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Nutrition and Cardio - Reloaded
Today, I have been thinking about new ways of performing "cardio" and hopefully it will change your mindset about what cardio really is and open you up to new, more innovative ideas. Ok here is the fitness question of the MILLENIUM: Do you really
need cardio training to get lean and in great shape? Most fitness buffs, weekend warriors, or anyone trying to get in shape or lose body fat, get a six pack, etc, consider it a "fact" that they need” cardio" exercise to accomplish these goals. They would never even question it. However, I'm not only questioning it, I'm going to say its absolute BS!!!
Most people are surprised when I tell them that many of the professional fitness models and bodybuilders never perform traditional cardio! And these are the best bodies on the planet. Now, I am not saying that there isnt a time and a place for moderate, low impact cardio for beginners and overweight people, but even in those cases...there are better methods.
A lot of people approach me all of the time and ask me...Dude! How much cardio should I do to get a Six Pack? You should see their faces when I answer with my standard answer of...NONE!! But the fact is, just like the lean people I mentioned above that
never do cardio workouts , I personally haven't followed what most would call a cardio workout plan in years. Heck, I can't even remember the last time I "jogged" on the treadmill, or glided away on an elliptical, or pedaled away going nowhere on the stationary bike. Yet despite my lack of a cardio workout routine, I maintain single digit body fat percentages year round. However, just because of the fact that I never perform what most of us would consider cardio..does not mean that I don’t work extremely hard in the gym!
But what exactly is "cardio"? Most people would consider cardio
to be exactly what I described above... pumping away mindlessly on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, or coasting on an elliptical machine, while watching the TV screen or reading a magazine at their super expensive gym. This is what I call "traditional cardio". Hmmm, no wonder the majority of people get bored with their cardio workouts and give up after a couple months without seeing results.
But if you look closer, "cardio" can be considered any type of exercise or activity that strengthens the cardiovascular system. To keep it simple, if it gets your heart pumpin, and you start breathing hard... it's cardio. Plain and simple! I don't care if you're holding dumbbells or a barbell and everyone calls it a weight training exercise, or weight lifting, or whatever...it's still conditioning your heart!
Let's take a look at a couple examples. Take a barbell (or dumbbell, or kettlebell) clean & press for example, which involves lifting a barbell from the floor up to shoulders, then push pressing overhead. And listen up ladies, because even though this is usually seen as a manly exercise, it doesn't matter if you're not lifting 250 lbs; if 45 lbs is challenging to you, then you will still benefit just as much.
At first glance, most people think of the barbell C&P only as a weight training exercise or strength exercise. However, I challenge you to do a hard set of around 10-15 reps on the C&P. If you used a challenging enough weight, what you'll find is that your heart rate is probably up to about 80-90% of your recommended max, and you are huffing and puffing like you just ran a 100-meter sprint (which by the way, sprinting kicks the crap out of jogging any day if you want the easiest way to lose the flab fast).
Try the same thing for a set of 20 reps of one-arm snatches or swings with each arm with a dumbbell (2 of my specialty exercises in my Truth about Six Pack Abs manual), and tell me your legs aren't burning, heart racing, and you're gasping for breath. How about trying 5 minutes straight of rotating bodyweight squats, lunges, and pushups with very little rest between. Again, notice your heart pounding, sweat pouring off of you, and chest heaving for breaths!
Try and tell me you're not conditioning your heart with this style of training! Conventional thinking says that these are weight training or strength training exercises. However, they are fulfilling your cardio needs as well. Not only do you save time, but you strengthen and condition almost every muscle in your entire body with these full body exercises if you do them with enough intensity...something that can't be said for that boring stationary bike ride or treadmill jaunt while reading or watching TV. Seriously, if you can read or watch TV while doing any exercise, you're not concentrating enough on what you're doing, plus you're probably not working out hard enough to see any real results.
I challenge you to give up your "traditional cardio" for 6 weeks, and start training for results instead! A great program to get you on the right track is the international best selling Truth about Six pack Abs Program, and see how you start getting leaner, more defined, and your six pack starting to show through what used to be stubborn stomach fat deposits. What do you have to lose? You wont fail...i promise, but even if you dont like the program you can return it for a full refund! The only thing you have to lose is extra bodyfat!
The Shocking Truth About Rice Cakes
Many people often ask the question: What's the very worst food you can eat if you're trying to lose weight, burn fat, tone up, etc?
One food that is often eaten by dieters, but ironically works against them in losing weight is rice cakes. Yes rice cakes! You are probably eating one right now thinking that you are burning fat and toning right up! Yes, rice cakes are relatively low in calories, but the real downside is that they spike blood sugar and insulin levels. This is not what you want if you are looking to lose weight, burn fat, or tone up! If you are on a weight loss diet, fat loss diet, etc, your main goal should be to slow the digestion and release of carbohydrate into the blood and to try and controlling blood sugar. This is a critical element of any nutrition program. Amazingly, rice cakes increase blood sugar levels by 50% more than eating an equal amount of table sugar! Rice cakes and other foods that result in rapid digestion and release of sugar into the blood promote overeating, obesity, insulin resistance, and other metabolic disturbances contributing to disease. Have you noticed that with every rice cake you eat…you may feel hungrier and hungrier by the bite?
The "glycemic index" is a measure of how a given food affects blood-glucose levels, with each food being assigned a numbered rating. The lower the rating, the slower the absorption and digestion process, which provides a more gradual, healthier infusion of sugars into the bloodstream. On the other hand, a high rating means that blood-glucose levels are increased quickly, which stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. These rapid fluctuations of blood-sugar levels are not healthy because of the stress they place on the body.
One of sugar's major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system and shuts down the fat burning hormones. This is not something you want to take place if your goals are to become healthy, lose fat, and tone up.
An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body's blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep blood-sugar at a constant and safe level. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, so that when you eat sweets high in sugar, or rice cakes for instance, you're making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular disease and increased weight gain. Complex carbohydrates tend to be absorbed more slowly, lessening the impact on blood-sugar levels. An example of a complex carbohydrate with a slow digestion process is plain oatmeal. In contrast, keeping blood sugar in check is associated with improved weight and fat loss, decreased appetite, and reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer.
TIP: Only consume rice cakes post workout when your body is primed to absorb and use the sugar for growth and recovery.
