If you’ve ever thought about losing weight the first thought that probably popped into your head was, “I just need to do more cardio to lose weight.”
Or maybe your equipment of choice is the elliptical. Maybe you got a Peloton bike and started cranking out spin classes every morning.
Either way, for the vast majority of people trying to lose weight the first thought is “cardio”.
And at first it works! You start dropping some pounds on the scale and you think you’ve got this fat loss thing figured out.
“This isn’t so hard”, you think to yourself.
You’re feeling great, right up until your weight loss stalls. Spending hours and hours sweating away on your Peloton bike but not getting anywhere anymore. You’re literally spinning your wheels.
“But I haven’t changed anything”, you think to yourself. Why has your weight loss stalled despite feeling like you’re doing everything right?
This is a very common feeling and one that we’re going to shine some light on in today’s article.
Here’s what we’re going to cover:
- Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Energy Systems
- Examples Of Aerobic (or “cardio”) Workouts
- Benefits Of Cardio Workouts
- Why Cardio Is NOT Ideal For Long-Term Fat Loss (& What You SHOULD Do)
- Where Cardio Fits Into A Fat Loss Plan
- Your Next Steps…
First, check out this episode of Rebuild Your Body where I go over why you shouldn’t be doing more cardio to lose weight:
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Energy Systems
Everything we do requires energy in the form of ATP (adenosinetriphosphate). And our bodies, being the efficient machines they are, have multiple energy systems it can call on to create enough ATP for the function or task at hand.
These include:
- Aerobic Energy System
- Anaerobic (lactic) Energy System
- Anaerobic (alactic) Energy System
Everything from our day-to-day tasks like walking to the car, to lifting weights in the gym, to digesting our food, all require energy.
We’re not going to dive too deep into energy metabolism today, just remember the most important aspect to keep in mind is this:
Aerobic = WITH oxygen
Anaerobic = WITHOUT oxygen
When we need quick, short bursts of energy like when sprinting or lifting weights we’re primarily using our anaerobic energy systems. This typically means high intensity tasks that last approximately 3 seconds up to around 3 minutes.
After approximately 3 minutes of sustained effort your aerobic energy system kicks in. This takes care of any long duration, moderate-low intensity activity. Think of things like going for a walk, jogging or swimming laps; your typical “cardio” activities.
It’s important to design your training plan in a way that trains all of these energy systems – aerobic, anaerobic lactic, & anaerobic alactic. They’re all important for different functions and optimal overall health.
Examples Of Aerobic Workouts (including one you might not expect)
Typically when people say they’re doing “cardio”, they’re talking about workouts using their aerobic energy system.
At the gym this would include workouts using all of your traditional cardio equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, recumbent bikes, stair climbers, etc.
Remember, for your aerobic energy system to kick in we have to be working at a moderate-low intensity for longer than approximately 3-5 minutes. It doesn’t matter whether you’re using an elliptical, a treadmill, swimming laps in the pool, or jogging on the street – if you’re working at a moderate-low intensity for longer than 3-5 minutes you’re using your aerobic energy system.
This also applies to most group fitness classes, including:
- Peloton
- Les Mills
- Apple Fitness+
- BeachBody
- Spin/Cycle Classes
- Zumba, Dance Classes
- Step Classes
Back in the 80’s these types of classes were literally called “aerobics” because they’re focused on your aerobic energy system.
Now, I know what you’re thinking…
“But some of those classes use weights, and they tell me I’m building muscle and getting stronger – that’s not aerobics!”
And you’d be correct; some of those classes DO use weights. When you’re just starting you might even get a little bit stronger. But the design of those classes still puts them in the aerobic energy system category.
The reason for this can be answered with a question:
Are you maintaining an elevated heart rate for longer than 5 minutes with minimal rest time?
If you are (and I know you are during those classes) then you’re working squarely inside of your aerobic energy system. You’re doing cardio with weights, that’s all.
