John Fit

When deciding how much cardio to do to achieve a Lean Physique, it’s first important to establish what your goal is. However, part of this equation is to understand your genetics and what your body naturally resorts too when you’re not putting it through stressful workouts. My metabolism has always been a little on the faster side, so I’ve always been thin (not necessarily lean) with the inability to gain weight easily. (Older men have referred to me as a “flat belly” that will appreciate the fast metabolism later in life, but for years I felt my genetics were cursing my ability to gain lean muscle.) So, you first have to understand how your genetics will cheer or fear, for a little cardio added to your workout..

Cardio is a good thing.. Cardio is a great thing…

Cardio is great for the heart and offers endless value to the immune system and other vital organs of the body. It is a natural detoxifier helping the body eliminate infection and virus, and also supplies our lungs with refiltered oxygen. Cardio is good for health, but should not be abused if a hard lean physique is what your goal is.

What if my genetics are on a little on the “Heavy Side”?
Then turn and burn.. A big boned, naturally thicker frame is a body that absorbs nutrients from food easily, holds on to fat, and typically has a slow metabolism that isn’t burning calories. A heavy set body (bodyfat over 18%) needs to have its metabolism kickstarted! To do this takes discipline dieting tactics, coupled with a rich cardio routine. If you can imagine metabolism as a fire that burns deep in your stomach that breaks down food and shoots it through your bloodstream while eliminating wastes, that will help visualize how your bodytype operates. This fire probably needs to be re-lit, with a couple huge logs of wood thrown on top, in a heavy set body! Light that fire by doing 30-45 minutes of cardio 5 days a week @ 75% of your target heart rate (On a 200lb person @ 30 years old, this would around 143 beats a minute). My favorite cardio piece is old fashioned running, but the stationary bike and elliptical machine can be supplemented as well. When I’m trying to get super lean, I burn the most calories on the elliptical, but running makes me sweat more, which feels great!

What if my genetics are a little on “Thin Side”?
Rest is the most important thing for you, and if gaining lean muscle is your goal, you should not be doing too much cardio. I suffer from a fast metabolism, but still like the feeling of getting some sort of aerobics in my schedule, so I take long walks, or walk on an 6% incline for about 20-30 minutes (set the incline to build my legs up while burning a little fat. This is also a mental tool for me as a little walking lets me strap on my IPOD and get some thinking done. Some of my most creative business plans have been established while I was walking). Cardio will make your metabolism fire up even more, so if you already have the genetic fast metabolism that fire is already burning hot.. Let is burn and leave it alone. Shy away from excessive cardio. A routine of too much cardio will chew up your hard-earned muscle.

What type of Cardio Should I do for Weight Loss while retaining muscle?
This is a great question.. My suggestion for maximum fat loss while retaining muscle is to do high interval sprinting on the treadmill. Making your heart rate chase up and come down, over and over again, is a good way to set your body in fat burning mode. A good example of this proof would be to look at the physique of a track sprinter vs. a long distance runner. The sprinter is ripped with muscle, strong legs, and low bodyfat, while the distance runner is skinny with little muscle and still retains a little fat. (Asafa Powell pictured below in the yellow is my Favorite Sprinter. This guy’s ripped and totally not overdone.. Great athletic look)

Sprinting is the #1 ingredient of a cardio program designed for muscle retention with fat loss. Remember a lean physique has muscle with low body fat.. We need that muscle. Don’t go crazy on the treadmill burning calories needed to fuel muscle growth.

Cardio is a wonderful way to get lean & show off those heardearned abs and trim waistline, but depending on your genetics it can work for you or against. I would suggest interval sprinting as the main source for fat loss while retaining muscle to acheive a lean hard body, while the elliptical is also a great tool for burning up calories. Remember, if you’re a bit thin and need that muscle, but still love the feeling of getting a little aerobics in, try walking on an incline.

Enjoy the tips and implement them into your current cardio program to get “JohnFit” with a lean, hard physique!

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