That’s because just very recently I did:

“The Great Canadian Cardio Workout”

And captured some very inspirational footage on film…
I think it’s worthy of a Hollywood Production myself. At the very least it should rank high in a Canadian film festival

Anyway, before I made the video I posted the following on my facebook page:

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Yesterday I did the “Great Canadian Cardio Workout” and made a video of it… I’ll be posting it up within the next day or two, but any guesses as to what that cardio workout might be?

If you can guess the correct answer for what my “Great Canadian Cardio Workout” is you might win a prize
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And as you can imagine there were some very interesting reply’s such as:
…Rowing
…Canoeing
…Chopping Down Trees
…kayaking
…Ice Fishing
…Lumberjack Wood Chopping
…Skiing
…Hockey
…Cross Country Skiing
…Wrestling Bears
…F*cking a moose? (yes someone actually posted that)
…Cutting Wood
…Chasing Your Dog
…Horseback Riding
…Mountain Biking
…Tree Climbing

Now all of these were good answers, except for the one about the Moose…
But non of them were right. Until “Bob” guessed the right answer and won the prize!

Please share your comments below…
I’m sure this video will make for some interesting blog comment discussions

Some Love It… Some Hate It…

But regardless of how you feel, it’s a must in order to get ultra lean and ripped.

Practically every bodybuilder and fitness competitor that I know of does cardio (and lots of it) in order to get ripped for competition.

Even though cardio works great for burning bodyfat, you run the risk of also burning up some of your hard earned muscle mass in the process. During cardio your body not only burns fat for fuel, but it can also dip into your skeletal muscle tissue and use it as a source of easily accessible Amino Acids to help fuel your exercise efforts.

This is definitely something we do NOT want to happen. This is why you often see folks who do excessive cardio training looking flat, scrawny, and stringy… NOT the look you’re after if you are training to be a bodybuilder. You want to have a big, full, and defined physique – Not skinny and flat looking.

So how do we overcome this dilemma?

Simple…
Just take a serving of Branched Chain Amino Acids before you do your cardio workout.

Research has shown that taking Branched Chain Amino Acids can keep you anabolic even while you do cardio! In fact, supplementing with BCAA’s has been shown to increase protein synthesis by 33% while at the same time decreasing catabolism.

What I suggest you do is take a serving of BCAA’s right BEFORE you start your cardio workout. And another serving right AFTER you finish your cardio workout.

If you are going to do an Extra Long cardio session (1 hour or more) you can even take a serving of BCAA’s right in the middle to help keep your body in an anabolic state.

It’s OK to take several servings of BCAA’s like this because they are basically just super fast absorbing protein that gets easily and rapidly used by your working muscles. Your body will resort to burning bodyfat and the BCAA’s for fuel…
Saving your hard earned muscle mass!

You can (and should) also use this BCAA’s supplement trick with your weight training workouts as well. It will work wonders for keeping your body in an anabolic state and maximizing your muscle gains during any type of exercise or activity – Be it cardio, weight training, or playing sports.

Click Here To Get High Quality Pharmaceutical Grade Branched Chain Amino Acids Shipped Right To Your Front Door!

And when you ask what kinds of cardio they are doing, more often then not you’ll hear the usual… treadmill, stationary bike, stepper, elliptical, etc… All done while in a stuffy old cardio room staring at the wall or if you are “really lucky” you maybe able to watch a television that’s on mute while doing your cardio.It’s no wonder people complain that doing cardio is boring, especially if that’s what they are doing for their cardio workouts! Blah…

In my case, I only use indoor machine cardio as a last resort when the weather outside is absolutely shitty (i.e. pouring down rain, freezing cold, snow storm, etc.)

But for the most part my cardio workouts are done outside in the fresh air and I really enjoy them and actually look forward to doing them!

To give you an example, just watch the quick video below to see a Fun Cardio Workout that I did yesterday…

You can use the cardio rowing machine at the gym to help spur on new muscle growth in your stubborn biceps and make your arms bigger. By doing these simple rowing variations (as shown in the video below) you can pump up your biceps and forearms like crazy!

Give this Bicep Blasting Cardio Workout a try the next time you are at the gym.
I bet you’ll be surprised by just how effective it really is for pumping up your guns

Want to burn off that stubborn bodyfat and get ripped abs as quickly as humanly possible? Well this Killer Fat-Loss Circuit Training Routine is a great place to start.

