1 00:00:05,260 --> 00:00:08,300 This is the body recomposition revolution. 2 00:00:08,340 --> 00:00:12,140 I am a former personal trainer and educator for over a decade 3 00:00:12,140 --> 00:00:16,900 who is obsessed with teaching women 35 plus how to finally 4 00:00:16,900 --> 00:00:20,660 drop fat and completely reshape their bodies through science 5 00:00:20,660 --> 00:00:24,340 backed nutrition and training protocols optimized to meet your 6 00:00:24,340 --> 00:00:27,740 body's changing hormones. Classes in session. 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,320 Welcome back to the body Recomposition Revolution. 8 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:40,160 This is Robin, and today we are covering something that is 9 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:45,120 incredibly contentious to some and super confusing to everyone, 10 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:52,000 and that is what is better for burning fat, cardio or weight 11 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,120 training. There are so many opinions on 12 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,560 this, so we're just going to dive into the science and if you 13 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,600 have listened before, you know that every single time I start a 14 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,800 podcast episode, I start with a learning objective. 15 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,880 I do this because after I was a personal trainer, I was a public 16 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,720 school educator for upwards of 10 years and I know that it is 17 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:18,120 research based and proven that whenever you Start learning 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,920 about something new, to have the learning objective stated 19 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:25,680 clearly prior to engaging in the content primes your brain to 20 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,280 receive all the information that's about to come at you. 21 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:35,200 So today our learning objective is by the end of this episode, 22 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,600 you'll understand which type of exercise, cardio or strength 23 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:44,400 training burns more fat for women over the age of 35 and 24 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:49,160 exactly why your workouts need to shift as your hormones 25 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,920 change. To put it concisely, today we 26 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,840 are going to cover which type of exercise cardio strength burns 27 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,120 more fat for. Summary Actually, I know the 28 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,720 reason this topic really gets people heated. 29 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:08,039 I have so many runner friends that I admire deeply. 30 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:12,480 I they are true athletes. I try to run, I do run here and 31 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:14,880 there, but I use cardio strategically. 32 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:20,600 I also have many friends who are very opposed to cardio pretty 33 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,680 much in any form. Everyone has their opinions. 34 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:25,720 You know what they say, Everyone has their opinions. 35 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:30,160 They have their own goals, their own ideas of what is ideal both 36 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:34,520 athletically and aesthetically. But today we are going to dive 37 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:40,680 into the research through the lens of a woman post age 35 38 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,280 whose goal is to drop fat and gain muscle. 39 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,880 That is the route we are taking in identifying what cardio does 40 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,760 to our body, how we can do cardio strategically, and how we 41 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,400 can utilize weight training and cardio together to meet our 42 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,120 aesthetic goals. And in this podcast, again, that 43 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,320 is body recomp. We are trying to gain muscle. 44 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:06,640 We are trying to drop that. As a former teacher or a forever 45 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,760 teacher, as I like to think, one of my friends reminded me of 46 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,920 that recently. I truly believe in the mantra 47 00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:18,000 that education is power, and it brings me so much joy to empower 48 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,440 women through education. I love to give you the why 49 00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:25,120 behind what I'm asking you to do. 50 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:27,120 We're going to go through the science today. 51 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:33,160 The science behind why this topic matters and the reason why 52 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:39,280 cardio versus weight training is so imperative for us to examine 53 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:44,080 is most women are taught that fat loss is about burning 54 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,880 calories. So when they want to lose belly 55 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:51,600 fat, they jump straight to doing more cardio, more running, spin 56 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,400 classes, hours on the elliptical, walking, walking, 57 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,760 walking, running, running, running, going to never ending 58 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,240 classes, starving themselves. More, more, more, more, more. 59 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,760 And the assumption is that more sweat equals more fat loss. 60 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:11,640 Everything I just said is the opposite of what you should be 61 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:18,079 doing if you want to drop body fat, especially after age 35. 