How to Do Cardio Without Sacrificing Muscle

What is the optimal way to balance cardio with muscle maintenance, especially  for women over 40? In this episode I talked about effective cardio methods that boost heart health and burn calories without compromising your muscle gains. 
I'll guide you through various cardio exercises including HIIT, LISS, and circuit training, and provide insights on integrating these into your fitness regimen without losing muscle mass. You will learn how to strategically plan and build your workouts, properly nourish your body, and understand the key roles of rest and recovery in building a healthier, stronger you.

Transcript

1:00

Hey and welcome to fit meter fitness podcast. Today's episode, I'm talking about how to do cardio without sacrificing muscle as this is a topic, what actually got into my attention in my reason, the only day where I've seen like it's so, many people are just doing endless cardio without touching weights without touching any kind of or doing any kind of resistance training. And I will get back to that story in a while. So, but before going there, it says for this topic research, I have seen so many people are doing it that in a kind of wrong way or or there is not right there is no absolute wrong way but that they will do it so much better. And because as you will learn from this episode that most people focus simply on cardio and especially in a weight loss tool. And in this episode, I will talk about principles how you can combine and get the most out of your if your main focus is on cardio without sacrificing muscle, or on the opposite side how to get most out of your strength training without losing all Korean. So but let's get into this episode. But before going there, I just wanted to share a little bit that about my recent that holiday as we were one week in Norway, doing some cruise with the with the ship and going with the ferry or with a cruise boat cruise ship for all different places for fjord in Norway, and that was an amazing experience. I was never I've never done that kind of thing before. And that was really, really great experience like basically because we are with my life we are persons who love to travel. And we are we were we you we used to go like you go from place to another place that you never kind of stay in the same place longer than a couple of days. And now this was a great opportunity like going going for different CDB, Visa Kristiansand barrack and two different fjord and small villages there we can that LPR and it was a great place like you know you are you get out of very avid one day time in a city where you are. And then when you get back, you go for dinner, you go for a ferry, or cruise boat and having your dinner and while you are sleeping, you are going into your next destination. So there is no kind of traveling and more traveling somebody else you are traveling while you are sleeping. And you don't have to really vary about where to find the food where to find restaurants. So this was absolutely the experience what I what we loved, and for sure, going to do it in the future. So when what things what came to my mind on that trip was mean, obviously there was a team. And even my goal wasn't, was not the workout, I was thinking like that goes for me. When you are on holiday, you should do things you naturally enjoy. But for me, it was being there. It was an opportunity. It was like that I originally asked that if I do something I do if not, I'm not going to worry about it. But I know I'm as active person as that I kind of need to do something I wouldn't it's not like nothing crazy, but just simply walking, doing some little strength tests and to feel so much better. And and there when you are like especially beaver do days tests, they're on the boat. So there was not too many things to do, you can't walk you can't do so. And I was using kind of those opportunities to do some kind of small workout. We was participating like kind of group lessons and being as a participant, I wish that something was I haven't done too much. And it's a great experience to experience how like people who are participating participating for group sessions being on the other side because usually I'm the one who is building what to do and now being able to participate and see what kind of things like making notes like how music is impacting what kind of exercises, how the mood is in everything to group so kind of amazing experience and then end of 2008 was like the last day of the of the trip. There were like so many people in the morning like usually you didn't see a lot of people there especially on the days when you went to Beaver and a harbor we had a day type of activity. So I was with my wife we usually tend to go like during one sort 30 minute workout session before going into a day. And there were not many people like they were like two three people From 2000 in an amazing team, and that wasn't actually big surprise, but some there was a the last very last day where like, there were, like 3020 30 cardio machines. And on a very last day, those messages were full, there was nothing, I was the only person doing weights and everybody else we're doing some form of cardio, and then added, okay, maybe they do kind of warm up or something, but none of them spots, some weights. And then at the same time or a little bit after there was some jubilation where like, only women were doing something and I was just looking like nothing, nothing away from that, but just looking what they were doing. Like obviously, it's not the my thing. I don't say that it's a bad thing to do. But it was just some dancing movie, it looks like kind of funny. I've never to be honestly, I have never tried it. So I can't, I can't say how it is it's obviously dancing is not my thing. I'm not the one who enjoys it, I respect all those who are enjoying it, but it for me in a fitness perspective, what it how it's affecting, like, obviously, it's a way to move, like, like walking you know, you are it's a dancing, if you enjoy doing it, you stay consistent. Obviously, it's a great way to do it. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, but it's not that you don't get so many benefits like it's not hard for your muscles. You don't really train your endurance like it's not a cardio like kind of little bit cardio movement. But it's kind of like more for me it was at least that session what I saw was more like kind of activity so you are like if you are walking that is that is a activity there have there is obviously there is some kind of benefits but I'm just there's just the military, you could get so much more out of what our like obviously it's not always counting hours, it's more about having also some trial and put time while doing something for your health. But this is when I saw so many people doing SR cardio. It got me thinking like why, how you good if you are if you're listening this and things like that What is wrong with the cardio like that is there's nothing wrong but so many people what I see is that you do only cardio and especially like in these kind of situations after holiday because there's so many people there is that guilt a little bit like that you know you have been overeating you haven't been moving that much now you have to do something you have to sweat a little bit you have to burn calories because you were eating way much more or drinking way much more than you usually and now you know you do some cardio system so you burn more calories. So for many people, it is kind of either either home for the feeling guilt, all kinds of deserving dosage, you know, I have done that workout today I can eat a bit more today. So kind of earning those calories now and that is something more I wanted to touch about. And, and this in this episode to do, how to actually do that cardio without sacrificing too much muscle. So especially older people because as you probably know, people who are after turning 3035 years old, we start to lose our muscle mass if you don't fight against it. So it's especially that is eight one what we have to start to pay things for our bodies and our muscle mass. Because obviously the benefits of cardio, there is a you know, it's important to if there is a heart type health, it improves with your it helps with your metabolism and especially for mental health, especially if you do it outside getting some sunlight, that there's a there are huge benefits for your mental health which often are not taught that much. Then obviously, for muscle training, it's it's that you are making sure that you are not losing because if you do only cardio, it's actually something even you most misunderstanding is like that if you do cardio like if you do let's say you are a runner or you are doing you're going hiking or you do some kind of the QR building muscles because you are using for example if you use your arms or our exercises like basically that you are actually building muscle because you are using a lot of muscle like to use your leg muscles while you are doing this cardio. And that is not quite true. Like obviously you use those muscles but have you seen some kind of cardio athlete who is actually doing only bicycling and having huge leg muscle? So that doesn't usually you might be a little bit yes, but it's very, very hard. But you have to think like that how many like what is what do you have to do to build muscle like, there is a few things that would need to happen, it's consistent overload. So you have to do always something more. So it means doing same exercise, like let's say squat is a good example. So you are doing same exercise and now you do 10 repetitions with you put some extra radiator in the beginning might be your bodyweight enough, then you have to add something so it becomes easier, but you have build muscle that you are able to do those 10 repetitions, then you have to add to be able to make it effective that buddy continues building muscle, you have to add something, so it's either doing more repetitions, or doing more, more or adding more weight. So it's so that you are building actually muscle. So and the same thing is if you think it's like with the bicycling, bicycling, it that is not going to happen like you are using those muscles. But there is not really like something more, okay, some days, you might be going longer or going faster. But there is not really like that, that is kind of endless road, you can't follow those principles all the time. And that's why it's not the most optimal or it doesn't build actually, it's a form of cardio, it doesn't beat muscle may, if it's something new, you have never done it in the beginning, you might be able to do do it for a short time, but then longer you do it that won't help you building muscle. So all those are invited muscle is so important, especially when VAs is that also that metabolism. Like I had people like that, you know, when you are when you are getting when we are getting older, your basic metabolism. So basil's metabolic rate is it's decreasing, if you are losing muscle, so we are losing seven to 10 precaution to protect it if you don't fight against it. So that is that is massive. And if you think that that how much then its calories, it could be I worked with clients who were able to raise their daily basal metabolic rate with the 234 100 calories per day without actually doing anything. So just simply adding strength training, doing it in the right way. And that and that is the thing, what kind of benefits you can have having it, do 300 calories more or higher metabolism, it's like doing half an hour, one minute one hour cardio session without actually doing it. So it's it's that those are the benefits like