Fat-Loss Circuit Training is a program of my own invention. I developed it for losing fat quickly. It’s challenging but very effective!

It’s also one of the core components of my extremely powerful “Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss” program.

Fat-Loss Circuit Training is very simple once you get the hang of it, but it can be one of the most demanding (and most extraordinarily effective) styles of training you can do.

If you’re familiar with normal circuit training (with timed, light-weight intervals), please put aside any notions you might have of how this program works. You will not only be harnessing the muscle-building and metabolism-stimulating power of intense, full-set weight training (NOT the typical light-weight, timed intervals of normal circuit training), you will also be incorporating the great calorie-burning effects of cardiovascular training.

The proper combination of the two styles (weights AND cardio) into one workout is, quite simply, phenomenal for fat burning.

In order to use Fat-Loss Circuit Training, you will need access to both weight equipment and cardio equipment (and/or benches or stairs), preferably located in fairly close proximity to each other.

Rather than resting in between sets, do some moderate intensity cardio to keep your heart rate up and maximize fat burning!

This type of training is harder to do in a crowded gym as it will involve you moving back and forth quickly between different pieces of equipment. If someone is waiting to use your cardio machine the moment you step off, it will defeat the purpose of the workout. This technique is best used in a fairly uncrowded gym where you have more freedom to use equipment or, better yet, in a home gym with weights and cardio equipment and no one waiting for anything!

If you do work out in a crowded gym, I will tell you exactly how to get around it.

How The Training Works:

- Essentially, this is combined circuit/interval training.

- You will be going back and forth between your weight training exercises and one cardio exercise for the duration of the workout.

- Your rest period for weights will be your cardio and your rest period for cardio will be your weights.

- You will be doing some sort of activity for your entire workout without any break!

This combination is very effective for a number of reasons:

- It forces your body to burn calories continuously during the workout.

- It utilizes resistance training and cardio training so you get all the benefits of both in one workout.

- By forcing your body to work like this, you dramatically increase your metabolism leading to increased fat burning long after the workout (more so than either weights or cardio alone).

- It saves time – you get both your weights and cardio in the same amount of time as your regular workout.

- You will still be able to use heavy weights in your weight training, helping to preserve muscle mass.

How To Do It:

Step 1 – Set Up

For the most efficient workout possible, try to have most or all of your exercises pre-set and ready to go. The less time you spend on preparation during your workout itself, the more effective that workout will be, especially since you want to be continually active throughout the workout. You can use any type of cardio that is convenient and enjoyable to you, be it a machine, stair stepping, or even a skipping rope.

If you are working out in a crowded gym, try to claim an area for yourself and focus on dumbell exercises. You won’t have to wait in line to use any weight machines that way.

If you don’t have access to convenient cardio machines, you’re going to have to go low-tech. You’ll need to do stair-stepping (stepping up two stairs then back down works well), bench-stepping (step up onto a flat bench or Step platform then back down) or rope-jumping (be sure you’re not close to anyone if you choose this). These approaches work just as well as cardio machines and allow you to perform this training style in a busier setting.

Step 2 – Warm-up

Do a few minutes of low-intensity cardio as a warm-up. You may wish to do a few light sets of a few of the exercises you’ll be working with before you start into it though. Don’t tire yourself out, just get a light sweat going.

Step 3 – Start with 30 – 40 seconds of moderate intensity cardio.

This could be setting a stair machine to a level that is not easy but is not so challenging that you’re going to exhaust yourself right away. Watch the timer on your machine and go for approximately 40 seconds (I say approximately because there will generally be a slight lag time when you step on and off).

Many cardio machines have a “rest period” feature where you can leave the machine on and it will not erase your program while you have stepped off. Normally, this is about 2 minutes. This should be enough time to complete your weight set.

If you are using a machine such as a treadmill or stair machine that you will leave on with the timer running, just watch the time counter on the machine and keep track of when you get on it to get the designated period. It may require a little mental math! You can also use your own stopwatch or timer on your watch to keep track (this is easier). Start the timer when you start the cardio.