62 00:04:18,519 --> 00:04:22,520 And I know that that approach might have worked when you were 63 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:26,400 2025 thirty. It doesn't work now. 64 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,480 It does not work because your body is different, your hormones 65 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,280 are different. It's responding to stimulus 66 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,720 differently. So when we approach fat loss 67 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,400 with our first instinct, which it is still my first instinct, 68 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,160 when I kind of put on a few pounds, I kind of want to tone 69 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,600 up. It is my first instinct to start 70 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,480 grinding away on the treadmill. I do it now. 71 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:53,680 I have to actively stop myself from overdoing it with cardio 72 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,640 because it is wired in US. It is wired in us to just see a 73 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:00,960 problem that we want to address. The problem being we're gaining 74 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,640 weight and to do whatever we need to do to get rid of it as 75 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,400 quickly as possible. We'll get up at 5:00 AM, go on 76 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:10,360 the treadmill for two hours, do it again in the afternoon until 77 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,720 you can burn all of those unwanted calories, burn all that 78 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,440 fat or just starve yourself. And that, that grin and bear it, 79 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:22,120 that that mentality is such a woman thing, you know, like we 80 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,520 will just do what needs to be done, even if it hurts, even if 81 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,800 it's not pleasant, because we know we need to do it. 82 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:33,200 We push through, we grind, we torture ourselves and it's just 83 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,920 we are everything to every but ourselves. 84 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:37,680 And you need to do this for yourself. 85 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,680 Listen, learn, embrace how your body is changing and give it 86 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,040 what it needs to be, everything you want it to be. 87 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:50,320 You deserve to have that body you work so hard to obtain, and 88 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:54,600 you deserve to do it in a way that is not going to damage your 89 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:59,120 metabolism, damage your joints, tear your body down to nothing, 90 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,480 and then it'll just come back bigger because you have no 91 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:03,920 metabolism to support the weight loss. 92 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:07,920 Your metabolism went in the tank, you literally ran it away. 93 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,520 So do this for yourself. Listen, learn. 94 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:15,320 Learn how to embrace how your body is changing and give it 95 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,160 what it needs. The methods we're going to go 96 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:23,560 over today are science backed. They are research based and they 97 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:28,840 are all about giving your body the fuel and recovery that it 98 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:32,640 needs to accomplish the aesthetic and athletic goals you 99 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:34,880 want to see. Because you deserve that. 100 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:39,880 Your body deserves to be taken care of and not crumpled outside 101 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,000 at 5:00 AM running away to nothing. 102 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,920 Because as women, you carry a lot on your shoulders and some 103 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,320 of you carry it loudly, some of you carry it quietly, some of 104 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,600 you carry it with the support of others. 105 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,360 And unfortunately, some of you carry it all alone. 106 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,160 And I have such a desire. I have such a desire to help 107 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,840 women understand how to feel confident and strong and how to 108 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:05,120 take care of their bodies. To reflect that. 109 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,680 I want every woman to feel comfortable taking up space, 110 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,600 filling her plate, feeling at peace in their body, whatever 111 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,920 that looks like, and to just make it happen by teaching you 112 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,560 how to strengthen that vessel that you are in. 113 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:23,920 Because I have been there. I have been all different shapes 114 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:28,360 and sizes. I have gone from 120 lbs to 115 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,840 almost £200. I know the emotional turmoil, I 116 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,040 know the heaviness that comes with being uncomfortable in your 117 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,560 body and it's reflected in every action. 118 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:41,720 Every thought, every interaction you have with anybody in your 119 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,840 day comes down to if you are feeling at peace in yourself. 120 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:52,120 So today we are going to go over how most women accidentally 121 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:55,920 start sabotaging their fat loss while they think they're doing 122 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:57,680 the right thing. And I am one of those women. 123 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,680 I am one of those women. I still do it to this day. 124 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:06,480 But after age 35, as your estrogen shifts, your metabolism 125 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,880 does slow down and your muscle building pathways change. 