Do you really need cardio?

Welcome back to another edition of Lean Body Fitness Secrets
Ezine.

Today, I have an intriguing discussion about cardio training, which
will hopefully get you thinking differently, and trying new things.

You may know I've been called the anti-cardio guy before, but
this week I'm back posing the question to you... Do you really
need cardio training to get lean and in great shape? By the way,
you'll see in a minute that I'm not really "anti-cardio", just
"anti traditional cardio".

Most fitness buffs, weekend warriors, or anyone trying to get in
shape or lose body fat, 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 refute it!

In fact, you may be surprised to know that some of the leanest
and meanest people I know (men and women), NEVER do any type of
normal or traditional cardio. And I've spent over 15 years
working out in various gyms, and hanging out with athletes of
all sorts, so I've seen it all. I will say that there can be a
place for low-moderate level cardio for really overweight or
deconditioned people, but even in those cases, there can be more
effective methods.

Whenever someone comes up to me at the gym and asks me how much
cardio they should do to lose more body fat, my answer is always...
NONE!!! You should see the crazy looks I get...it's priceless!

But the fact is, just like the lean people I mentioned above that
never do cardio, I personally haven't done what most people would
consider "cardio" 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 "cardio", I maintain single digit body fat percentages
year round. Don't get me wrong... Just because I say I don't do
"cardio", doesn't mean that I don't work my butt off 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 at their state of the art gym.
This is what I call "traditional cardio". Hmmm, no wonder the majority
of people get bored with their 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.
I'm not going to get into anything technical like increasing your
VO2 max or anything like that. To keep it simple, if it gets your
heart pumpin, and gets you huffin and puffin... it's cardio. I
don't care if you're holding dumbbells or a barbell and everyone
calls it a weight training exercise...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 fullfilling 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 the "traditional cardio" a rest for 6 weeks,
and start training the way I explain in my internationally-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? If you don't like
the program, you're covered by the guarantee... so you really have
nothing to lose except that extra belly blubber that's been hanging around
way too long!

For more info on the Truth about Six Pack Abs Program, go to

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/abdominal-fat-loss-program-questions.html

Until next issue of Lean-Body Fitness Secrets...

Stay Lean,

Mike Geary
Fitness/Lifestyle Coach
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)
Founder - http://TruthAboutAbs.com & http://BusyManFitness.com