Next group starts January 10th, 2021:
In most weight loss programs, there’s an emphasis on cardio.
“Cardio” is short for “cardiovascular exercise,” (what we used to call “aerobics”) and it’s true that cardio does burn stored fat for fuel.
There’s a problem with cardio for fat loss, however. See, we’re designed to be efficient
machines, and we get more efficient the more we work. That’s what training is all
about. Efficiency means using less energy to accomplish the same amount of work.
That’s a good thing, if you’re a car. It’s a terrible idea if you’re a human trying to burn more fat instead of less.
So what does burn fat effectively? Well, the surprising thing for a lot of people is that it comes down to resistance.
Resistance training is any exercise that fights an opposing force of some kind. This can include weights, bands, or even the weight of your own body. What this type of training does best is it builds muscle; and muscle, as it turns out, is more metabolically active than fat.
That means muscle burns calories just staying alive. Fat doesn’t.
Resistance training also requires an exertion of force, which does burn calories. Now, don’t get me wrong; the main source of fuel for this type of movement is glycogen, which is the stored form of the sugar molecule glucose. However, when it comes to building, repairing, and strengthening that muscle tissue after the workout, your body will need to draw on stored energy.