126 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:14,320 And that old calorie burn model that breaks down? 127 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,440 Let's start here with this all too common myth. 128 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,600 And the myth is cardio burns fat. 129 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:27,040 Well, this is a surface level truth that often misleads women. 130 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,440 It misleads me, it misleads my clients. 131 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:34,720 And up until the last year, have I really discovered why cardio 132 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,159 isn't doing the same thing that it used to do to my body when it 133 00:08:38,159 --> 00:08:42,120 comes to trying to lose fat. So let's start with the truth 134 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,560 part of the myth that cardio is the best way to burn fat. 135 00:08:45,560 --> 00:08:49,560 So truth. Yes, cardio burns calories, but 136 00:08:49,560 --> 00:08:52,680 only during the cardio session itself. 137 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:57,120 Now, once you stop moving, the metabolic impact drops off. 138 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:02,240 Now, after we hit age 35, our estrogen levels tend to decline 139 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:06,680 just a bit with which has a small negative impact on our 140 00:09:06,680 --> 00:09:07,480 muscle. OK. 141 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,200 Our muscle is our metabolic engine. 142 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:14,440 You need that muscle to continue fueling your metabolism. 143 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:18,440 But as that metabolism slows down inevitably with age, we try 144 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,520 to combat that with excessive cardio. 145 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:23,160 I've done it. I see all of my clients doing 146 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:25,040 it, doing it. They run, run, run thinking that 147 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:28,240 they are going to lose weight by doing that wrong. 148 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:30,920 Excessive cardio. And I don't just mean running. 149 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:32,960 I'm not coming at runners, love you runners. 150 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,000 I am coming at everybody who is jumping around in those fitness 151 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,880 classes five days a week, that's excessive cardio. 152 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,240 Everybody who's on the stair climber for an hour a day, 153 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,440 that's excessive cardio. On the treadmill every single 154 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:47,160 day, multiple times, that's excessive cardio. 155 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:52,760 So these long, arduous, intense running sessions that leads to 156 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,200 elevated cortisol. What is cortisol? 157 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,920 Cortisol is a stress hormone and that's stress hormone promotes 158 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,440 fat storage, especially in the abdominal area. 159 00:10:02,680 --> 00:10:07,920 OK, rise in cortisol equals rise in belly fat. 160 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:13,400 High cortisol, high belly fat running lots of running equals 161 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:17,960 high cortisol unless you are combating it with eating enough 162 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,920 protein. So about one 1.2 grams of 163 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,080 protein per pound of ideal body weight and heavy strength 164 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:26,520 training. That's the only way you can 165 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:29,240 integrate running into your measurement because if you're a 166 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:33,000 runner, if you love running, by all means, keep running. 167 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,960 That's what life's about, is doing those things that you find 168 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,640 enjoyable, right? The things that you have 169 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,240 community in, friends in. I have clients who run, They're 170 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,320 amazing, but you want to know what they do now? 171 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:47,600 They lift heavy and they eat enough protein, and I watch 172 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:51,280 their bodies continue to gain muscle and drop fat and look 173 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,320 smaller and more toned than they've ever looked before. 174 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:59,560 So excessive cardio is not going to help you keep or build 175 00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:01,480 muscle. The only thing that's going to 176 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:05,880 help you keep and build muscle is eating enough protein and 177 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,760 lifting heavy. And you need that muscle to keep 178 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:14,480 dropping fat. You need that muscle to build 179 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:17,720 underneath the skin to give you that toned look that you're 180 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:20,520 looking for. Without the muscle that you get 181 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,120 from lifting and eating enough protein, you're going to look 182 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:24,960 skinny fat. Even if you run away all your 183 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,800 body fat, your skin's going to be sitting on top of your bones 184 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,320 with no muscle underneath it. So you're still going to look 185 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,560 skinny fat. You want the toned look to get 186 00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:36,080 that, you need muscle. Running's not going to get you 187 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,800 that. So All in all, remember when you 188 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,720 are running without doing those two things I just mentioned, 189 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:45,760 protein and lifting, you are burning calories at the cost of 190 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:49,160 your metabolism. Yes, you're going to burn 200 191 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:53,400 calories during that run, but your metabolism is now going to 192 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,880 crank down efficiency. It's not going to run like a 193 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:58,960 Buick. We want it to just be taking in 194 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,600 a ton of gas. Have it be this premium loaded 195 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:07,800 car, run smooth, looks good, but instead you're running like a 196 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:11,640 hybrid Kia of so I don't even know what you're doing, but 197 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,560 you're you're going nowhere fast. 198 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,400 Let's cover the science. So the science shift what 199 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,520 actually is happening inside your body after 35. 