sorry, posted in wrong place (klutz)
Just wanted to pass on this controversial article I previously found on this topic:
Is Aerobic Training Really Necessary For Fat Loss?
Weight training builds muscle. Aerobic activity burns fat. Most authorities agree. Much of the research concurs. I believed it too. There's just one little problem - I haven't seen reality coincide with the research. In my experience, aerobic activity is not an effective way to burn fat. In fact, I would say aerobics aren't good for much of anything.
Your mouth is dropping open. You can't believe what you're reading - but you are compelled to read on.
Let me first say that if you engage in a sport where endurance is a factor, some aerobic training will of course be necessary. But if you're interested in losing weight, becoming more muscular, or achieving a more defined physique, doing aerobics will only make you better at doing aerobics.
Ever Seen A Fat Aerobics Instructor?
I have. Plenty of them. They may be in terrific cardiovascular condition but they're still overweight.
Aerobic activity will burn some fat for a while. But soon your body adapts. Once you're capable of performing an activity more efficiently, there's less reason for the body to change. This is why people often get results when they begin an exercise regimen (any exercise regimen) but that progress eventually comes to a halt. At this point, either intensity or duration must be increased in order to spark further improvements.
You can increase intensity by increasing resistance, which is essentially weight training. But what if your duration is increased? Does your body then burn fat the same way it did when the aerobic program was new?
No. Once the body is stressed for more than an hour, the body runs out of carbohydrate stores - it's preferred form of fuel - and begins to release cortisol. Cortisol breaks down muscle. At this point, you may think, "Now I'm burning fat." Think again. Once the body is put into a stressful environment, all it wants to do is survive and will do everything that millions of years of evolution have taught it to do in order to achieve that goal.
It will burn muscle.
Follow me. It takes four calories of energy to burn a gram of carbohydrate and four calories of energy to burn a gram of protein. But it takes nine calories of energy to burn a gram of fat. If the body receives the message, "keep going at all cost," - which is what you're telling it when training aerobically - it's going to conserve energy (calories) by reserving fat. Your body will use some fat to keep you going, but you'll be losing muscle at the same time. This is why runners tend to have stringy muscles. They've conditioned their bodies to void muscle growth in an effort to do what they're being commanded to do - run long distances.
People assume marathon runners are in great shape, when the reality is they've simply built up a tolerance to a damaging activity. It's like the guy who can drink and smoke all day and still feel fine. It doesn't mean he's healthy. He's just used to it. Yet, running the marathon has become a revered and exalted testament to athleticism. Incidentally, the origin of the marathon dates back to ancient Greece when a soldier by the name of Phidippides ran 26 miles to notify the Emperor that the Greek army was victorious in their battle against the Persians. He then dropped dead. There's a lesson to be learned somewhere in that story.
Here are a few more reasons why I've shunned aerobic exercise:
Here are a few more reasons why I've shunned aerobic exercise:
Aerobic activity is catabolic - the increased oxygen intake leads to increased free radical damage.
Pounding your limbs onto a hard surface is extremely stressing to the knees, ankles and lower back.
The common practice of running along city streets promotes the excessive ingestion of pollutants such as carbon dioxide.
Doesn't sound too healthy, does it?
More Muscle = Less Fat
Aerobic activity doesn't put enough stress on the muscles to encourage them to grow. Even if more muscle isn't your objective, a higher muscle-to-fat ratio will allow the body to burn fat more effectively all day long. Hence, more muscle is the key to less fat. Weight training can be used to increase cardiovascular conditioning, burn fat and build muscle.
I used to do aerobics, but no more. I don't recommend them for my clients, either. Since I've stopped, I'm amazed at how much more energy I have. Aerobic training was causing me to severely overtrain. Whenever someone asks me what I do "for my heart," I tell them this: "You want an elevated heart rate? Try a few sets of 20-rep squats and then get back to me!"
Although it may take a while before the mainstream catches up to these realities, it should be noted that more and more exercise experts are seeing the light. Strength coach Charles Poliquin, after coming to the conclusion that aerobics saps strength, no longer recommends aerobic activity to his clients. Sports trainer and powerlifting champion Ian King is also an advocate of the non-aerobic method of conditioning because he feels the energy expended can be more effectively applied elsewhere. " rubbish," says King. "Cut the time between sets and you'll get all the cardio you need."
You can find plenty of information to support and refute the need for aerobic exercise. But the real test is what works for you. For one month, try increasing your rep range and decreasing your rest between sets. Maintain a proper diet, staying conscious of avoiding starches and sugars. Do no aerobics. Check your body fat regularly and see if you get the results you're looking for.
