The BEST Way to Use Cardio to Lose Fat (Based on Science)
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Published 2023-10-01
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ALBERTO NUNEZ:
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LEE LEM:
youtube.com/@l_eel_em
DR. ERIC HELMS:
www.instagram.com/helms3dmj/
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Do you need cardio for weight loss? Cardio isn’t nearly as effective as most people think when it comes to losing weight and fat because of the constrained energy model. Most research has shown that people who start doing cardio without any changes to their diet tend to lose 20-50% of what they’d expect from the calories they’ve burned.
What about doing more cardio to lose weight? Without changing your diet, you’ve probably got to do a whole lot of cardio for it to have a meaningful effect on fat loss. Which isn’t a very efficient or realistic approach for most people.
The takeaway is that should think of cardio as a supplemental tool that you can stack on top of your diet to speed things up.
But how much cardio, exactly, should you “stack on top”? I sought the opinions of Alberto Nunez, an extremely knowledgeable coach and lifetime drug-free pro bodybuilder who’s known for getting into insane levels of leanness, and Lee Lem, a natural bodybuilder just a few weeks out from his show. Surprisingly, both said that by using either a longer or more aggressive diet, they didn't really need cardio to lose weight or get into crazy shape.
But including cardio had its benefits. Alberto and Lee say maintaining a high daily step count helped them burn more calories and make sure they don’t get lazier as they get leaner.
But now I wanted to find out, on top of daily steps, how much actual “cardio” is required to get really lean? Here's Alberto's take: "Usually the smaller the athlete, the more cardio we will have to do. It helps so they can eat a little bit more, which is obviously gonna help with the mental component to some extent.” But he also emphasized it’s lifestyle-dependent: "I've had people do nothing. Nothing. And usually, this has to do with the occupation that if they don't move, they just get fired. So servers, personal trainers, labor-intensive jobs, things like that."
But for most of his clients, "7,000 steps on average as our baseline you have that set. I'd say most people, per week, are going to require 4 to 5 days of cardio to lose weight, ranging anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes.” This seemed to line up with Lee’s protocol as well. On top of 10,000 steps a day and lifting weights 4 times a week, he’s also doing 5x 30 minutes of cardio to lose weight.
But remember, this isn't just to get “six-pack abs lean”. We’re talking shredded. And they don’t do this much cardio right away. Whenever fat loss has stalled, and they’re not making progress, that’s typically when they decide whether or not they should add more cardio.
Now as for how much cardio per week YOU should aim for? What I’d recommend is start with Alberto’s recommendation of walking 7,000 steps a day as a baseline. Once you’re consistent with that, try adding in 2 to 3 20-minute cardio workouts per week. And although Lee and Alberto recommend cycling or the elliptical, you have plenty of other options when it comes to the type of cardio to lose weight. The key is to choose things you actually enjoy and can recover well from.
Now, from here, once your body adapts and you reach a stall in your progress using your current routine, you can choose to either eat a little bit less or add a little bit more cardio or steps to continue losing fat. You basically repeat this process for as long as it takes for you to reach your desired level of body fat.
But the last thing you want to do is start doing a bunch of cardio to lose weight during your diet and then stop cold turkey as soon as it’s over. Dr. Eric Helms says keeping some level of activity (7,000 to 9,000 steps per day and strength training 2-3x weekly) seems to prevent fat regain. This is why for long-term success, when choosing the type of cardio to lose weight, it’s so important to choose activities you can actually stick to.
All Comments (21)
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Hope you guys enjoyed this one! See below for links to all the studies referenced in the video 👇! CONSTRAINED ENERGY MODEL www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4803033/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34519717/ EFFECT ON CARDIO INTENSITY ON FAT LOSS www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8619923/ HIGH AMOUNTS OF CARDIO LEAD TO FAT LOSS pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10896648/ MOST EFFECTIVE FAT LOSS METHODS www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831… BENEFITS OF CARDIO AFTER A DIET pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31095083/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35247352/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33105387/
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Start: Diet: Calorie deficit 4 days weight training 7 days 7.000 steps (walking) 3 days cardio sessions of 20 minutes with low fatigue (minimal impact / perpetual concentric motions like elliptical or bike) Evolution to: Diet: Calorie deficit 4 days weight training 7 days 10.000 steps (walking) 5 days cardio sessions of 30 minutes with low fatigue (minimal impact / perpetual concentric motions like elliptical or bike) Be consistent and disciplined, do not push too hard or too fast.
