Gravity Fx Fitness

What does science have to say about training for fat loss?

Is aerobic exercise such as running the best way to burn fat?  What does the research have to say?

I think you might be surprised, unless you are a regular reader of my articles or one of my clients.  Here is an interesting article featured on Alwyn Cosgrove’s website on the science behind weight loss and the most efficient methods for achieving it.

The New Science of Fat Loss

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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If you have limited time for exercise you can still get good results if you use the right methods!

The right methods include total body training that elevates your heart rate and challenges your muscles at the same time.  To get results in minimal time you have to work hard and keep your rest periods short.  This will elevate your levels of growth hormone and help you burn more fat.

If you don’t have 90 minutes or more to go to the gym you no longer have an excuse.  Using tools like suspension trainers (TRX), sandbags, dumbbells or bodyweight exercises require you to use multiple muscles with each movement.

For example, exercises like pushups involve not just your upper body but your abs and low back, also.  Do your exercises standing or kneeling to get more bang for your buck.  The more muscles used with an exercise the greater the calorie burn.

If short on time don’t try to isolate different muscles – get your heart rate and metabolism up by doing more work in less time.  You can gradually increase the number of reps and/or decrease the amount of rest as your body adapts to the stimulus.

This can also ignite the “afterburn” effect.  For example, one study had lifters do 3 exercises for 30 minutes where they completed them in a circuit – going from one to the other and then repeating these three exercises.

Their metabolism was still elevated 30 some hours later!  Now these were experienced lifters but they worked every muscle in their body in this 30 minute circuit.  So the take home lesson is to use as much of your muscle fibers as possible if you are doing a short workout.  Then do some lighter intensity activity in between to help recover or just take it easy until your next workout if you have limited time.

An example of this would be the flex band squat/row alternated with some pushups.  Keep your rest periods short and get your HR elevated for as little as 15 minutes.  Push/pull exercises for the upper body and squat/lunge patterns for the lower body are a great way to do it.

Check out my previous post on a busy restaurant owner who lost 20 pounds of fat while exercising 2 hours a week.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Is it more important to burn fat during your workout or after?  Alwyn Cosgrove recently wrote an article on EPOC and the “afterburn” effect – where your metabolism stays elevated after the workout.

A research study published in 2002 looked at the effect of a 31 minute circuit training workout on post workout metabolism.  This study showed an increased metabolic period lasting 38 hours after the workout.

Meaning, 38 hours later, their bodies were burning more calories than before the workout session!  The workout involved three multi-joint exercises (bench press, squat, and power clean) done in a circuit, 4 times in 31 minutes.

This should say a lot about the role of high-intensity resistance training and the ability to burn fat – also, the use of compound movements (multi-joint) for maximal efficiency.

One of the things this study does, is highlight the fact that the number of calories burned during the workout isn’t necessarily as important as the number of calories burned after.

This routine broke down a lot of muscle tissue and the rebuilding phase obviously burns quite a few calories.  Combine this interval resistance training with a cardio and nutrition program and you should see even greater fat burning.

This is the basis for Cosgrove’s Warp Speed Fat Loss system that I completed earlier this Summer.  I lost 13 pounds in a month and wasn’t quite perfect in following the low carb diet.

Training is important, but so is the eating.  These workouts were all under an hour in length.

Get moving!

Brian

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I’m in the process of lowering my bodyfat levels in preparation for Summer, so I’m trying to be a little stricter with my diet, but also training a little more.

Yesterday I did a light workout.  I went to a nearby track for a walk, but decided to throw in a twist.  After each 1/4 mile lap I threw some core training in.

For example, the first time I did an inchworm exercise in the forward position.  You start with your hands and feet on the ground, fairly close to each other and then “walk” your hands out in front of you as far as possible.

Then you “walk” your feet in towards your hands and repeat.  Its great for your core and also good for shoulder stability.  Next lap I did the inchworm backwards until fatigued.

Next lap I did a lateral bear crawl on all fours.  Again, plenty of tension on the core and shoulders, great for adding stability to my rotator cuffs, which have seen their share of problems in the past.

So 2 miles walked and some core training to boot.  Today I alternated between Ropes Gone Wild and some interval sprints.  Interval training is a great way to burn fat and keep your metabolism elevated for several hours.

My upper body was fatigued from previous workouts so I did some grappler’s throws and side to side movements with the ropes, which puts all the emphasis on the core and minimal work for the arms.

I ran 75 yards at about 80% and alternated the runs with the rope work.  These kind of workouts get you breathing hard and burn more calories overall than steady pace cardio, especially those done at moderate intensity.

Elliptical machines are great if you have joint issues, but not that great for fat burning – the movement is too easy and efficient.  If fat loss is the ultimate goal turn up the intensity on your workouts.

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Can you burn fat with 15 minute workouts?  Yes, you can…. if the exercise session was intense enough.  Interval bike workouts are one way to achieve this.

I had a pretty long day today, which didn’t leave me much time for a traditional workout tonight.  Not a very strenuous day, but a long Monday just the same.

So I decided for a shorter exercise session.  I put my five fingers “shoes” on to give my feet a little workout and did a little self-massage with a Tiger Tail massager to warm up.

I picked a whole body exercise in order to get the most benefit – one that works my upper and lower body at the same time.  The squat-row movement wasn’t overly strenuous, but doing about 25 sure got my quads burning.

Bodyweight exercises work fairly well when you are 240 plus…..plenty of resistance.  In between sets I did some joint mobility movements to get some extra work in.

So I didn’t burn tons of calories but I did plenty to increase my health.  The movements worked all my joints, helping to lubricate them.  The movements combined with the self-massage helped flush out some of the “junk” that accumulates in all of us, by increasing lymphatic flow.

While I didn’t get quite breathless, I did increase my oxygen intake, flushing toxins out of my body in the process.  So I did manaqe to get some health benefits, as well as decreasing stress levels.

When I have more time and energy I will do a more intense workout that lasts slightly longer.  But that fifteen minute session was much more productive than just sitting on the couch.  At the end of the week it all counts the same.

My new exercise toy should arrive tomorrow in the mail.  Can’t wait to try out my fitness rope.

Get moving!

Brian

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