David Norris

What is David Norris ?

For busy dads who want to get leaner, stronger, and back in control — without sacrificing their life.
No fads. No extremes. Just simple training, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies that actually work.

David Norris:

Welcome to my first podcast. Each episode, I'm gonna be trying to break down the key areas of training, nutrition, lifestyle, and mindset. I'll also be doing some q and a's. I'm gonna be trying to break down exactly what works, taking away the confusion, the extremes, and the guesswork. Today, I'm gonna be talking about why cardio alone isn't the best strategy for fat loss.

David Norris:

Let's get into it. Now why cardio isn't the best strategy when it comes to fat loss? Because when people decide to lose body weight, body fat, or get into shape, the first port of call is normally cardio. Running, biking, classes, cross trainer. And now this is usually because people associate losing body fat with sweating, being gassed, and working hard, and it means that they must be then losing body fat.

David Norris:

Now I used to be the same. I would normally think that the harder I worked, the more I sweated, the more gassed I was, the more that I must be losing body fat. And now I know that this is definitely not the best way. Yes, you are burning calories, but you are not burning body fat. For burning calories, cardiovascular health, endurance, fitness, longevity, cardio is great for that.

David Norris:

And people will say, since I've taken up running, I've lost so many pounds. If cardio is your main modality when it comes to getting fit or losing weight, then the studies will show that twenty to forty percent of that weight loss through cardio is muscle mass. So if your goal is fat loss, then no, it's not the best. Now why? Your body wants you to have a decent amount of body fat, move little and know that it's safe because it's built for survival.

David Norris:

It doesn't care or want you to have a six pack or be a lean machine. Our bodies are adaptation machines. So when you do cardio, that same run you did at first becomes a lot easier the tenth time you do it as the body adapts to that stress and allows you to become more efficient. Now when it comes to cardio and endurance part of that, as you are not strength training, it will pare the muscle down. It doesn't need it, and it's an expensive tissue for the body to maintain.

David Norris:

And now you've got less muscle, and muscle loss equals a slower metabolism. Although you will be losing body weight, losing muscle at the same time will normally result in just a smaller, softer version of yourself, which for most people isn't the look they were looking for when they started. So how else will the body adapt? So now you're in a calorie deficit because you've made the decision you want to lose body weight, body fat. You're doing loads of cardio.

David Norris:

The body adapts and becomes more efficient with the lower calories and also the increased cardio. So now you're actually burning less calories doing the same run and you hit a plateau. Now what? You've on reduced calories. You're you're you're doing cardio four times a week.

David Norris:

And you'll notice that that run now obviously feels a lot easier than it did four weeks ago. So, okay, yeah, you dropped your calories again. You you had another cardio session on. And now you're down to 1,200 calories and doing cardio five times a week. You're already now not enjoying this process.

David Norris:

And so what do you do? You give up. Now I think that part of this problem is when it comes to calories in versus calories out. If cardio burns more calories than strength training, then that would put you in a bigger calorie deficit, which is one of the key components of fat loss. So then why wouldn't this be the obvious choice when we decide we want to lose body fat?

David Norris:

And there is a trueness to this. Thirty minutes of running or biking or any other cardio will normally burn a lot more calories than thirty minutes of strength training. But the key point here is the adaptation. We've already talked about how the body will adapt to cardio and where that leaves you eventually. Burning less and doing the same amount of work, muscle loss, and a slower metabolism.

David Norris:

Now strength training forces a different type of adaptation that allows you to get stronger, build muscle, and in turn increase your metabolism, allowing you to eat more without putting on fat, and also you'll look better with more muscle tone. Now I'm gonna use the terms resistance training, strength training, weight training interchangeably. They all mean the same thing. By strength training, we've given the body a reason to keep and build muscle. When we strength train, the body doesn't know anything other than I've got something heavy I need to move and this is really hard.

David Norris:

So let's get stronger so that next time and the time after that, this gets easier and easier. By building muscle, you now look better, more toned, and happier because this is normally the look most people want, to lose fat and to look better. Now you've got more muscle, you're gonna burn more calories at rest. Not a huge amount, but it all adds up and allows you to eat more without worrying about putting on extra body fat. So if we want to lose body fat, choose the exercise that will stop or mitigate the negative effects of being in a calorie deficit.

David Norris:

So when you're in a calorie deficit, you will lose fat and you'll lose muscle. But strength training will give the body the chance to preserve that muscle and in some cases still build muscle. So weight training needs to be the core of your routine when it comes to fat loss. Now that's not to say that I'm anti cardio or that cardio doesn't have a role in fat loss. We've already said that if endurance or fitness or cardiovascular health is your goal, then cardio should be your focus.

David Norris:

Where cardio can help in fat loss is that it can help you burn calories to help you be in a bigger calorie deficit. So for me personally, when I'm trying to lose body fat, I would much rather be able to eat as much as possible and still be in a calorie deficit than cut my food even more. So by adding in some cardio, that's gonna allow me to eat a little bit more because I'm gonna be burning some extra calories. And that makes that whole process easier for me. And finally, if you enjoy cardio, I enjoy cardio.

David Norris:

I like the feeling of that's feeling sweaty, feeling like I've worked hard. So I'll add it into my plan to make it enjoyable for me. If you enjoy it, why wouldn't you do it? And the key to this is planning it strategically for your goal. The body adapts to the stimulus as we've already discussed with cardio and strength training.

David Norris:

Too much cardio and the muscle pairs down and the metabolism slows down. Get it right, and then you can enjoy your run, your bike, your classes, and still progress of your goal of fat loss and building muscle. So I like the best of both. So for me, I will strength train three or four times a week, and I'll do a couple of cardio sessions. Normally, it'll be an interval type session, something that cranks the heart rate really high, and then it might be something long and steady.

David Norris:

Maybe on a recovery day, might just do a forty five minute bike, a longer incline walk, or just go out for a normal walk. And on the other hand, if you don't enjoy cardio, then for fat loss, you don't necessarily need to do it. Walking is one of the most underrated and best tools for fat loss. So as long as you get your steps in and and go for walks, that can be your cardio. If your goal is fat loss and to build muscle, you can still do cardio.

David Norris:

Just plan it strategically and don't overdo it. So overall, I hope this makes things a little bit easier to understand when it comes to fat loss. Focus on strength training, adding cardio strategically, and along with your nutrition nailed, you'll get results and sustainable progress.