5 Reasons “Slow-go” Cardio Sucks

i wish i could run more than i do. treadmills are so much easier than pavement and i even have nike shox for cushioning. from shinsplints, to energy robbery those 2 are the worst factors for me when running so thats why i try to speed walk or lightly jog. i wish i can change that though.

Shouldnt cardio be treated like resistance training and have heavy, medium and light days? I found going hard all the time would lead me to burning out and not getting results.

Joel: How about a date/time stamp on the comments.
How about ability to sort by time?

Great stuff, and I want to skim comments, but getting
tired of seeing “367 comments” and having to click to
get to current stuff.

Thx for considering, if you do.

I find that a combination of the two works well for me. My (non-lazy) training schedule has resistance training 2-3x a week + 2x a week interval training with 20 min slow cardio afterward (comes up to about 40 min) + 1 day slow cardio only. I have read many articles that state a combo of the two or a few days of intervals with one slow cardio day is optimal. My knees did not like me when I did intervals every day.

High intensity strength training is the only way to go! I am 52, 212lbs ,13%bf, my rmr has increased from 1400 to 2600. I started 4 months ago 198 lbs. 29% bf. According to my calcs I have gained muscle and lost fat. The compliments I am getting tell me that it shows. Awsome way to stay fit and healthy.
Kenny

Hmmm, I wonder why it is that all of the people who perform slow go cardio seem to have the same complaint? ” How come I am not losing any body fat?” We have all of our clients on high intensity burst training along with high intensity short duration weight training that contains a combination of weights and functional training. Add in a supportive nutrtional program and now you’ve got results 100% guarranteed! I guess no one is keeping up with the times

I do a combination of high intensity interval cardio and slow cardio. A few sessions of each during the week. I think that they both have merit. Jeff Anderson “muscle nerd” has publicized several reports and strongly supports slow cardio. I like to use both methods.

I can tell you that both my former and current gyms (Life Time Fitness and the YMCA) are still pushing low intensity cardio. This is not true of every trainer or instructor, but is true of anyone doing the New Leaf assessments. When you do the New Leaf exercise assessments, the result is always a recommendation for lower intensity exercise than you are used to for lots of time, esp. if your goal is fat loss. I have found this to be true for myself and for everyone I have talked to who has had an assessment. And that’s quite a few because I used to be on staff at the Y.

Joel, have you had a personalized cardio assessment, and what do you think? Based on what research?

I dislocated a knee about ten years ago, thus I have to be careful with it. I can still do dead lifts and squats, but intense running is difficult. Thus I walk 10.2 miles when I do cardio and I try walk faster than 3 mph. I either do it before I work out, or better after. On good weeks I walk as much as 51 miles and on bad weeks at least 20.4 at the very least. It does take a lot of time, and I would honestly prefer to HIIT simply to reduce time expenditure. But it has absolutely maxed out my endurance and wind. I think there are still positives in long distance walking that help maximize my lifting. But it primarily protects my knee to allow me to continue with the dead lifts and squats. Thanks

It has been my practice for some time now to limit my cardio workouts to 30 mins max. I particularly like using an elliptical machine at the gym since it is low impact and easier on my 40 year old joints, feet, etc. I tend to focus on elevating my heart rate into a “training” zone, and increasing / lowering resistance levels in an interval training style throughout. To me, cardio is about elevating heart rate and burning calories quickly. I am now in cycle #4 day #2 of XFLD and will be doing a 20 minute HITT session on a treadmill at “lunch” time (no food, obviously today) by simply running 2 mins, and walking 2 mins. It definitely gets my heart rate up there to at or near max out, so it’s definitely more intense than my typical Elliptical workout.. The only I don’t like about this particular workout is the higher impact nature of the running on a treadmill, and the occasional feeling like my heart is going to beat right out of my chest when I am pushing so hard at high intensity. But other than that, I think it is probably more effective and efficient overall, and is getting me in much better cardio vascular condition quicker than via my more moderate (and time consuming) cardio workouts on the elliptical machine.

@ Jacqueline:

There is now research that shows the long jog of 40 minutes actually is ‘boiling ones organs’. Joel is right on with high intensity short workouts. They are more effective, take less time and are healthier in the long run.

