Steady-State Cardio May Be Ineffective For Fat Loss . . .
. . . but those who perform it at its extremes (read: marathon running, triathalons, etc.) show us all one quality that’s important for achieving success on the gym floor (and in life, for that matter). (See video, The Crawl below. . . )
If you’ve been around my training long enough, you know that I’m the last person in the world to suggest that somebody goes out and performs long distance, steady-state cardio.
Why, exactly? Long distance, steady-state cardio . . .
- is the least effective way to burn body fat. This is becoming (increasingly) old news, but there are still too many people out there churning out mile after mile, hoping to ‘lean out’. This form of cardio is great at making your body more efficient . . . and the surest way to make sure you have to work even harder (read: run even further) to see any fat-burning effects. (Strength training instead, anyone?)
- makes ‘maintaining muscle tissue’ difficult. Hopefully, you’re working hard to add (or, at the very least, maintain) muscle, so why go out and burn it all away with mile after mile? You need that supple, functioning muscle, you know, if you plan on moving around with good strength and energy . . . making your ‘regular’ daily activities as well as your ‘extracurricular’ activities easier to perform and more enjoyable.
- trashes your body, especially if it’s ‘trashed’ already. I (and about 99.99% of the other fitness professionals who are conscious of it) spend hours per day training clients to improve their performance and correct muscle imbalances generally linked to faulty posture. Running is something you can still perform when you have poor posture, but it doesn’t mean that you should. (You wouldn’t drive your car cross-country with poorly-aligned tires, would you?) If you insist on running, at the very least consider seeking out a qualified fitness professional who can assess and help correct any imbalances you might have.
- is hard on your body, period. There’s no denying that long, steady-state cardio is challenging . . . and it’s an incredible feat of endurance (marathons, triathalons). But it’s also capable of placing incredible stress on your body. (Fight or flight, anyone?) Even, Phidippides, the elite Greek runner who ran the first ‘marathon’, died from exhaustion shortly after running it. We are capable of running, playing hard, pushing our limits of endurance — and by all means if we’re healthy and willing, there’s no reason not to do it in that light. The fact is, though, that most people do steady-state cardio because they want to burn body fat, not merely because they’re ‘having fun’ or because ‘they can.’ (The problem with that? See bullet point #1
)
All the above being said, there is one thing that can’t be denied about those who choose to participate in long distance events (or compete at the highest level), as illustrated in this tear-jerking video . . .
They’ve got incredible heart . . .
They’ve got incredible desire . . .
They’ve got incredible focus . . .
They’re willing to challenge themselves to their known limits and beyond . . .
They’re willing to overcome obstacles . . . and demand the best possible effort from themselves in the face of adversity . . .
. . . all in the name of finishing, of becoming champions . . . of striving to become ‘better’ now than they were 2 strides (seconds, minutes, hours, days, years) ago.
Heart. Tenacity. Courage. Fight. Drive. Thirst for Greatness. Pride.
Do you have it in you?
Yes?
See you at the finish line!
