Cardio Free Diet Good Or Bad

The Cardio Free Diet

Well I was asked about the cardio free diet and I have been asked often about this diet. I have to say that I am amazed that someone will publish a book of such. I am really surprised that this guy is for real. I believe that he skipped out on the common sense train but I will give him credit he will sell a lot of those books I bet and make some money.
I have to be honest I have not read his book in its entirety. I have read some of it and read the articles, watched the news interviews and so forth of Mr. Jim Karas. You see he is not Dr. Karas or such but he did write a book that is now famous.
Our body is a very complex system and there are many things that make it run correctly.
Mr. Karas states his theory and that is what it is, A Theory. He can say how many famous people he trains and so forth but it really comes down to this, Common sense. Weight training is very important, and I agree with him. In fact studies show that lean muscle burns fat during our resting periods. And yes it is good for you to weight train three days a week. Add cardio for 20 minutes three days a week at 70 to 80% of your max heart rate and it becomes even better. The proof is in the pudding. Of all the clients that I have trained over the past nine years everyone has had great success except for the ones who became pregnant, developed a sickness, or had a serious injury that prevented them from working out. Cardio along with weight training will have better results. I challenge this guy using his method versus mine. And I am confident that my clients will see better results and keep the weight off longer. Fitness is a lifestyle not a quick fix or a temporary state of life. It is something you must maintain every day for the rest of your life.
I have to agree with him on the calorie counting. It is very important to count calories and to burn them in order to loose weight. Input/output is something to remember. You see his method might work fro some people but it is very dangerous. You work your muscles to the point of fatigue and then do even more. You run the risk of damaging connective tissue and the joints. Most of the cardio injuries are due to improper stretching and poor flexibility. You should stretch well after any cardio workout and often, and just the same after working out with weights. Just remember never stretch a cold muscle. Think of stretching a snickers bar after it’s been in the refrigerator for several hours. It doesn’t bend too easily and is brittle.
I came down hard on this guy but I am just going on my own professional experience and training. And I know what works for the many hundreds of clients I have trained. Cardio helps with just more than burning calories, helps to prevent coronary heart disease, hypertension, strengthen the lungs and heart. It helps to increase your VO2 Max. and many other benefits are associated with cardio. One example I can give you that you may identify with. You take a Pro Football player and stick him on weights only how long to you think he will last running up and down the field. He will be big and strong but he is not going to last long. That’s because his lungs are not getting enough oxygen to the muscles being used and if he pushes himself too hard he could have a heart attack do to over stressing the heart. Get the picture?
My final thought is this. You really have to find what works for you in you goals to loose weight. Remember a good diet, regular exercise both weight and cardio of some sort and make it a lifestyle not a quick fix. Keep a journal of your exercise and diet and see what works best for your type.
God Bless and good luck on your fitness journey.

Ted Linn
High Impact Fitness
Owner/Personal Trainer