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If you're looking for a simple and effective way to improve your well-being, Puravive is it. I've never felt better! https://youtu.be/NkWGe-QKVhI To anyone who wants to lose weight as well: - Drink water before meals, consuming a glass of water before meals can help you feel fuller, which may lead to consuming fewer calories during the meal. - Replace sugary drinks with water, swap out sugary sodas, juices, and energy drinks with water. Not only will this reduce your calorie intake, but it will also eliminate empty calories and added sugars from your diet. - Stay hydrated, sometimes feelings of hunger can actually be masked thirst. Aim to drink water consistently throughout the day to stay hydrated and avoid mistaking thirst for hunger. See you guys when you reached your weight loss goals and feel amazing!
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I only have 2 hrs a day in the gym ,I do 20-30 minutes treadmill 2-3 times a week in a 6 day training week , not sure if that’s enough but it’s all I can do
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As a teacher, 10k steps a day minimum is normal for me which is pretty encouraging. I've started intermittent fasting + working out and I've dropped in 30 days from 116kilos to 103. Pretty incredible. Super proud of myself, I've always had a hard time losing weight but mentality is key. Hunger is easily suppressed by chugging a lot of water. Keep it up all of you who are trying to improve health, body and mind!
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I love the fact that you backed everything with science but you explain it in a way that is not hard to understand. Thanks a lot for doing this🎉🎉
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This is true guys. I followed this a routine and lost 97% of my body weight! Now I just float around at 8lbs and it feels amazing tbh.
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I did 25 mins 300 cal loss cardio plus weight training as a beginner. In a month with moderate food control and good amount of protien I felt a change. Lost 3 kilos. Result comes with descipline.
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I dropped 100 lbs running 3 miles a day and lifting. At first it took an hour to run. I made 6 week full body schedules that had one main area of focus (arms, abs, legs) and would pick which schedule based on the results from the 6 weeks before. I can’t lift without cardio and vice versa. Lifting burned the fat and cardio controlled my appetite. My problem was not changing my diet also and eventually my body felt horrible because it felt like I just couldn’t recover. Can’t wait to be in control of my diet.
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I agree with the lack of energy after a cardio session. I used to do cardio right after lifting, but have found it more beneficial for me if I broke it into two sections especially since I choose to run for cardio. Best time for me is right before bed. I feel fatigue enough that I want to sleep, I don’t have to worry about over eating bc I already ate by that point, and the hunger doesn’t keep me awake at night. When I wake up I have my breakfast and water and never find myself over eating.
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This video is clearly aimed at bodybuilding rather than general health. Consistent moderate cardio is extremely important for health and longevity. People that do consistent cardio have a drastically lower lifetime risk of many cancers, dementia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. I wish you had addressed some of that in addition to just getting lean to hit a target body fat %.
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after two decades of being mostly overweight and accdicted to food (not as any kind of coping mechanism, just for the sheer hedonistic pleasure) and burts of "diets" to get a few pounds off (just to regain them and then some immediately after) I switched strategy. I swore I would never diet again, but became someone else, who lives differently with a different relationship to food and exercise. I started off very small with resistance training 1x a week and over months and months I ramped things up, increased training frequency, added cardio, adapted my food intake and tried to balance it all out. Now I just feel like this is the way I live, rather than "being on a diet". I used to DREAD going to the gym, now I am kinda looking forward to it, embracing the burns and sweats. People hardly recognize me anymore, I have not been in this state of fitness since I was 16.
