If you want to lose weight and stay fit, include cardio workouts in your program!!
What does cardio training entail?
One question we often get from clients who want to lose weight is whether it is necessary to exercise in order to lose weight. The answer is “no”. You can lose weight solely by adjusting your diet, but when you combine physical exertion, the results are much faster and longer lasting.
That’s why, at Superfit, in addition to nutrition advice for weight loss, we recommend you do cardio workouts, so as to make this process more efficient. The most effective type of effort during weight loss is the cyclic type, such as running or cycling.
The duration of a cardio training session should be at least 30 minutes, and the optimal intensity of the effort is at 65% of VO2max, meaning you must have a heart rate of 50- 75% of the maximum (being 220 minus age in years). A frequency of at least 3 workouts per week is recommended.
Superfit workouts are designed to be accessible to anyone, regardless of their level of fitness. Even if you have never done sports or stopped any form of physical activity, you can start becoming a more active person with us.
What are the benefits of cardio training:
- Increases caloric intake. As the physical condition improves, a person can make more effort, so s/he has a higher caloric intake, at the same heart rate and with the same level of perception of effort. For example, a sedentary person will consume 6-7 kcal / min at a heart rate of 150 bpm, but after a few months will end up consuming 10-12 kcal / min at the same heart rate.
- Determines the reduction of triglycerides. It has been found that due to physical exertion and hypo- lipid diet, the serum triglyceride level is reduced to normal values. This reduction through physical exercise occurs within a few hours and lasts 2-3 days. If regular workouts are done, the lipid values normalize and remain so.
- Lowers the level of LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and increases the level of HDL (“good” cholesterol). Elevated levels of LDL are associated with heart disease, while HDL is a protective factor, having the role of removing cholesterol from the tissues to be taken to the liver, where it will be metabolized. Total cholesterol does not change in the short term, but only after periods of weeks in which regular workouts are done.
- Facilitates the use of fat. Studies have shown that trained people are able to extract a higher percentage of energy from free fatty acids during sub-maximal efforts. In their case, more than 50% of the energy is obtained by oxidizing intramuscular fats.
- Protects muscle mass and contributes to its development. Diets that rely only on drastic low calorie diets invariably also lead to loss of muscle mass, which leads to lower metabolic rate, a lower ability to withstand stress and “burn” fat. Instead, any type of physical exertion leads to a development of muscle mass.
To monitor your heart rate during training we use the MyZone system, which displays in real time on a screen the pulse and intensity of effort!
