3. While cardio will help you lose some fat, you will also lose plenty of muscle.
Although aerobic exercisers lose more weight doing cardio, a good portion of it will also be muscle. A short term strategy for losing fat might have some cardio in it, but if you really wanted to get fit you should incorporate some strength training into your workout.
Weight lifting will help you lose fat and gain a little muscle while doing so. Muscle will give you a more sculpted look. While losing fat and muscle will give you more of a sickly look.
Cardio has many health benefits, it is hard to argue that point. But nearly every health related benefit you get from cardio can be achieved through some serious weight lifting.
4. Cardio will also hinder your appetite suppression throughout the day.
You will actually feel hungrier. Your body will begin to crave carbohydrates, sugar, and salty foods. It wants to replenish some of the fluids and energy it lost so it will send signals to you to eat more. Which could make dieting even harder.
Some of the most successful diets and routines out there use little to no cardio at all. Cardio is best used as a warm up tool or for leisure sports and activities.
Weight lifting can yield some pretty amazing results when done consistently. You won’t experience the same fatigue as with cardio and you will be able to control your appetite much easier.
There are only two exceptions for using cardio as a fat loss tool:
- Small women (for size reasons aren’t suitable for much food to meet a caloric deficit on a day to day basis) who want to eat larger meals.
- Remarkably lean people trying to get persistent fat off themselves.
So unless you fall under those categories, you should consider tossing your cardio equipment into the yard sale. Get back into the gym and start some weight training routine. Use that free time to focus on your diet.
Related: High Intensity Endurance Workouts Could Damage Your Heart