Fat Loss Hack: Fasted Cardio
How to lose fat, FAST w/Fasted Cardio
I included the video below for people that would prefer watching vs reading.
When it’s time for me to go into fat loss mode & I want the results QUICK, a strategy I like implementing into my routine is fasted cardio. There’s pros & cons to this so let’s start with the reason why it works & why I like it. Fasted cardio means performing a type of exercise, cardio, when you have no calories in your system. I personally like black coffee (or a preworkout supplement) followed by BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) during my fasted cardio sessions.
The way I perform Fasted cardio is in the morning followed by a protein shake + breakfast (the longer I do fasted cardio, the hungrier I am afterwards). This is my first “workout” of the day. Later in the day when it’s time to workout again, this is when I’ll strength train. This combination, strength training & fasted cardio, helps me speed up the process of losing body fat. Why not just do cardio all the time then? Because there is no resistance to cardio, therefore the body is moving but the muscles are not being challenged. Strength training burns calories by building muscle & burning fat at the same time. Cardio burns calories by simply moving so you can burn fat but that process is much slower & less effective than strength training especially when supported with adequate protein intake.
Understand that for you to lose weight, at the end of the day, you have to be in a calorie deficit for an extended period of time. To lose body fat, not only do you have to be in a calorie deficit, but you also need to be a on a high protein diet because if you don’t closely track your macros (macronutrients), your muscle mass will decrease which will inversely increase body fat. The goal is to look better naked, don’t sabotage your progress by burning a sh*t load of calories & not replacing them with enough protein. A high protein diet is what will help you retain as much muscle as possible while weight is dropping.
My favorite forms of fasted cardio include:
1. Walking on a treadmill:
a. Incline 15%
b. Speed 3.0-3.5 mph
c. Duration: 30-60 mins
d. 30s on/30s off (meaning holding the bar for 30s then not holding it for 30s (I get bored fast))
2. Stairmaster:
a. Level 9 & 10 (Blink Fitness Gym)
b. 40s on/20s off
c. Duration 30-60 mins
3. Elliptical
a. Level 10-12 (Blink Fitness Gym)
b. duration 30-60 mins
Pros:
Low intensity cardio is good for active recovery.
Burns a lot of calories w/o stressing the body or risking injury.
I feel clear-headed afterwards.
Use this technique around cheat meals/days.
Cons
More time in the gym.
Boring (I’m usually on YouTube to pass the time by)
Can burn muscle if fasted cardio session is too long (going past your fasted state into hunger)
Advanced Level Fasted Cardio
If you made it this far, thank you. I’m also going to include something I do after my low intensity fasted cardio exercise: HIIT! After 30-60 mins of low intensity cardio & I still have some energy left in the tank, I like to do sprints to finish the job off. Why? Because I’m crazy most likely. I’m one of those people who like to see sweat to know that I had a good workout. This isn’t necessary to claim “good workout vs bad workout” but for cardio, I like to see the effort drip.
30s/60s (30 seconds sprinting/60 seconds resting)
Incline: 2-3%
Speed:
9.0 mph x 4
10.0 mph x 3
11.0 mph x 3
12.0 mph x failure (Energy still here is most likely a result of cheating the night prior)
Duration: 15 mins-ish.
If done properly, this is what you should look like afterwards (click here)
Enjoy. Try it out. Let me know what you think :)
How Long Have I Been Living Like This?
The bed position hasn’t changed in a few months.
My love life hasn’t peaked in a few years.
My finances remind me of summers spent riding rollercoasters at six flags.
I call these people my friends but would rather be home alone.
My comfort is only in solitude.
I just watched someone on Instagram have a baby shower but the father wasn’t who I thought it would be… It makes sense now that I haven’t seen her on his page or mentions in a while.
I watched another person become a fiancé by surprise. They didn’t look wealthy, but they radiated happiness.
I want to become financially free but who would I spend the rest of my life with?
What could I teach my future children about the world and people?
I have a friend who moved to LA after she asked me what to do with her life & career?
Go. Explore the world & rediscover yourself in a different part of it.
Maybe you’ll become rich.
Maybe you’ll find your soulmate.
Maybe you won’t have to rely on coffee as the only stimulant to get you through the day…
Asking yourself things like “is my ex happy?”, “are my parents proud?”, “is this where I’m supposed to be in life?”
Year after year…
You might also ask questions like this, “how long have I been living like this?” 10:15pm on a Saturday night watching season 5 of Homeland…
2017 in a nutshell...
12 things I learned in 2017…
1. The ugly truth about working for yourself and starting a business.
2. What “time” does to friendships.
3. Feelings is a Hindrance to Success.
4. Closure.
5. Self-Worth.
6. The Idea of Happiness.
7. Expectations.
8. Gratitude.
9. Love.
10. Escape.
11. Growth.
12. Evaluations.
The ugly truth about working for yourself and starting a business.
I was able to take a leap of faith and leave my corporate 9-5 job November 30th 2016. December was a transition period. January, I was in the gym for the same number of hours and realized hours and effort aren’t transferrable. I’m an introvert. I’m a homebody. I was uncomfortable. People drain me. This was going to take some getting used to. If you want to be successful with people you’re going to have to get comfortable dealing with all kinds of people. Even the word “dealing” sounds bad, torturous. It doesn’t have to be. You’re naturally going to get along with some people, you’re naturally going to dislike being around others, that’s the beauty of life, everyone’s a surprise.
