Cardio and weight management will always be priority #1 for me.
Calories In, Calories Out
Diet is the key for weight management more so than exercise.
A great example of this is...
The Twinkie Diet
Twinkies. Nutty bars. Powdered donuts.
www.cnn.com
Mark Haub, Nutritionist at Kansas State, demonstrated this to his class by going on a low calorie Junk Food/Twinkie Diet.
Huab lost 27 lbs.
"His body mass index went from 28.8, considered overweight, to 24.9...
"Haub's "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his "good" cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39 percent."
"You can't out train a back diet."
Exercise alone, isn't very effective for weight loss. The number of calories burned during exercise is very low.
The take home message is that while exercise can assist with weight loss, it minutely does so.
Running 4 Miles Before Strength Training
As Anna, Antti and I have noted, this circumvents strength gains, when preformed prior to Strength Training.
Also, too much cardio impedes recover, necessary for strength developments.
Another Alternative
A more effective cardio training method is High Intensity Interval Training, HIIT.
Research has demonstrated that it...
1) "...The subcutaneous fat loss was
ninefold greater in
the HIIT program than in the ET (Endurance Training) program." In short, the
HIIT group got 9 times more fat-loss benefit for every calorie burned exercising."
This method jacks up your metabolism for hour after training. It amounts to overcharging your "Metabolic Credit Card", you pay it back over time. As with all Credit Card payments, you end up paying more back than you borrowed.
2) "The
moderate-intensity endurance training program produced a significant
increase in V02max (about 10%), but had no effect on anaerobic capacity. The
high-intensity intermittent protocol improved V02max by about 14%; anaerobic capacity increased by a whopping 28%."
"The fact is that
the rate of increase in V02max [
14% for the high-intensity protocol -
in only 6 weeks] is
one of the highest ever reported in exercise science." Source:
Forget the Fat-Burn Zone
High intensity Interval Training is a paradox; increasing your aerobic and anaerobic capacity, as well as increasing your metabolism.
Talk about of getting the best of both worlds; as you mentioned.
With that said, there is a High Intensity Interval Resistance Training Protocol, as well. The same protocol as with High Intensity Cardio Interval Training is followed.
A great method is performing Kettlebell Swing, similar to Cardio Sprints. Keep the swings to less than 30 seconds with rest periods between set of around one minute or a little longer.
Dr Jamie Timmons' HIIT Cardio Program
I am not a fan of the Tabata HIIT Program mentioned in "Forget The Fat Burning Zone."
I am an advocate of Timmons'...
How To Get Fit With 3 Minutes of Exercise
High Intensity Training delivers the same physical benefits as traditional endurance training, even though it takes considerably less time.
www.medicalnewstoday.com
Total Training Time: Less than 10 minutes
Timmons' HIIT Protocol
1) Sprint 1: 20 second all out sprint
2) Rest Period 1: 2 minutes of pedaling or jogging easy.
3) Sprint 2: 20 second all out sprint
4) Rest Period 1: 2 minutes of pedaling or jogging easy.
3) Sprint 3: 20 second all out sprint
4) Rest Period 3: 2 minutes of pedaling or jogging easy.
High Intensity Training - Horizon: The Truth About Exercise - BBC Two Video Demo
initially, I found this hard to believe. However, it works.
Each sprint needs to be all out. if you have anything left at the end of the third sprint, that means you didn't give it your all.
As with anything new, HIIT or HIIRT needs to be eased into.
Bodybuilding Training
Research by Dr Michael Zourdos (Powerlifter) determined that strength is increase when Bodybuilding and Power Training are combined with Maximum Strength Training.
This method provide a synergistic effect. The sum is greater than it parts.
Think of it like 2 + 2 = 5!
The legendary Westside Powerlifting Protocol that's been around since the early 1980's, includes Bodybuilding (Repetition Method) and Speed Training (which is Power Training).
Dieting
Research (the MATADOR Study that I have previously posted on this site) determined that one of the keys to weight loss is...
Calorie Rotation
1) Consume Maintenance Calories for two weeks.
2) Then decrease your calorie intake 20% for two weeks.
Then continue to repeat the sequence.
This method was show to decrease weight/body fat while maintaining muscle mass.
Why It Works
The research found the body will adapts in about two weeks to a diet program. Once adaptation occurs with everything, progress stops.
Calorie Rotation amount to playing a game with your body; tricking it into doing what you want it to do