Posts Tagged ‘fat loss’

This DVD will teach you how to implement non-traditional cardio training exercises to create a strength, cardiovascular and metabolic training effect simultaneously.
Timed sets, density training, complexes and metabolic “finishers” are included.
This is the method we use to design metabolic training and group classes at Results Fitness, ranked one of America’s Top Ten Gyms by Mens Health magazine.

=> Click HERE to order

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AC
PS – You can save $10 if you order before Thursday at midnight.
Results Fitness Metabolic Training DVD

At the end of the 8 week training period the researchers reported no difference in strength (1RM), peak power, shuttle-run performance and lean mass between the two groups (both groups had the same improvements).

However – only the circuit group lost significant levels of body fat.

The take home message is that circuit training with heavy resistance can provide the same benefits as a traditional strength training program, with the extra addition of fat loss, all in a shorter time frame.

My interpretation: I think if we had the subjects train for the same amount of time (ie a one hour session) – the differences would be even more dramatic. A circuit training group does the same volume in less time than a traditional group, so in the real world where clients could show up for the same amount of time, it only makes sense to recognize that a circuit or superset style of training could allow us to do MORE work than a traditional routine.

I think training with fat loss or general fitness as your goal is probably best accomplished by using reciprocal or non-competing supersets, or in a circuit format to maximize work density. This study shows that it may be as effective even if your goal is improved strength or power.

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AC

Well it’s here – Memorial Day Weekend. The official start of Summer. The great “unveiling” – when the shirts come off, the swimsuits go on and the entire World knows exactly how good or bad your dieting and exercising was for the last 3-4 months.

My colleague Jason Ferruggia has called this weekend – Judgment Day!

Are you ready? :)

If not – you have two more BIG weekends this Summer in which to dial in your physique and make a huge difference. That’s right – it’s not over — you still have two more Judgment Days this year!

Goal setting is all about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals — and T stands for “Time line”. Athletes peak for National Championships, Trials and World events. Just because you’re training for fat loss or to look better naked – doesn’t change the fact that DEADLINES are extremely effective tools.

So we’re going to set two this Summer.

Your next goal is Independence Day (for my US readers) – July 4th – only five weeks away.

With a combination of a kick start plan, a solid workout and nutritional support program and a healthy dose of motivation – you could easily be 10+ lbs leaner by then.

Your next goal is the end of summer – the Labor Day weekend (first weekend in September). This is currently fourteen weeks away. So if you’re looking a little flabby this weekend or feeling a little embarrassed about your body — you can still make amazing changes. It’s never too late.

This is an opportunity for you to look great by Summer’s end.

But you still need to start now.

Here’s the fat loss basics (if you need more info see below):

1) You need to create a caloric deficit – no two ways about it – you must burn more than you consume. But that doesn’t just mean eat less – you will have to change the foods you eat.

2) The most effective way to create that deficit is to use a combination of diet and exercise

3) Your diet should consist of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables.
Keep starches and refined carbs to a minimum.
Keep your fluid intake high (water only), and try to eat at least 4-5 small meals per day.
This will help maintain blood sugar levels and keep you from blowing your diet.
Follow this plan 90% of the time (which will allow you to have some flexibility on weekends etc)

4) Exercise – interval training and metabolic resistance training will provide the most bang-for-your buck. Steady state aerobic training just doesn’t burn enough calories for your goals right now, and a bodypart training split will be less effective than total body training for fat loss.

5) Try to exercise at least four to six days per week – two to three days of resistance training and two to three days of interval based cardio.

6) Supplements: there is almost nothing that will make a difference. Sorry.
Certain supplements can boost metabolism, or increase your energy somewhat and these may be useful – but in terms of real world “pounds of fat lost” I have yet to see anything that really made a difference. A multivitamin and a fish oil supplement are vital though – but more for your overall health. A protein shake or meal replacement powder can be useful for convenience but are nothing more than high quality food.

