1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Fitness Disrupted, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: I am Tom Holland, and this is Fitness Disrupted. Fit tip. 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: We're doing too much cardio undermine your gains in weightlifting. 4 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: That is a rather long title for me because it's 5 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: an actual overbatim question I received on social media. And 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: normally I save those questions and I put them in 7 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: a listener mail bag show. But actually this wasn't directed 8 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: towards the show itself, but I received it in a 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: different way and I thought, hey, perfect, perfect quick fit tip. 10 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: And it's a topic I have dealt with for years 11 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: and it generally goes back to you can trace this 12 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: to bodybuilders. And as I've said in prior shows, I 13 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: did spend a couple of years doing natural bodybuilding, learned 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: a heck of a lot about nutrition and deprivation and 15 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: kind of that whole subset of the fitness world. So 16 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: I have some firsthand experience with that as well. So 17 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: the body builders, generally speaking, will only do ten twenty 18 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: minutes of cardio at a really low intensity, and one 19 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: of the reasons is they don't want to burn muscle 20 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: quote unquote burn muscle. I'm not gonna happen. I'm not 21 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: gonna happen now. I would argue, generally speaking, especially professional bodybuilders, 22 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 1: they are two hundred and sixty three hundred plus pounds. 23 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: They're not going to want to run or you know, 24 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: do a heck of a lot of cardio. They got 25 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: to focus on other things. But it's a myth and 26 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: it goes against exercise science. But I want to parse 27 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: out the question a little bit further. The gains, So 28 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: what are your gains? Right? What are your goals? So 29 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: we're doing too much cardio undermine my gains in weightlifting 30 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: well strength. If you're a powerlifter and you are going 31 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: to you know, compete, then you don't want to do 32 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: a heck of a lot of cardio. You to focus 33 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: on your specific goals, which is lifting heavy weight. But 34 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: if you're the vast majority of people who listen to 35 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: the show, the vast majority of people who exercise to 36 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: look better, feel better, live longer, hopefully not be injured, 37 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: to fix your weak links, things like that, the short 38 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: answers absolutely not. It will actually improve your gains. You're 39 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: going to look better, you're not going to eat your muscle, 40 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: And I will get to the quick science in a second. 41 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: All right, and again, why so many bodybuilders walk on 42 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: the treadmill. It's such a low intensity and for a 43 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: short amount of time. They're supposedly, you know, many of 44 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,959 Speaker 1: them in that fat burning zone, which is a myth 45 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: in and of itself. It's fuzzy science. And they did 46 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: a whole show on that the fat burning zone. Yes, 47 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:58,679 Speaker 1: you burn a greater percentage of fat calories at lower intensities, 48 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: but you burn more total calories and more fact calories 49 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: at greater intensities. And when you're walking on a treadmill 50 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: or a really slow pace for ten minutes, you're burning 51 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:14,239 Speaker 1: next to nothing. Okay, so it's bad science. So when 52 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: your goals are what I outlined, to look better, to 53 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: build muscle, you know you're not competing, you're not a bodybuilder, 54 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 1: you're not a power lifter. Then you want to do 55 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: cardio not only to improve your appearance and performance and 56 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: all those kind of things, but because it's a really 57 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:35,119 Speaker 1: important muscle your heart. Okay, So you don't want to 58 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: uh not do it for that reasons obviously. And one 59 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: thing that comes up frequently, and I love this ridiculous 60 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: meme drives me crazy. You know, there will be a 61 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: picture of a marathon or and then a picture of 62 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: a sprinter, and they'll go, you know, this is why 63 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: you don't do too much cardio. Look at how skinny 64 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: that marathon or is. Please please, first and foremost, these 65 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: sports are self select And what I like to say 66 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: is basketball doesn't make you taller, okay. And people who 67 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: generally run marathons, especially at an elite level, are skinny 68 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: because they can't carry too much excess weight, and it 69 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: is self selecting. They're not power lifters because they're genetics 70 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: don't predispose them for that, okay. And you cannot out 71 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: run your fork, as I've talked about. You just can't 72 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: do it. And that sprinter, by the way, is doing 73 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: a lot of cardio, but they are also strength training, 74 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: and they are also taking in adequate protein and doing 75 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:49,479 Speaker 1: all of those things that are for their goals. Okay. 76 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: So it's not about the cardio. It's about what they 77 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: are doing based on their genetics and based on their goals. 