Many machines also have a feature that runs through a series of time periods. I’ve found on the StairMaster, if you set the length of the session to 20 minutes, this results in a 40 second time period making it perfect for judging your cardio periods.

Step 4 – Do a set of weights.

Go as quickly as you can to your first exercise. Do a set of the first exercise on your program for the day. Do this with no rest, going from the cardio immediately to the weights. Do all your reps until you start to approach muscular failure.

While this is definitely still intense weight training, don’t push yourself to muscular failure as you would in your regular training. Due to the high training volume we’ll be doing in this program, pushing to failure on every set will compromise muscle recovery.

Also, be very sure to use proper form and tempo when lifting the weights. Don’t rush your weight sets – perform them with the same form and speed as you would if you were doing a regular set in your training. Fast, light or sloppy weight sets are NOT what we’re looking for here.

Step 5 – Go right back to the cardio.

Get back to the cardio and do another 40 seconds of moderate-intensity cardio.

Step 6 – Repeat the cycle for the duration of the workout.

You will be going back and forth continuously between cardio and your weight training exercises, using the cardio as the rest period between your weight sets. What this means is that over the course of your workout, you’ll be burning calories via cardio and weights AND you’ll be working your muscles with intense, heavy weight training as well.

It’s tough training but very effective!

Notes:
- As you improve your cardio ability, you can choose to increase the intensity of your cardio training between sets. You may wish to start at a lower level and gradually increase the resistance over the course of the workout or start at a higher level and keep it there. It is perfectly acceptable to keep it at a steady, moderate level, however.

- This Fat-Loss Circuit technique can be used with nearly any form of cardio exercise as long as it is convenient to go back and forth with the weights. The real key here is to maintain activity for the entire workout.

- Keep your workouts to no more than 45 minutes at the very most when doing this type of training. Any more than that and you will be breaking yourself down too much. It’s an extremely demanding form of training as you’ll be working every major energy system in your body. You will also find it will crank your metabolism up pretty seriously!

If you are interested in getting a complete fat loss training system, you can order the
“Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss” program.

Metabolic Surge Rapid Fat Loss Program

“Lee, is it ok to add in extra exercise such as cardio, bodyweight workouts, ab work, etc.”

And the answer is YES!

When it comes to exercise there are no “set rules” that you have to follow.
If you want to do some extra exercise and you feel up to it, then Do It.

Just watch the quick video clip for more info on this topic…

One of the most effective ways to blast away that stubborn bodyfat is to increase your cardio. The combination of hardcore weight training workouts supplemented with regular cardio is a proven fat burning combo. Practically every bodybuilder and fitness competitor has used this combo to get ripped to the bone shredded time and time again.

Now when it comes to doing cardio there are endless debates over how to go about it…
(i.e. High Intensity, Intervals, Low Intensity, Long Duration, etc.)
But you know what? They all work as long as you do it consistently.

I personally mix and vary my cardio all the time. Variety is the spice of life and I don’t like to get stuck in a boring rut of having to do the same things over and over again.

If I’m full of energy I’ll go all out with a high intensity cardio workout. One of my personal favorites is hitting the trails on my mountain bike and cranking it out. This is high intensity cardio at it’s best because my legs will be burning and my heart rate will be racing.

However, if I’m feeling a bit beat down from my training and just need some active recovery type of cardio. I’ll simply take my dog and go for a brisk walk outside. And if the weather outside isn’t suitable for cardio, I’ll go to the gym and use the cardio machines there. It really doesn’t matter what you do for cardio, as long as you Do It!

Another hot controversial topic that you’ll hear fitness gurus debating over is:
“When Is The Best Time To Do Cardio?”

And for all practical purposes; any cardio, done at anytime, is better than no cardio at all.

However, there has been some research that has shown that you’ll get the best bang for your buck when it comes to fat loss if you do your cardio first thing in the morning before eating, and again right after your weight training workouts. The reason being is that your body is pretty much running on empty at these times, your glycogen levels are low so you’ll be able to tap into burning stored bodyfat more readily for fuel.

Now while cardio at these times may be good for burning fat at a faster rate, it can also burn up precious lean muscle tissue as well. And as a hard training bodybuilder this is something you definitely DON’T Want!

