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What's the best kind of cardio?

How to really burn fat and improve your heart's health without wasting a bunch of time?

Yes, it's true, you can indeed free yourself from the endless drudgery of trudging along on the treadmill, or pedaling away on a bile that goes nowhere. In fact, some studies suggest you should, if you want to burn fat and live a longer life.

As with all of these StrongerLeanerBetter articles, the opinions included are my own, based on 10+ years as a trainer, and 8+ years as a very busy sports chiropractor. After working with thousands of people, I've noticed a few things. You may not like what I have to say, but I'm just basing my opinions on experience.

I hate to say it, but long duration cardiovascular training is not the best way to burn fat or improve your heart's health. Obviously, if your sport involves long distance endurance racing — like marathons or triathlons — you have to put in the mileage to prepare for a race. But for the rest of us, there might be a better way to improve your metabolism, improve your heart's health, and of course, burn off excess body fat.

Why do I think long-duration cardio training is not the best way to burn fat?

To answer that, we have to talk about your body's energy systems. It can get a little technical and possibly boring, so I'll be brief.

Your body burns a mixture of fats and sugars (carbs) to produce the energy that powers your muscles (and organs). That mixture changes throughout the duration of an activity:

  • 0 - 30 seconds of a relatively intense activity: Your body uses mostly anaerobic (without oxygen) chemical reactions to create energy. Carbs and phosphates (don't worry about phosphates) are the fuel.
  • 30 seconds to 3 minutes — Your body uses a mix of anaerobic and aerobic (with oxygen) chemical reactions to power you. You burn mostly sugars and start transitioning to fats as the fuel source.
  • 3 minutes and beyond: Your body uses mostly aerobic chemical reactions that do require oxygen. — You use more fats are used for fuel, but you burn some carbs, too.

I know this may be a bit confusing, but stay with me for a minute. You may have noticed that the shorter duration activities don't burn oxygen, and they use carbs for fuel. You may also have noticed that the longer duration activities DO burn oxygen, and use more fat for fuel. This where the problem starts.

What we have here is a failure to interpret.

Most people think that long-duration, low intensity cardiovascular exercise is the key to burning fat. Heck, I just told you that aerobic exercise requires fat for fuel. But that's not the whole story.

You see, most of the benefits of exercise happen when your body is recovering from that exercise. While you may use fats for fuel when exercising aerobically, you don't really burn enough fat to make a dent in your fat stores, unless you really start training for longer times. Long-duration aerobic exercise can create its own set of problems, but I'll talk about that in a future article.

Studies show that shorter duration, higher intensity, mostly anaerobic (but also aerobic) training leads to a dramatic increase in post-exercise oxygen consumption and higher metabolic usage of fat. In other words, when you use anaerobic interval training correctly, you spend the next 12 to 48 hours using more oxygen and burning more fat.

It's not just about fat, it's about your heart, too.

In addition to the fat-burning benefits of anaerobic interval training, more and more studies are showing that this type of training can help keep your heat healthy. The unique combination of both anaerobic and shorter duration aerobic activity is, in my opinion, a sound strategy for maintaining cardiovascular health.

What's important to understand is after about 4 minutes of challenging activity, you are into the long-duration aerobic energy systems and you're staying there.

Long-duration cardio tends to tax the aerobic system, which adapts pretty easily. This type of training drains your energy reserves and your hormonal reserves. It also and wears out your muscles your body. I've seen hundreds of hundreds (probably over a thousand) of distance athletes suffer the effects of this.

Unless you are serious long-distance racer, training your anaerobic system is the better way to get your cardio training. I've experienced this with countless clients. Remember, research shows that recovery from this style of training uses more oxygen and burns more fat for 12 to 48 hours after exercise.

So what's the best way to use this?

I've found Timed Interval Kettlebell Training (TIKT) is the best way for most people to apply this type of cardiovascular training. Sprinting is good, too, but I think the kettlebell is even better.

Why? Because the design of the kettlebell lets you perform a circuit of exercises to challenge all of your energy systems using most of your muscles. This allows you to get stronger and integrate your muscles more effectively.

Here are two of my favorite workouts for taking advantage of TIKT cardio. The key to these kinds of workouts is the relatively short duration to prevent over-training. The idea is to challenge your body to improve without over-taxing your reserves.

Make sure you don't uses these workouts more that twice a week, as they are rather intense. Remember, a smart exercise program balances training and recovery. If you don't have a kettlebell, you can substitute a light dumbbell and a medicine ball.

Workout A

This workout is a little bit easier than the next, and requires just one kettlebell of moderate weight. It's structured with 4-5 minutes of work followed by 2-5 minutes of rest, depending on your conditioning level. Once you get into the 5th minute, you are into your aerobic energy systems. The shorter rest periods allow you to cycle through your anaerobic systems again, but keep the aerobic systems simultaneously involved the whole time. The total duration of this workout shouldn't exceed 35 minutes.

Around the Body Pass Clockwise :30 / Clockwise :30
Hindu pushup (bodyweight) :60 seconds
Figure 8's :60
Semi-stiff-leg deadlift :60
Swings :60

Rest 2-5 minutes

Windmill Left :60
Back Lunge :60
Windmill Right :60
Front Squat :60

Rest 2-5 minutes

Swings :60
Turkish Sit Up L :60
Swings :60
Turkish Sit Up R :60

Rest 2-5 minutes

Snatch Left :30 / Right :30
Front Squat L:30 / R:30
Clean and Press Left :30 / Right :30
Hindu pushup- :60 seconds

Depending on the client, I will sometimes modify the intervals. For instance, someone who is out of shape may start with 30 seconds of work followed by 60 seconds of rest for each exercise. Later, I would progress this person to 60 seconds of work with 60 seconds of rest. Then we'd move up to 2 minutes of work followed by 60 seconds of rest. Finally, I'd progress this client to 4 minutes of work and 2 minutes of rest.

If you don't have a kettlebell, I very strongly suggest you go to www.dragondoor.com and order one. If you're a woman, an 18-pounder is a good starter. For guys, try a 36 to start.

This next workout assumes you have 2 kettlebells of the same size available. The intervals are set up as 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest. Since the weights are heavier, this workout is rather challenging to the anaerobic energy systems.

Workout B

Double Cleans :30 / Rest :30
Front Squat :30/ Rest :30
Alt Snatch :30 / Rest :30
See-Saw Press :30 / Rest :30
Front Squat :30/ Rest :30
Body weight Back Lunges :60
Hindu Pushups :60

Rest 2-5 minutes and repeat this sequence 2-5 times. Rest 2-5 minutes between each sequence.

Want workouts like this designed just for you? Our Personal Programs include brand new workouts sent to your email inbox every week.

I'm not trying to write a scientific dissertation here, but if you want more info, here are a few selected references:

  • Textbook: Essentials Of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2nd Edition.
  • The Doctor's Heart Cure, Al Sears, MD.
  • Metabolism Volume 43, Issue 7 , July 1994, Pages 814-818.
  • European Journal of Applied Physiology, 81, 418-427.
  • European Journal of Applied Physiology, 86(5):411-7
  • International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2000 Mar;10(1):71-81.
  • Atherosclerosis 1995 Dec; 118 (2): 297-305
  • Circulation: 2000 Aug 29; 102(9):975-980
  • American Journal of Cardiology. 2001 Oct 15; 88(8) 920-923

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