Gravity Fx Fitness

The short and simple reason is that it can help you lose fat while spending less time exercising!

When you do various movements with the ropes for 20-30 seconds you elevate your heart rate significantly.  It is a very simple way to do interval training, which is great for fat loss.  Many of my clients are breathing heavy at the end of their set, often letting out a big “Whoo” because of the hard effort involved.

When you realize that intense effort and increased oxygen intake are vital to your results, there are many different ways to accomplish this.  I like to do cardio strength training because it is a time efficient method for increasing fitness and fat loss.

I have my clients do various resistance exercises to build lean muscle tissue and rope training accompanies these exercises quite nicely.  This way you can increase your metabolism and burn calories after you have stopped training.

Typically in an aerobics class or during a treadmill session you are working at 60-75% of your max HR, which is low to moderate intensity.  After you are done your metabolism returns to where it was previously, in as little as 10 or 15 minutes.

An elite endurance athlete who works at a higher intensity will have a greater “afterburn effect,” but the average healthclub member usually doesn’t work as intensely.  So when you understand that burning more calories is about intensity, you seek exercises that will really get your heart racing.

Obviously, this is assuming you are healthy, injury free and accustomed to exercise.  There are numerous patterns that can be done with the ropes and variety is important for keeping your body from getting stale, but also your MIND from getting stale.

Let’s face it.  There’s a reason that health clubs have all those TV’s in front of the treadmills and ellipticals – to keep your mind off of all the endless repetition going on.  Ropes on the other hand require you to focus on what you are doing and that is elevating your heart rate.

If you’re a busy person like most of us, than training with ropes and doing resistance training in the same session will allow you to lose weight without spending two hours at the gym.  Sounds like a winner for both me and my clients!

Ropes also allow you to get a cardiovascular effect without the pounding on your joints.

Many people seem to forget that you can get cardio training from doing interval work, where you exercise for 20-30 seconds, rest and then repeat, keeping your HR up in the process.

For example, last Saturday I did my workout after the clients had left.  I decided to get my HR monitor out to see how many calories I would burn.  I used the sandbags, TRX suspension trainer and a barbell, going from an upper body exercise to a lower body movement or opposing upper body movement, keeping my rest periods very short.

I used the ropes a few times to finish off the workout and stopped the monitor at 40 minutes.  In forty minutes I burned 552 calories and had an average HR of 77%, which qualifies as cardio activity, with a peak heart rate of 95%, which is pretty intense!

Now, I obviously am used to this type of training and wouldn’t start someone with that much intensity, but I think you get the point – I definitely got my cardio and strength training done in a single session, leaving my metabolism elevated for several hours afterwards.

I spent the next 20 minutes stretching, cleaning and getting the studio ready for Monday’s clients, while re-starting the HR monitor to see what was going on.  I burned an additional 216 calories, with my heart rate at an average of 68%, still qualifying as cardio.

I think you get the point that intense training can create an “afterburn effect” that is due partly to the increased oxygen consumption.  Heavy breathing is definitely acceptable in your workouts.

Training with ropes is also a great stress reliever – after beating the floor intensely for 20 seconds or more, you tend to forget what you were stressed about.  The alternating upper-cut pattern is also a healthy way to “punch” your particular individual stressor, if you wish.

Besides, with about two thirds of adults being overweight, can it really hurt to take some different approaches?

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Two recent fat loss studies looked at the value of doing high intensity circuit workouts. Typically, this might have you alternating from one exercise to another with a short rest period and then repeating, as opposed to doing a resistance exercise like a lat pulldown, resting and then completing 3 sets before moving on to the next exercise.

Study 1 had one group doing this standard 3 sets of an exercise with rest in between, while the second group switched back and forth between exercises.  The second group burned more calories per minute.  The researchers concluded that if your workout time is limited, this superset training may be superior.

Study 2 looked at 3 groups:  a low intensity circuit, an endurance (cardio) training only, and a high intensity circuit training group involving strength training.  The high intensity group had the greatest reduction in weight, bodyfat, and waistline, while increasing their strength levels at the same time.

