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I’m lucky to train a lot of very successful and focused professionals. I regularly find myself searching for analogies to help turn their business mastery into body mastery. In fact I covered 7 strategies in show #125.
In todays Thursday Training show I’d like to focus on 24/7 Fat Loss and the one analogy that may be my favourite:
Weights is like a passive income.
AND cardio is working for the man. Or lady. Generally just selling your time.
With cardio you get the result for the time you put in (at best). No more.
Actually, often less.
Weights, in contrast allows you to build the lean muscular body, that burns fat 24/7.
While you’re back at the office. Out to dinner. Even while you sleep.
Like selling your time, the amount of cardio you can do is finite.
There is the opportunity cost of what you miss out on when you’re treadmill trudging for hours… and there are also dismissing returns.
The more you do does not mean the better your results. In the same way that working more does not mean you are necessarily achieving more… in fact you may be becoming less efficient, less effective, resentful and potentially run-down & over-worked to the point where belly-fat-storing stress hormone cortisol can get outta whack & your results will be even more disheartening.
WOW, am I talking about selling your time or Cardio?! Yep. Could be either!
Who wants to do even more cardio to try & shift stubborn fat?
More cardio that makes your want to eat more… that means you end up frustratingly at status quo or even worse the dreaded and all too common fitter and fatter! I covered that in show #008.
The alternative is to simply progress your weights program as you’re able. Via variables such as:
=> Heavier weight.
=> Less rest/greater density of training in the same time.
=> Slower repetitions. Greater range of motion.
=> More challenging exercises: think less supported machines and more free weights, kettle-bells, TRX and body weight movements.
=> More challenging variations of exercise: think instability, single limb and plyometric movements.
=> More challenging combinations of exercises.
The possibilities are limitless.
Same amount of time… same amount of fuel required to refuel… and yet your body will continue to get stronger, fitter and leaner.
If I’m coming across as a cardio hater – Ok, I sort of am! – or perhaps it’s just that I love the results that come from lifting weights.
If you do enjoy cardio the fantastic news is that you can design a weights session to seem more like cardio and still enjoy the positive results… while getting that cardio buzz I’ve heard people love.
Metabolic resistance training circuits that involves big compound movements performed with whatever you want – Body Weight – Barbells/Dumbbells – Kettle-bells – TRX – the possibilities are limitless… structured so opposing muscle groups follow each other and with incomplete recovery will leave you sweating, huffing, puffing AND getting stronger, fitter and leaner.
Finishers are another great way to squeeze that extra burst of effort out of yourself at the end of a weights session… and they absolutely feel like cardio to me!
Here’s my current Go2Core finisher:
- Sumo squat with high front raise(holding a 10 kilo plate for the front raise – squat low and raise plate to almost head height as you extend out of the squat. Keep your chest proud and your spine neutral. This is an intermediate move. To really bring your core in – it looks like a lower bod and shoulders move however it’s a heap of core too – slow down that lower of the plate as you squat back down, to a count of 3,000 if you can.
- Double leg lower + reverse crunch(lying on bench with optional 2kg ball between your knees)
- Oblique v-up(that’s a regular v-up with an oblique twist to the side and ideally your hands behind your head).
=> perform each for 12 repetitions
=> followed by each for 10 reps => 8 reps => 6 reps => 4 reps => 2 reps.
To get actionable today:
- A) I’d love you to try this core finisher… just throw it in at the end of your work-out.
- B) I’m keen to hear your weights v. cardio analogies?
I’m happy to shoot a quick video of my Go2Core finisher if it’ll help you to see what I’m talking about…
That’s it for me today, big thanks to you for spending this time with me and I hope you can join me tomorrow for the FAQ show where I cover, Comparing The High-light Reel Of Someone Else’s Life With Your Reality.
If you liked this you’ll also like: Struggling to stay afloat with Reactive Cardio?…it’s time to get Proactive with Weights.