When you don’t have a boss, every problem is your fault and you’re going to have to learn how to fix it. When you have a manager, you’re going to have to meet someone’s subjective standards of “doing a good job”. We’re not even going to get into politics because just the word alone makes me wince. Friends and family won’t support you because they “know” you and people would much rather support strangers & celebrities before respecting their own. Even if they do support, that word “discount” is going to be mentioned 12 times out of 10 requests… The ugly truth about working for yourself and starting a business is that you’re going to have to put in triple the amount of effort that you did at your comfortable 9-5 job and everyone you know is going to ask for a discount. Don’t lower your work capacity or your standards.
What “time” does to friendships.
When you realize the time and effort required to get your business off the ground, you’re going to have less time for friendships. That means less happy hours, weekend brunches, and turn ups. If you’re neurotic like me, you’re going to feel guilty about having fun because taking time to do things you enjoy means you’re taking time away from being productive. If you’re not working, someone else is. If you’re not reading, someone else is. If you’re not building your dream, someone else is, and they’re going to hire people like you to work for them because you were slacking.
Feelings is a Hindrance to Success.
Successful people know how to separate their feelings from their work. Your job has a goal and a deadline and if you let your feelings get in the way, you’ll never get anything done. Your manager or your clients don’t care that you’re upset over a partner or whatever it is that’s bothering if it’s not work related. You were paid to work & fulfill a service, not be emotional.
Closure
This concept is just as foreign to me as the German language. There isn’t a deadline when it comes to healing, and who says you need to heal from something anyway. I don’t forgive, I don’t forget. I’m a person that’s fueled by negativity. If I’m happy or content, it doesn’t motivate me to work harder. If I’m angry or upset, I’m motivated to prove people wrong & shut someone up. That’s when I become competitive, when my worth is undervalued.
I gave up trying to get closure from her a long time ago, I moved on. There’s no positive outcome derived from sulking. Things happen, you get hurt, you move on with your life. You’re not always going to get the person or job you wanted, that’s life. Don’t force happiness, don’t go chasing after it either, be happy and attract happy. That’s the lesson I learned, so thank you Angela.
Self-Worth
If you don’t respect yourself, no one else will. If you don’t set the precedent for how you want to be treated, everyone will treat you however they want to and it’s usually at your inconvenience. Confidence is the game-changer in life. Even if it doesn’t come natural to you, fake it well and notice the response from others.
The Idea of Happiness
Like all ideas, if you don’t have a plan of action, it will never come into fruition. I read something recently that went like this, we’re human BEINGS, not human DOINGS. Whatever you want to become in life, if you act like you already are it, it’ll happen quicker. BE confident, BE happy, BE successful.
Expectations
You’ve set yourself up for failure if you’re expecting an outcome to occur because like most things in life, situations don’t plan out like we intend or prepare for them to. It also makes you think you’re working hard when you’re not. I was expecting to leave my 9-5 and within a year, have the life I’ve always dreamed of. BIG MISTAKE. Focus on the process more than the goal. It’s easier to see progress when you can measure baby steps.
Gratitude
It’s very difficult to have a bad day if you begin with being appreciative of the things you have in life: health, family, love, a job, and if you’re lucky enough, your purpose. If I take time to reflect on the positive things I have going in my life, it’s hard for me to be negative. Change your perspective, change your direction, change your life.
Love
I love helping people realize the power they have inside through personal training. I love helping people gain control of their life by changing their mindset and their daily habits. Big results happen from small changes.
Escape
We’re not robots. Working 24/7 and grinding with little sleep is not the way we were designed to live. It’s okay to take a mental break every now and then. Just like we charge our electronics, we also need a recharge. Find time to enjoy the one life we were gifted because once it’s gone, you’re left with the regret of memories you didn’t create.
Growth
I used to be late to EVERYTHING in life. Until I had my time devalued, I didn’t realize how selfish I was towards others. I never planned things out days in advance or had a daily checklist. I thought my brain was good enough to remember everything I had to do from the moment my eyes opened till the moment I rested my head to sleep… I was wrong.
I started leaving the house 10 mins earlier, I arrived to places 15 mins earlier. I started filling out my calendar with appointments, made a daily checklist and planned out events days in advance, the result? I was well prepared and didn’t have to panic the day of and my stress significantly reduced.
Evaluations
The ability to self-assess. I out grew a lot of bad habits this year when I realized there was no one to protect me and lookout for me. It was all on me. You are your own brand. How you handle situations and people, speak to others, and what you post on social media are all reflections of who you are. Would you be proud to be associated with you if you weren’t you?
I don’t need to be in a relationship. I don’t bring anything worthy to the table besides an appetite. I don’t need a million and one certifications, it’s better to be great at a few things than average at a lot of things. I don’t need a bunch of friends, just a few that share the same principles as myself. If we’re not growing, we’re dying, there is no “standing still”. The universe is constantly expanding and so should we…
