Lately, I’ve seen this picture floating around on facebook a lot:
"Which one weighs what? You have the option of 120 lbs. and 140 lbs.
I’m actually very happy that this is floating around, because it demonstrates what today’s blog is about, and something that is unbelievably important:
When most people talk about dieting and getting in shape, they only think about “losing weight.” Well, what weight do you want to lose? Most people only concern themselves with the number on the scale, and do obsessive amounts of cardio to “attain” their “goal.” Without any focus on weight training, the body will catabolize (read: eat) muscle for energy rather than your fat stores, and while you will “lose weight,” you won’t look any more lean until you’re on the verge of looking emaciated from lack of muscle. The high cardio approach only works for those who are excessively overweight, and only initially. You need a balance of cardio and weight training, and they need to be done at optimal times.
We need to “Lose Fat,” rather than “Lose Weight.”
When are those optimal times?
Glycogen has everything to do with fat burning. You want to weight train when you’re not hungry, and when your glycogen stores are stocked– This will ensure a quality workout and will keep your muscle from being catabolized. That’s simple enough– Just eat a short while before going to the gym. . . Now, when you’re doing Cardio, there are only two times you should really do it if you’re looking for it to be effective: Immediately upon waking up, and immediately after weight training (Though, with this second option, you shouldn’t do more than 15 minutes). Why is that? At these points, your Glycogen stores are depleted and your body is chemically correct to separate the fat and burn it for energy. If you do Cardio at other points throughout the day, you’re burning off food that you ate throughout the day, which will prevent it from being converted to fat, but it won’t burn the existing fat on your body. A word on post workout Cardio: If you’re going to do cardio and weight training together, be sure you do the cardio after– This will cause your body to burn fat for fuel since weight training depleted your Glycogen stores. If you do the cardio first, you’re going to burn muscle for fuel as your Glycogen stores were already depleted from the cardio, and you’re body can’t readily switch to fat for a fuel source during anaerobic activity (read: Weight Training).
Remember, muscle weighs more than fat (Something the picture above is pointing out), and there’s no such thing as “toning;” If you want to look lean, you need to build muscle, then preserve muscle, while burning fat.
So, the next time you, or anyone else says “I need to lose weight,” just ask yourself what exactly you’re trying to lose.
In the coming few posts, we’re going to do some new progress pictures, and will have a Vlog soon! Stay tuned!
*Obligatory Disclaimer: It’s worth noting, and is fairly obvious, that this is not our photo.*