Cardio exercise is such a strange thing.  In theory, it should work so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has tried it knows, the practicality of it just doesn't add up.

After all, some men and women do cardio 6 hours, 9 hours, or more per week, and still have belly fat to burn. On the other hand, it works just fine for others.

British researchers wanted to get more insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren't previously exercising.

(Reference: International Journal of Obesity 32: 177-184, 2008).

Subjects exercised 5 times per week for 12 weeks.  That's a lot of exercise, but it helped the subjects lose an average of 8.2 pounds, which is great - I was positively surprised by the results.

So cardio will work for some people, however, in my experience, it works best in young men, who need the help the least!

Back to the study, the variance in fat loss between individuals was huge. Check this out...

The best subject lost a staggering 32.3 pounds in 12 weeks, while the worst subject actually GAINED 3.74 pounds.

The scientists think they know where things went sour.  They classified the subjects into 2 groups, called the "Compensators"
and the "Non-compensators".

The Compensators were hungrier, and as a result consumed an extra 268 calories per day, all but wiping out their cardio efforts.

Therefore, the Compensators lost the least amount of weight, and scientists believe that was due to the huge "compensatory" increase in appetite experienced by this group.

Does your appetite increase when you do slow cardio?  If it does, research shows it will ruin your cardio efforts.

So if your cardio program is not working for you, check your appetite and calorie intake to see if you are "compensating" for your efforts. If you are, you might be better off using a program of high-intensity resistance and interval training (i.e. Turbulence Training) for your weight loss efforts.

As Australian Professor Steve Boucher has shown in research, interval training increases hormones called catecholamines.  And increased catecholamines can reduce appetite, among other fat-burning benefits.

In the real world, few people lose 33 pounds after 12 weeks of cardio. Heck, few even achieve an average weight loss of 8 pounds with aerobic exercise.

So again, check your appetite, and consider giving high-intensity exercise a go for your next workout program.

Beat the curse of cardio with high-intensity Turbulence Training.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Learn about the "Dark Side of Cardio" in the free report from Craig Ballantyne at Turbulence Training for Fat Loss. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

So how do they get such perfect bodies?

First it’s time for a little myth busting.

Myth #1: Celebrities have better genes

Now I want you to stop and think of all the times you were in line at the grocery store and you see the enquirer sitting there with pictures of celebrities in bathing suits on the cover with close ups of their cellulite.

That’s right celebrities don’t look so hot when they are off camera.

Myth #2: If I do enough sit-ups I can have 6 pack abs

Wrong. Doing crunches and sit-ups will not give you those abs. You can do them till you are blue in the face. The reality is, is that 95% of us are probably never going to have six pack abs because we are not part of the genetically blessed.

Now wait I thought this was an article on how to get those six pack abs. It is but first you need to have a reality check and realize that unless you do have the genetics for it you will probably struggle more than it is worth to get six pack abs.

So how do I get 6 pack abs?

It really comes down to genetics, becoming a body builder, or having a good plastic surgeon. If you’ve had 6 pack abs in the past then chances are a few diet changes and exercising will make them pop right out again. Now don't confuse this with having a flat stomach. Having a flat stomach is much easier then getting 6-pack abs.

For the rest of us it requires an enormous amount of effort to get a 6 pack. Now a flat stomach is an easily attainable goal. Granted everyone’s situation will be a little different but the bottom line is you will have to do some dieting and exercise if you do want a flat stomach. You need to make a goal and stick with it whether it be having 6 pack abs or a flat stomach.

If you want to read more about it then take a look at these two free ebooks.

Truth About Burning Fat
Free e-report on working out

For more information follow the link below:

The Truth About Abs