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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Do you want to lose weight and keep it off long-term? Than going on a diet and not exercising is a BAD idea.

Today at my studio is “cardio Monday,” with total body exercises designed to keep your HR up and elevate your metabolism.  I was talking to my client Deandra after the session and she wasn’t fully aware of the connection between muscle and metabolism.

When you go on a diet and lose 15 pounds without exercising, some of that lost weight will be fat, some will be water weight and some will be lean muscle tissue.

This is not a good idea because you will likely put that weight back on over the course of a year, BUT….. you won’t put back the lean muscle tissue.

notice how lean and muscle tissue goes together?

Say you do this yo-yo dieting for 10 years or more, as some people do, and you may have lost 10-15 pounds of lean muscle tissue.

This has two effects:

1 – the loss of muscle tissue means a slower metabolism.

2 – you lost muscle tissue and replaced it with fat, so now you have a less appealing shape than you used to.

Muscle is more dense than fat, taking up less space. So instead of losing weight you should be concentrating on losing fat – there is a difference!

Meaning, don’t worry so much about the scale and instead, try to lose inches and see if your clothes start to fit a little looser.  This is what most people should be worried about.  Having lean muscle tissue is healthy, while having too much fat is not.

Trying to keep weight off long term without exercise is a losing battle for most everyone.  So you should be exercising but also make sure to do some resistance training to keep your metabolism elevated after you are done exercising.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Should you change your workout routine to meet the “official” guidelines or does it really matter that much?

It depends – what are your goals?  Are you looking to be healthy or do you want to lose weight, too?

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association made some changes when they published their 2007 physical activity guidelines.  This is their current recommendations for healthy adults under 65:

• Moderately intense cardio – 30 minutes, 5 days a week ( working at a 6 on a 1-10 scale and breaking a sweat).
• OR       vigorously intense cardio for 20 minutes, 3 days a week.
• AND    2 days a week of strength (resistance) training.

They further recommend that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60-90 minutes may be necessary.  I’ll address this point later.  They also point out that short bursts of activity in 10 minute sessions are equal to 30 minutes of continuous exercise (I agree wholeheartedly with this).

• You should mix up the high and moderate intensity activity.  Again, I give a big thumbs up to this one.  This keeps you mentally and physically “fresh.”
• Schedule your workout times into your week.  For most people this is also very important.
• You don’t have to go to the gym – couldn’t agree more.  Most everything done at my studio can be done at home, if desired.  It may take a lot of personal “drive” and discipline, however.
• Workout with family or friends to stay motivated and have social accountability.  I added in the accountability factor, since this is a missing ingredient in many weight loss programs and why many people give up on their goals.  If you have kids, you definitely want to make sure they are active and develop healthy habits.

They made sure that muscle strengthening is part of their recommendations and I can’t agree strongly enough.  Besides being a big key to fat loss, it maintains joint health and mobility, making your daily tasks easier.

I also agree with the short bursts of activity.  You don’t need to spend hours on the treadmill to get results.  If healthy, up the intensity of your workouts and you just might lose that weight that won’t go away.  I don’t think you need to exercise for 90 minutes to achieve fat loss.

If short on time like most of us, turn up the intensity for increased fat burning after your workout is over.   If you read last week’s article on low intensity biking, you will remember that their metabolism went back to normal as soon as they stopped pedaling.

You want to choose a workout that keeps burning calories after you have stopped exercising.  This requires more intensity – like interval training.  Instead of separating your cardio and strength training, combine them into a shorter workout – one that turns up the fat burning flame.

Multi-joint exercises (multiple muscles) are the way to go.  Tools like the TRX, sandbags, resistance bands, and bodyweight exercises get the job done in minimal time.

Three days a week of resistance training will get better results if your primary goal is weight loss.  I also like to do joint mobility movements to recover from the more intense exercise and to make my everyday movements more efficient.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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In losing 13 pounds and keeping it off for 3 months after stopping the diet, I have learned a couple important things -

there are two phases of eating to lose weight – eating less and getting used to it, and eating better.  Meaning, getting rid of the “junk” that you put in your mouth.

Amazingly, I’m actually used to eating less than I used to.  Naturally, this adds to weight loss when you add in a good exercise program.  But its not just about eating less, its about eating better!

This is a work in progress for me.  For the record, I don’t claim to be a fat loss expert, I just play one on the internet.  All joking aside, I read numerous articles and blogs by people who ARE experts on losing weight and improving your appearance and also attend my share of seminars.

Now that I’m used to eating less, the next step is about improving the quality of food that I eat.  Avoiding or at least minimizing sugar, avoiding processed foods and getting more fiber and good fats into my diet.

I did the Warp Speed Fat Loss program for a month and lost 13 pounds.  Not too shabby considering I didn’t follow the program perfectly.  More importantly, I’ve kept it off after 3 months.  I’m not following the low fat diet anymore, but I am doing my best to eat quality foods more often than I used to.

I’ve also altered the exercise program, as well and think that the slight changes have kept my body guessing.  I’m still doing most of the same exercises, just changing the sets and reps and rest periods – kind of a modified density training workout.

While I’m exercising with decent intensity and little rest, which is key to getting better results in less time, my overall time spent exercising isn’t that much.  I’m convinced you don’t need to spend 90 minutes or more to get results if the intensity is there.

