Bodybuilding veteran Rich Gaspari continues to coach athletes in retirement, routinely offering tips and wisdom for a better physique. In his latest undertaking, Rich Gaspari highlighted the benefits of fasted cardio, naming it his most effective fat-burning weight loss strategy.
On stage, Rich Gaspari was a powerhouse in the IFBB Pro League, leaving a lasting impact in the Men’s Open division that reverberates to this day. He pioneered striated glutes while actively competing. As the inaugural champion of the 1989 Arnold Classic, Gaspari’s freak factor, achieved through his legendary dry saran wrap conditioning, set him apart from his contemporaries.
He never claimed a prestigious Olympia title but always possessed one of the sharpest minds in the sport. Gaspari still pushes his body with regular workouts and strict nutrition. Now, with fat loss a top priority for most, he laid out why fasted cardio is king, providing anecdotal evidence to support his claim.
Rich Gaspari Says Fasted Cardio Yields Best Results for People Aiming to Burn Fat
Gaspari opened up on why he favors fasted cardio most for weight loss efforts.
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“I want to talk about something that has worked really well for me when I was getting ready for competitions and that is the cardiovascular training and that is fasting cardio. There’s now guys saying it doesn’t matter when you do your cardio, it’s calories in calories out so if you’re expending energy doing cardio in the middle of the day, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if you’re doing it in the morning.
Now, listen, I train a lot of people, put them into diets, and giving them cardio after training, which normally if you’re training you are expending your glycogen in the muscle. Then, when you go into cardio you’ll go into burning fat more readily. But what I’ve seen the best results for people trying to lose body fat is fasting cardio.”
Since the glycogen levels in the muscles are at their lowest upon waking up with an empty stomach, Gaspari shared that the body becomes more efficient at burning fat.
“That’s doing it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Why? Well, when you wake up in the morning on an empty stomach your glycogen levels are at their lowest. So, that when you go into cardio, it’s more easier for you to burn more fat. Now, what people are saying or guys out there saying it does not matter, you take in a certain amount of calories you expend them. If you have a very fast metabolism, I totally agree,” said Rich Gaspari.
Gaspari explained the utility of fasted cardio and why it has helped subjects who are resistant to weight loss reduce body fat.
“I’ve had a lot guys you know that are really heavy that have had problems in losing body fat and changing them to doing fasted cardio in the morning they’ve seen results in losing more body fat.
That’s just experience with working with people. You can say whatever you want that it doesn’t matter, I believe it really does matter. Fasted cardio will help burn fat a lot more efficiently and effectively than just doing cardio anytime of the day.”
Rich Gaspari has been outspoken about the significance of diet, especially for gym-goers and bodybuilding competitors. The bodybuilding star has stated that success boils down to 80% nutrition, and given his achievements at the highest level coupled with his longevity, it’s difficult to refute.
This wasn’t Rich Gaspari’s first time evaluating the best strategy for weight loss. He has also promoted ‘carb cycling’ as the most effective fat-burning diet technique available. As a trainer, Gaspari has proven his methods for weight loss with on-the-ground applications.
Weight loss and fat burning pose significant challenges for many individuals, but Gaspari is confident that through fasted cardio, one can enhance the body’s ability to burn fat more efficiently and effectively over time.
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