Because the cardio workouts that Staley speaks of will typically top out at around 20 minutes in duration, it’s critical that you push yourself hard. “A better cardio alternative is higher-intensity, ‘stop and start’ interval-type training, which burns more fat and spares your hard-earned muscle at the same time,” says Staley. That’s not to say that giving up cardio completely is the answer but rather, those endless sessions on the stair-stepper and elliptical machines have to go. Granted, long-distance runners and other endurance athletes are thin and very lean, but who’s more shredded: the Olympic marathoner or the world-class sprinter? Staley, B.S., M.S.S., strength coach, competitive Masters-level Olympic-style weightlifter, and director of Staley Training Systems. “If you want to know what type of physique results from a lot of aerobic exercise, attend a local marathon or triathalon,” says Charles I. And while you may burn more calories during a cardio session than a lifting workout, you’ll burn more calories at rest (like when you’re sleeping or sitting around watching TV) as a result of lifting versus cardio. More muscle means a faster metabolism, which means more fat is burned and the physique becomes leaner. In the presence of adequate protein and carbohydrate consumption, lifting will help build muscle. Here are the facts: Weight training can, and will, help you get leaner, and cardio can actually have a negative impact on body composition (percent bodyfat), as too much of it creates a catabolic (muscle-wasting) environment in the body, which slows metabolism. What you end up with is some weight loss perhaps (provided a clean diet is followed), but a body that’s no leaner than before. And by “centerpiece,” we’re talking 45-60 minutes on the treadmill followed by 15-20 minutes of pumping iron. As a result, the guy (or gal) who’s primary goal is to get more “defined” often makes cardio the centerpiece of his program, while lifting takes a backseat. One of the great training misconceptions is that lifting weights gets you bigger and cardio gets you leaner, period. We think we may have just discovered the three main training reasons why people aren’t getting shredded, and it’s time to put an end to it, once and for all. If your cardio sessions drag on forever and the dumbbells you use always seem to come from the lighter side of the rack-that could be your problem right there. The fact that you’re frequenting the gym isn’t the issue it’s what you’re doing once you get there. There’s a good chance that all the work you’re doing is undermining your efforts of building lean muscle. And genetics isn’t necessarily to blame either. You’re right, diet may not be the answer. Why am I killing myself in the gym without a six-pack and an abundance of striated muscles to show for it? You hit the gym five, sometimes six, days a week with a good dose of cardio and lifting, and yet you still don’t know what the problem is. You almost never eat French fries or donuts or Dairy Queen Blizzards, and pizza is only for cheat days, so you’ve ruled out a crappy diet.
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