So how do we… Burn The Fat AND Keep The Muscle? Simple, before each of your cardio workouts just pop some Branched Chain Amino Acid capsules. What this will do is provide your muscles with rapidly digestible amino acids that will help maintain your lean muscle mass and keep your body from going catabolic. But they will not hinder the fat loss benefits of doing fasted state cardio, or cardio right after your weight training workouts. I personally take BCAA’s before my weight training AND cardio workouts to help combat the catabolic effects of training. You only need to take them on your workout days. But it’s something that you’ll notice the benefits from rather quickly. Within a week of regularly taking amino acids you’ll find that recovery from your workouts is quicker and you won’t feel as beat down or experience as much muscle soreness either. BCAA’s are a “must have” supplement for more advanced fitness enthusiasts who are looking for every natural edge possible to maximize their lean muscle gains.

Click Here For More Info

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If you’d like to get more advanced training tips for maximum fat loss, then I highly recommend you check out my Extreme Fat Loss DVD program.

This covers in detail the exact Fat Loss Diet and Training Cycle that I personally use to get ripped to the bone shredded for bodybuilding competitions.

One the DVD I break down exactly what you need to do on a daily basis with regards to your diet, supplements, and your workouts to quickly lose that stubborn bodyfat and get a lean, tight, athletic physique.

To get more information just click on the link below:

Click Here For More Info…

Answer:
Watch this brand new video presentation to find out how you can achieve 173% faster results compared to traditional weight training and cardio workouts…

Click Play To Watch The Free Video Presentation.

Have you ever wondered why that lean, fat free, “athletic muscle look” only seems to grace the physique of your genetically gifted friend who eats pizza and cupcakes everyday, yet he stills rocks a 6 pack like Vin Diesel?

Have you tried following a 7 gazillion calorie diet while training at Golds Gym for two hours a day only to end up a bigger yet SOFTER version of your original self?

Look, if you’re anything like me there is nothing that you hate more than trying to build muscle or bulk up, only to have to spend the next six months with your butt on a the tiny seat of a stationary bike, pedaling like a hamster to burn off all that “bulking fat”.

Click Here for 2 Killer Tricks that you can start using right now to help pack on Lean Muscle Mass, while trimming off stubborn bodyfat at the SAME TIME…

http://www.LeeHayward.com/go/free-muscle-video.htm

Note: This is a guest Blog Post by my good friend Mike Westerdal
(Mike is the creator of Critical Bench and the Co-Author of Lean Hybrid Muscle.)

You know, going to the gym and working out isn’t the only way to get strong. There’s actually a huge difference between being gym strong versus real-life strong. It’s completely possible to be in good shape and strong-and I mean really strong-without ever having stepped inside a gym. How is this possible? Are these guys just genetic freaks? Let me tell you that it is possible and no, you do not have to be a genetic anomaly to be in great shape and what I like to call “real-life strong.” My own dad is a great example of a guy who is really strong but yet he’s never worked out a day in his life. He did however, do a lot of manual labor. He was always working on things outside in the yard, building stuff, working with wood or any number of other things.

On the flip side is me… I’ve been working out since I was in a high school student living in Connecticut. I really started to get serious about training when I finally started growing and getting stronger. By the time I hit my senior year and was playing football I was able to bench 275 pounds and was really proud of myself.

But it all got put into perspective though one day when my dad needed my help to get rid of some large rocks sticking out of the grass. The area where we lived in Connecticut was kind of mountainous with these huge rocks just about everywhere. Around our yard, they seemed to even multiply so every now and then we’d have to dig them up and haul them away in a wheelbarrow.

One summer, my dad wanted to get rid of some especially big rocks on the property so we got to work digging…

Once the dirt was removed I went in to move the boulders. Knowing how strong I had been getting I figured I could take care of the bulk of it by myself. I was shocked though to find out that I could hardly even budge them. But my dad-the guy who had never worked out a day in his life-was able to move them all by himself almost effortlessly.

This Old Man Just Kicked My Ass With REAL World Strength!

I was shocked. I could not believe that this “old man”, who I knew I could beat on any machine in the weight room, was still “stronger” than me when it came to real life. I started to refer to it as “Old Man Strength.”

