Weight Lifting Is a Waste of Time : So Is Cardio, and There’s a Better Way to Have the Body You Want

by John Jaquish

Cortisol can promote two effects to undermine your fitness goals. First, it has the potential to inhibit lipolysis, thereby protecting body fat. Second, it can promote proteolysis, including the breakdown of lean muscle tissue. Why might cardio-type exercise promote those effects? Doing hours of cardio tells the body that it needs to go long distances with a limited amount of fuel. It responds by protecting that fuel, holding onto fat as long as possible. Think of your central nervous system as an engineering team working to ensure you are optimized for your environment. Optimization for cardio requires carrying excess body fat to power your efforts. It means minimizing muscle because muscle has significant caloric requirements. It is very stressful to run for hours on end, and that effort takes quite a toll on the body. This is why marathon runners, although thin, have very little muscle and a surprising percentage of body fat. They’re the epitome of what is referred to as “skinny fat,” or as we like to call it, “cardio fat.”