200 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,600 Now this doesn't happen to everybody after age 35. 201 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:27,800 I honestly haven't experienced much of this, but I have so many 202 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:32,360 friends and family who have that it has totally rocked my world 203 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:35,880 in terms of what women need to have that body they are working 204 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:41,680 so hard for in the gym. So after age 35, your estrogen 205 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:46,120 naturally it starts to decline a bit and that makes it harder to 206 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:50,120 build and maintain. And with that estrogen decrease 207 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:54,920 comes a cortisol sensitivity increase as well as your 208 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:58,160 insulin's sensitivity. That changes, and then your 209 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:01,720 muscle protein synthesis becomes harder to trigger, and all that 210 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:03,840 means is it's just harder to build muscle. 211 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,240 Now, I know you cardio Queens are feeling the same way I did 212 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:11,240 when I was learning that cardio isn't really doing me much good. 213 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:14,040 But there's a way to strategically integrate cardio 214 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:17,400 into your life where you can still have that chill time on 215 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:21,080 the treadmill, the stair climber outside, running in your class, 216 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,200 doing whatever you want to do because you enjoy it. 217 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,440 And that is as long as you are pairing it with weightlifting. 218 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:30,240 And let's talk on the timing with that. 219 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:35,240 So weightlifting needs to come before your cardio session if 220 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:36,520 you're doing them on the same day. 221 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:41,360 Weightlifting before cardio is so much more effective because 222 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,920 after age 35, we need to polarize. 223 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:48,720 Our training doctor, Stacey Sims always uses that word polarize. 224 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:52,640 And when you think of polarize, think of loud, shocking, 225 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:54,840 intense. We want to shock for 226 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,680 neuromuscular system. We want strong, intense 227 00:13:58,680 --> 00:14:03,200 neuromuscular signaling in our lifting sessions, and we get the 228 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:06,280 strongest signals when our body is fresh. 229 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,200 That's why sleep is so imperative, but that's also why 230 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,920 we don't do cardio before we lift our heavy weights. 231 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:17,120 Do your 5-10 minute warm up on the whatever you want, but we're 232 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:20,800 talking about a full blown high intensity interval session 233 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:26,320 lasting like 20 minutes or more or some zone 2, maybe around 45 234 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,800 minutes. We will not be doing that before 235 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:30,800 weightlifting. We will be doing that after 236 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:34,200 weightlifting because if you are fatigued from your cardio 237 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,360 session, which you will be whether you feel it or not, that 238 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,240 dampens the signals we're sending to our nervous system. 239 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,200 And remember, we want to polarize those signals that we 240 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,360 are enforcing on our neuro system. 241 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:50,640 We need sharp, clear commands enough to generate force and 242 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:54,160 intensity while lifting to have that polarizing effect on our 243 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,760 muscles. We want that intense effect on 244 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,040 our muscles. We want to tear and RIP them. 245 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:02,320 But if we're doing our cardio first, our lifting sessions, 246 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:04,760 they're just, they're not going to be as potent. 247 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,360 I want to go back to the objective we have for this 248 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,200 episode. And that objective is By the end 249 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,760 of this episode, you'll understand which type of 250 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:17,800 exercise, cardio or strength training, which just means 251 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:22,160 lifting weights, burns more fat for women over the age of 35 and 252 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,560 why you need to shift your workouts as your hormones begin 253 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:28,680 to change, which happens after age 35. 