Today, I’m older, a bit wiser and I realize that my dad hadn’t developed “old man strength” but he had actually developed “Hybrid Strength” without even trying. Those activities that he did around the house just about every day gave him a physical edge that is very difficult to duplicate in a gym. Most ordinary training routines isolate individual muscles, which is not how our bodies are really designed to work. The kinds of things my dad did though recruited multiple muscle groups simultaneously and even more important-would have required both strength and endurance, just like a hybrid workout. And what he did in the process of doing these activities was to develop hybrid type III muscles, which is really the “optimal” muscle fiber because not only does it produce strength, but it’s also able to sustain that strength for extended periods. Ordinary type I or type II fibers just can’t do that-they basically sit at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Real World Strength At Work!

Typical gym workouts focus on developing the type I, type IIa and type IIb fibers-not developing hybrid muscle. And because my dad was developing type III muscle fibers, he had a lot more real life strength than I did. Sure I could have beat the snot out of him at the gym, but in the real world, there was no competition-I was licked.

Of course my dad isn’t the only example of someone who either by accident or by design, was engaging in hybrid muscle training and in the process, developing hybrid type III muscle.

The movie Rocky IV provides another great example of the superiority of real world strength versus gym strength. In the movie, Rocky trains in the mountains focusing on building his real world strength-in reality doing hybrid workouts and developing hybrid type III muscle.

This is a great example of some Killer High Intensity Workouts. Building “Old Man Strength” Lean Hybrid Style!

Conversely, the Russian guy trains in this futuristic high-tech gym using scientifically-designed treadmills and exercise equipment. Yeah, the guy looked pretty muscular but when it came time to fight, his gym-engineered muscles were no match for the real-world strength of Rocky!

So you see, although science has tried to come up with all sorts of interesting ways for guys to get bigger, stronger and leaner, when it comes down to actual results, basic functionality and real-world strength still triumph every time.

Building Real World “Old Man Strength” is just one of the benefits that you’ll get from following the Lean Hybrid Muscle Reloaded program. You’ll go through heavy power bodybuilding days, body part specialization days, high intensity resistance cardio days, and much more!

These killer hybrid workouts will allow you to burn more calories, finish faster, and have a heck of a lot more fun during your training. And right now until Thursday February 10th you can pick up your very own copy for 50% off the regular price!

In addition to that if you click the link below and order now I’ll also give you my personal Body Part Specialization Guide for FREE. This can be plugged right into the Lean Hybrid Workouts to help target and isolate your stubborn muscle groups and spur on new growth.

Click Here To Transform Your Physique & Build Some REAL World “Old Man Strength”…

Now if you are familiar with my methods and philosophy’s on training and nutrition you know that I don’t believe in absolutes. There is more than one way to go about reaching the final outcome.

I always like to step back and look at the big picture, rather than nit picking over the minor details that really don’t matter much in the grand scheme of things.

So the BEST cardio for fat loss is the one that you consistently. Be it high intensity, long duration, interval, or some combination of all of the above. The real key is to JUST DO IT!

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If you’d like to get more advanced training tips for maximum fat loss, then I highly recommend you check out my Extreme Fat Loss DVD program.

This covers in detail the exact Fat Loss Diet and Training Cycle that I personally use to get ripped to the bone shredded for bodybuilding competitions.

One the DVD I break down exactly what you need to do on a daily basis with regards to your diet and your workouts to quickly lose that stubborn bodyfat and get a lean, tight, athletic physique.

To get more information just click on the link below:

Click Here For More Info…

Here’s just a quick re-cap of some of the crazy fun cool stuff that went down:

1) Checked out the Mr. Olympia competition and seen Jay Cutler get his 4th Olympia title…

2) Wined and dined with some of my best friends in the online fitness industry…

3) Raced a Lotus Elise at 120 mph through the desert…

4) Jumped out of a perfectly good airplane at 15,000 feet…

5) And in addition to all that fun and adventure, I also worked out at Wanderlei Silva’s MMA gym with my girlfriend Trish and good friend Eric Wong.

If you are an MMA / UFC fan than you’ll really like this one!
I posted up a video clip of our workout below so you can see what a cool gym it really is…

And if you’d like to get more info about MMA style strength and conditioning workouts,
than you should check out my friend Eric Wong’s MMA Ripped Training System.