Get started now!

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AC
PS -All talk of fat loss aside – enjoy your holiday weekend. But PLEASE remember the point of this weekend – remember our fallen heroes and spare a thought for all the troops who are still fighting for us today. My thanks to all of you.

Ok that’s the cheesiest blog title ever…. but here’s another study:

Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Apr;43(4):624-31
Exercise Intensity Influences NEAT in Overweight and Obese Adults.
Alahmadi M et al.

The researchers compared “non exercise activity thermogenesis” (basically all the calories we burn unrelated to exercise, sleeping or eating) in two groups following exercise: A medium intensity exercise group and a high intensity interval exercise group.

The moderate group walked at a constant pace of 6km per hour. The high intensity group walked at 6km/h at 10 degree inclines for 5 mins, followed by a recovery period of 5 mins at 5kmh and zero degrees. I’m not sure I would call that “High” intensity but it’s definitely higher than the other group. Both groups exercises for one hour.

Here’s the interesting thing – there was no difference in non-exercise activity for two days following the training. However on the third day afterwards, the high intensity exercise group had a 25% higher NEAT compared to the exercise day, and 30-33% higher than pre-exercise days. The medium intensity group showed no change.

So the higher intensity group actually moved more three days after training than the medium intensity group. For whatever reason, (the mechanism that regulates NEAT is unknown), the higher intensity program not only burned more calories during training, but actually had people move 25% more than they did outside of the exercise session on the training day and 33% more than usual a few days after.

My interpretation: we know that higher intensity exercise burns more calories during exercise. We also know that high intensity exercise burns more calories after exercise (through EPOC and anaerobic calorie burns). Now we know that for some reason it also increases non-exercise activity thermogenesis VERY significantly.

The researchers noted “A longer-term intervention is needed to determine the effect of accumulated exercise sessions over a week on NEAT.”

A lot of researchers/internet writers have speculated that higher intensity exercise would leave people too tired to move much afterwards, and perhaps result in them burning less calories overall as a result. This study (while not really “high intensity” in my opinion) actually showed the opposite – people moved more.

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AC

Here’s a few fat loss related studies I’ve been reviewing recently:

Friedenreich et al.
Adiposity changes after a 1-year aerobic exercise intervention among postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial
Int J Obes (Lond). 2011 Mar;35(3):427-35

This study put 320 women on a one year  program. There were two groups – an exercise group and a control group. The exercise group was instructed to perform 45 mins of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise five times per week (and over the course of the year, they averaged 3.6 training sessions per week or 178 mins per week). Both groups were asked to keep their diets the same.

Results: The aerobic group lost 3.9lbs more fat than the control group over the year.
My interpretation/comments: no surprises to regular readers of my blog, I don’t think aerobic exercise is a very useful fat loss tool.

Zakrzewski et al.
Comparison of fat oxidation over a range of intensities during treadmill and cycling exercise in children.
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011 Apr 21.

Results: This study showed that fat oxidation was higher in treadmill exercise than cycling exercise over a range of absolute and relative exercise intensities. Which means that treadmill exercise, even at the same intensity as cycling, results in higher fat burning and could result in faster fat loss in programming.

My interpretation/comments: We’ve seen in calorie matched studies that weight training outperforms aerobic exercise in terms of fat loss. This is one of a few studies to compare treadmill and cycling in terms of fat oxidation (A 2003 study in Metabolism, and a 2010 study in the International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism) – although it’s the first one to look at children..
My interpretation is that the difference is a result of running being  more weight bearing than cycling, so “weight bearing” or “ground based” activities at the same intensity will be more effective in fat loss training.

Effect of Diet and Exercise, Alone or Combined, on Weight and Body Composition in Overweight-to-Obese Postmenopausal Women.
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 Apr 14. [Epub ahead of print]

439 obese women were split into four groups – diet only, aerobic exercise only, diet plus aerobic exercise and a control group.