Angry Trainer,

I recently saw that you posted your resistance band workout in preparation for a bodybuilding show on Facebook. You mentioned that you were doing 1 hour of L.I.S.S. cardio in the morning.

My question is – what is L.I.S.S. training? I’m trying to lose weight and want to know if this type of cardio is good for me?

You’ve been an inspiration with your daily status updates and they really help motivate me.

Thanks AT!

Adrian

 

Hey Adrian!

I was wondering when I was going to get this question. So you want to know what L.I.S.S. cardio is? No problem and it’s super simple.

First I should tell you that bodybuilders have used this style of cardio for decades as a way to lose body fat before a competition. Simply put, Low Intensity Steady State cardio is just as its name implies – very low intensity, monotonous, long and often boring cardiovascular training! Sounds like fun right? But let me explain the theory behind it.

The theory behind using this type of cardio as a fat burner is really all about energy systems within the human body and what gets primarily used for fuel at different heart rate levels. At a lower heart rate, around 120 beats per minute or less, your preferred energy source will be bodyfat. This is a proven fact. However once you start climbing the MHR (Max Heart Rate) scale, your body will have to look for more immediate sources of fuel such as blood sugars, muscle glycogen and other alternative sources as you start to fatigue. When you perform between 30–60 minutes of L.I.S.S. cardio you can be assured that you’ll mostly use fat for fuel. And this is one reason why people who walk for hours and miles per day have such great results and lose a lot of fat – they’re performing L.I.S.S. without knowing it!

I’ll be honest, you’ll find people that disagree with my former statements and say that the lower heart rate training/fat burning is hogwash. However as I always back up my statements with real world results I can tell you it works. I started performing 1-hour sessions 5 days per week – first thing in the am on a fasted stomach and in the first week I saw a huge difference in how my body looked. Keep in mind that because it’s low intensity you can literally do it everyday, as opposed to intense H.I.T.T. sessions that require more recovery time and may make you sore.

BUT, you must realize WHY it is that I’m doing this. I’m trying to shed bodyfat and preserve muscle mass. Those are my two main goals for the next 8 weeks so my training is dictated by my needs. High intensity cardio is awesome and I still use it – it provides tremendous cardio and heart benefits and in some cases can help build a bit of muscle. But I can’t train that way everyday so I’ve opted to ADD in an hour of L.I.S.S. each day for the next four weeks. When I’m four weeks away from stepping on stage, I’ll add in a SECOND hour at night to burn of the last bit of fat. I know it sounds crazy and like a job and truthfully it is. I’m even caught some harsh comments from fans who want to know what happened to the functional training and “look fit be fit” mantra of the Angry Trainer Fitness site!

My answer is this: My fitness and health program isn’t stagnant –it’s always changing and evolving. My girlfriend Alejandra recently won her 1st figure competition out of a field of 17 women and my old bodybuilding fire was lit. But this time around I’m not training like a bodybuilder – I’m using bands and bodyweight exercises only and STILL include functional training as part of my program. At the age of 38, and having had two fairly serious injuries and subsequent surgeries since my last competition, I want to test myself and see if I can get into amazing shape again. Although I know my health and fitness is at an all time high already.

So if you’re primary goal is to lose fat, then perhaps you should try a little L.I.S.S. cardio in your program to speed things up a bit. Remember, variety is key when it comes to health and fitness progress. The most important thing is that you’re consistent with your sleep, diet and your exercise program.

Good luck – and if you have a question – please just click here. I’d love to help you!

 

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