kind of long term with strength training and preventing that you're not losing muscles. So then what kind of cardio is then preserves that muscle. So obviously if you go always long distance, like long, like marathons, that kind of stuff, that is the product of bursting what is actually not beneficial for your muscles. So you are going to push soon as your body start to use energy as a source you don't maybe you want to do you have that but that is not always the source will do what for your body is easiest available. So then your body start to use muscle as an energy source. And then it's that's how why you are especially if you do only excessive amount of cardio, that is when you start to actually lose muscle when you do that kind of long form cardio. So what is then what bad audio and the best ones are like short interval like kind of heat type of cardio. So it's a it's a it's a method like what you could be doing if you do it with running you could be doing like a heat kind of systems like with the Champs or something. So, in short, I don't explain what it is because I assume if you're listening this you know what it is. So it's basically just short term high intensity periods followed by a longer break. So for example 22nd Work 42nd off and that you could be doing with or running or some kind of other form of exercise. So then what is what is the other way is kind of low intensity steady state cardio, it's called somewhere for at least and that is kind of kind of low stress for your body and that is often what is called John to cardio so it means that kind of cardio what is what feels relatively easy. So if I do for me for example, I'm i i believe i have decent or pretty good endurance and for me still, my turn to cardio is rapid, fast walking And if I am not, obviously, I'm not a runner. I don't, I don't go for run running. But for me that's walking I mean, you know, John tune or hiking hyenas the other of my favorite ways of doing it. Obviously, if I start to go high on a hill, like doing height meters, then it's getting pretty tough for my legs too. And that is that is not always the most optimal, don't do cardio training, but especially if it's on a flat, and I think line, my job to cardio is for me, so walking, and that is that is that is often especially when I talk with the athletes, like what is the issue think like, what is the most optimal way to combine or to improve your cardio, it's kind of combination of, of this, don't you, John for like those intervals. And that is, that is the best way because most people they do like I did it all. Also always I was kind of chasing when I went to run when I was a professional hockey player, I went for a run, and I was kind of chasing that feeling of being tired that I did a workout. And that is like I wish I sit down now it's time to run I went to run, I was running 10 kilometers for an hour or 12. And then I was I was tired, but I was most of the time in zone three, sometimes even job four, basically never in zone two. And what that does, it's a really big stressful your buddy obviously take a lot of time to recover. And then you can do it that much. And now when I instead if I go for a fast walk and combine it with a interval trainings like in its own for like for me. So for training is often the intention is all or ordering I do with my group is in interval training, sometimes. So that is that is kind of my tone for training. And that is that is the best combination what I have been doing so you can do like walking, you can do it relatively a lot without it's impacting how that you are getting tired, or it's stressful your body goes this is always that those are two different things, what I have what I learned only when I got a little bit older that to listening your body and not kind of chasing that feeling what you get, because it's like, especially if you've gone with a background like my myself with an athlete, and you come like you need to feel tired, if you don't, if you're not tired, it wasn't a good workout, that was the kind of mentality, but luckily got over that. And that is that is you don't need to do, you don't need to feel always tired, or feels good or do so much to get actually or to see results. So sometimes it's working smarter, is better way than working harder. And then all kind of circle trainings, like combining these things, obviously, like doing some cardio, and strength. So you are doing kind of both things all together. And then like if I need to choose one of those popular machines, which are on the on the gym like elliptical treadmill, I would probably go for a rowing machine. So it is that is probably for me, that's the basically the best machine you could be doing. Just simply thinking of renting muscle mass, which is this kind of full body workout, and apparently is that strength and cardio part. So that is that is like throwing, it's a one strength exercise very good for your back. And obviously you are doing hundreds of those repetitions. But it's still it's a it's amazing where you you are in your legs are also involved, your core is involved. So there's a lot of muscles instead of thinking like walking or cycling or that kind of stuff, where it's very, very few. There's not as many muscles as in our own, but it's just an opinion. I personally got to be honest, I don't do it a lot. I'd rather do it outside of my all my records as I do. I believe I do enough for myself, but that's just my opinion about what is safe. I often get the kind of questions just what is the best form of cardio. So just some ideas. So how then what kind of how the plan would look like that if you are someone who wants to do like an AFO then you want to you don't want to sacrifice your muscle mass test the goals of doing cardio. So I just designed a brand new program. So important most important is to understand is that that you kind of don't try to do every thing at the same time. So I'm a big believer, you could be doing like, there are two, basically two different ways how to do it. So you could be doing kind of all the time, a little bit of everything. