I have a love hate relationship with cardio.

When I started getting in shape I believed you needed to do cardio lose weight.

As I learned more, coached many clients and saw what actually worked I realized that it's nice but should never be the main tool to burn fat.

That's your diets job.

That being said, I'm huge fan of the benefit it brings to your heart, lungs and brain.

Losing a bit of fat is an awesome side effect.

One thing you have to realize about losing the weight with cardio is that your body gets used to it.

This means that if you lost initial pounds with cardio then you'd have to increase time or intensity to get the same effect.

This leads to a law of diminishing returns as well as a high incidence for injury and frustration

Each type of cardio comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

The best cardio to burn fat is the one that suits your preferences and goals.

So which one works best for you? Use this chart to come to your own conclusions...

Option #1 - HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

Example: Hill sprints

Pros
-Very high caloric burn per minute
-Small caloric burn after you're done

Cons
-High levels of fatigue
-Higher risk of injury

Option #2 - MISS (Moderate Intensity Steady State)

Example: Jogging

Pros
-Great for cardiovascular fitness
-High caloric burn per minute

Cons
-Moderate levels of fatigue
-Might inhibit muscle building

Option #3 - LISS (Low Intensity Steady State)

Example: Walking

Pros
-Adds little fatigue
-Assists in recovery
-You can do a lot of it without affecting muscle

Cons
-Lowest calorie burn

Personally, for myself and my most of my clients I recommend option #3.

I live a somewhat high stress on the go lifestyle and I want a form of cardio that is accessible and low impact.

It also helps speed up recovery, which enables us to crush the weights at the gym.

If we're using the diet as the main tool to burn fat then any extra calories we burn is a bonus.

Remember: It's not about how fast you lose the weight but how sustainable the process is.

If you can't see yourself finding the time to run 5k's as a habit or don't want to run the risk of injury with HIIT training then this type of cardio works best.

Also, you want to build muscle because that is the compound interest of your metabolism.

10 pounds of muscle would burn an extra 50 calories in a day and that amount adds up over the course of an entire year.

Just the other day I got this message from a client who went on a trip to Europe. He used to be a "cardio bunny" but evolved his workouts to focus on building muscle.

Here's what he had to say...

...And no you won't look like a bodybuilder if you build muscle. It takes time, dedication & steroids to get to those levels of muscle.

So, if you do cardio choose based on what you can sustainably keep up for your entire life rather than using it to lose weight.

Whatever you do choose wisely.

Onwards and upwards,

- Dan