As a personal trainer, Jim Karas is an author who can speak of exercises authoritatively.
According to Karas, excessive cardio training that people undergo to lose weight may actually be a hurdle in the path of weight loss. The secret to weight loss, says Karas, lies in a cardio free diet!
Had it up to here with running, walking, cycling or jogging? Don’t worry. Leaving off cardio can possibly be the most sensible thing you could do, so claims Karas.
Going against the popular belief that cardio is inevitable for weight loss, Karas states that cardio does not really burn as many calories as we think.
In fact, vigorous cardio exercise leads to spikes in appetite. This makes people overeat. In this way, cardio triggers increased food intake and does not burn as many calories as it is made out to. It is only natural that weight gain would happen. But the worst part is that the body adapts to cardio exercise easily. So, in order to keep getting results, you need to increase cardio training steadily.
Karas also makes a rather startling revelation that cardio could impact long term health in a negative way as it could lead to inflammation in the body and may even contribute to killer conditions like cancer and heart problems.
Karas is very liberal when it comes to food intake. He mentions that followers may eat what they wish so long as they undertake sufficient amounts of strength and resistance training. He does however add that refined carbs, juices, sodas and dressings must be avoided.
Recommended foods include dairy, complex carbs, protein and calcium.
Eating patterns also play an important role in optimal health. It is important to have sufficient food for breakfast as it speeds the metabolism. Three meals with snacks are allowed. Over and above that, a power packed snack is allowed before and after workouts. This boosts metabolism and enhances the development of muscles.
The diet plan is divided into four phases. In the initial stages of the diet, women are allowed 1200 calories and men are allowed to take in 1500 calories per day. Once followers achieve their target weight, this may be daily intake may be increased to 1500 and 1800 calories for women and men respectively.
Karas recommends 20 minute workout sessions thrice a week.
The Cardio Free Diet review
While the recommendations about food intake and overdoing cardio seem logical, some of the things mentioned are deemed as nothing short of outlandish. While some fitness experts such as Craig Ballantyne and Rob Poulos do advocate an increase in strength training over doing cardiovascular workouts, the suggestion that cardio may impede weight loss is bizarre. There is not proof that cardio can lead to dangerous health conditions. Besides, strength training is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Pros:
- Food recommendations promote health and weight loss
- Weight training is good for muscles
- No restrictions in food intake
Cons:
- Strength training cannot be undertaken by all
- The nutritional intake is not nearly sufficient for the amount of exercise recommended
- Calorie counting is a must
- Goes against conventional and scientifically proven facts regarding the effectiveness of cardio
In Conclusion:
As a trainer, there is no denying the strength of authority in Karas’ voice. Strength training is great for the muscles, no doubt. However, the benefits of cardio cannot be overlooked when it comes to weight loss. Besides, several studies have proved that cardio training is good for the heart and the body. The Cardio Free diet may be useful for those who focus on cardio training to the exclusion of everything else.