78 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: So that meme is so ridiculous and it's so prevalent. Okay, 79 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: And look at the muscle. Look at how enormous some 80 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: of those sprinters are. They're doing way more cardio at 81 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: way higher intensities then the bodybuilders walking on a treadmill. 82 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: All right, and here's the quick science. There are three 83 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 1: energy sources. Primary energy sources to be just keep it 84 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: on the first level, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Right when 85 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: we talk about energy, and what's your body's first most 86 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: available energy source. Carbohydrates, that's what your body goes to first, 87 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: and you can store roughly plus or mind spends on 88 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: the person and many other factors, but roughly around two 89 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: thousand calories of carbohydrate in your liver, in your muscles. 90 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: And that is one debate for another day about hitting 91 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: the wall in a marathon, because if you do the math, 92 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: that's roughly where your body would run out of carbohydrates. 93 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: But what about fats, Well, your body has tens of 94 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:17,360 Speaker 1: thousands calories of fat, but it's not as available. Your 95 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: body can't draw from it as easily. And the crazy 96 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: thing is that marathoners, the skinniest marathoners, actually have enough 97 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: energy in the form of carbohydrates and fats, even the 98 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: most low body fat endurance athletes, to fuel many more 99 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 1: than just a single marathon. But it's about availability of 100 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: those energy stores and so finally, a distant, far distant 101 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: third energy source is protein. So protein amino acids, that's 102 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: what your muscles are made of. So when people talk 103 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: about eating muscle, I don't want to do too much 104 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,359 Speaker 1: cardio because it's going to eat muscle, you gotta go 105 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: through all your carbs first. You got to dip into 106 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: those fat stores before you're gonna even start talking about 107 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: eating that muscle. And if you have these marathoners who 108 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: are going through those carbs and then going through the fat, 109 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: using muscle as an energy source is so minimal, takes 110 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: such a long period of time, it's not even in 111 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: the discussion for the people who worry about it. Not close. 112 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: Not a question. Now Again, if you're a bodybuilder professional 113 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: and you are a you know, power lifter, doesn't mean 114 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: you shouldn't do a cardio for many reasons, but it 115 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: may not do as much. But if you are what 116 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: lifting weights, by the way, that marathon or is not 117 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: doing any strength training to increase hypertrophy, that's not the goal. 118 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: And that well, getting ahead of myself. They're not doing 119 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: the strength training for hypertrophy. Hopefully they're doing it to 120 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: prevent injury and improve performance, but it's a totally different workout, 121 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: lighter weights, higher repetitions, things like that. So if you 122 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: do your strength training, if you eat adequate calories, if 123 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: you get in adequate amounts of protein, and you do 124 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: your cardio and you do your strength training, you are 125 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: perfectly fine. Now I am living proof of this. There 126 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: are so few people who actually do what I do 127 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: in that I lift weights and I do endurance races, 128 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: but I lift weights for muscle, and let me tell you, 129 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: yes and equals one. In other words, I am just 130 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: one example, but I've done an insane number of endurance events. 