Now yes, you will get a little bit stronger and build a little bit of muscle in the beginning. But those effects quickly plateau because those workouts aren’t designed for strength and muscle. They’re designed to keep your heart rate up and make you sweat. And there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just not ideal for getting stronger and building muscle. It’s better for working your cardiovascular system.
So yes, almost every group fitness class (even the ones with weights) would be classified as aerobic energy system workouts, or “cardio”.
Interestingly there has been some recent research showing that proper, heavy strength training – typically thought of as an anaerobic activity – also improves cardiovascular health the same way traditional cardio workouts do.
Benefits Of Cardio Workouts (other than to lose weight)
The main benefit of cardio workouts is right in the name – improved cardiovascular health. Just like strength training builds stronger muscles (among other benefits), cardio – or aerobic – training builds a stronger, healthier heart, lungs, and brain.
Keep in mind, the majority of the benefits outlined below would also apply to physical activity in general, including strength training.
When part of a healthy, balanced training program, cardio workouts can reduce resting heart rate and blood pressure, making it so that your heart doesn’t have to work unnecessarily hard all the time.
Cardio (and physical activity in general) is also good for the brain. Research has shown that regular physical activity can reduce risk of dementia. The same has now been shown for strength training.
Other brain benefits include:
- Increased blood flow, reducing risk of stroke
- Improves memory and thinking ability
- Fights against age-related cognitive decline
- May help protect against developing Alzheimer’s disease
And the benefits don’t stop with your heart, lungs, and brain.
Regular aerobic training is also great for your joint health, skin, blood circulation, weight loss, sleep, and mood.
Some of these benefits include:
- Fights osteoporosis and reduces risk of hip fractures
- Helps manage arthritis discomfort and can maintain joint range of motion
- Improved circulation leading to clearer, healthier skin
- More oxygen delivered to stronger muscles making every day tasks feel easier
- Weight loss, reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease
- Improved blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity
- Better overall mood and feeling of well-being
- Releases endorphins which leads to more energy throughout the day, and better sleep at night
These are just a small sample of the many, many health benefits of cardio workouts. And like I mentioned above, most of these would also apply to physical activity in general, including strength training.
As you can see, there are plenty of health-boosting benefits of aerobic workouts besides simply using cardio to lose weight.
Why You Should NOT Do More Cardio To Lose Weight (& What To Do Instead)
While traditional aerobic cardio workouts can lead to weight loss, they actually aren’t the best option for long-term, sustainable weight loss.
As we mentioned earlier in this article, the purpose of our aerobic energy system is to allow us to sustain our effort for a long duration of time (i.e. longer than 3-5 minutes).
This means our aerobic energy system is very efficient at supplying us with energy (i.e. ATP).
And better yet, with proper training it becomes even more efficient. You feel this when all of a sudden those 3-5 km runs aren’t as challenging as they were a few weeks ago. Your aerobic energy system is becoming more efficient, and your cardiovascular system is getting stronger.
All of this is exactly what is supposed to happen. And it’s great news if you’re training for a long distance run or cycling event. But it’s not great for long-term weight loss.
Remember for weight loss to occur we need to be in a negative energy balance such that:
ENERGY IN < ENERGY OUT = WEIGHT LOSS
The food we eat is our “energy in”. And “energy out” is partly the different forms of exercise that use our aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. We want our “energy out” to be as high as possible to give us more room to play on the “energy in” side.
The problem is because our aerobic system becomes so efficient, we actually end up burning less calories over time in the “energy out” part of the equation.
For example, let’s say you were running 3 km every day for 2 weeks. During the last 3 km run your body would be burning less calories than it was during your first 3 km run.
Again, this is normal and it’s absolutely what we want for endurance-based training.
But it’s the opposite of what we want for long-term, sustainable weight loss.
Another more common example would be if you hit the elliptical for 60 minutes every day. The first couple weeks of doing that your body is using a lot of energy and you end up losing weight (yay!).