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just a big believer of doing something like focusing only one thing at a time. And then let's say that you focus on one month for endurance, or cardio or two or three months, and then focusing on building muscle. And just simply adding, like doing different type of training I got, I just dealt with that with one of my members, who is actually following and doing all my all my workouts, what I do my sales to what I have in my membership coaching for all my clients. And I have been those programs basically doing totally different things like we are I that's what I followed you, I love what I'm a person who actually hates doing strength training, I don't enjoy it at all, it's something that I know I must do. I'm 42 Even my art is enlarged, I can't do it. In a way I can't do any heavy lifting. But I gotta be careful with the weights. But it's that I'm not I can't stop it. I can't I know I wish decade without doing it. And I started to have back pain, gaining weight, didn't feel good about myself. And now it's not. I try to do it like it's two, three times a week what I do, but they know that they must do it. And the way I found it that it sucks, the least is that I focused basically different things I have created different kinds of programs for my membership and for my members. So it's every time like three months, like, let's say, for next three months, my focus is simply on building muscle, I have an amazing three, four phase phase program for that. And it's one month it's rates pace, you focus on maximum strength, you focus on kind of hypertrophy, and you focus on muscle endurance, the next program would be to simply focusing on cardio improving cardio for next three months. And that is the goal is just to simply maintain your muscle mass and improve cardio that's for next three months, then next three months, I might focus on my athletic performance. So focusing on different things like I'm still Isopure referee, so I love to do those kinds of things, what I need for ISO game and that is not my, my professional, not professional or any that anything like that, but it's still it's something different. And then maybe after that, I do like a strongman program, which I actually believe or not I built a program for strongman program. So how the strongest man in the world how they are training, and then then next one could be focusing on powerlifting so there's different kinds of things where I think I have 12 different programs in my in my for my members, and those are all like three different usually one program it takes like three four months to go through. And now I just created a cardio program. And this is this is something what I what I prefer like for strength training like it was talking way too much probably like jumping from topic I get so excited. Sorry if it was not clear what I wanted to say but I'm basically in cardio program there is a I create the most programs are three times a week two to three times per week workouts sometimes for in this program, you can choose between three and four or two to four times per week. And that basically every workout is designed that you have a different type of strength training, because strength training, there is an important thing is to do different kinds of things like focusing on maximum strength, hypertrophy and endurance strength endurance, what is the difference between these things, maximum strength is basically high rates, low repetitions low, not more than five repetitions. hypertrophy is around six to 12 repetitions. And then endurance, muscle endurance, or strength endurance is 12 relative to, let's say 20 repetitions. So higher repetitions and noubar kind of all those trade zones, how you can do it, you can divide it in individually for each single workout. But what I prefer to do that it's like in this program, you're basically doing one workout per week, just in half an hour for each, each way and then half an hour, half an hour on strength training, oh, cardio training, so, so different kinds of cardio, sometimes it's interval, sometimes it's a low intensity. So this kind of it's kind of the combination, what gives the best results in the long term, because mistake what I see people are doing is that you Do only either only cardio, or only weights or there's not really program on place where you don't really train all your muscles or you don't do all kinds of repetitions. When I asked them people what kind of repetitions most people tend to do like around 10 repetitions, because that is kind of it's for me also the kind of sweet spot to what I feel the most comfortable of doing. But our bodies are acting, our we are getting used to so, so quickly. And that's why, while I have seen from my own journey for my clients, you get a lot better results and a lot faster. When you focus on one thing at a time, do it for a month, the next month, focus on different things, and not kind of if you never change the way how you like exercise selection is something which you shouldn't change too much. It's like obviously, some kind of variation you need to have. But you don't need to show some YouTube exercises, they are those basic exercises they are might be boring, but but they are the most effective. And some variations of those like Prince princes, incline presses, squats, those are that is all what you need. But just chasing those amount of repetitions amount of weight, it keeps it interesting. If you change your balls, those are, those are the best ways how to do it. And then when it comes to nutrition, like nutrition is, if your goal is