The Cardio-Free Diet

I have not read this book, so I hesitate to agree or disagree with the author. What I can say through personal experience is that minimal cardio has worked better for my husband and me - while we were in an intense period of weight/strength training. Last year, for instance, we were riding our mountain bikes (in some cases) 7 days a week, sometimes for 2-4 hours each day on the weekends (just from sheer enjoyment). That was in addition to 4 days a week weight lifting. But we found, in hindsight, that too much cardio seemed to sap muscle growth and slow fat loss (especially with not scientifically correct nutrition). This year, we have significantly backed off on the cardio and are lifting HEAVY, making sure to get enough protein and complex carbs depending on our activity level for the day. Just in the last 4 weeks, we have seen an obvious increase in fat loss and muscle growth under this program.

Of course, one must keep a close eye on their diet when working out this hard, because you WILL be more hungry and, if not strictly disciplined, eat more (in some cases, a LOT more) to essentially cancel out all that exercise!

I'm sure result will vary depending on age, sex, body type, metabolism, etc, but I must say that I have observed all the strong, fit people are on the weight lifting side of our gym in the morning. The folks on the cardio equipment look unhappy and are generally not fit or slender. (Of course, that observation applies to the average person working out - professional athletes cannot be lumped into this category!) This is not to say that we do ZERO cardio - in fact, we bike 4-5 times a week; we just make sure to not overdue it on any particular ride and keep an eye on our protein intake. Balance, I suppose.

Anushka said:
The folks on the cardio equipment look unhappy and are generally not fit or slender.[...]

I saw that segment on ABC Good Morning America. I've done serious cardio for many years as part of a total lifestyle and it works well for me. The only people I know who have been sucessful at weight loss do cardio. I see many over weight people at my large fitness center doing a line of weight machines over and over and I do not observe weight loss. So since I'm not anticipating writing a 'diet book' in the future I'll just say I don't agree with Jim Karas.

I don't get it. Weight training also makes me starved afterwards. Why single out cardio for making someone more hungry?

Anyways, the book is way off. Most people can benefit from both cardio and weight training. I've avoided cardio before and focused just on weight training. Unsurprisingly I "bulked up" which increased both my strength and fat.

This guy has to be kidding!

It really is just a headline grabber. Maybe he can't find any benefits without comparing it to other activities. It clearly shows that he don't do cardio.

Karas is right. Cardio is a poor way to lose fat and resistance training is the way to go.

I lost 70lb of fat without any cardio. I used weights and dietary modification only.

A friend of mine is a runner. He busted himself up with years of marathon running and compulsive training. He still runs in spite of injuries and against his doctor’s advice, he’s fat and addicted to junk food. He is typical of the cardio-obsessed and indulges in guilt absolution the way most cardio trainees do. He thinks that running for an hour absolves him of the 1500 calories of chocolate he ate the night before. It doesn’t.

People typically underestimate the amount of calories they eat and overestimate the amount they burn with cardio.

I think many people are not ready for Karas’ message simply because they are not prepared to look at it with an open mind and because doctors and the exercise industry scare people into doing cardio.

Most of the studies that compare weight training with cardio that doctors love to quote actually have nothing to do with the type of weight training Karas is talking about. They used a mode of weight training that involves one set of an exercise followed by lots of rest before performing the next set. Karas is talking about minimal rest between sets to keep your heart rate elevated throughout the workout - big difference.

Ditch the cardio and lose the lard!

I'm waiting for Ryan to comment. ;-)

There are many people on bodybuilding sites who swear by minimal or no cardio - but these people are extremely muscular (and hence have elevated metabolisms) and watch their diets very closely. Their lifestyle and dedication is hardly comparable to the average person who will get sucked into buying this book.

Like Anushka, I have had better results by cutting back on cardio and lifting heavy, but in my experience and observation the amount of cardio people need is a highly individual thing.

To say that all cardio "kills your joints" is a joke. What about cycling, spinning, swimming, rowing or deep water running? Besides, the heart is a muscle and need to be worked too!

While I think he has a point and weight training only is superior to the people only walking on the treadmill like gerbils for 2h, but what is really superior is a combination of weight training and cardio, especially HIIT, both for weight loss and for general health.

I think the increased rest people who are not doing cardio get may be the trick here. After having the stomach flu for a week and not going to the gym, I was able to double the weights I was using for most exercises, and increase them by at least 1/4 for the others.

I think cardio is good.

While exercise is not necessary to lose weight, it does help.

There are 2 rules to remember when trying to lose weight:
1) You must eat to lose,
2) and the more you eat while losing weight, the more you'll be able to eat when you reach goal.

Aerobic/cardio exercise will help to burn more calories thus allowing you to eat more.

For me, exercise also helps psychologically: It helps me to de-emphasize the food. In other words, I don't obsess about eating an extra whatever occasionally because I exercise and burn off the extra calories. Plus, exercise elevates my mood. This is a HUGE benefit for me.

My appetite is not affected one way or the other by exercising.

Popular magazines and infomercials promote the idea that lots of cardio is healthy. It’s not.

Most so-called experts don’t realise that exercise doesn’t make you lose fat or gain muscle – your own body does! Exercise is only the stimulus for your body to change. Your body has finite resources available for adaptation to any stimulus and can be overwhelmed. Hence the injuries, viral infections, and fat-gain that’s common among the cardio-obsessed majority.

When you get frequent infections and/or injuries your body is telling you to stop.

jonjo said:
Karas is right. Cardio is a poor way to lose fat and resistance training is the way to go.[...]

um...the blatant difference between you and your friend is that you watch what you eat and as you say, your friend eats junk food. cardio doesn't make people think they can overeat, it's the individual that decides to overeat because they're misinformed or have no self control. besides, as it is, it is probably a wise idea to eat more on the days that you do a cardio workout but this never meant over-eating. you can do resistance training and eat hordes of crap, way more than you really need, and you'll be unlikely to lose weight. you can watch your calorie intake and do cardio and you will lose weight. it's all a matter of burning more calories than you take in.

there is no need for any of this cavio vs. resistance training nonsense. imo, there should be a combination of cardio and resistance training, even if you do less cardio than the other. there is nothing wrong with cardio, it has many health benefits, in addition to helping someone lose weight - like someone has already said your heart also needs to be worked. i believe resistance training is good for increasing muscle mass which in turn helps burn calories faster. these two things in conjuction with watching your calorie intake and eating healthily will get the weight off and will leave you feeling happier.

I also believe that cardio is not a good plan for people just starting. it is not something that people stick with, and its something that people get discouraged with. It is great for athletes... but an absolute waste of time for a person starting out and who wants to see results!

It is great for an athlete and for a person who HAS THE TIME TO COMMIT 2 HOURS A DAY TO WORK OUT- one to cardio and one to strength training..... or for a celebrity who gets paid to look good and bases their career on their physique.
But for a person with just one hour a day for a work out to look and feel their best, Karas is right, they are best vesting their time with some high intensity strength training and then general lifestyle adjustments and dietary adjustements.

I'm just trying to figure out why anyone considers this news!! The High Intensity Guys like Ellington Darden, and Fred Hahn have been professing this for years, and sold lots of books in the process. A few years back 60 minutes even did a piece on it.