Choose cardio that is easy on the joints (low impact) and easy on the muscles in subsequent days (won't make you sore). Rowing, cycling, swimming, elliptical trainers, or even lightweight barbell or kettlebell complexes could all be used.
Cardio can be used to enhance fat loss in small doses, however it can potentially interfere with muscle rentention and accelerate muscle loss when done too much or too intensely.
Running is the winner for most calories burned per hour. Stationary bicycling, jogging, and swimming are excellent options as well. HIIT exercises are also great for burning calories. After a HIIT workout, your body will continue to burn calories for up to 24 hours.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , you should get at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 to 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise each week to see substantial changes.
Assuming you're cutting calories and lifting weights three to four days per week (three is the minimum amount that most trainers say you need to see progress), you only need about three cardio days per week to see your abs.
Opinions differ on this but many experts agree that if your goal is weight loss the best strategy is some combination of weight training and cardio. Particularly if you want a lean, cut look your focus should be on increasing cardio and decreasing calories. If you weight train, opt for a 25/75 combination with cardio.
To lose fat and gain or maintain muscle mass, do moderate- to high-intensity cardio for at least 150 minutes per week. Example of cardio exercises include: cycling. running.
If you're a beginner or have physical limitations, low-intensity cardio can also help you burn calories and drop pounds. These workouts include jogging, bicycling, power walking, swimming, and aerobics. Start slow and gradually up the intensity as you adjust to your new routine.
Use HIIT rather than steady state cardio
If you're trying to burn through body fat in a cutting program, you'll generally have 4-8 weeks to get rid of as much fat as possible. A HIIT program in your week of lifting can really help cut down fat in as fast a time as possible.
Yes, cardio can burn muscle but only if you're not doing enough weight training or supplementing your workouts with a nutritious diet. Cardio doesn't automatically burn your muscle. But it can burn muscle if you (1) do it too much, (2) do it before your weight training session, or (3) do 'high impact' cardio.
The majority of fitness experts will advise you to do the cardio after the weight training, because if you do cardio first, it uses up much of the energy source for your anaerobic work (strength training) and fatigues the muscles before their most strenuous activity.
High-intensity cardio is effective for fat-loss because you burn more calories per minute while doing it– when compared to low-intensity cardio, as well as during the time it takes your body to recover from the strenuous workout.
Cardio, or aerobic exercise, can promote fat burning and fat loss to help slim down your face.
So in order to get flat abs and burn belly fat, here are five exercises, that according to Kayla Itsines, are some of the most difficult ones to do: Straight-Leg Jackknife - 15 reps. Bent-Leg Sit-Up - 15 reps. Toe Tap - 15 reps.
You first must burn off the body fat through proper cardio to properly define the area. Abdominal training by itself will not do much. Cardio needs to be intense enough to do the trick.
Mostly, losing weight is an internal process. You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT workouts, which involve repeated bouts of very vigorous exercise and recovery periods, are far and away the best way to burn fat. Research indicates that HIIT workouts burn as many calories as a moderate-intensity, steady-state workout in one-third to one-half the time.
Cardio exercises performed at a moderate intensity for longer periods of time can help you slim down without bulking up. Choose an activity you enjoy, such as walking, jogging, swimming or using an elliptical.
It's no secret most weightlifters don't like cardio. Most avoid it because it's uncomfortable. Others are worried it'll interfere with their ability to gain strength and muscle. And others just find it boring and pointless.
Cardio after training is beneficial because it cools you down and helps you loosen up after the intense session. You can do it for 10-30 minutes, depending on your fitness goals. If you're trying to lose weight, then you'll want to burn extra calories so lean towards 20-30 minutes of cardio after weight lifting.
Bodybuilders do cardio ranging from supersetting their exercises within their workout to 30-minute power walks post workout. Overall, bodybuilders stay away from cardio that is high-intensity, which would take away from their weight training efforts.
Longer, slower exercise helps build endurance in both your heart and your muscles. Like HIIT, steady-state cardio makes your heart more efficient, getting oxygen to the muscles more quickly.
The Bottom Line
A cardio workout burns more calories than a weight-training workout. However, your metabolism may stay elevated for longer after weights than cardio, and weight lifting is better for building muscle. Thus, the ideal exercise program for improving body composition and health includes cardio and weights.
Cardio has been shown to specifically reduce visceral fat, meaning belly fat. While it's clear weight training burns fat better than cardio, cardio training may target the waistline more specifically than lifting weights. That's a huge benefit, as many people are actively seeking to cut inches around the midsection.