If you are trying to lose fat then your weight room workouts should include plenty of circuits instead of doing one body part at a time before moving to the next exercise.  If you have limited time to exercise than you would be better off doing some type of intense interval or circuit training to burn more fat and elevate your metabolism.

This is the type of training we do at my studio and it definitely works!  One client this morning talked about not knowing what exactly the workout is going to be that day.  Changing things up keeps the body guessing and keeps both your body and mind fresh – constantly moving forward.

If you have the time, than do some walking, biking, hiking or whatever you enjoy.  Make sure to do some intense interval strength training two or three days a week and reduce the processed foods in your diet.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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According to an Australian researcher, increasing adrenaline is the key to losing belly fat! Professor Steve Boutcher was one of the researchers involved in a study that compared intense interval training vs. long cardio for fat loss.

The study (published in 2007) separated 45 obese women into 2 training groups -

Group A did three 20 minute interval training sessions a week.  They pedaled intensely for 8 seconds, followed by 12 seconds of light pedaling on a stationary bike, repeating this for the 20 minute session.

Group B did 40 minutes of slow, steady pace cardio for 3 sessions per week, exercising for twice as much time as the first group.

No changes were made to the diet of either group.  Its been said that you can’t make up for bad eating habits with exercise, so the results of this study are very interesting.

Group A saw significant fat loss, with one participant losing 17.6 pounds in 15 weeks.  Group B didn’t lose fat and one woman actually gained two pounds!

Professor Boutcher believes the results from the interval group was due to the adrenaline increase that occurs with that type of training – the release of these hormones speeds up fat burning.

Adrenaline is also known as epinephrine in the science world and is released into the blood in response to stress – your “fight or flight” hormones.

The 8 seconds of sprinting came about after different studies determined that 20 seconds was too difficult for most people and 2 to 3 seconds wasn’t enough.  He advises to gradually build up to the 20 minutes exercise time and recommends a spinning bike, rower, or cross trainer (Airdyne bike).

He has found that most anyone can exercise in this manner when taking the gradual approach.  Obviously, you should check with your doctor first if you have any health concerns in regards to exercise.

Once again, the lack of time excuse is busted!  This information was borrowed from Turbulence Training.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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The Tabata protocol is for advanced exercisers and was tested on elite endurance athletes. Most people aren’t ready for the all out 20 seconds of exercise followed by a 10 second rest period and then repeating this for a total of 8 rounds in 4 minutes.

A leisurely pace won’t get the fat burning effect you’re looking for with these short rounds of exercise.  Robert dos Remedios recommends starting with a 10 second work period followed by a 20 second rest period.  The next progression would be 15 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest.

So you would gradually work up to the 20 seconds of work followed by the 10 second rest period, repeating for 6-8 all out rounds of exercise.  Stationary cycling was used in the research and will probably work the best for you.

Coach Mike Boyle likes to use the Airdyne cycle for doing intervals.  The Airdyne combines stationary cycling with handles that allow for an upper body push/pull.  This is a great tool for this intense training.

Recently on his blog, Boyle talked about a Tabata workout he did on this bike.  He completed 3 sets of 6 sprints, lasting 2 minutes and 50 seconds.  After the first set he rested one minute before starting the next set of 6.

After the second set he rested 2 minutes before starting the third set.  So he did 18 sprints of 20 seconds each in just under 12 minutes.

I don’t have any bikes in my studio so I have my clients do interval strength training workouts that last 30-40 minutes.  By using a Power Plate vibration platform for part of the workout I can have them do a lot of work in a short amount of time.

The exercises on the platform combined with the multi-joint resistance exercises done off the platform create a metabolic disturbance which leaves the metabolism elevated after the workouts have stopped.

This way someone with past injuries or someone who has been sedentary can still get some of the benefits of intense exercise without all the stress to their joints.  Otherwise, you can just use a stationary bike and gradually increase the work periods.

For more info on Tabatas you can read my review of Cardio Strength Training.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Saturday I used only sandbags in my workout and burned 641 calories according to my HR monitor. In one exercise I used a slight assist from a TRX, but the workout took 45 minutes and worked every muscle in my body.