to preserving that muscle, obviously, you probably know that protein, protein is the most important macronutrient that is that is like even when you do cardio, you need a lot of carbs, like for us our energy source. But protein is protein is the fuel for your muscles. So it helps to repairing and building muscle. So the main focus always, always eating high protein diet, and kind of obviously balanced meals learning to eat kind of balanced meals to support those energy levels. And I think that your overall health so those are those are principles, basic things, I think most people know, then it's just about like, how to actually do it in real life. So those are those are things what we are talking in our membership, my coaching, like, I wish there is some kind of answer that it's for every person a bit different. But when there are type of people, then you know, you might always learn from other people or this is a great idea. It's and that's what I love in community like people, they are sharing kind of tips, it's not coming always from me so but it's coming from someone else who is maybe exactly the same situation then you are or having similar situation. So that is that is the power of community and these kind of membership that you know you have that support what you need. And then obviously addressing is that plays a big part for on your performance, and especially in recovery. So hydration, that's, that's one of the most common and most loved like I do for my membership coaching I do always really tenancies like it's a small thing like either, there's usually monthly a bigger thing now in July it was 3000 300,000 steps. And I was amazed to see so many members hit that number and some of them were never earlier who'd never heard it before. They were like so amazed that they couldn't believe that they finally hit it. So big numbers so those are kind of bigger monthly tenancies and and obviously there's always some kind of small challenges and often I just put focus on water and that is that is kind of tennis what people are struggling so mid July it's really like building those habits I got out I gotta drink water when I'm recording this because it's something just to remember to do and when you have some some small chances to do it then it's a lot likely that you actually do those things but you basically you know what you should be doing but you're just not doing and that is that is the power of there's nothing like magical what you probably you have never heard that it's something totally new it's just you're doing things but you know you should be doing but you do them consistently and that is the power of poaching best actually somebody who said that it was a good quotes is good quotes is someone who gets you're doing things what you know you should be doing but consistent. So that is there's basically there's no big secrets like 2024 If you are looking like that there's some secret what I have been missing. No there is not bad. It's just doing your system things what you know what you should be doing. Obviously, one thing for more nutritional dips is a meal timing. So there, what is the best time to eat around your workouts to maximize that muscle preservation and recovery? So, so there is a, there is not it, basically, it doesn't matter that much. It's, it makes a big role like, after getting within like protein, for example. Some people say that, you know, to be 30 minutes after, and especially like some all supplement companies, they found the studies that there was a bit higher effect if you had your protein within 30 minutes. And then like, of course, people are thinking like, how to get out the hell would I be eating, I don't have any chicken breast with me within 30 minutes of workout. So what I'm going to do, I'm going to take some steak with me. So but that's not quite true. So it's basically within, I think it's two hours before or after your workout. So basically, if it doesn't matter what time you are working out, you are within that time, almost always. So if you are eating, you're having your meal. And either breakfast, if you eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, it's your workout, it's hard to get it within the two hours before or after. So you don't have to basically worried about it too much. But if you don't, then it's recommended that you have it really close to your workout before after doesn't basically matter. So those are system from meal timing. And, and then then like to wrap this episode, there is a I wrote an article about it, you find it from my website, personal trainer turo.com. If you're interested. And as your listener of my podcast, I talked about my membership. I'm glad to see you there. And as listener of my podcast, it's coming. It's a new month. It's the beginning of August. During this weekend, I'm running a offer to join for my membership. So you will have 30% off. And you will find a link from my Sonos and I really hope she use it. It's a membership, you have access to all my workout apps, my programs though you know, exactly. You have 334 Different three, four month different program. You have a coach, you have a great support group in a Facebook group in an app where we are talking there's a weekly chances possibilities to win prizes, live calls. Basically, nothing what you or if you have if you need something else you can always let me know I'm always curious to improve my membership and up and up. The best part of this you have nothing to lose if you don't if you are for some reason not happy with members. If you don't, it was not what you wanted to get. You have two weeks, no questions asked money back guarantee so you have nothing to lose. I really hope that I put a link to my show notes and I really hope to see you inside. So thank you for listening and talk to you. Hope to see you inside and talk to you soon.