding at 200 watts for one hour, it will take you 10 hours, 69 minutes to burn 1kg of fat.
Let’s assume the majority of people have more than 1kg of body fat to lose. And for most 720 calories an hour is on the high side. Meaning most people would never get near burning 720 calories an hour.
If you want an easier and faster way to lose weight, dial your nutrition in, stop feeding the fat, and you’ll notice your waistline shrinks much faster.
Is Cardio Important For Weight Loss?
Sure, cardio (aerobic exercise) plays a role in weight loss however it’s nowhere near as important as most make out.
If you wanted to put things in order of what’s the most important for looking and feeling the best you’ve ever felt and enjoy low fat levels the order would go
- Nutrition
2. Reduce Stress
3. Sleep
4. Strength Training
5. Water
6. Cardio exercise
Because if you don’t get the first four sorted out, you’re wasting your time. If your nutrition is poor, it becomes impossible to lose fat.
Stress causes all sorts of issues for you, and lack of sleep many significant problems. In fact, studies now prove a direct link between lack of sleep and being overweight or obese.
Strength training is anti-aging and makes a body sexy.
This is why using cardio for fat loss is not the best way to go about it. Because depending on what type of cardiovascular exercise you do, you could increase your cortisol levels (stress hormone) which may already be high because you’re stressed.
Why might high cortisol levels become a problem for you?
Some of the most common signs of high cortisol levels include:
- Weight gain — particularly around your stomach, upper back, and face.
- Fatigue
- Getting sick often
- Acne
- Thinning hair
- Bruising and slow wound healing
- Weak bones
- Muscle weakness
Bashing your body with cardio in the hope you burn fat can actually have the opposite effect. Which is why you’ve got to get nutrition, stress levels, and sleep sorted out.
What Happens If I Just Lift Weights And No Cardio?
Boy-oh-boy, now we’re talking…
If you just lift weights and don’t do any cardio workouts, you’re going to love what you see in the mirror.
Picture this…
You look athletic, have great muscle definition, you’re strong, and your body looks hard, nothing wobbles, your stomach is flat, maybe you’ve got abs, and your fat levels are low.
Hands-down weight training is critical for you if you want to look smoke’in hot and look years younger than your actual age.
Because as you age muscle mass because critical for you. There are only positives that come from doing strength training.
You’ve Probably Heard That Muscle Burns Fat
There’s a longstanding myth that says…
If you put on 5 pounds of muscle you could burn an extra 250 calories a day at rest (one pound of muscle burns 50 calories). The problem with these numbers is that there aren’t any real studies to back them up.
So why bother with strength training?
Because as you age if you’re not doing any form of strength training, you’re losing muscle mass. Think shrinking. By the time you hit your late 40’s you’re body looks soft, fat, weak, and doughy.
Head into your 50s and 60s and you continue to get weaker and smaller because your muscles are shrinking.
A simple task like walking or carrying groceries to the car becomes hard work because you’re weak.
If you want a confident sexy body, you’re going to need to keep, and build muscle.
Is 30 Minutes Of Cardio Enough To Lose Weight?
Get this…
Statistically, the overweight and obese numbers aren’t dropping, even with all these fat-burning workouts available.
So, you’d have to say this obsession with burning the fat, is just not working.
Even with an internet full of articles like:
“What’s the best fat-burning workout?
“5 Ways to burn fat faster, even while you masturbate”
“Increase your metabolism so you burn more fat”
“Do this 7-Minute fat burning workout and lose weight yesterday”
“How I melted fat from my body in 7 days”
If you’ve got 30 minutes to exercise spend that time lifting weights because you’re going to love the results weight training gives you.
If person A did 30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week for 6 weeks, and person B did weight training for 30 minutes 3 times a week for 6 weeks.
At the end of 6 weeks, 99% of people would want the body of person B.
Why?
Fat loss, more muscle, body looks sexy, athletic, leaner, and stronger.
Tell me you don’t want some of that.
Lose More Fat Without Cardio Workouts
If you want to lose fat try this…
Get your nutrition dialed in, use a calorie deficit, do strength training, get more sleep, reduce your stress levels, and cut back on coffee.
Why cut back on coffee?
