Cardio Timing and Fat Loss

Burning more fat may be as simple as changing when you do your cardio.

Summer’s approach means everyone is looking to do the same thing: get as cut/toned as possible to look like Ryan Reynolds or Kate Middleton (helloooo!). And while we at 1R constantly preach that hard weight training burns more calories in a 24-48 hour time period than cardio, those looking to lose weight should admittedly jump on the cardio train as well.

Thus, the question isn’t whether you should or should not be doing cardio (yes, sorry 1R faithful, you should be doing cardio), but rather how best to maximize your cardio in order to burn the most amount of fat in the least amount of time. And the answer to that question, believe it or not, is pretty simple.

Studies show that doing cardio right when you wake up, or right after weight training, will help you burn fat at a faster rate. Why? At a basic level your body has two sources of energy: fat and carbohydrates. While the carbs are your primary source of energy and stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver, your body starts burning fat for fuel when it runs out of carbs.

When you’re asleep, all of the carbs you consumed the prior day are used to fuel your bodily functions, meaning that when you wake up, your glycogen levels are very low, if not at zero. That’s why, If you do any cardio (whether it’s slow jogging, walking or HIIT) you’ll use this secondary energy source (fat) for fuel. Not bad, huh?

That same scenario happens after a tough workout. Your body has used up all of its glycogen after you’ve lifted weights, so any cardio you do afterward is icing on the cake to help burn those love handles.

1R, if you’re going to take the time to do cardio (and you should take the time), do it at the right times. In your quest to nail down that beach body for Memorial Day, not only will smart cardio timing produce better results, but it’ll also save you a ton of time on the treadmill.