But after a few weeks of that your body is slowly becoming more efficient. And after a couple of months you notice that you’re not losing weight anymore. In fact, you’re gaining weight again!
The simplistic reason for this is because you’re no longer using as much energy during that 60 minute elliptical session as you were when you started.
Even if you’re still eating exactly the same, your “energy out” is lower now. And more likely you’re probably eating more as well because your hunger hormones are higher due to the amount of the activity you’re doing.
Again, this is all normal. But as you can see, it’s just not great for long-term, sustainable weight loss.
So if traditional cardio isn’t the best option to lose weight, what is?
A better option is to build a body that has a naturally high “energy out”. And we do that through building muscle with proper strength training.
With strength training, you might have a lower “energy out” during the actual workout when compared to traditional cardio (or maybe not, depending on the workout). But because muscle is very metabolically active – meaning it burns calories just sitting on your body – by building muscle you’re slightly increasing your overall metabolic rate.
That means your overall “energy out” is a little bit higher 24 hours/day, not just during your workout.
And because you need to constantly increase the demand on your muscles to get stronger and build muscle, you don’t get that same drop-off in “energy out” that you do with aerobic cardio training.
Keep in mind, this option is about playing the long game. Building muscle takes time, and it also requires a properly designed, effective strength training program.
The problem is that it’s very easy to just go for a run, or jump on an elliptical. To build a properly designed, effective strength training program requires much more expertise.
Where Cardio Fits Into A Weight Loss Training Plan
Now just because cardio isn’t the best option for long-term, sustainable weight loss doesn’t mean we should just ignore it.
As you learned above, there are plenty of other health benefits for aerobic cardio training.
But where should it fit into your overall training plan?
This is where my Hierarchy Of Effective Fat Loss Workouts comes in.
In order of importance for fat loss the Hierarchy looks like this:
- Strength Training: 2-4 days/week
- F.I.R.E. Workouts, Metabolic Conditioning, H.I.I.T.: 1-2 days/week
- Traditional Aerobic Cardio & Group Fitness Classes: 1-3 days/week
- Yoga, Pilates: 0-2 days/week
- Walking: preferably daily
So as you can see, your traditional cardio and most group fitness classes would fall into Section 3.
Now let’s say you only have 3 days/week that you can workout – what do you do? Here’s 3 options I would suggest, in order of my preference:
OPTION 1
- Strength Training: 3 days/week (with F.I.R.E. Finishers)
- Daily walking
OPTION 2
- Strength Training: 2 days/week
- F.I.R.E. Workouts, Metabolic Conditioning, H.I.I.T.: 1 day/week
- Daily walking
OPTION 3
- Strength Training: 2 days/week (with F.I.R.E. Finishers)
- Traditional Cardio or Group Fitness Classes: 1 day/week
- Daily walking
My preference would be Option 1 because we’d have the best opportunity for getting stronger, and could still work some metabolic conditioning into your strength workouts by using our F.I.R.E. Finishers.
If you were able to commit 4 days/week to your workouts, then that would open up even more flexibility. Here are a few schedule options to consider, again in order of my preference for fat loss:
OPTION 1
- Strength Training: 4 days/week (with F.I.R.E. Finishers)
- Daily walking
OPTION 2
- Strength Training; 3 days/week (with F.I.R.E. Finishers)
- F.I.R.E. Workouts, Metabolic Conditioning, H.I.I.T.: 1 day/week
- Daily walking
OPTION 3
- Strength Training; 2 days/week (with F.I.R.E. Finishers)
- F.I.R.E. Workouts, Metabolic Conditioning, H.I.I.T.: 1 day/week
- Cardio or Group Fitness Classes: 1 day/week
- Daily walking
OPTION 4
- Strength Training; 2 days/week (with F.I.R.E. Finishers)
- Cardio or Group Fitness Classes: 2 days/week
- Daily walking
There are a lot of different ways to lay out a training schedule based on your goals, fitness level, body, and preference. That’s why it’s so important to work with a professional who can properly design an effective training plan specifically for you.
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