Caffeine increases your cortisol levels, and if your cortisol levels are already high because you’re stressed and your sleep sucks. You’re only creating more issues for yourself and making losing weight harder.
If you are anxious and nervy all the time, then drinking coffee amps you up even more.
A calorie deficit helps you lose fat faster than any aerobic exercise can. Because if you’re eating more calories than you should it becomes very difficult to lose weight. You could start by eating 500 fewer calories a day.
Why Weight Training Is The Best Thing For Your Body
Resistance training, weight lifting, pumping iron, whatever… is one of the greatest things you can do for your body composition.
So many people struggle with their weight loss journey all because they don’t do any strength training.
It’s like trying to drive a sports car without any wheels. You need the wheels. Your body needs what resistance training gives it.
If you’ve got body parts that wobble, hit the weights.
If you look and feel weak, start weight lifting.
If you want to look athletic, lean, and dangerous, hit the weights.
A Calorie Deficit Is Better Than Cardio Exercise For Weight Loss
Earlier we took a look at a weight-loss sum of what it takes to burn off 1kg of fat. Here’s the sum again just in case you missed it.
In 1kg of fat there are 7,700 calories.
And let’s say some genius on the internet says, “cycling is a great way to burn fat.”
If you divide 7,700 calories that make up 1kg of body fat by the 720 calories you might burn riding at 200 watts for one hour, it will take you 10 hours, 69 minutes, and 44 seconds to burn 1kg of fat.
This sum shows you why a calorie deficit is better than bashing yourself with cardio to lose weight.
For overweight and obese adults, if you eat a little less food, your body doesn’t have to try and burn calories from the food you’re eating. Which means it’s got more energy to rid your body of excess fat stores.
You be surprised how eating a little less, eating foods of high-quality clean calories gets the weight coming right off you.
What About High-Intensity Interval Training To Lose Fat?
HIIT workouts do assist with fat loss, the thing is though you have to build up to doing them.
Why?
Because the workouts are hard and intense and most people aren’t cut out for them when first starting out. You’ve got to build up the intensity over weeks or months depending on where you’re at right now with your health.
What The Research Says:
“Research examining the effects of HIIE (High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise) has produced preliminary evidence to suggest that HIIE can result in modest reductions in subcutaneous and abdominal body fat in young normal weight and slightly overweight males and females.
Studies using overweight male and female type 2 diabetic individuals have shown greater reductions in subcutaneous and abdominal fat.”
The other thing the research mentions about HIIT training is, the groups that ate healthier lost more weight than the groups whose diet was shitty.
HIIT Puts Your Body Under Stress
If you’re already stressed out with life and work, and you start smashing yourself with HIIT sessions a few times a week, this is not good for you. The added stress levels placed on your body aren’t going to help you lose weight.
You’re better off doing exercise of moderate-intensity continuous training to get to your healthy weight.
Why Focusing On “Burning Fat” Exercises Is The Wrong Way To Go About Losing Fat
I understand, you want fat loss and you want it yesterday.
Thing is…
You’re barking up the wrong tree looking for magic exercises for burning calories and fat.
And here’s why:
Think of your body like a car, a car needs petrol, oil, and radiator coolant in certain amounts. Without those three liquids, the car won’t perform as it should.
For fat loss your body needs these four ingredients:
- Quality nutrition
- Sleep
- Reduced stress
- Strength training
Without one or all of those four ingredients, your body won’t respond or look the way you want it to look. It’s like a car without any oil, the engine seizes up.
Nowhere on that list is cardio or the best fat-burning exercise.
Why?
Because cardio is not the most potent way to lose unwanted weight.
Summary Is Cardio Really Need For Fat Loss?
Cardio is not needed for fat loss.
So why bother with cardio exercise?
It’s great for your heart health
It’s great for your mental health
The fastest way to lose weight is to dial in your nutrition, clean up your diet, and stop feeding that fat with shitty food choices.
Get stronger and build muscle, because as you age muscle becomes critical for you.
Get more sleep and reduce your stress levels.
If your stress levels are high and you start doing a heap of cardio you’ll only drive up your already high cortisol levels.
Cardio only and no strength training gives you a small, weak, soft-looking body.