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0:00: 💪 Cardio is not as effective for fat loss as most people think, according to research. 0:48: Cardio burns calories, but the body may compensate by reducing energy expenditure throughout the day. 3:14: 🏃 Cardio alone is not very effective for fat loss, but combining it with other methods can be more effective. 3:46: A recent meta-analysis ranked combinations of cardio with other methods as the most effective fat loss protocols. 5:56: 💪 Cardio and daily step count are important for achieving a lean physique and maintaining progress during dieting. 6:03: Daily step count was emphasized as part of their overall cardio plan. 6:37: Maintaining movement through steps helps prevent lethargy and supports diet and exercise modifications. 9:03: 📚 The video discusses the use of cardio for fat loss and the importance of considering the least invasive option. 9:38: Choosing cardio exercises with minimal impact, such as elliptical or bike, can help reduce fatigue. 11:57: 💪 Maintaining cardio after a weight loss phase can prevent weight regain. 12:09: Stopping cardio abruptly after a diet is a common mistake that can lead to weight regain. 12:34: Keeping a certain amount of activity going can help prevent weight regain after a weight loss phase. Recap by Tam
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Thank you so much for this video… When I did only cardio ( dance, elliptical, running, walking) with diet, I lost so much weight like 15 kilos in 2 months.. But I could never keep that up and was never really feeling strong! Gained all the weight eventually! So this time I did just doing 2 hours strength training only and diet! I was losing kilos dead slow!!!! I lost just 3 kilos( that’s mostly water weight) in one month. But I was feeling stronger and looking better but got impatient with the numbers! Gave up and started eating tons of food with no activity, not even walking!! Crazily I didn’t gained back all that weight so easily, it took days for my body to gain back! Which is very unusual for me. I felt weight bounced back dead slowly compared to the weight lost with cardio! So I was thinking of including both strength and cardio expecting faster results and to strengthen myself This video is everything I needed❤❤❤
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I’ve been doing an hour on the treadmill 6 days a week for a couple months now and I burn a little over 700 calories each time what I recommend is getting a show or YouTube video and watching as your doing cardio and time flies I actually enjoy cardio now because of it
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🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🏃 Cardio, while beneficial for heart health, isn't as effective for fat loss as commonly believed. The body might compensate for burned calories by reducing movement or increasing food intake, diminishing the impact of cardio on fat loss. 02:58 🔄 High-intensity and moderate-intensity cardio show no significant difference in fat loss compared to no exercise at all, as per a study comparing various cardio types. 03:26 🏃♂️ Performing very high amounts of cardio (e.g., 700 calories daily) can lead to significant fat loss without changing the diet, but it's an impractical approach for most individuals. 04:10 🍔 Combining exercise with a proper diet is more effective for fat loss than relying solely on cardio, as reducing calorie intake is easier than burning off the same amount through exercise. 05:58 🚶 Professional bodybuilders prioritize diet and minimal cardio for fat loss, with emphasis on daily step counts to complement their routines. 08:28 🕒 Recommendations for effective fat loss through cardio typically involve 4-5 days of cardio a week, ranging from 30 to 45 minutes, in addition to maintaining a higher step count. 10:17 🏋️♂️ Resistance training combined with diet is highly effective for fat loss, as it helps preserve muscle mass and promotes fat utilization for energy, outperforming diet combined solely with cardio. 11:02 🏊♂️ Starting with moderate cardio (2-3 sessions per week for 20 minutes) along with walking 7,000 steps daily and weight training is recommended for initiating fat loss. 12:09 🛑 Maintaining some level of activity post-weight loss prevents weight regain, supporting long-term weight management, even if not at the same intensity as during the weight loss phase. 13:44 🔄 Consistent cardio is vital not only during diets but also for overall health. Choosing enjoyable activities for regular movement is key for sustaining a healthy lifestyle beyond fat
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I just want to add my journey to weight loss. During Jan 15th 2023 I would weigh 103.6kg, my height is 165cm, but after doing cardio and healthy diet of 1600kcal to 1850kcal I now weigh healthy 60kg from Nov 3rd 2023. I lost my weight simply by walking. Started small like 3km 2 days a week and 5km 1 day a week total 11km per week. Now I do 13km 2 days a week and 20km 1 day a week which totals 46km per week. I gradually increased the walking distance because I would notice at certain point my weight won't go down so I would increase the distance slowly. After losing weight I have started doing resistance workout with my resistance band to build some muscles which is slowly coming along :) I do resistance workout 3 days a week for about 1 and half to 2 hours. So now I do 3 days cardio and 3 days resistance workout. Plus I've increased my calorie intake as well now to maintain the weight at 60kg. Hopefully by few more months I will have some really good defined muscles. K Out!
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I personally went from 260lbs to now 178 and training for a marathon in 2 years. I definitely became calorie conscious and try to keep around 2000 a day. On top of that I do 20 minutes of cardio Monday - Friday before work. For the entire first year I only did incline walks and stair master on Fridays. I don’t run daily now. (And I have recently added core workouts as well as some weight training) but cardio definitely makes a difference even in how I feel the rest of the day.
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i love how rich in information all your videos are, while also motivating, love them
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This make sense for me personally. I started working out in the last couple of months, really taking it seriously. However, I was so exhausted everyday, to the point that i couldnt even do fun things. I worked out 3-4 times a week, strenght training and 1 day of cardio. I recently got a smart watch to count my steps and found out that on average i would be in the 13-17k steps a day. Four days a week, i was doing way more than i thought. I didnt do a cardio day this week and just concetrated in lifting and eating alright. I feel so much better cuz i didnt burn myself out.
