In the article ‘How Often Should I Train?’, I briefly touched on the fact that cardio is not an efficient way to burn fat and/or lose weight. At the time I said I would come back and revisit this in more detail as I realise there are probably people out there who are screaming at the screen telling me I’m wrong.

So, am I wrong? Have I completely lost the plot? Have I sabotaged myself and the countless other trainers out there by making us redundant? Let’s take a look and try to answer the question, ‘how do I burn fat?’

Cardio For Fat Loss – Effective Or Not?

Cardio For Fat Loss

In making the claim that cardio is an inefficient way of burning fat I need to back this up with some science. This may help to stop the yelling at the screen. Yes, I heard you!

First up let’s look at someone going for a 30-minute run. Depending on the person’s fitness levels, weight and speed they could burn anywhere between 250 and around 500 calories.

Now that may seem like a good return on 30 minutes of exercise. However, consider the chocolate bar they had with their lunch at work. A quick Google will show that an average bar weighs in at around 275 calories. Suddenly that run looks less impressive. Especially when you get home and later that evening treat yourself to 200 calories worth of a relaxing wine.

The above example shows that the most efficient way to lose fat is to cut out those extra calories. Eating a balanced diet and calorie counting is a much more efficient way to lose weight and burn that fat. Creating a net calorie loss each day will add up and drop the pounds from the scale.

So, do I have to train or can I just eat less and more healthily?
Eating Healthy

Well in theory, if your goal is purely losing weight then yes you can just watch what you eat. This will then create that net loss of calories and the weight will drop. However, the above example does still show that training will cut those calories further and aid with fat loss, as well as contributing to an overall healthier lifestyle. I’m also going to throw some proper science in here to back this further…

Body fat is made up of three elements. These elements are Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. This is vital in understanding what happens to fat when you lose weight or get ripped.

It may sound strange, but when our body uses fat as an energy source, it gets broken down in chemical reactions. It is then ‘ejected’ from our bodies in 2 ways. The chemical reactions that take place when our fat reserves are used as an energy source produce two biproducts. These are carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O).

So Where Does The CO2 And H2O Go?

When we breathe, the carbon dioxide is exhaled. Which essentially means that the more we breathe, the more fat we expel from our bodies. Yet more evidence as to why exercising is still a vital component in losing weight, despite not being the primary component. The more you pant hard when exerting yourself, the more your body is breaking down fats in your body and expelling them as CO2.

The same can be said for H2O. Running makes us sweat, the more we sweat, the more water we excrete through our pores and the more weight we lose. And yes for those of you thinking about it, it also comes out in our urine! Another reason why drinking water is great for weight loss!

There Is One More Thing…

Now that about wraps up the discussion, but there is one more thing I would like to quickly touch on.

When the body requires fuel, it’s first port of call is sugar. Sugars are easier for the body to break down and are a great short-term source of energy. Sugars don’t produce as much energy when broken down as fats, but your body will use these as its primary source of energy as they are so easy to utilise.

With that in mind, avoid the processed carbohydrates as best you can. Remember that chocolate bar, or that glass of wine? Save them as a treat for every now and then, not as a regular part of your diet as this will impact the weight loss and cutting that fat.

As always guys, for more info be sure to check out our ToughsHIIT workouts on the Workout page. You can also visit us on YouTube to see the full range of workouts, training ideas, tips and advice.

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