When it comes to the weight management and the fat loss game, nearly all of it comes down to your net calorie consumption and expenditure per day (that’s how much you’re eating vs. how much you’re burning). This is such an important point, we should all have it tattooed on our bodies. ⠀
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About 2% of the population has metabolic issues that prevent them from burning fat effectively. That’s a very small percentage of people, so that’s probably not you. If you find yourself gaining weight, staying the same, or losing weight too slowly, it’s because the equation of how much you burn in a day vs how much you’re eating is not working in your favor. ⠀
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How do we solve this? Tracking how many calories you’re eating every day is a big start. Next, you need to subtract your base metabolic rate (that’s how many calories you burn normally in a day without exercise) from that total-calories-ingested number. There are several machines that can help you figure out this base metabolic rate (which we’ll be getting at BBB soon). Your Apple Watch may also be able to help you get a semi-accurate number on this. But even if you can’t get your base calorie burn determined by a machine, you’ll likely be able to guesstimate it simply by tracking how many calories you’re eating and how much fat you’re losing. ⠀
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And lastly, you’ll want to subtract how many calories you’re burning through exercise from the total number. Using a Myzone heart rate monitor will help you figure out how much you’re burning in each workout. ⠀
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High intensity cardio burns more calories than low intensity cardio, but it doesn’t burn fat any better. Either form of cardio will get the job done, so use them each as part of your strategy. We actually recommend large amounts of low intensity cardio. There should be periods of it through your day and mixed through your week. But we love high intensity cardio too.
Intense exercise increases your peak physical threshhold. You are a more sexy and dangerous animal because of it, and that feels pretty good right? Intense cardio leaves you ready for anything life could throw at you in any situation. It’s also tons of fun, and making your training fun is probably the most important part of a long term exercise and weight management strategy.
So does high intensity cardio burn fat better? It burns more fat for the time you’ve got, but it doesn’t do it any “better”. Just keep an eye on your total calorie intake and your total calorie burn, no matter what type of cardio you’re doing, and you’ll be set.
