The Fat-Burning Ladder
Cardio is at the bottom of the fat-burning ladder… but it’s still on the ladder.
Nutrition is at the top. Dietary power rules the fat-burning scene.
A close second is weight training. A solid session of weight training will stimulate muscle and burn far more calories after the fact than cardio.
Then comes cardio. It’s important if you want to get that last 10 to 20 pounds off – but you have to do it right. No marathon sessions on the treadmill.
Do your cardio the way I do it: Train very quickly. Accelerate your heart rate during your weight training sessions. Short stops (20-30 seconds) will not take you out of the fat-burning zone if you breathe. Breathe heavy. Remember, it’s all about oxygen when it comes to fat burning.
Training like this for 7-14 minutes, followed by a hard interval-type cardio workout of only 9 minutes, works like you would not believe. I’m 220 solid pounds and have less than 10 percent bodyfat. That should tell you something.
Other than walking just about every day, I simply do not depend on traditional cardio for fat loss.
Attack all three rungs of the fat-burning ladder together, and you’ll get the body you deserve.
[Ed. Note: If you want to build more muscle in less time while you burn body fat, pick up nutrition and fitness counselor Jon Benson’s book, 7 Minute Muscle. It’s a complete system for dropping fat and building muscle that’s guaranteed to work for you. Try it for 60 days and prove it to yourself.]