Your ‘de-bunking’ of outdated theories like this one, is only one reason that I don’t miss reading any of your blogs. Keep the great information coming!

To say slow-steady state cardio doesn’t work is not true. I am a natural bodybuilder and I used it exclusively for my first contest last year and I came in at a shredded 4-5% BF, placing 3rd out of 9. And, by the way, I did it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. And, I never used any fat burning aids either.

I am coming to the conclusion that everything works. Somethings work better for some people, just try things and see if they work. I even think that very little to NO cardio will work if you limit carbs enough and lower calories enough – as long as you hit the weight HARD.

People who do slow steady state cardio, year after year and never change their bodies is because you cannot out-train a bad DIET! They just refuse to change how they eat.

As a fitness instructor, I do 3 hours a week of high impact interval training, and 4 hours a week of weight lifting – lower weights, multiple reps. I just want to build lean muscle mass and strengthen my bones. When I’m working out for myself, I prefer to do high impact cardio intervals or interval training on a bike, alternating these with exercises that use my own body weight as resistance.

I fully agree with the high intensity, or max intensity. I tend to push it past just a 1:1 or 2:1 style and go up to 4, 5, and 6:1, but mostly cardio-centric bodyweight movements or when I do my “HIIT” workouts which I do 2-3 times a week. I also do micro sets several times a day and those are always 2-3 minutes no break, if I stack sets there’s a 30 second break between but often I just do 1 set. I go jogging about once a month MAYBE.

yep, you’re absolutely right, slow cardio sucks

Hey Joel,

Be careful not to cause any confusion by saying NO slow cardio. I am currently following the plan laid out by you in the 25-day Xtreme Fat Loss Diet, and you include 3 days of “moderate cardio” where we do 30 minutes @ 80% MHR per cycle in addition to resistance training and HIIT.

I understand the difference between “slow” cardio and “moderate” cardio, but from the comments I read on your post I think many people are most likely doing moderate cardio.

Can you explain the difference to everyone and include why you included both HIIT and moderate cardio in your program?

Thanks again for sharing!

~ Pete

Hi Joel,
I am one of the guys at the gym doing 60 minutes of low impact cardio. No big results and way to much time on the treadmill.

I love interval training, I attend bootcamp 3 days a week for 45 minutes each session–lots of body weight exercises with quick cardio throw in between sets,
it is a great workout. I also try to bike once a week about 20 miles and get in one or two days or running – 5K, if I have any free time.

I would like to know a good high-intensity exercise for me. I have had one knee replaced and still have stiffness and pain in both kness. I have to stay away from lunges or collaps trying. I am 55 years old and just starting out trying to get healthier with exercise and nutrition. I am stumpted on calorie burn without using leg muscles the way I’d like.

Tell us how high our heart rate need to be during execise to be considered high intensity. How high does it need to be to be above “Slo-go”? (I am a 48 year male that has heard that 140 beats per minute heart rate is the MINIMUM.)

All individuals are different. If going slow is the only way you are going to get yourself motivated to move… Than go slow. “Go slow” does work if you have the time to make it work. Look at all of the endurance hikers doing the AT in one summer. I can promise you every single one of thoes hikers looses 20#- 30# during their 3+ monthes of hiking. (A majority of that weight being fat). Trust me when I say that 90% of them are not racing. They are”going slow”. they are hiking 8 to 15 miles a day and they are carrying a 30#-40# back pack on their back.

Now most normal working family people do not have time to go hike 15 miles a day with a 30# pack on out backs… so for time sake we need to try to burn more calories in a shorter time and build muscle to help increase our metabolism.

Hey Joel, I must say I agree with whole hearted. I personally run for 2 reasons. One, it gives me a great start to my day to organize thoughts etc. Two, the main reason, I have 2 border collies that run with me, if I do not run some of their energy out, my house will pay. Thanks!!

@ Howie:

I totally agree, HIIT may be great for burning those lbs but for some of us who play sport (I for one play rugby, a sport that needs a tremendous aerobic base) then HIIT is not the way to go necessarily as 80% Max cardio as you talked about builds up your conditioning and fitness so you can last longer and train harder :)

Agreed….slow-go cardio sucks!