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IPL'S LETS GET FIT~"IDEAL" CARDIO, FATLOSS...HELP??
I get all kinds of questions regarding fat loss
and the one I get most often relates to the "ideal"
amount of cardio for burning fat.
There's one school of thought that says in order to
burn fat, you need to stay in what's referred to as
the "aerobic fat burning zone".
It's a fact that we all want to get lean and get rid
of unwanted body fat, right?
The fact of the matter is that only a small percentage
of us will actually achieve it...so why is that?
It's not necessarily because the workouts aren't hard
enough or frequently enough. It lies in the fact that
we've been misled into believing aerobics or cardio is
the yellow brick road to less body fat.
I'm sure you've heard this one before....
"You have to be in your fat burning zone if you
want to lose weight and burn off fat."
Have you ever asked yourself what the heck that's
supposed to mean? What exactly is the zone and
why do I need to be in it?
Lets take a brief look at it shall we...
The process of "fat burning" occurs when free
fatty acids are used for fuel as opposed to blood
glucose or what's commonly called blood sugar.
How do you maximize the use of fatty acids for
energy? By keeping activity levels very low or
under 60% of your VO2 max.
During that low intensity, you'll typically burn
roughly 75-80% free fatty acids as your preferred
energy source.
That sounds awesome, right?
"Give me a big Yeee-Haaa if you're ready to enter
the fat burning zone!"
OK, hold onto your britches just one second cowgirl,
let's look at it this way. What times of the day are
your activity levels the lowest?
Sleeping, sitting at your desk, watching TV....these
are your low activity fat burning activities, right?
Let's listen in to a very intriguing conversation
taking place at the Golden Arches...
....."Wow Betty Sue, how did you ever get that sexy
physique?"
"Gee, thanks for noticing Betty Sue....I stay in my
fat burning zone by sleeping as much as possible
and eating these bun-less hamburgers while getting
in lots of TV time everyday...the all day Price Is
Right marathons are my fav!"
= = > End of Very Intriguing Conversation < = =
Not exactly what you pictured for optimal fat loss
activity, right?
What's my point...."fat burning" has little to do
with achieving a lean physique. Just hear me out.
If you want to get in your zone, go watch a few
back-to-back Friends episodes and you'll be at
FULL tilt fat burning speed!
OK, all kidding aside.
What's the deal with losing fat effectively if staying
in your aerobic fat burning zone isn't the answer?
Well...it has been and it always will be when you
create a negative energy balance for extended
periods of time. We're talking weeks and months,
not hours or days.
Let's say you work out for an hour each day and
after seven days you've accumulated a total of
seven hours of activity for the week (yes, I'm a
math whiz!)
That's a great goal to shoot for, but let's look
at how that relates to your fat loss efforts.
Seven hours equates to just over 4% of your
total week.
Let me ask you this...."Do you really think a 4%
exercise investment is going to solve your fat
loss conundrum?" mmmm...don't think so!
It's the OTHER 161 hours during your week you
need to focus on maximizing your caloric
expenditure.
One VERY important item you need to keep top
of mind is that it's your Resting Metabolic Rate
that's the KEY to unlocking your fat loss potential.
If you can crank your RMR up, even just a little
bit....you're golden. You see, the majority of
your daily expenditure comes from your RMR.
As an example, let's say you burn 300 fat
calories during an hour workout. Pretty
much a lot of low intensity exercise.
Now, instead of focusing on "calories burned",
you focus on increasing EPOC (excess post-
exercise oxygen consumption).
= = > Side note
By increasing oxygen uptake throughout
your day, your rate of caloric expenditure
is increased. (EPOC)
= = > End
So, you set out to accomplish that by performing
a very effective exercise sequence consisting of
30 minutes of "Metabolic Resistance Training".
Here's one example....
(General Dynamic Warm Up - 5 to 10 minutes)
Performed sequentially for 3-5 rounds
~ 15 Overhead Dumbbell/Kettlebell Swings
~ 15 Overhead Jump Squats
Rest 30 seconds
~ 20 Alternating Dumbbell/Kettlebell High Pulls
~ 10 Full Burpees
Rest 30 seconds
~ 15 Dumbbell Bent Over Rows
~ 15 Dumbbell Squat Presses
Rest 30 seconds
= = > Repeat for required rounds < = =
If, from that one 30 minute workout you elevate
your EPOC by a measly ½ calorie per minute (studies
show this effect can last for up to 30+ hours), then
that one EFFECTIVE 30 minute workout will have the
net effect of burning 720 calories over the next
24 hour period!
That's not including the calories you burned
during your workout or the nutritional factors
that contribute to an elevated resting metabolic
rate.
Here's your "take home" point from all of this...
Stop focusing on the calories you burn during
your workout and whether or not those calories
come from fat or glucose (carbs).
It doesn't matter!
Instead, focus on ways to maximize your RMR
the other 23 hours of your day.
One VERY effective approach is MRT or Metabolic
Resistance Training as I described in the example
above.
It's the primary way our clients train at camp
and for good reason!
Not only does this form of exercise improve your
RMR greater than any steady state activity like
jogging, but the improvement in "fitness capacity"
improves dramatically compared to steady state
aerobic exercise.
Next time you plan a workout, plan on working
harder and smarter for a shorter time period.
Your efforts will be rewarded with a faster
metabolism and a body with far less fat on it!
