The downfall to endurance cardio
Dominic matti
In last months issue I discussed why strength training should be added to your routine if you want to lose body fat. This month I will focus on the negative effects of prolonged aerobic training. Don’t get me wrong, running on a treadmill or using an elliptical can be beneficial for those individuals who are highly inactive or suffer from high blood pressure or other health risks, but for the average healthy person trying to get fit, endurance training can be very counter productive.
Tel: 902-425-8226 Mobile: 902-877-7839
Dominic matti—personal trainer/fitness writer
Flex appeal
E-mail: dominicmatti@gmail.com
Many studies have shown that lengthy cardio routines (over 45 minutes) stress the body out and lead to the release of high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and decrease the levels of testosterone in men. If your cortisol levels are chronically elevated, your body will store fat instead of burning it, which means added belly fat. High cortisol also makes you age faster because it increases oxidative substances in the body that produce inflammation all over, including in the brain, heart, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive organs. The good news is there are ways to fight off the negative effects of aerobic training through proper diet. A new study using semi-professional cyclists conducted by Current Microbiology, showed that a diet filled with probiotics and antioxidants decreased oxidative stress and fought off the negatives of aerobic exercise. Food/drinks that are rich in antioxidants include cherries, berries, garlic, broccoli, tomatoes and green tea.
Volume 1, Issue 2
July 2012
In this issue:
Highlights:
The negatives to aerobic training 1
Healthy Fats
1
Exercise of the month
2
Too much cardio?
HIIT Training Eat Your Fats!
Importance of fats Thanks to great marketing and advertising, it has been implanted into our brains that fats are bad for you. This is not 100% true. Your body needs fats for functional reasons and can be very beneficial to muscle gain. About 25-35% of your caloric diet should come from fats. The key is to focus on healthy fats such as
unsaturated fats, which you find in salmon, tuna, avocados, eggs, seeds, nuts, and oils such as flaxseed and extra virgin olive oils. These foods are all rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and are essential for almost every human activity. They are used for energy, brain function, and protein synthesis.
A little bit of saturated fats are ok as well, as they can help elevate your mood and improve brain functioning. It’s the TRANS fats that are evil and you should be staying clear of, such as hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils.
Exercise of the month –hiit
Dominic matti Tel: 902-425-8226 Mobile: 902-877-7839 E-mail: dominicmatti@gmail.com
Ok, so I talked earlier about the negative effects of prolonged cardio. Now let me tell you what you SHOULD be doing to replace your aerobic routine and WHY you should be doing it. You should be doing HIIT training – high intensity interval training. This targets fat loss MUCH more effectively than regular endurance cardio, while also keeping that hard earned muscle on your body. HIIT training works by bringing your heart rate up, then letting it come down, only to bring it back up a few seconds later. Your metabolism will also stay elevated for hours after your done, unlike endurance cardio, where your metabolism comes back to normal minutes later. The best example is to compare a marathon runner to a sprinter. Marathon runners generally have less muscle on them and a higher body fat percentage,
while the sprinters have very little body fat and an impressive amount of lean muscle. The most common HIIT routine is sprints on a treadmill. A beginner routine would go something like this - a three minute light jog to get warmed up and then head into a 30 second sprint, it should be at a speed where you are struggling to reach 30 seconds. Then you bring the speed down to a brisk walk for about a minute. Then you go back to a 30 second sprint and repeat this cycle five-to-six times. Then cool down with a three-minute slow walk. The entire routine should only take up to 12-15 minutes. If you’re able to go longer, that means your sprint intervals weren’t intense enough and you should think about upping the speed or increasing the sprint and decreasing the walk time.
Dominic Matti - Personal Trainer Specialist I’ve been involved in sports and fitness since an early age and I have been heavily focused on strength and endurance training for over 5 years. I have achieved a lot of success at reaching my fitness goals and I am now using my passion and knowledge to help others. I have worked with a variety of clients, from former collegiate athletes to beginner exercisers of all ages. Whether it’s weight loss or adding strength and muscle, I aim for all my clients to be successful at reaching their goals and to have them walk out of our facility each time with a smile and newfound confidence!
“Exercise to be fit, not ‘skinny’ “