Work Smart Not Hard

Just because you go to the gym and work hard doesn't mean that you are working smart. Many people approach their workout with much vigor but that's not necessarily the best approach. Many people simply don’t know any better. They rush into the gym, jump on the treadmill and do 30 minutes of cardio before proceeding on to the weight training equipment. They think doing cardio is the most important and put weight training on the back burner. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Lets look at why this is not the best approach. Some believe that you burn more fat by doing cardio on an empty stomach. The truth is you burn more fat if your body is depleted of carbohydrates. Eating proteins or dietary fats does not affect how your body burns fat. Eating things like egg whites, chicken breast, or a protein shake that doesn't contain carbs will still allow you to burn the same amount of fat as working out on an empty stomach.
Carbohydrates are stored in your liver as glycogen and burned when your body needs fuel. When you do cardiovascular exercises this glycogen is used to fuel your body. Your body will not start to burn its stored fat until its supply of glycogen is depleted. Anaerobic exercises such as weight lifting only burn glycogen and do not work to deplete the body's supply of stored fat.

Here's how you can use this to your advantage. Studies have shown that it takes 29 minutes of cardio to burn the body's store of glycogen. If you start your exercise routine with 30 minutes of cardio, you burn all of your glycogen supply and deplete all of the needed fuel your body needs for weight training. In order for your body to manufacture more glycogen for weigh training, your body will actually break down muscle tissue to use certain amino acids for fuel. You may actually end up losing muscle rather than gaining it and not doing anything to lose fat.

The proper approach is to do your weight training before you do your cardio routine. Use the weight training to burn off your body's supply of glycogen. Once your body is depleted of glycogen then it is time for the cardiovascular routine. With your body being depleted of glycogen it will turn to it's supply of stored fat for fuel.

This is the smart approach to working out. By working smart rather than hard, you allow your body to burn fat and build muscle.