What if I told you there was a version of cardio that utilizes your fat as its fuel source? One might think that it is too good to be true, but it isn’t!
To every training style, there are always pros and cons, but for me, I am sold!
What is fasted cardio?
The concept behind a “fasted” workout is to wake up and then immediately go straight to the gym. There is no consumption of food before exercising. You are allowed to drink water and I even recommend pairing the workout with BCAA in your drink. I encourage you to drink a lot of water while performing fasted cardio
The idea behind working out on an empty stomach is that your body has no other choice but to utilize its own fat storage as fuel. Normally, if you have already eaten, your body holds onto and utilizes glucose (carbs) as the fuel source.
Hence why you hear people say you have to work out about 20 minutes before your body might switch over fuel sources. Since your body now has no other fuel source to use, the body switches over to using fat.
You might be thinking, “How on earth will I have enough energy to work out on an empty stomach?”. Fortunately, I have found it quite easy. I actually prefer to do cardio right when I wake up. I have found that I have the most energy upon waking (especially on a cut) and I always leave with a positive outlook on the day.
Cardio RX
There are no set time limits for fasted cardio, there is no right or wrong way to perform it. You can go on a walk outside, run on a treadmill, grab the bike up and do a trail, and you can perform a HIIT session. For beginners, I suggest starting with 20 minutes to ensure you get into that fat burning zone. Aim to add this into your regimen 2-3x a week. Depending on your activity level and weight loss goals, feel free to play with time, frequency, and intensity. Staying under an hour a session is recommended for everyone.
More Pros
Although targeting specific fat storages is not possible (sorry ladies), fasted cardio is a great way of targeting the stubborn fat areas like thighs, abs, and glutes. I noticed that fasted cardio in the morning aided in the jump start of burning extra fat throughout my competition preps. Even through my off season, I utilize this to keep off extra fluff that my body is trying to hold onto (holiday seasons especially).
This is also a great tool to utilize if you want to burn some extra leg muscle or tone down muscle definition. This applies to women that are in the bikini division and need a leaner look.
Some Cons
Now you are probably thinking, well after all the benefits why would I not do fasted cardio instead of regular cardio?
The main concern with fasted cardio is that you run into the risk of burning lean muscle mass. For many women trying to build up booty and leg definition, this style of training is conflicting.
You can avoid losing mass by not overdoing the time and frequency of fasted cardio. I suggest keeping to a moderate to low intensity. An example would be LISS (low intensity steady state), walking on a 7.5 incline for 25 minutes.
Now, let’s say that you are in the situation where your coach is insisting high intensity fasted cardio 6x a week. A remedy to prevent too much loss is to drink BCAA’s (Branched Chain Amino Acids) and/ or a low carb protein shake (during/right after).
I tend to drink coffee, BCAA’s, or a fat burner before fasted cardio. This all is dependent on what my weight loss goals currently are at the time.
Another issue arises when people don’t understand that this will not negate a bad diet. Yes, burning some extra calories in the A.M. is a great tool to use in total net calories burned. Going home and then eating a toaster strudel, a glass of OJ, and a sausage biscuit will reverse all the work you just put in. Unless you plan to use this workout strategy on a tracked diet and along with a lifting regimen, not much progress will be seen over time.
This is not a quick fix. Adding in extra cardio will always result in weight loss as long as you are in a calorie deficit. Understanding that losing weight is a long process is important.
Is fasted cardio right for you?
Assess your fitness goals. Are you trying to build muscle? Are you trying to lose fat? Are you trying to tame those thunder thighs? Are you trying to lose or gain weight?
My goals are to maintain a solid weight and maintain the muscle mass I have. Paired with the right calorie intake and cardio RX, fasted is a great tool that I can utilize to maintain a low body fat and keep conditioning in my legs. Fasted cardio allows me to eat more nutrients that fuel my workouts. In return I have higher energy through the day.
It can be a beneficial tool to utilize especially if you are short for time. You can easily burn an easy 300 calories in only 30 minutes!
Creating a positive mindset for the day has always been VERY important to me. I find cardio in the am gets me feeling great. This is chemically true because our brains release serotonin, the feel good hormone, when we workout.
Math (for the hands on)
Cardio RX- Fasted 5x a week for 30 minutes – incline walk (calorie target 300 calories)
The 300 calories I burn 5x/ week results in keeping off that sneaky .4lb of fat/ week if you are at a maintenance level. If you are cutting, that is about half a pound fat loss a week!
My favorite fasted cardio
I LOVE incline walking on the treadmill. I have worked up the intensity over the years.
Examples of fasted cardio might be:
- 35 minutes/5x a week alternating machines
- 20 minutes / 3x a week walking on treadmill at 3.5 mph & INC
- 45 minutes/ 4x a week using the elliptical at level 4
There is no right or wrong way to do fasted cardio. Supplementing beforehand and gearing the workout towards your current goals are key. Besides that, play around with it and see what works for you. I hope that you better understand fasted cardio now! Thanks for tuning in.
Until next time friends.