The TRX suspension trainers are supposed to be “all core all the time” because your core is activated to some degree in every exercise.  Same thing with sandbags – you’re always working your abs, low back and hips during an exercise.

Cardio strength training (interval training) is a great way to build lean muscle tissue and burn fat at the same time.  For example, my average heart rate for this workout was 78% of my max, with the peak HR reaching 98%  (pretty intense).

So a 45 minute workout at 78% will obviously burn some calories.  By doing more intense interval training you go into oxygen debt, where you are breathing heavily.  Research has shown that this can elevate your metabolism for 24 hours or more AFTER you have stopped exercising!

That’s one of the things I like about sandbags – improved fat burning efficiency while improving your coordination in different movement patterns.  The exercises train multiple muscles to work together at the same time.

I did step ups, overhead presses, high pulls, partial rotation deadlifts and an overhead rotational lift that is often done with a medicine ball.  I kept the rest periods between exercises minimal which keeps your heart rate up and stimulates your fat burning hormones.

One of the reasons you’re metabolism stays elevated after this workout is because of the fast twitch muscles that are worked with the exercises that focus on either strength or power.  More muscles used equals more calories burned but you also have the “afterburn” effect going on as these muscles are being repaired after the workout.

These workouts can take a lot out of you and need to be progressed gradually.  I have my baby boomer clients doing most of these same exercises and it allows them to get in a fast, efficient workout – letting them spend more time with family and friends.

I really could feel it in deep in my abs the next day, particularly from the overhead rotational lift with the sandbag.  I have taught those 15 minute ab workouts before at a healthclub and would never feel it in my abs like I do with the sandbags, or even the TRX.

Here is a video from coach Josh Henkin that shows a few examples of sandbag training.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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My fat loss workout burned 457 calories in 30 minutes. What did I do?  Glad you asked.

I only had 30 minutes for my training today so I combined some sandbag exercises with rope training and the X-iser.  I wore my HR monitor to see how many calories I torched.

After Monday’s all sandbag workout I mixed in some other moves for a little variety.  I did burpees combined with sandbag high pulls, alternating between the 30 second (approximately) sprints on the X-iser.

Resting for 30 seconds, I did some of my favorite rope throws – one and two arm grappler’s throws and alternating uppercuts, which is somewhat similar to cross country skiing, only more intense.

I tried to alternate between upper and lower body exercises, in order to keep my intensity high.

I did some various lunges and split squats as part of my warmup.  I also threw in a set of one arm rows on the suspension trainer and a set of ab wheel rollouts to the front and sides (diagonal).

The 30 minutes went by pretty quickly and I stopped my HR monitor to check the damage…..457 calories burned in 30 minutes even.  Of course, your heart rate stays elevated for a while after this type of workout, since you went into oxygen debt with all the short bursts of exercise.

I’ll take those numbers any day of the week.  In a magazine advertisement for the Bowflex Treadclimber they mention 321 calories burned in 30 minutes versus 150 for a treadmill at the same speed but no elevation.

Not bad numbers but not as good as my workout – and with my intense interval training, my metabolism would stay elevated longer after the workout. Plus, I worked my upper body and midsection, too.

More bang for your buck if you ask me.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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I’ve lost 20 pounds in the last 6 months and playing basketball recently has kept it off while exercising just a few hours here and there.

I’ve been playing once a week for the last 7 weeks against guys who are mostly 10-20 years younger.  Our team is made up of men in their forties with one guy in his early fifties and two young bucks of 30 and 25.

I lost the weight prior to starting this league but have kept it off without spending much time doing anything else.  Basketball is a stop and go sport, mixing in periods of higher and lower intensity.

This stop and go nature really generates a lot of body heat, sweat, and greatly increases your oxygen consumption – causing you to suck in extra air at times, which is why us old guys need an occasional “sub” to come in for us.

Two twenty minute halves is plenty of action and our heart rates and metabolism stay elevated for a while afterwards, burning additional calories.  I was in pretty decent shape previously, but hadn’t done specific training for playing hoops, since I didn’t know I was going to play.

One of the things I have done is to do jump rope training between games to prepare for the jumping impact of the games.  I’ll do about 20-30 seconds on and then rest for the same amount of time.  This is for 5-7 minutes and then back to more interval training, keeping my heart rate up with different agility and strength training.

