Most dieters think more cardio equals more fat loss.
And most of them have spent years stacking HIIT classes, bootcamps and spin sessions on top of their training, assuming the intensity of those workouts is what drives the result.
But the data tells a different story. The variable doing the most work for your daily energy expenditure isn’t your formal cardio sessions. It’s your non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT — the daily movement you do outside of structured training.
In parts one and two of this Fat Loss Series, I broke down the nutrition strategy that creates the deficit and the training strategy that preserves your muscle. In this episode, we shift into the third lever of the fat loss process, your energy output.
We cover where cardio actually fits into a fat loss phase, why HIIT isn’t the superior fat loss tool most people think it is, why NEAT and daily movement are the most powerful and most sustainable energy expenditure levers you have, and why your step count is one of the most important numbers you should be paying attention to if you want to lose fat and keep it off.
Because the dieters who actually succeed long-term aren’t the ones doing the most cardio. They’re the ones who built daily movement into their lifestyles and used cardio strategically rather than as their primary tool.
HERE’S WHAT WE COVER:
WHY ENERGY BALANCE HAS TWO SIDES AND WHY MOST DIETERS ONLY FOCUS ON ONE
THE HIGH ENERGY FLUX MODEL AND WHY MOVING MORE LETS YOU EAT MORE DURING A CUT
WHAT METABOLIC ADAPTATION ACTUALLY IS AND WHERE THE 500 CALORIE DROP COMES FROM
WHY 85-90% OF METABOLIC ADAPTATION DURING A DIET COMES FROM REDUCTIONS IN NEAT
THE 2,000 CALORIE NEAT VARIABILITY BETWEEN PEOPLE OF THE SAME BODY WEIGHT
WHY BMR ONLY VARIES BY 5-9% BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS BUT NEAT VARIES BY 2,000 CALORIES
THE ROLE OF CARDIO IN A FAT LOSS PHASE AND WHY MOST DIETERS GET IT WRONG
WHY YOUR TRAINING COMES FIRST, STEPS AND NEAT COME SECOND, AND CARDIO COMES THIRD
THE RESEARCH ON HIIT VS STEADY STATE CARDIO FOR FAT LOSS OUTCOMES
WHY HIIT BURNS FEWER TOTAL CALORIES THAN STEADY STATE DESPITE FEELING HARDER
WHY STEADY STATE AND LISS ARE THE SMARTER MODALITIES FOR MOST DIETERS
THE FOUR COMPONENTS OF METABOLISM AND WHY NEAT IS THE LARGEST LEVER YOU CAN CONTROL
WHY STEP TRACKING IS NON-NEGOTIABLE DURING A FAT LOSS PHASE
THE RESEARCH ON STEP COUNT THRESHOLDS FOR EXERCISE TO ACTUALLY BE METABOLICALLY BENEFICIAL
THE STEP COUNT DATA ON SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS MAINTAINERS
HABIT STACKING TACTICS FOR BUILDING MOVEMENT INTO YOUR EXISTING ROUTINE
WHY POST-MEAL WALKS REDUCE POST-MEAL BLOOD GLUCOSE BY OVER 50%
WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:
Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/
For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry
Email: Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com
My Reading Recommendations:
THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDS
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