Best Type of Cardio For Fat Loss

Best Type of Cardio For Fat Loss

The goal in any fat loss exercise regimen is to choose
activities that consume large amounts of oxygen. This is because
the body burns 5 calories for every liter of oxygen that it
consumes.

Therefore, what do you think would be the best type of cardio
to do for fat loss?

Well, let's look at the typical options. Running, biking,
swimming, elliptical, rowing, walking, stair climbing/stair
master, upper body ergometer, and obviously many outdoor sports
such as cross-country skiing.

So there are many forms of cardio to choose from and they all
work. It's important to always remember that. All forms of
exercise will work in the long run given the right training
program and consistent effort.

But we're interested in not only what works but works what best
for burning fat! We want to get the best bang for our buck,
right?

Since the goal is to maximize oxygen consumption (and thus VO2)
it is essential to find activities that will recruit the
greatest amount of muscle. This is because the more muscle that
is needed to perform an activity or movement, the more oxygen
that will be needed to supply those working muscles. Make sense?

Oxygen is the precursor to all the energy your body produces.
Your working muscles need oxygen otherwise they will quickly
fatigue and will be unable to perform their functions.

It is well known that athletes in sports that require large
amounts of muscle have the highest VO2 max (maximum aerobic
capacity) because their sports demand a massive supply of oxygen
to their working muscles. As such, the highest VO2 max on record
exist not in runners (as many would think) but rather
cross-country skiers and rowers.

Think about that for a second. Both cross-country skiing and
rowing involve just about muscle in the body working against
resistance. Both the upper body and lower body muscles are
pushing and pulling a given resistance which makes these sports
not only great aerobic training tools but also fantastic fat
burning cardio machines.

If you've ever watched Olympic rowing you will have undoubtedly
noticed towering men and women stacked with large and lean
muscles. Most of the male rowers are upwards of 6'4'' and 220
lbs of shear muscle, making them calorie-burning machines.

These male and female rowers can get away with their large
frames because rowing is not a true weight-bearing sport. In
fact, this terrific sport idealizes large muscular athletes
because they can produce a lot of power, both aerobically and
muscularly, through their large muscle mass.

However, If you took these same rowers and asked them to run at
the same intensities at which they row, they would most likely
have a difficult time – not only because of the specific nature
of running but also because they would be "carrying" a lot of
mass.

How many 6'4", 220 lbs runners do you know of? Most runners are
slim and slight. It simply makes their movement much easier.
Less weight to carry means less effort. If you have a tough time
envisioning this, then I encourage you to go for a run with a 20
lbs pack on your torso. You will immediately notice the
difference.

Similarly, most cross-skiers don't exhibit the same physical
stature as rowers. However, their aerobic capacity is
astronomical. Yet, they are more similar to runners in physical
stature as cross-country skiing is a weight-bearing sport and
thus does not reward athletes with lots of weight, even if it's
muscle.

Energy Expenditure (Calorie Burn) in Various Activities

Activity (per 1 hour)
130 lbs155 lbs190 lbs

Cycling, 10-12 mph
354
422
518

Cycling, 12-14 mph
472
563
690

Running, 5 mph
472
563
690

Running, 7 mph
679
809
992

X-Country Skiing, > 8mph
826
985
1208

Walking, 3 mph

207
246
302

Rowing, vigorous effort
561
669
819

As you can see from the above chart, running burns more
calories than other activities, at the same intensity. It is
therefore the most effective type of cardio for burning fat and
helping you lose weight.

There are two main reasons for this.

First, running is weight bearing which means that the muscles
of your lower body must work harder to support you and propel
you forward; thus, expending more calories. Therefore, the
heavier you are, the more calories you will burn (assuming equal
intensity as someone who is lighter).

Second, running is one of the least efficient of human
movements, which means that it produces a lot of heat/energy
expenditure for its movement. This also means that a lot of
calories are being spent. This is great for those who want to
lose weight but not so great for those looking for efficient
modes of movement.

But it makes sense if you think about it. Cycling is easier
than running, right? That's because cycling is one of the most
mechanically efficient human movements, meaning that more of the
energy you put into the movement actually results in movement
(and not as much heat production as running!)

But we're interested in what burns calories and fat, right?
Therefore, running is your best option. Find me an overweight
runner and I'll be amazed.

About The Author: Fat Loss Expert, Yuri Elkaim helps millions
of busy health conscious individuals lose fat while bettering
their running performance with just 2 interval training runs per
week. Watch his new You Tube Video for a complete guided
interval training workout! Visit
http://www.mytreadmilltrainer.com today!

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