January 17th is the official tipping point for new year’s resolutions to get in shape and/or lose weight.
Meaning, over half the folks will have given up by Friday.
Here in the Midwest, we’ve had a bunch of snow which has sped up that process.
If I were a betting man, I’d say that well over 50% have already given up.
Mostly because the weather has made it almost impossible to run or bike outside.
It’s a great built-in excuse to not do the work.
But, what these folks don’t realize is this…
Cardio is NOT how to lose fat.
Nope.
I will concede that steady-state cardio like running, biking, and swimming will absolutely burn calories.
Of course, you’re doing work.
So, calories will be burned.
However, it is an extremely inefficient way to do it.
So, let me rephrase, “Cardio is NOT the best way to lose fat.”
The best, most efficient way to shred fat is through strength training.
Unlike other forms of exercise like cardio, our muscles are broken down when we lift heavy things.
Then, our body needs to burn calories to do the work to fix them.
Makes sense, right?
But it gets so much better.
When we dial in our nutrition and consume fewer calories than we’re burning each day, our bodies do something only a wiley fitness veteran could pull off.
Let’s assume this is how your week went…
- You lifted weights (body/bands/actual weights) a few times this week.
- Your muscles broke down and needed to be rebuilt.
- You consumed less calories than what your body requires to both rebuild muscle and fuel itself for the daily functions that keep us alive.
So, with a “fuel deficiency”, your body is out of gas and just shuts down, right?
Wrong!
Instead, your body taps into the reserves of energy it has stored as fat.
In most cases, there are a lot of reserves around our mid-sections.
Your body is so savvy that it knows it needs to get the work done, so it opens the pipeline and takes the energy it needs to rebuild the muscles you broke down as well as the fuel for daily functions.
Simply put, we keep the muscle we have (or build more) AND burn through the fat (aka our reserves) we’re trying to get rid of.
The end result is a toned, athletic-looking, muscular physique.
Strength Training?
Pretty badass indeed.
STAY STRONG,
Jeff
PS – If running, jogging, swimming, or any other steady-state cardio is what gets you outta bed in the morning, then PLEASE keep doing it.
Something is always better than nothing.
And you’re much more likely to stick to what you enjoy for the long-term.
But, if super-efficient fat loss and muscle building is your jam, then I highly recommend you join the 18STRONG Membership where you’ll find the Golfer’s Fat Loss Blueprint.
You’ll have the step-by-step training program AND a customized nutrition plan once you complete the intake form.
You’ve got this!