March 2015 Newsletter: Exercise, Science, and the Cardio Myth

“I Don’t Get it. I Work Out Every Day with My Trainer and Can’t Lose Weight.”

Is this you? It is many of my clients. And, I hear this statement more often than you’d think. What’s going on? In January I introduced you to the book Body by Science. This month you’ll learn more of the details. I have a series of four articles to share with you which capture the major themes from the book. The first two appear in this newsletter. The four articles are: 

1.      Introduction to Body by Science

2.      The Cardio Myth

3.      Fat Metabolism

4.      Genetic Expression

So, without further ado, let’s get to Body by Science.

Getting Started With Body by Science

“I don’t understand. I work out every day and I’m still gaining weight.” Believe it or not I hear this question quite frequently. On the surface it seems to be quite the paradox. All the conventional wisdom tells us to lose weight all we need to do is watch what we eat (meaning to eat less) and exercise more. Follow this simple formula: use more calories than you take in. 

In the past I’ve explained part of this myth - how all calories are not created equal. Based on what the calorie is from (protein, fat, or carbohydrate) it will have a different effect in your body. If you need a refresher you can find that article on my blog at http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=99. 

Now let’s explore the other half of the equation: exercise more. This of course leads to a series of questions. What type of exercise is best? How many times a week should I exercise? How long should I exercise? 

For the rest of the article click here: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=509

The Cardio Myth

In the introductory article I summarized his key points. In this article I will address one of those key points. His recommended method of exercise is what he terms high intensity training (or HIT). It benefits both the aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways. Most “cardio” only works the aerobic pathway. 

High intensity training is in many ways the complete opposite of what is now known as “cardio.” HIT is designed to be short and sweet. The techniques work the major muscle groups to exhaustion and then you must stop, rest, and then begin the next exercise. Cardio is designed to be lower intensity so that you can perform the exercise without stopping, usually anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

For the rest of the article click here: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=511