When it comes to fat loss, slow and steady loses the race. “According to American research published in the journal ‘Obesity,’ men and women who did 300 hours of cardio over the course of a year lost an average of only 5 pounds,” Craig Ballantyne, owner of TurbulenceTraining.com, said.
“That’s 60 hours of cardio to lose one pound!”
More intense training — in shorter bursts — burns calories more quickly and burns more fat overall. And unlike long, slow cardio sessions, intense training keeps you melting fat even after your workout is over.
It’s not all about adding exercise, though. For fat loss, the 2 most important exercises NOT TO DO are the “fork to mouth” chocolate cake presses and the “12 ounce” liquid calorie curls 🙂
“You can’t out-train a bad diet,” said David Jack, director of Teamworks Fitness, in Acton, Massachusetts. “If you’re training and then eating an extra 400 calories of garbage, that’s what your workout burns. It’s senseless.”
So no excuses, back away from the Ben & Jerry’s tonight and get off of the treadmill tomorrow to make your body fat your victim for the next 72 hours!
Stimulate, Not Annihilate- burn while you sleep
While most gyms in America find struggling dieters and cardio enthusiast day after day on the treadmill, it is not your best friend when it comes to fat loss.
Steady-state cardio works by increasing the oxygen delivery to your heart and lungs. Intervals, however, work on your muscles, helping them use oxygen more efficiently so your heart doesn’t have to pump as much to make them perform.
The difference though, is that when you are finished with your cardio session your heart rate rapidly drops back to a normal “life sustaining” level and your fat burning is over.
With interval training, you are continuously engaging in “Start and Stop” type exercises forcing your nervous system, your muscles and your internal fat burning hormones to go into over drive!
How to do:
- Pick a standing, a lying and an explosive type exercise for your workout. *Ex. Wide Stance Squats (standing), Bicycle Crunches (lying), Jumping Jacks (explosive)
- When first starting interval training, it is best to use shorter duration sets of exercise. *20 seconds of Squats, 20 seconds rest, 20 seconds bicycle crunches, 20 seconds rest, 20 seconds of jumping jacks, 20 seconds rest….repeat cycle until desired workout length is achieved
- Start your workout duration at 1/2 of your normal treadmill session. Ex. Replace 20 minutes of the treadmill with 10 minutes of interval training
Why it works:
- Get WAY more fit in WAY less time!
- Increases your greatest asset in fat burning by boosting your body’s own GROWTH HORMONE. It also increases your body’s adrenaline, which is a huge natural appetite suppressant.
- Since your used your muscles, heart and lungs (the treadmill only uses the heart and lungs) your muscles will constantly be burning excess calories for up to 72 hours after just 1 workout!
This happens because you’ve stimulated the muscles to be hungry and crave calories for up to 3 days while your body attempts to heal and recover your muscles. With a traditional cardio or treadmill workout, your body hasn’t been pushed past it’s normal daily limits. Our bodies are used to walking all day and our ancestors for the past 2,000 years were used to walking and running constantly.
With interval training, you’re exerting maximum (more like 80%) energy and muscular expenditures during short 20-30 second sets. This is followed up immediately with a rest period (approximately 50-100% time of your set) to briefly let your muscles, heart and lungs recover. This process repeats for 10 to a maximum of 25 minutes.
Plus, there are thousands of exercises online, in books and in magazines so the exercise selection and pairing possibilities are endless so you will never get bored!!
Why this is perfect for you:
Whether you are a busy working mom or a dad trying to put on more muscle, interval training fits perfectly into your training program.
Busy Working Mom’s: get more done in less time…that’s what it’s all about right?? That should be music to your ears! No longer do you need time to run to the gym or take an hour out of your impossible schedule to try and workout. These quick workouts can be done at home, at a gym or off to the side while you wait for your kid at soccer practice!
If you have 10 feet by 10 feet and 10 minutes, you can do this!
Use each workout to focus on a trouble area. Ex. use triceps dips off the back of a chair, a bench or bleachers as one of your exercises to work on the “Lunch Lady” arms or add in walking lunges to focus on firming up those buns!
Bodybuilders or gym goers: this one should be simple, less cardio and more time to lift weights…Cardio Sucks….DUH!
How do I start?:
Replace your next treadmill session or add this to the end of your next gym workout for more fat burning in less time:
- Bodyweight Prisoner Squats (hands behind head, wide stance)- 15 seconds on, 15 seconds rest
- Mountain Climbers (alternating lunges while in push up position)- 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest
- Jumping Jacks (if you went to elementary school, you know this one)- 45 seconds on, 45 seconds rest
*Do exercises #1-3 consecutively and repeat starting back at #1 for a total of 12 minutes
That workout should get the heart pumping, lunges stretching and muscles burning in no time!
Let me know how great you feel after that workout. Remember, no matter how bad it feels during ANY workout, it feels so damn good afterwards!!
If you need more help please do not hesitate to email me [email protected] or text 727-810-4005
Committed to your fitness success,
Derek Kuryliw, CEO & Founder
www.LiveFitBootcamps.com
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