Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio, is a key player in the weight loss game. It helps burn calories and increase your energy expenditure, helping you achieve the desired caloric deficit. However, not all types of cardio are created equal.
When we embark on a journey to reach our health and fitness goals, we often encounter a common question: How much cardio should I do when cutting? Understanding the role of cardiovascular fitness in weight loss, and the optimal balance between diet, resistance training and cardio, is crucial for anyone looking to shed those extra pounds.
Let’s start from the basics. Weight loss is essentially a numbers game. Your body needs to burn more calories than it consumes, creating a caloric deficit. While the easiest way to achieve this is simply by eating less, combining diet with exercise can make things more manageable and enjoyable.
The energy balance equation
In the world of fitness, one simple truth remains indisputable: To lose weight, you must create an energy deficit. This means burning more calories than you consume. While you can achieve this deficit by reducing your calorie intake, it is also possible to increase your energy expenditure through cardiovascular exercise.
The Importance of Cardio Type
Not all cardio is created equal, and the type you choose can affect your muscles and strength gains. Moderate-intensity cardio essentially trains your body for endurance, which can interfere with muscle growth, strength, and power. High volumes of cardio can slow down muscle building processes and cause more harm than good for strength athletes and bodybuilders.
The effect of Cardio interference
The effect of cardio interference can be attributed to the decrease in glycogen and the molecular signaling that comes from resistance training. Also, the type of cardio can play a role. For example, cycling appears to interfere less with resistance training adaptation than incline walking.
The measurement of energy expenditure in Cardio
To gauge how many calories you burn during your cardio sessions, you can use a method called rating of perceived exertion (RPE). This involves evaluating the intensity of your exercise on a scale from 1 to 10. To track the time you spend doing cardio and knowing your body weight, you can reasonably estimate the calories you burn.
Understand the RPE Scale
The intensity of your workout can be measured using RPE. This scale ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being very light effort and 10 being maximum effort. Here’s a quick rundown of what each level feels like:
- RPE 1-2: Very light exertion. You can talk with ease.
- RPE 3-4: Light exertion. You can speak almost without difficulty.
- RPE 5: Light moderate exertion. You can speak comfortably with minor difficulty.
- RPE 6: Moderate effort. You can speak with minor difficulty.
- RPE 7: Moderately high exertion. Talking is hard.
- RPE 8: High effort. Speaking is very difficult.
- RPE 9: Very high exertion. Speaking is extremely difficult.
- RPE 10: Maximum effort. Talking is impossible.
Keep in mind that factors such as body type, height and weight can affect these values, but the RPE scale is a useful tool for estimation purposes.
Find the right balance: Cardio Intensity
When it comes to choosing your cardio workout, consider factors such as impact on joints, muscle soreness and personal preference. Low-impact exercises such as swimming, cycling, or using an elliptical trainer are recommended.
Cardio Light
Choosing low-intensity cardio (such as cycling or using an elliptical) can mitigate the interference effect. Since it does not significantly stress your body, it will not cause resistance adaptations. However, keep in mind that the calorie burn is much lower with low intensity cardio than with higher intensity, which means you have to do more to create a significant deficit.
Moderate cardio
Moderate cardio (RPE 5-7) burns more calories than light cardio, but also presents a risk of “interference.” This means that it can slow down muscle building and strength training if done excessively.
Cardio vigor
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves bursts of high-intensity cardio followed by periods of rest. It is very effective and can provide similar metabolic adaptations as low-intensity cardio in less time. However, high-intensity cardio can also carry some of the same problems as moderate-intensity cardio, such as the risk of injury and increased recovery needs.
Estimate Calorie Burn with Cardio
Let’s imagine a 200-pound individual enjoying a good meal. If this person did one hour of moderate-intensity cardio (RPE 5 to 7) every day, he could create a weekly deficit of more than 3,500 calories, equivalent to losing about one pound. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? But before you jump on the treadmill, there’s more to consider.
Create your Cardio Prescription
Given cardio’s potential interference with muscle and strength training, it should not be your primary tool for fat loss. Most of your caloric deficit should come from your diet, supplemented by a balanced mix of resistance training and cardio.
Rule of Thumb for Cardio
As a general rule, the time you spend doing cardio should not exceed half the time you spend lifting weights. This ensures that you do not jeopardize your strength and muscle mass while burning calories. Choose low-impact cardio that won’t leave you sore the next day. Limit HIIT sessions to one or two per week, each lasting no more than 30 minutes.
Cardio for Fat Loss FAQ
What Cardio Burns the Most Fat?
While the intensity of the effort can affect the calorie burn, the most effective cardio for fat loss is the one you enjoy and can stick with it over time. Remember, creating a caloric deficit through diet is more effective than trying to burn excess calories with cardio.
How should I train when cutting?
Maintain your strength training regimen when cutting, focusing on compound movements. Your training should signal your body to maintain muscle while your diet creates the caloric deficit needed for fat loss.
When should I start cutting for a competition?
To estimate your cutting timeline for a competition, subtract your target body fat percentage from your current body fat percentage, multiply by two, and add four weeks for a safety net.
Conclusions
In conclusion, mastering the art of cardiovascular fitness involves understanding how to balance diet, resistance training and cardio. By taking a careful approach to calorie consumption and expenditure, you can achieve your weight loss goals without sacrificing your muscles and gain strength.
Remember, the journey to fitness is a marathon, not a sprint. Make informed choices, listen to your body, and most importantly, enjoy the process.
Ultimately, it’s about finding the right balance to achieve our individual goals. And remember, no matter the journey, it’s all about enjoying the process. Happy training!