Besides being a time efficient way to workout, these interval workouts prepare you for the stop and go nature of basketball.  One of my personal training clients recently talked about doing step aerobics classes twenty years ago.

“I didn’t lose any weight but it was fun.”  Many people adapt to steady pace activity very quickly and don’t end up losing much, if any weight.  Not long ago, this same client walked on a treadmill 5 days a week for four months and only lost 6 pounds – not the greatest return for her “investment.”

She’s since lost close to 20 pounds by doing shorter bursts of exercise and eliminating processed foods from her diet.

The amount of sweat we produce in these games is a pretty good indication of large amounts of calories burned.  The guy who is 52 remarked about how you can’t get the same kind of breathlessness from doing typical workouts on a treadmill.

This guy is a former college wrestling coach, so he knows a little about training…. and is in pretty decent shape, too.  The take home point is that long periods of exercise aren’t always necessary and sometimes can be counter-productive if you don’t get the weight loss you want and decide to give up because you get frustrated with a lack of progress.

At the same time, if you haven’t done much exercise in a while, start out easy and gradually increase your intensity and/or decrease the amount of rest between exercises as you become more fit.

Train to play the sport and don’t play the sport to get in shape.  Don’t forget to do your strength training to help protect your joints and flexibility/mobility work is also strongly advised.

Get Moving!

Brian Morgan

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Can you lose fat with short bursts of exercise lasting 15 minutes or less?  Yes – if you are doing sprint, interval or burst training!

With sprint training, you burn a LOT of oxygen, as you greatly increase your rate of breathing to recover from oxygen debt.  You burn a lot of oxygen in a short amount of time, which puts you in a state of oxygen debt, causing you to burn a lot of calories both during and AFTER you have stopped exercising.

This increases your metabolism for several hours after your exercise session.  The result is increased fat burning without spending several hours exercising.

We know that interval sprinting is a great way to burn calories while building or maintaining your lean muscle tissue, but this can be a little hard on the joints for those of us over 40.

The solution?

Burst (sprint) training on the X-iser!  This is an adjustable mini-stepper made of aircraft aluminum and used by several pro sports teams with their athletes.

It allows you to do sprint training without any impact on the joints, while working on single leg balance – which is important for injury prevention and performance.

You can use it as part of your warmup or as a separate cardio workout.  You would do 20 -30 second bursts, followed by a short rest period and then repeat for the desired amount of time.

This intense exercise elevates your heart rate in a hurry, making it a time efficient workout and a great way to lose fat.  As little as 5 minutes of this interval exercise can get the job done.

For those of you in decent shape who want to get even leaner, try doing Tabata’s – 20 seconds of all out stepping followed by a 10 second break, repeated for a total of 4 minutes.

Tell me what that does for your HR!  This routine was shown to increase your fat burning potential when done with cyclists on a stationary bike.

Don’t let a lack of time be an excuse for not exercising.  You just need to choose an efficient form of exercise.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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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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Exercise doesn’t have to be long and boring to get results!  Many people start an exercise program only to give up because it just takes too much time.

Boredom can also be a factor, so a little creativity is needed.  That’s one of the reasons I like resistance band workouts.  They work well for bootcamp classes and also for stretching and agility training.

In the amount of time that most people spend on the treadmill or elliptical machine, you can get a full body workout that keeps your metabolism elevated for several hours afterwards.

Plenty of studies have shown the effectiveness of interval training for fat loss.  One in 2002 studied a 31 minute circuit training routine that used multi-joint exercises.  The amount of oxygen consumed after the workout was significantly elevated for 38 hours.

Meaning, more fat burned!  You won’t see this with your casual walk on the treadmill.

Watch this video of Dave Schmitz and BJ Gaddour taking some fitness professionals through a workout…..

These resistance band workouts are a great way to get in a fast, fun workout.  If you just want general fitness and fat loss, do your resistance training and cardio at the same time.  You can also do this at home or on the road.

For more info check out Rapid Fat Loss Cardio or Resistance Band Training.

Get moving!

Brian

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