254 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:30,600 O. Here is the truth. 255 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:35,520 Strength training builds muscle. Building muscle raises your 256 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:41,240 resting metabolic rate. Muscle is metabolically active 257 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:46,920 tissue muscle or lean mass that supports hormone health, insulin 258 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,800 sensitivity, and continuous fat loss. 259 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,240 And I can speak to this because back when I used to be a cardio 260 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,760 queen and the times that I've shifted into cardio queen mode, 261 00:15:56,120 --> 00:16:02,000 I have to eat way less at all times just to stay lean and to 262 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,680 look skinny fat. Now that I have a solid 263 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:08,720 structure under my skin of muscle, I can eat almost twice 264 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:12,240 as much as I used to eat, and I still stay small, smaller, a 265 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,200 smaller pant size than I did when I was doing 10 times as 266 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:16,640 much cardio. That's nuts. 267 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,560 But it's because of the muscle I have that is a metabolically 268 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:24,320 active tissue that enables me to eat, to eat what my body needs. 269 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:29,280 So the more muscle that you have, the more fat you burn 270 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:31,800 around the clock, not just during your workouts. 271 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:33,600 With cardio, you're just burning calories. 272 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:36,600 During your workouts with muscle, you are burning calories 273 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:40,680 around the clock. Now, don't fret if you are a 274 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:43,200 cardio queen. There is a time, there is a 275 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,960 place, and there is a strategy to integrate cardio into your 276 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,960 regimen in a way that won't leave you with all the bad side 277 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,520 effects that I was rambling on about in this episode. 278 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,560 Because cardio is. It's a support role. 279 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:58,600 It's not the primary driver for fat loss. 280 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,680 It's not. It is a tool we use to help our 281 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,319 bodies lose fat along with muscle and protein intake, but 282 00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:08,160 it's not the primary cause of fat loss. 283 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:12,240 OK, so here it is. Here is your clear research 284 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,000 backed breakdown of how cardio needs to change for you if 285 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,720 you're above the age of 35, especially if you're in 286 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:22,440 perimenopause or post menopause. Because at this point we need 287 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:28,240 intelligent, strategic cardio instead of those chronic long 288 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,280 sessions, those chronic hours you spend on the treadmill or 289 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:32,360 outside. We don't want to do that 290 00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:35,960 anymore. We need to be strategic #1 high 291 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:41,720 intensity interval training, HIIT and Sprint interval 292 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:45,600 training, SIT. Those are the acronyms and I was 293 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,000 getting them mixed up. I recently had to just dive into 294 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,360 this and what is the difference here? 295 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,440 And there is a difference. So hit high intensity interval 296 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,160 training and SIT Sprint interval training. 297 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,520 These are time efficient, so they're fast and they are 298 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:02,760 hormone supportive and they are great for fat loss and muscle 299 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,960 preservation. They're going to to enable you 300 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,120 to keep the muscle that you're building when you're lifting 301 00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:09,680 weights and eating enough protein. 302 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:15,280 So HIT is short bursts anywhere from like 30 to 90 seconds at 303 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:19,680 around 80 to 95% of your Max heart rate. 304 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:25,480 And then it's a short recovery. Now sit is even shorter and even 305 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:29,440 higher intensity at those peak intervals for only about 10 to 306 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:32,160 30 seconds. So for me, when I'm doing sit, 307 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:37,040 I'm almost at 180. My heart rate is almost at 180 308 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,360 for that 10 to 30 seconds. And then I need to wait a full 2 309 00:18:40,360 --> 00:18:43,760 to 4 minutes so that I can completely recover so that I'm 310 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:47,160 back to baseline around like 1/21/10. 