Stay Strong~~!!!
IPL
and the one I get most often relates to the "ideal"
amount of cardio for burning fat.
There's one school of thought that says in order to
burn fat, you need to stay in what's referred to as
the "aerobic fat burning zone".
It's a fact that we all want to get lean and get rid
of unwanted body fat, right?
The fact of the matter is that only a small percentage
of us will actually achieve it...so why is that?
It's not necessarily because the workouts aren't hard
enough or frequently enough. It lies in the fact that
we've been misled into believing aerobics or cardio is
the yellow brick road to less body fat.
I'm sure you've heard this one before....
"You have to be in your fat burning zone if you
want to lose weight and burn off fat."
Have you ever asked yourself what the heck that's
supposed to mean? What exactly is the zone and
why do I need to be in it?
Lets take a brief look at it shall we...
The process of "fat burning" occurs when free
fatty acids are used for fuel as opposed to blood
glucose or what's commonly called blood sugar.
How do you maximize the use of fatty acids for
energy? By keeping activity levels very low or
under 60% of your VO2 max.
During that low intensity, you'll typically burn
roughly 75-80% free fatty acids as your preferred
energy source.
That sounds awesome, right?
"Give me a big Yeee-Haaa if you're ready to enter
the fat burning zone!"
OK, hold onto your britches just one second cowgirl,
let's look at it this way. What times of the day are
your activity levels the lowest?
Sleeping, sitting at your desk, watching TV....these
are your low activity fat burning activities, right?
Let's listen in to a very intriguing conversation
taking place at the Golden Arches...
....."Wow Betty Sue, how did you ever get that sexy
physique?"
"Gee, thanks for noticing Betty Sue....I stay in my
fat burning zone by sleeping as much as possible
and eating these bun-less hamburgers while getting
in lots of TV time everyday...the all day Price Is
Right marathons are my fav!"
= = > End of Very Intriguing Conversation < = =
Not exactly what you pictured for optimal fat loss
activity, right?
What's my point...."fat burning" has little to do
with achieving a lean physique. Just hear me out.
If you want to get in your zone, go watch a few
back-to-back Friends episodes and you'll be at
FULL tilt fat burning speed!
OK, all kidding aside.
What's the deal with losing fat effectively if staying
in your aerobic fat burning zone isn't the answer?
Well...it has been and it always will be when you
create a negative energy balance for extended
periods of time. We're talking weeks and months,
not hours or days.
Let's say you work out for an hour each day and
after seven days you've accumulated a total of
seven hours of activity for the week (yes, I'm a
math whiz!)
That's a great goal to shoot for, but let's look
at how that relates to your fat loss efforts.
Seven hours equates to just over 4% of your
total week.
Let me ask you this...."Do you really think a 4%
exercise investment is going to solve your fat
loss conundrum?" mmmm...don't think so!
It's the OTHER 161 hours during your week you
need to focus on maximizing your caloric
expenditure.
One VERY important item you need to keep top
of mind is that it's your Resting Metabolic Rate
that's the KEY to unlocking your fat loss potential.
If you can crank your RMR up, even just a little
bit....you're golden. You see, the majority of
your daily expenditure comes from your RMR.
As an example, let's say you burn 300 fat
calories during an hour workout. Pretty
much a lot of low intensity exercise.
Now, instead of focusing on "calories burned",
you focus on increasing EPOC (excess post-
exercise oxygen consumption).
= = > Side note
By increasing oxygen uptake throughout
your day, your rate of caloric expenditure
is increased. (EPOC)
= = > End
So, you set out to accomplish that by performing
a very effective exercise sequence consisting of
30 minutes of "Metabolic Resistance Training".
Here's one example....
(General Dynamic Warm Up - 5 to 10 minutes)
Performed sequentially for 3-5 rounds
~ 15 Overhead Dumbbell/Kettlebell Swings
~ 15 Overhead Jump Squats
Rest 30 seconds
~ 20 Alternating Dumbbell/Kettlebell High Pulls
~ 10 Full Burpees
Rest 30 seconds
~ 15 Dumbbell Bent Over Rows
~ 15 Dumbbell Squat Presses
Rest 30 seconds
= = > Repeat for required rounds < = =
If, from that one 30 minute workout you elevate
your EPOC by a measly ½ calorie per minute (studies
show this effect can last for up to 30+ hours), then
that one EFFECTIVE 30 minute workout will have the
net effect of burning 720 calories over the next
24 hour period!
That's not including the calories you burned
during your workout or the nutritional factors
that contribute to an elevated resting metabolic
rate.
Here's your "take home" point from all of this...
Stop focusing on the calories you burn during
your workout and whether or not those calories
come from fat or glucose (carbs).
It doesn't matter!
Instead, focus on ways to maximize your RMR
the other 23 hours of your day.
One VERY effective approach is MRT or Metabolic
Resistance Training as I described in the example
above.
It's the primary way our clients train at camp
and for good reason!
Not only does this form of exercise improve your
RMR greater than any steady state activity like
jogging, but the improvement in "fitness capacity"
improves dramatically compared to steady state
aerobic exercise.
Next time you plan a workout, plan on working
harder and smarter for a shorter time period.
Your efforts will be rewarded with a faster
metabolism and a body with far less fat on it!
Stay Strong~~!!!
IPL
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