131 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,560 Speaker 1: Just ran across the Grand Canyon and back. I have 132 00:08:55,679 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: muscle because I do what I just said. I taken 133 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: adequate amounts of protein. I strength trained in that specific way, 134 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: and that has actually been it probably for me in 135 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: my career is that I have this, you know, uh 136 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: conflict between lifting weights for the visual the things I 137 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: do in that side of the business, and then performance 138 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: trying to go fast and endurance races, and so oftentimes 139 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: I have to make the choice. And as I get 140 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,959 Speaker 1: ready to compete in an endurance event as I am 141 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 1: now haven't done in years, like cared about going fast, 142 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: which is why I've been bigger, because I've continued to 143 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: lift the weights. But now, like many years ago, I 144 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: pull back from the strength training. I do different strength training. 145 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: I eat a little less protein and fewer calories. Okay, 146 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 1: it is really hard again my experience, and equals one 147 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 1: to lose muscle. And then here's the amazing thing. When 148 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: that race is over and I have lost the muscle 149 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: and somebody fat and it's taken months to do by 150 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 1: the way, I get it back really quickly because of 151 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: something known as muscle memory. So the short of it is, 152 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 1: do not worry about your cardio negatively affecting your strength 153 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 1: training gains. You are muscle building gains. You gotta run 154 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: really far to even begin to have that be a factor. 155 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: This comes down to choices. Now, most people who are 156 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,079 Speaker 1: trying to build muscle want to spend more time building 157 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: the muscle. But this is why it's all about balance, 158 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: And this is why it's all about doing all the 159 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: little things that I talk about all the time. The 160 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: excessive moderation. Okay, when I have lined up in the 161 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: corrals of marathons, people have looked at me over the 162 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: years and said, you must be a triathlete because those 163 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 1: around me are super skinny, A because they're genetics, be 164 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: because they're not doing the weird thing of also trying 165 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,839 Speaker 1: to lift for hypertrophy. You know who is? Though? Leave 166 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: you with this Dean Carnazzies ultramarrathon guy. When I interviewed him. 167 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: I don't think I actually brought it up during the interview, 168 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:22,679 Speaker 1: though I have been in races and different places where 169 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 1: people have said, hey, are you Dean Carnazzis. You know why? 170 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: Because he's an ultra marathon or who runs hundreds of 171 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: miles at a clip who also lifts weights for muscle. Now, 172 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: my joke is non bigger than him and I am, 173 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: but I'm also lifting for that purpose and he could 174 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,079 Speaker 1: be bigger too. So there you go and equals to 175 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: Dean Carnazis as well. So as long as you are 176 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,199 Speaker 1: doing all of the things I outlined with your cardio, 177 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 1: with your nutrition, you will be in the greatest shape 178 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 1: you can be. You need to do your cardio, you 179 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 1: need to lift heavy things, you need to follow your 180 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: nutrition plan. And the pictures, the memes, all of those 181 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: myths are a factor of bad science, and people are 182 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,719 Speaker 1: who aren't doing the things I just outlined. So there 183 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:20,439 Speaker 1: you have. That's enough. No doing cardio, especially the tiny 184 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:24,560 Speaker 1: fraction that people think is a lot. It's not going 185 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: to eat your muscle, is not going to negatively affect 186 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 1: your strength training plan. Disagree with me, let me know. 187 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 1: Tom h bit is my Instagram, Tom h bit is Twitter, 188 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 1: and you can reach out to me through Fitness disrupted 189 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: dot com as well. Please do please subscribe to the show. 190 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,839 Speaker 1: Please rate the show up you have not already, shame 191 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: on you and tell a friend and again, my goal 192 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,119 Speaker 1: is to give you the science based on years of experience, 193 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 1: based on years of study that continues to this day, 194 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: and the anecdotal as well. Take all of those things, 195 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: you put them together, because it's not just about science 196 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 1: and it's not just about anecdotal. I'm gonna take all 197 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: of these things. And I have been doing this a 198 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 1: really long time and I will be doing it till 199 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: the day I die. And my goal is for you 200 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: to live your best life, to give you the latest information, 201 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: not fads, not grow science, science. Thank you for listening. 202 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: I am Tom Holland this is Fitness Disrupted. Believe in yourself. 203 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: Fitness Disrupted is a production of I heart radio. For 204 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 205 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 206 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: favorite shows.