311 00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:50,920 And that is the that is what Doctor Sims refers to when she 312 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:54,400 says polarized. Because that big discrepancy 313 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:58,520 between your Max all out intensity for 10 to 30 seconds 314 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:02,760 compounded with that going back to baseline, that's giving your 315 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:06,720 body huge shocks. Now you don't want to do that 316 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:11,440 for like 1/2 hour, no. So for your HIT, your high 317 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:14,920 intensity interval trainings, that is still intense, but just 318 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:18,680 a bit less intense than sit. If you're new to this, maybe 319 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:23,400 start with HIT and that's going to be 80 to 90% of your maximum 320 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:25,760 heart rate. So the total duration of your 321 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:28,080 HIT workout, 20 to 30 minutes, that's it. 322 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,760 And the working intervals, they're going to be about 30 to 323 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,160 90 seconds at 80 to 90% of your effort. 324 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:38,280 So when I say my Max effort, I'm going at about 172, that's 325 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,600 around 80 to 95, 90% of my Max heart rate. 326 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:46,080 OK, so I'm at around 172 for 30 to 90 seconds and then my 327 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:50,920 recovery is around 60 seconds. So the recovery ratio is 1 to 328 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:54,440 one, one minute of really high intensity and one minute off or 329 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:58,640 one to two, one minute of really high intensity and two minutes 330 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:00,040 off. Now you're going to do this HIT 331 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:04,600 workout for six to 10 rounds and then the frequency one to two 332 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:07,600 times per week. HIT is more moderate than sit. 333 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:09,480 It's still intense, but it allows a. 334 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:13,600 Bit more volume than sit still. It's best that you keep it short 335 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:19,160 to avoid big hormone disruptions and then sit Sprint interval 336 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:21,600 training, which is what I've been really into lately. 337 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,320 I love it It's only 12 to 20 minutes. 338 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:29,560 It's the high intensity 90 to 100% where I'm almost at 180 for 339 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:31,680 my heart rate that's only 10 to 30 seconds. 340 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:34,520 Anybody can do that recovery, 2 to 4 minutes. 341 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:37,400 I'm hanging out, I'm looking at my phone, I'm chit chatting with 342 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:41,040 my friend, 2 to 4 minutes, and then I'm back at it for 10 to 30 343 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,000 seconds. And you only have to do that 344 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,560 four to six times Max, 4 to 6 times Max. 345 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:50,360 The whole workout takes, as I said, 12 to 20 minutes, and you 346 00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:52,920 want to do that one to two times per week. 347 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,640 So the reason why these workouts are short, these are 348 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,880 neurologically and hormonally demanding. 349 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:02,280 They are polarizing. So more than 20 minutes of sit, 350 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:04,960 there's no increased benefit to that. 351 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:08,400 It's just increased stress, which is the opposite of what we 352 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:11,760 want to do. Longer does not equal better at 353 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:14,560 this point in our life. It's just not it. 354 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,440 More is not more. When hormones are fluctuating. 355 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,040 The goal is stimulus, not stressed. 356 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,680 You should feel energized afterward and not completely 357 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:25,680 wrecked the way you are when you drop into an Orangetheory class 358 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,520 or when you're in some crazy fitness class where you're in 359 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:32,400 kind of like a 160 or like a zone 3 heart rate where you're 360 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:34,840 you're really busting the whole time and when you're done, 361 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:38,040 you're cashed. It was 45 minutes of absolute 362 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:39,520 torture. You're done. 363 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:41,840 That's not how you're going to feel after your high intensity 364 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:43,520 intervals. You're going to be like, that 365 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,800 was awesome on to the next part of my day. 366 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,800 Now, if you are a running girly or a biking girly or just 367 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,680 somebody who likes that chronic long duration steady state 368 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:58,000 cardio, OK, that's OK. It's not ideal because it 369 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,360 elevates your cortisol for too long, which promotes fat storage 370 00:22:01,360 --> 00:22:03,920 and then it breaks down your muscle, it decreases your 371 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,480 metabolism. It really does, even though it 372 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:08,160 doesn't feel like it because you're working. 373 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,600 But if it's something that is enabling you to have a sense of 374 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,200 community and something you really enjoy doing, have that, 375 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:18,920 just have it like once a week, twice a week Max. 376 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,480 I have 3-4 clients that are runners. 