Eric Wong – Author Of “MMA Ripped”

Eric is like the modern day Bruce Lee! He has the type of lean, ripped, athletic fighters physique that a lot of guys want. Not only does he “talk the talk”, but he walks the walk, as you can tell by his pic to the left! So if you are looking for a change of pace with your workouts and would like to try something different, why not give Eric’s MMA Ripped Training System a try for yourself. Just click here for more information.

If you have access to one, I highly recommend incorporating it as part of your workouts. Simply doing a 5-10 laps with this machine at the end of your workouts will really help build up your overall conditioning.

Another big plus to this is it will really get that lactic acid burn going throughout your legs, which is great for stimulating natural Growth Hormone release.

Note:
If you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube Workout Video Channel at: http://www.YouTube.com/leemhayward This way you can keep up to date and get early notification of all my latest workout training videos.

I ran the indoor track at the university today for my morning cardio workout. I alternated walking a lap, and running a lap, and continued doing this non stop for a full hour while I cranked the tunes in my MP3 player.

In addition to following a strict diet and hard weight training workouts, I find that nothing strips the fat away like cardio done first thing in the morning before eating. So if you’re looking to lose some of that stubborn bodyfat I’d highly recommend you give it a try.

P.S.
If you are looking for a complete killer fat loss program that will help you carve out those ripped six pack abs and get down to a SINGLE DIGIT bodyfat percentage. Then I highly recommend you check out my buddy John Romaniello’s advanced fat-blasting program “Final Phase Fat Loss”

This isn’t some basic beginners diet and exercise 101 type of program. But rather this is geared towards serious fitness enthusiasts who are already working out regularly, who are already in pretty good shape now, but who want to take things to the next level and get in AWESOME Shape! So if you are looking to kick your training up a notch, and get those ripped six pack abs just in time to hit the beach or pool this summer, why not give this program a shot? Trust me you won’t be disappointed… You can check it out now for yourself and find out how you can go from “Lean-To-Ripped”

Click The Link To Get Your Copy Now –>> http://www.LeanToRipped.com

Is it low intensity, high intensity, interval training, long duration, short duration, etc. ?

Just like there is no one “best” weight training workout. There is no one “best” cardio workout either.

There are pros and cons to all the different variations. But if fat loss is your goal, the one critical component that’s going to make all the difference is consistency. Regardless of what form of cardio you perform.

When it comes to fat loss the main thing is calories in verses calories out. And as long as you can achieve a caloric deficit, it really doesn’t make much difference what kind of cardio you do.

Now I know some people will go on about doing high intensity cardio to jack up your metabolism and get the “after burn” effect, etc. and that’s cool, there’s nothing wrong with that.

But most bodybuilders achieve the metabolism boosting effects from their weight training workouts. The cardio workouts are usually just an extra add on to help burn off some excess blubber. It is not the main focus of their training as it is with endurance athletes.

So if your main training goal is “bodybuilding” meaning to improve your body composition (i.e. gaining lean muscle while burning off excess bodyfat) and you are already hitting the gym and lifting weights as the staple of your training, then you have a lot of variety when it comes to the cardio you do. You are not limited to one particular method or another.

When I’m training for fat loss I actually look forward to my cardio workouts because I make them fun and enjoyable. I don’t stick to just spinning my wheels on a squeaky old treadmill while counting down the minutes on the clock.

Lee hiking in Gros Morne, Newfoundland

Lee bike riding on Venice Beach

If it’s possible I do my cardio outside and get some fresh air in my lungs. I love to walk my dog and go mountain bike riding on the great trails that are near by my home. Those two methods of cardio are my main staples that I’ll do on a regular basis because they are convenient and fun.

If the weather isn’t suitable for getting outside I’ll resort to doing cardio inside. But even then it’s not that bad because I’ll mix it up with a lot of variety. I have a stepper and elliptical at home and I’ll alternate back and forth between those machines to get in my cardio session.

If I’m doing cardio at the gym I’ll mix it up with whatever machines they have available. So instead of doing 45 minutes on the treadmill. I may do 10 minutes on the rower, 10 minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes on the bike, and 10 minutes on the stepper, etc.

Not only is this more enjoyable in terms of variety. But it also prevents the repetitive strain of doing the same form of cardio all the time. You’re less likely to suffer from repetitive use injuries (i.e. runners knee, shin splints, etc.) and other things that are common among people who do the same form of cardio day in, day out.

