you’re running too fast to burn fat

^3.3/5 for clickbait

This is for the people who have either run multiple times a week and couldn’t lose weight or kept trying to become a runner and hated it every time. There’s nothing wrong with you, you could just be running too fast.

Before we start, let’s go through the simplest overview on bioenergetics: the easier an activity is for my body the more likely I am to use fat for energy. Otherwise, I’m going to start burning carbs or creatine phosphate.

This applies to all cardio, not just running.

So, knowing that, why on earth would you run as fast as you can? Well probably cause Stacy from HR told you it burns more calories per hour, which it does. Or Ted from corporate told you it’ll help you live longer, which it can, to an extent. But those two points don’t tell the whole story.

Let’s elaborate on Stacy: calories per hour

If I run at a 6 minute pace for 45 minutes I’m likely to burn double the calories than if I walked. But where are those calories coming from? The stubborn, fleshy, fanny pack around my waist?

Unlikely. At high speeds our bodies use whatever energy source is more readily available, and on short notice it turns out that my double chin isn’t dressed for the occasion. Carbs on the other hand are ready to party. Though fat provides more energy per unit, it takes too much time to break down - leaving my muscles with no choice but to use what’s available: carbs. Slowing down gives my body a chance to break down some of that cookie pouch around my waist and start burning it like coal in 19th century Chicago.

Yes, I may only burn 400 calories in an hour vs. 700 - but it was easy as hell, the bulk of the calories were from fat instead of carbs, and all the while I’m helping improve how well my body burns fat at rest - the 23 hours that matter more than my workout.

What about HIIIT?

HIIT functions on the concept of EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), that essentially if I overwork 30 minutes I’ll burn more fat after the workout than I would have otherwise - or it “increases my metabolism”. Though there’s some truth to it, more often it leads to worse eating habits through overcompensation, it requires actual recovery where low intensity cardio doesn’t, and it’s hard as shit.

If you need any further evidence, there’s no group who cares more about burning fat than body builders and you’ll never see them in an Orange Theory class during prep. They’ll spend 2-3 hours a day doing low intensity cardio (incline walking or slow stairs) to cut their fat directly.

Now Ted: cardiovascular health

Yes, I love a good HIIT class just as much as the suburban stay-at-homes in the front of the room, but if I’m just working out to look great or for long term health, I don’t need to be in there more than twice a week.

Unless I’m still a competitive athlete or I just want to see how much pasta I can eat, being a good carb burner doesn’t really impact day to day life whereas being an efficient fat burner does. How? Well remember, my body will burn fat when the activity is easy for it.

**As you train your fat burning zone, you’ll be able to increase your intensity and your heart rate while staying in your zone, ultimately burning more fat per minute.**

What does that mean? It means that my body will find harder stuff easy the more I do it. Flights of stairs, hikes, or even a yoga class will gradually become as easy as walking was for me at the start.

For long term health, that means my body will be able to accomplish day to day tasks at a lower level of cardiovascular stress than before - things I’ll actually notice. Additionally, my body will get more of its resting energy to operate from fat - leaving more carbs for the important stuff: my brain.

In short, training in my fat burn zone boosts my body’s ability to do anything, from the ground up.

Experiencing higher speed cardio is important as well, but it should be treated as an accessory, not the bulk of our time.

Okay, so just walk instead of run?

For most people, yes, but it depends on your history, bodyweight, and age. Instead of just slowing down, use an RPE (rating of perceived exertion) scale. From 1-10, 1 being as easy as laying down and 10 being the hardest exercise you’ve ever done, it should be about a 5-6.

That could be as low as 1.5 mph if you’re untrained and overweight, or as high as 10 mph if you’re a skinny marathoner, but the idea is you want to be going at the highest speed that your body finds easy, not just any speed your body finds easy. It should feel like you could do it all day (don’t do it all day).

For me, that was 2.5 mph hour. Over a year or so of training 3x a week for 30-45 min has brought it up to about 6.5 mph, a respectable jog for a geriatric. The lighter and younger you are, the faster you’ll improve and vice versa.

Start easy and work your speed up till you find your threshold, the transition from walking to jogging is a big jump so you may need to bridge that gap with incline walking or hiking.

Optimal frequency? As frequent and as long as you can, to be frank. It’s a slow process, but remember it’s easy so as long as you have the time to do it go for it. The only negative feeling you should have during a session is boredom, so have a couple podcasts ready.

Questions? Send an email to ideen@vicesfitness.com