377 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:23,640 They're amazing. They have been body recomping 378 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:26,200 for the whole year. They now have visible stomach 379 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,720 muscles. They do 1 temple run per week 380 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:33,080 and then one just like 1 long run, you know, at their pace. 381 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:38,360 So, so unless you really, really enjoy long distance running and 382 00:22:38,360 --> 00:22:42,480 it helps with your mental health and just don't even worry about 383 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:44,720 doing it, you can still do your zone 2. 384 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,120 So zone 2 cardio. I'll have a whole episode of 385 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:49,000 that. I do that a couple times a week. 386 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:50,760 It's great. It's when I do a lot of work. 387 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:55,040 Just listen to podcasts, have my moment and then you're neat, 388 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:59,680 NEAT. Your non exercise activity 389 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,240 thermogenesis. That is where the most of the 390 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:05,160 majority of your calories are being burned during the day. 391 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,600 It's when you're walking around, you're doing light chores, 392 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,360 you're doing the dishes, you're vacuuming, you're getting to the 393 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:13,640 park, you're getting through the parking lot, your whatever, just 394 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:17,120 your natural movement. And if you just keep kind of 395 00:23:17,120 --> 00:23:21,080 moving throughout the day, that does a world of difference in 396 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:24,120 terms of your calorie burn on a daily basis. 397 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:26,520 Here's a tip for you. If you, you have an Apple Watch 398 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:31,200 or a phone, which you do set a timer for every hour on the 399 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:32,920 hour. And when that timer goes off, 400 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,840 you know you need to get up and move for 5 minutes, do some air 401 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:41,160 squats, walk around the house, go put your laundry away, walk 402 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:45,360 out to the mailbox. Sometimes if, if I'm sitting for 403 00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:49,520 a long period of time working on this podcast or what have you, I 404 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,600 have my timer on my watch. It will buzz and I will stand 405 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:54,120 up. I'll go downstairs, I'll take 406 00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:55,760 the garbage out. There's always, it's a bag of 407 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:57,520 garbage. I know it needs to go out. 408 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,480 That's what I do. I get up and I move. 409 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,880 I like to have a strong meat because I don't like to do a lot 410 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,480 of cardio. OK, let's wrap this up. 411 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,960 So our hierarchy for women and what they're going to do for 412 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:13,400 cardio, so it's strategically working with you to drop fat 413 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:17,720 while keeping your muscle is Sprint intervals, sit or hit. 414 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:19,760 Do those one to two times a week. 415 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:24,640 OK #2 walking or low intensity movement. 416 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,840 That's like a zone two walk. Or maybe that's your long run 417 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:29,600 that you like to do. Done. 418 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:33,040 Do that one time a week, 2 * a week if you'd like. 419 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:35,880 Now, if you're a chronic jogger, stop doing that. 420 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,400 You can't do that anymore. You can only do it once or twice 421 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:39,960 a week. That's how you're going to keep 422 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:41,840 your metabolism up. That's how you're going to keep 423 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:45,160 your lean muscle. Be a runner, do your thing, have 424 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,840 your community, just don't do it more than twice a week. 425 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,640 And if you are that runner, I love, honor, respect you, but 426 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,640 make sure you are lifting. Make sure you are eating enough 427 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:57,080 protein. That's the only way that you can 428 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,960 keep the fat off and build the muscle at the same time as being 429 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:05,520 a runner. That loss after 35 is not about 430 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,840 working harder or doing more cardio. 431 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:11,520 It is all about working smarter with your hormones, with your 432 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,280 muscle, with your metabolism. And I have to tell myself that 433 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,120 every day. Actually, I have people who tell 434 00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:18,720 me that a lot. I had one tell me that at the 435 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:20,840 gym today. You need to work with your body 436 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,720 and not against it. And that's exactly why I do what 437 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:27,480 I do because I love educating women and myself at the same 438 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:32,360 time on how to fuel, how to train and how to treat our body 439 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:37,040 in a way that is honoring them where they are now because they 440 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:39,480 are different now. And our strategies have to 441 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:41,920 reflect that. So thank you for tuning in. 442 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,080 You will hear from me in a couple weeks.