Exercise Scientist Dr. Mike Israetel is taking inventory of the advantages offered by different forms of cardio. Taking to his YouTube channel on August 22, 2024, Dr. Israetel ranked the best cardio training for fat loss and sustainability, offering insight into selections for those with beginner, intermediate, or advanced experience levels.
“What cardio is best to do? Taking a little bit of a principled approach, so a little bit of a deeper dive, so if you’re not intelligent, turn the shit off right now, but if you’re one of the smart ones, keep tuning in.”
Having eclipsed over 2.37 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, Dr. Israetel is a trusted voice in the fitness community. He holds a PhD in sports physiology but has also carved out a successful career as an amateur bodybuilder and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. Thanks to his years of experience in academia, he breaks down the science behind working out to offer his fanbase refined strategies for building a better body.
There are near-limitless options for hitting your cardio needs, from rowing a boat, walking, and running, to varying sports and machines like the elliptical or step mill. This is why determining which method is best can be so challenging. Today, Dr. Israetel examines and ranks the best forms of cardio training so you have a better understanding of how to approach a plan that results in sustainable fat loss.
View this post on InstagramGet Fitter, FasterLevel Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Exercise Scientist Ranks Best Forms of Cardio for Fat Loss, Calorie Burn, and Sustainability
According to Dr. Mike Israetel, these three questions are essential for finding out which form of cardio is best:
- What kind of cardio burns the most calories per unit time?
- What kind of cardio interferes with muscle growth the least?
- What kind of cardio is the most sustainable at high volumes?
Dr. Israetel’s Ranked List for Cardio
- Moderate Intensity Interval Training
- Jogging/Cycling/Swiming
- Boxing/BJJ, etc.
- High Intensity Interval Training
“If you’re not into the interval training you can just do conventional jogging, cycling, or swimming. Just swimming a crap-load of laps, cycling a fucking crazy amount of muscles, or jogging also a crazy amount of miles is going to burn a crap-load of calories.”
Dr. Israetel’s Ranked List of Cardio Modalities That Least Interfere With Muscle Growth
- Elliptical (110-130BPM)
- Incline Walking (or regular walking)
- Moderate-Paced Swimming
Dr. Israetel underlines that the two keys to cardio that don’t impact muscle growth are intensity and fatigue.
“There are two keys here: minimum intensity, sprinting is the fuck out of the equation. The easier you work, the less chance of muscle loss there is. That comes from direct catabolism, muscle breakdown increases with intensity, but it is also an accumulated fatigue thing.”
“If you fatigue the nervous system that controls those muscles, you’re going to have a bad time in the gym. If you beat up your joints from high-intensity activity, you’re going to have a bad time in the gym. So minimum intensity, low intensity, is very very good here. That’s what you’re looking for,” he shared.
His preferred method of cardio is simply walking, and he tries to register 12,000 steps a day if his aim is fat loss.
“My preferred form of cardio for that reason is I just have a step tracker. I just walk and my total steps for the day have to add up to a certain amount.
On a fat loss phase for me that’s around 12,000 steps, as long as I get that, all the cardio is getting done in the background, I control my diet, and get in shape, it’s fucking awesome.”
Next, he revealed which forms of cardio are most sustainable at high volumes that aren’t high-impact.
- Elliptical
- Walking
- Swimming
“Elliptical, walking, swimming, really really close here, it’s just context-dependent. Notice, elliptical, walking, and swimming made the last two lists. They are both interfering with muscle growth the least and are most sustainable.”
Israetel finished up by offering advice to beginner, intermediate, and advanced individuals using cardio.
“For beginners, do cardio that is fun and sustainable because it’s for the long haul that you do cardio. For intermediates, do cardio that’s fun and meets your goals well. You already have sustainability checked off the box if you’re an intermediate, you made it this far you know how to keep your shit together.”
“For the advanced, do cardio that meets your goals well and when you’re not chasing proximate goals, like it’s not a fat loss phase, have a sustainable cardio approach in the background always milling around giving you a little bit more fat burning potential, a lot more health potential, and a better quality of life.”
In addition to breaking down varying forms of cardio, Dr. Israetel has discussed what is the ideal number of steps someone should take daily for health and longevity benefits. He believes 10,000 steps ‘is a pretty good landmark for a lot of people.’
Finding the right cardio method could be the next crucial step you take on your fitness journey. Use Israetel’s rankings and insight to discover how you can maximize fat loss with a sustainable cardio plan.
RELATED: Exercise Scientist Shares Study-Backed Guide on How To Build Muscle And Get Jacked
Watch the full video from the Renaissance Periodization YouTube channel below:
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