When I’m in hardcore fat loss training (such as getting ready for a bodybuilding competition) I’ll do between 30-60 minutes of cardio every single morning on an empty stomach before breakfast. This is one thing that I have found just strips the fat off you like nothing else when combined with a good diet and solid weight training program.

And as for the intensity of the cardio workouts. I personally DON’T monitor it, I’m very instinctive with it. After all it’s just an extra, not my main training priority.

If I’m feeling energetic and full of “piss and vinegar” then I’ll go harder and do a higher intensity cardio workout. If I’m feeling tired and a bit worn out, then I’ll do something easy like going for a walk. But the main thing is to just be consistent over the long haul with your diet, weight training, AND cardio. If you do that then you’ll reap the rewards of a lean, muscular physique!

Lee & Trish after a Muscle Beach workout!

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Note:
I did a really unique and different cardio workout this past weekend.
It got my heart racing, my blood pumping, and my belly laughing…

Check it out below…

http://www.WarriorBuiltDVD.com

You see I’ve teamed up with fellow bodybuilder, Andy Pratt, to bring you a complete physique transformation training system that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

It’s called “Warrior Built” and it combines MMA and Boxing style conditioning drills along with hardcore weight training workouts that will cut through stubborn bodyfat like a hot knife slicing through butter!

Andy is a true master at getting ripped to the bone shredded. In fact I’ve never seen anyone get as lean as this guy does. And to prove it, just check out the picture below!

http://www.WarriorBuiltDVD.com

So if one of your goals for the New Year is to finally see your abs…
Then you owe it to yourself to check out the Warrior Built Training System.

Click the link below to get your copy now…
http://www.WarriorBuiltDVD.com

Lactic acid is what causes the burn that you feel after a hard set. It slows recovery and can contribute to muscle soreness. Since cardio exercise enhances circulation and oxidation of toxic compounds, your body rids itself of post workout lactic acid more quickly when you do regular cardio.

When you add up all of the benefits of cardio, from increasing your energy levels to improving your bodies ability to utilize nutrients, and get rid of toxins. It becomes clear that moderate cardio combined with weight training will help speed your muscle gains.

Here are some good basic guidelines to follow for your cardio workouts:

• Do at least 20 minutes of cardio 3 times per week.
• Work in your Target Heart Rate Zone. To find your “target heart rate” you just subtract your age from 220 to determine your maximum heart rate. Then multiply that number by 0.65 this will give you your “lower target heart rate level”, multiply by 0.8 to determine your “upper target heart rate level”.
• To make things easier you can get a exercise heart rate monitors that you wear on your wrist just like a watch. This will accurately tell you if you are working at the correct intensity level. These cardio heart rate monitors are available at most any department store in the sporting goods section.
• Choose a form of cardio exercise that you enjoy. One type is not necessarily better then another. There is no “best cardio exercise”, cardio is cardio, it makes no difference what type of cardio you do. What does matter is how hard you work. Your body will burn the same number of calories at a certain heart rate whether you are riding an exercise bike, using the stair master, or hiking through the woods, it makes no difference in terms of real world results.

The controversies over cardio for fat loss are endless: steady state versus intervals, fed versus fasted, long and easy versus short and intense, and so on. Obviously there is a lot of interest in cardio training and how to do it right. Sadly, most people are still doing 2 things terribly wrong and it’s killing their results… As best as I can figure, there are two major reasons why people are still mucking up their cardio programs for fat loss.

REASON #1:
Not Enough Focus On Total Calories Burned

Most people aren’t burning enough darn calories.

Why? Well, I guess they are too busy worrying about the “proper” type of exercise (which machine or activity), the mode (steady state or intervals), the “optimal” ratio of intervals, or the “best” duration.

Some people coast along on the treadmill at 2.3 miles per hour or some similar sloth-like pace and they think that just by hitting a TIME goal, such as 45 or 60 minutes, that with “X” duration completed, they are assured to get the results they want.

On the other extreme, we have folks who have found or created some mega-intense, super-duper short training protocol like the “4-minute wonder workout from Japan.” Just because the workout is high in intensity and it is performed in intervals, they too think they are assured to get the results they want.

