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From: "Dan <
[email protected]>" <
[email protected]>
Subject: CARDIO INTENSITY
This article on cardio intensity was written by bodybuilding icon Lee
Labrada. I really liked the way it was written, so I figured I would
pass it on to everyone ...
I have a love/hate affair with cardio (short for cardiovascular
exercise.) I know that it's good for me, so I make myself do it. But
quite frankly, there are some days that I just don't want to do it.
So I'm always looking for ways of making cardio more interesting.
(And no, sex doesn't count. Bummer.)
Let's face it. Cardio is typically repetitive and monotonous. That's
why I like to change it up frequently. Sometimes I'll ride my
stationary bicycle, and other times I'll run. In the summer, I swim
laps in the pool. Heck, I even strap on a pair of hockey skates from
time to time and burn out some laps around the rink! It's all part of
keeping my cardio exercise fun to do.
Now, I'll be the first to tell you that as a competitive bodybuilder,
I used to hate cardio. But being older and wiser now, I know that
cardio is a great thing. Not only to condition your heart and lungs
and improve your overall health, but it can actually improve your
performance in the gym by aiding recovery from workouts, thus
improving your muscle gains!
Cardio helps your bodybuilding in two ways. One, it improves your
lungpower so that you don't wimp out on that last set of squats. And
two, it forces fresh blood through muscle, washing out the waste
products that are built up during resistance training (lifting
weights.)
When it comes to the topic of cardio workout intensity, there are 2
ways of thinking: one that believes it should be done intensely for
short periods of time, and one that believes that cardio should be
performed at lower intensity for longer periods of time.
High-Intensity vs. Low-Intensity Cardio
Bodybuilders and those trying to shed as much body fat as possible
continue to argue over the aerobic (cardio) issue. Which intensity is
better, high intensity or low intensity?
Before moving to the pros and cons of high vs. low intensity, we have
to define the word `intensity'. For exercise physiologists, intensity
means the level of effort put forth during your aerobic session. This
effort is most easily measured by the heart rate of the exerciser.
The person who is exercising at a higher heart rate, say 65-70% of
his maximum or higher, would be deemed working at a high level of
intensity, while an individual working at a lower heart rate, roughly
60% or below, would be deemed lower intensity.
The debate can be framed simply: "Which level of intensity will help
an individual lose the maximum amount of bodyweight?" The answer
depends on your current level of fitness and percentage of body fat.
The Pro-Low Intensity Group Argues: Lower intensity burns more fat
This position has some merit. The human body burns mostly fat while
at complete rest. While you sit there and read this article, you may
not be burning up a heck of a lot of calories, but your body is
relying on fat as fuel. Surprise! At rest, the body prefers to burn
fat as fuel rather than carbohydrates or protein. The individual
engaging in low intensity aerobic work will maintain his fat burning
status. For example, walking – clearly a very low intensity form of
aerobic exercise – allows the body to burn more calories than at
rest. During low, and especially very low intensity aerobic exercise,
the body remains in a fat burning mode, preferring to burn fat for
fuel rather than rely on carbs or protein.
Labrada Bottom Line: Lower intensity aerobic work is a good way to
burn fat – to keep your body in a `fat burning mode.'
Lower intensity burns less Protein
So the body burns fat at rest, and lower intensity aerobic work helps
the body burn calories. This encourages your body to remain in a fat
burning zone, where fat remains the choice source of fuel. As the
level of aerobic intensity increases, the body begins to burn a
little bit less fat, and increasingly more carbohydrates and protein.
The pro-low intensity group argues that aerobics performed at a lower
level of intensity will coax the body to burn up extra calories while
preventing the burning of carbs and protein.
Their understanding is that lower intensity aerobics is less
catabolic (muscle wasting) than higher intensity aerobics. Their hope
is that longer aerobic sessions – up to one hour at a time – will
burn body fat exclusively without causing the body to tap into
carbohydrates - and especially protein - as fuel. The minute the body
starts delving into its supply of carbs and protein, the situation
turns from one that is beneficial (where burning fat is the goal) to
detrimental (where muscle comes into play as a source of fuel).
In other words, when the body starts to burn protein, you're no
longer benefiting from aerobic work. Some of the protein utilized
comes from hard-earned muscle and even the smallest loss of muscle
causes the metabolic rate to drop.
Labrada Bottom Line: Lower intensity aerobic work can prevent the
loss of metabolically active muscle mass for fuel.
The Pro-High Intensity Group Argues: Higher intensity burns more
Calories
This position also has merit. That's because the higher you can get
your heart rate, the more calories you'll burn. For example, an
person running for 30 minutes will increase his heart rate far more
than he would if he had walked for 30 minutes. During that 30 minute
run, the greater intensity will have burned up more total calories
than the lower intensity 30-minute walk.
Labrada Bottom Line: The higher the heart rate, the more calories you
burn.
It's The Caloires That Count
Those who follow the higher intensity school of thought often point
out that total calories burned is the key for those who hope to tip
the energy balance from positive to negative. Following the basic
premise to weight loss that the body will lose weight and body fat
when an individual expends and burns more calories than consumed
(eaten), the higher intensity method of aerobics is often used to
burn as many calories as possible.
Labrada Bottom Line: If you take in too many calories of any kind –
from carbs, protein or fat - you'll gain body fat. Period. The
opposite holds true with aerobics: the more calories you burn, the
more weight you will lose.
Which is best for you?
So both systems of aerobics sound pretty beneficial. Determining
which is best for you may depend on your level of fitness and your
level of body fat. Let me explain. While fat is the main source of
fuel at rest, individuals with varying degrees of body
fat burn
different ratios of fat, carbs and protein. People who are overweight
rely on a greater amount of sugar (carbs) for fuel at rest and during
aerobic exercise.
Relying on sugar as fuel rather than large amounts of fat poses an
important dilemma. "Sugar burners" often experience a quick plummet
in blood sugar levels during aerobic exercise which leads to a
feeling of weakness or dizziness, causing the suspension of the
exercise. For this group, very low intensity aerobic exercise of a
long duration is best solution. It can encourage or "re-program" a
sugar burner's body to begin to use more fat for fuel and less sugar
during aerobic work. Lower intensity aerobic sessions also prevent
drastic swings in blood sugar levels, allowing heavy-set individuals
to continue to exercise.
If you are carrying a lot of body fat, stick with low to very low
intensity aerobic work for longer periods of time. 50% of your
maximum heart rate for 45-50 minutes will help the body begin to burn
less sugar and more fat. That is, longer-duration aerobics at a lower
level of intensity actually helps the body adjust and burn fat as a
fuel source, rather than sugar. As you lean down, you can adjust your
aerobics to a higher intensity and shorter duration.
Lean and muscular people burn not only more total calories at rest,
but a greater percentage of those calories come from fat. For
example, a top bodybuilder with very little body fat can expect to
burn a heck of a lot more fat – and less sugar – during an aerobic
session than an overweight person. Lean people tend to rely on fat as
fuel while overweight people rely on a mix of fat and sugar. Since
lean people already burn fat, the higher intensity method of cardio
is best as it causes a greater calorie burn. Leaner folks don't have
to take into consideration "what' they are burning – fat or sugar –
because they tend to burn more fat than any other source of energy.
Pytaj gdy uslyszales za malo!!
Fakty, nie mity
'Alternatywna Droga'
Si2uiel
Biniu
KAIN
"
Anonim
Ciekaw jestem Waszej opinii n/t takiego podejscia do "aerobów".
