Can Swapping Cardio For Conditioning Be The Answer To Leanness?
He said:
"I get asked all the time “how long should I train for or how far should I run to get rid of the fat?” The truth is: if you want to get a chiselled body the answer lies in conditioning not cardio. Don’t be fooled, these are two very different things. If we want to improve our aerobic capacity, fitness or prepare ourselves for a race then don the trainers and start hitting the treadmills. Better yet, hit the track or find a park to run in. However, if you are looking for a way to shred body fat and increase lean muscle mass then conditioning is the answer. When working with clients, 90 per cent of the time it’s about cutting body fat and obtaining a lean physique. This is why conditioning works so well – it makes you hard and lean. Contrast this to long cardio, which makes you small and soft."
The way Hopper explains it is this, it doesn't take your body long to adjust to long cardio. That is, before long you have to run a 10k to get the results you did from a 5k. You are constantly having to work out longer to get the same results. With weight training, this isn't the case. There are so many variables that can be adjusted to make your workout more difficult.
"There are two main ways I like to use conditioning: either as a workout itself (lasting anywhere from 15-30 minutes) or at the end of a heavy weights session as a finisher (typically 10-15 minutes max)," he said. "If you’re going to use it as a workout itself be sure to include dynamic, functional movements. If it’s a finisher you’re going to work as hard as possible with very little rest periods."
Hopper believes interval weight training to be the ideal workout. He suggests, for example, that you "perform 10 reps of a dumbbell squat followed by two minutes rowing at a maximal pace (if you don't have a rower do burpees instead) and then rest for two minutes before repeating it for three rounds."
Of course the workout you give your body is important but not less important than what you are eating. Hopper believes in using a hand measurement system to make sure you are getting the right quantities. He says that a balanced meal should include, a quality protein source (one palm for women, two palms for men), a good source of carbohydrates (one cup size for women, two cups size for men), a healthy source of fats (one thumb size for women, two thumbs size for men), and a good helping of vegetables (one fist for women, two fists for men).
Mindful Chef is a healthy meal kit delivery service designed to help those who want to eat better but don't quite know where to start. Have a look at some of their lean and healthy meal ideas below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53KLXEkLQI If you'd like to prepare a healthy meal tonight, check out this recipe:
Yummy food and plausible advice! Does any of this have you rethinking the treadmill?
Source: Daily Mail
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