What’s missing in both cases is the realization that total fat loss over time is a function of total calories burned over time (assuming you don’t blow your diet, of course).

AND…

Total calories burned is a product of INTENSITY times DURATION, not intensity OR duration.

Too much focus on one variable at the exclusion of the other can lead to a less than optimal total calorie burn and disappointing results. And remember, intensity and duration are *variables* not absolutes! (“Variable” means you can change them… even if your “guru” says you can’t!)

When you understand the relationship and interplay between INTENSITY X DURATION you will find a “SWEET SPOT” where the product of those variables produces the maximal calorie burn and maximum fat loss, based on your current health condition and your need for time efficiency.

REASON #2:
Too Much Focus On What Type Of Calories Burned

As best as I can figure, there is one whopper of a mistake that is still KILLING most people’s cardio programs and that is…

Way too much focus on WHAT you are burning during the workout – fats or carbohydrates – also known as “substrate utilization.”

This idea comes from the notorious “fat burning zone” myth which actually tells people to exercise SLOWER and LESS intensely to burn more fat.

Hold on a minute. Pop quiz. Which workout burns more calories?

(A) A 30 minute leisurely stroll through the park
(B) A 30 minute, sweat-pouring, heart-pounding, lung-burning run?

Like, DUH!

And yet we have trainers, authors and infomercial gurus STILL telling us we have to slow down if we want to burn more fat??? Bizarre.

The reason people still buy it is because the “fat burning zone” myth sounds so plausible because of two little science facts:

• The higher your intensity, the more carbs you burn during the workout
• The lower your intensity, the more fat you burn during the workout

And that’s the problem. You should be focusing on total calories and total fat burned during the workout and all day long, not just what type or percentage of fuel you are burning during the workout.

It’s not that fat oxidation doesn’t matter, but what if you have a high percentage of fat oxidation but an extremely low number of calories burned?

If you really want to be in the “fat burn zone,” you could sit on your couch all day long and that will keep you there quite nicely because “couch sitting” is a really low intensity (“fat-burning”) activity.

(Of course, “couch sitting” only burns 37 calories per half hour…)

HERE’S THE FAT-BURNING SOLUTION!

In both cases, the solution to burning more fat is drop dead simple: Focus your attention on how you can burn more TOTAL calories during your workout and all day long.

If you want to burn more fat, burn more calories and you can do that by manipulating ANY of the variables : intensity, duration and also frequency.

If you build your training program around this concept, you will be on the right track almost every time.

BUT WAIT – THERE IS MORE TO IT…

Naturally, we could argue that it’s not quite this simple and that there are hundreds of other reasons why your cardio program might not be working… and I would agree, of course. But on the exercise side, the ideas above should be foremost in your mind.

On the nutrition side, you have to get your act together there too.

For example, many people increase their food intake at the same time as they start a cardio training program thereby putting back in every calorie they burned during the workout! Then some of them have the nerve to say, “SEE, cardio doesn’t work!”

Incidentally, this is the exact reason that a few studies show that adding cardio or aerobic training to a diet “did not improve fat loss”: It’s not because the cardio didn’t work, it was because the researchers didn’t control for diet and the subjects ate more!!

It should go without saying that nutrition is the foundation on which every fat loss program is built.

Choose the combination of type, intensity, duration and frequency that suits your lifestyle and preferences the best, and WORK THE VARIABLES to get the fat loss results you want, but whichever cardio program you choose, remember that a solid fat burning nutrition program, such as Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle is necessary to help you make the most of it.

Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach

Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, personal trainer, gym owner, freelance writer, and author of “Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle”: Fat Burning Secrets of the World’s Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Click here to visit Tom’s Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle website.

www.BurnTheFatProgram.com

I’m super pumped to get my new bodybuilding blog up and running. This is really going to help me deliver even more killer muscle building and fat loss advice that will help you take your physique and muscular development to the next level.

There is a lot more “bells” and “whistles” with this newer updated blog compared to my old blog…

Note: I’m still keeping the old blog online as an archive as there is almost 2 years worth of valuable posts at: http://www.LeeHayward.blogspot.com and I certainly don’t want to get rid of it.

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Lee Hayward

(Your Muscle Building Coach!)