Posted on 04/15/2007 7:54:59 PM PDT by Coleus
"Cardio kills," says Jim Karas in his new book, "The Cardio-Free Diet."
"Cardiovascular exercise kills a weight-loss plan, your internal organs, your immune system, your time and your motivation. If your true goal is to lose weight, interval strength training is the only way to go," says Karas, an ABC News correspondent, celebrity trainer and fitness expert. When he first tried to lose weight as a 21-year-old, Karas found that he would work up an enormous appetite after running several miles. So while his cardiovascular health improved he still wasn't losing weight.
He grew more interested in strength training and started exercising with weights. In a short period of time he noticed changes in his body's composition. Gradually, experimenting on himself, he started doing more strength exercise and less cardio — and his weight went down. His experiment resulted in a cardio-free exercise program that includes two routines with 10 exercises. Every two weeks, after beginning with Phase 1, you add two exercises as you progress to the next phase, ultimately getting to Phase 4.
Most of the exercises require you to use many muscles at the same time, increasing the number of calories burned and maximizing the creation of new muscle tissue. According to Karas, with his program you still get all three elements — strength training, cardio and flexibility. He says people who engage in his program see an increase in their heart rate. "It's really a three-for-one solution, when you look at exercise," says Karas.
Exercise physiologist Richard Weil is not convinced. "I'm flabbergasted, I'm astonished at what I'm reading. I genuinely believe he's deluding people and he's leading them to believe information that is really not factual. I believe that the book is dangerous." Weil, director of the weight-loss program at the New York Obesity Research Center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, says it's untrue to suggest that aerobic exercise is not effective or helpful. 1. 2. 3. NEXT»
You can do a lot of things and get the heart rate up.
My husband swears that 3 minute rounds and a 1 minute rest on the heavy bag gets his heart rate up like running never could.
He can run for hours at a time.
I don’t get hungry from jogging unless I jog past a KFC.
He’s being illogical. He says that one is to give up cardio training, but then admits that weight training can get the heart rate up—and that, of course, is cardio training, even if one is not running around a track to do it.
The trouble with running as a cardiac exercise is that by the time you really need it, in middle age, your knees and other joints are starting to give out and the pounding of a three- to five-mile run finishes them. If done carefully and well a strength-training regimen is excellent. But it’s also good to get out and run a little, walk fast, play tennis, swim, ride, ski, or do something else outdoors to get the blood flowing.
When I had my last child I had a neighbor who was a personal trainer. Her gift to me was a counselling session and weight-loss plan. She told me that the biggest mistake people make when they’re trying to lose a lot of weight is to think they can only exercise once a day. When you do aerobic exercise you raise your metabolic rate for several hours, but then it slows again. To get your metabolic rate up and keep it up at a level that burns a lot of calories, you have to do some sort of exercise twice a day. She was right. The weight came off very well when I did what she said, even though I was eating like a horse to nurse my baby.
That is one way to lose weight but it isn’t the only way. In my early 20’s I lost 35 pounds through running. A few decades later I still am down 25 (165). Cardio can work very well if you have the discipline to not do what this idiot did and eat more and cancel out the calories you burned.
I favor "Tabata intervals" as a means of getting optimum results. 20 seconds of heavy lifting/full bore running, 10 seconds of rest. Repeat for a total of 5 minutes.
Your friend most probably had some heart defect and it was never discovered with an examination. Heredity trumps diet and exercise every time.
The way I am now, I’d be lucky to sustain 20 seconds of full-tilt boogie running.
LOL..
I suspect that plays a part. His dad was the district manager in charge of my PacBell building. He died from lung cancer at 53. Something about 3 packs of cigarettes a day probably had an influence too. My friend didn't smoke. My friend's brother was born in the same hospital on the same day as I was. It was quite a coincidence.
o brother...are women anything other than hot to you?
Sounds like Jim Fixx.
Heridity plays a huge role.
what’s missing in the discussion is that weight training, done with sufficient intensity, IS cardiovascular exercise. Granted that the way most people work out—do a few reps, loll around on the bench, socialize with other people in the gym, do a few more reps—isn’t anywhere near intense enough to get the job done.
I grab the 88 lb kettlebell and swing it from knee level to shoulder level for 20 seconds. 10 seconds rest and repeat for a total of 5 minutes. Alternatively, I perform 20 swings and hop on the elliptical for 10 minutes to let my heart rate settle. I repeat that cycle until I have completed 120 swings. A protein shake and shower are in order at that point. It's critical to keep moving as your level of oxygen deficit is pretty severe with the KBs.
Some very fit KB lifters will take a 35 lb bell and perform 1000 consecutive snatches (floor to locked out overhead with one hand). Switching hands every 50 swings avoid blisters.
Why are they wearing boots and jeans? I’m guessing alcohol was involved.
It’s called a high fiber diet to keep you full for longer periods and not gain weight back.
Hmmmm....I may try that.....I power walk almost every day for 45 min - 1 hr (often including a major hill) and I go to Curves 3 times a week....usually nearly consecutively.....maybe I’ll make the Curves my afternoon workout.....since in the year I’ve been going I’ve not lost a pound (although, I’ve strengthened muscles.) But, I’m also over the hill.....I would like to lose 10 lbs....just 10 measly pounds....
Wasn't he found by a couple of smokers?
There is a growing body of evidence that, even with exercise, too much can be very, very bad. I can’t recall where I’ve read it, but I believe many people now recommend against running more than 30 miles a week. Any more (or equivilent strain from riding, swimming etc.) and the stress it puts on your body is just too great.
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