Cleaning up my diet even further is the second phase and the key to getting your bodyfat levels even lower and “uncovering” your six pack abs.  Getting rid of the junk in your diet is also key to eliminating or reducing the environmental toxins that keep you fat and unhealthy.

Why not live to be 100 if your body and mind are both working the way you want them to?  Seems to be working for Jack LaLanne, who turns 95 this Fall!

My body currently looks just like it did at 27, even though I’m in my mid 40’s.  Not bad, but I think I just might be able to improve on that.  Change your mind to change your life.

You might find my previous article Confessions of a Sugar Addict interesting.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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I’m succeeding in my goal to lose fat by adopting healthier habits.  They say that it takes 21 days to make a habit and they’re right!

I’ve lost some belly fat and reduced my craving for carbs in the process.  In fact, I’ve gotten used to eating smaller portions without feeling that I’m being deprived.

Not that I’ve been perfect….I think that progress, not perfection is the key to getting results that last.  You can lose weight on any diet but can you keep it off long-term?

For most of the population, the answer is a resounding NO!!  Why?  Because the “diet” can’t be done for long and then you go back to your old habits, often re-gaining all the weight – and then some.

I haven’t been perfect on this program I’ve been following (Warp Speed Fat Loss), but I definitely made some sacrifices that required some mental toughness.

What made it easier is knowing that I only have to follow it for a month.  Then I can change things up a little, but in that month I have made some habits……or rather, broke some unhealthy habits that were keeping me heavier than necessary.

For me, reducing the amount of carbs I eat and sugar in particular.  I’ve been weak in that regard and eat too much sugar due to stress and partly because of convenience.

The exercise part is no problem.  I love it and consider it more training than anything else.  But I’m also a busy person, like you, and don’t have several hours to work out anytime I want….

which is another bonus to my current program.  I’ve had a couple of “treats” here and there, but overall have been very disciplined with my eating and that mental discipline will carry over to other aspects of my life.

I look and feel better, too.  Its amazing what eating healthier can do for that.  My mind is much more focused, also.

If you’re someone who’s had trouble sticking to a plan, then you are probably lacking in social support.  This is an often overlooked key to losing weight – having someone hold you accountable and support your actions.

If this is the case, go over to our free forum and I’ll try to help out as best as I can.  I’ll also offer some training suggestions.

Get moving!

Brian

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Is steady state (constant pace) aerobics the optimal way to lose fat?

Let’s take a look at some of the research that shapes the way that Alwyn Cosgrove trains his fat loss clients -

• A 1998 study that showed that the addition of 45 minutes of hard
  aerobic training, 5 times a week for twelve weeks – had no effect on
  fat loss.

• A 2007 study – that showed the addition of 50 minutes of aerobic
  training, 5 times per week for six months – also had no effect on fat
  loss.

• A 2008 study showing 40 mins of aerobic exercise three times per week
  for 15 weeks actually resulted in the participants gaining fat!

• A study from 1994 showed a specific cardio training method that when
  adjusted for calories burned – actually reduced body fat (actual
  skinfold measurements) nine times more than traditional cardio training
  — despite taking less time, and actually burning less calories per
  session!

• Another study (1999) showed that the addition of a specific resistance
  training program increased fat loss by 35% over diet and aerobic
  training.

Many top trainers advocate interval training for their clients looking to lose weight.  This can include interval strength training and interval aerobics.  This type of training consists of shorter rest periods and more intense cardio, that keeps your heart rate elevated.

Besides taking less time, this type of training can raise your metabolism for several hours after you are done exercising.  If you have limited time to exercise, than you need to make the most of your training.

Several years ago, I had a client who did a lot of extra cardio on the treadmill and stepper, in addition to the resistance training I had her doing.

She thought this would burn off some extra fat and didn’t tell me she was doing this.  After a while, we re-tested her bodyfat levels and found that she had gained fat.  Needless to say, she wasn’t too happy about this.

Too much exercise, with too little rest and not enough protein, can actually break down lean muscle tissue – not a good thing!

If you’re not training for an endurance competition, than you are better off doing shorter, interval cardio combined with strength training.  This gets the best results without spending hours and hours in the gym.

I’ve lost 8 pounds in just over two weeks on the Warp Speed Fat Loss program and have a smaller waist in the process.

Here is an example of interval training that doesn’t take a lot of time to do.  Choose exercises that use multiple muscles instead of “isolating” different body parts – more calories burned.

Get moving!

Brian

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Is it possible to lose fat AND have fun while doing so?  I guess it depends partly on your definition of fun, but I believe you can definitely enjoy what you are doing while training…..

and if not, how likely is it that the “average” person will stick with it?  I receive many different newsletters from others in the health and fitness field – some of which train totally different from each other – from bodyweight exercises to kettlebells, sandbags, and some that lift insanely heavy weights.

A recent newsletter stated that if you are having fun than you just aren’t working hard enough.  Now, I agree that if you want great results you have to push your body out of its comfort zone and that calls for some hard work.

At the same time, most people won’t stick with it or even start in the first place, if its not at least enjoyable.  I work out fairly intensely, more so than most, yet I enjoy the way it makes my body feel.  For me this is “fun.”

Not quite the same as riding a roller coaster or a day at the beach, but I actually like it.  Most of these fun workouts involve more creativity than the typical healthclub patron who does the circuit on the weight machines and then grabs the headphones as they put their mandatory time in on the treadmill or elliptical machine.

Pretty mind-numbing if you ask me.  So I see it as adding more creativity in your workouts – workouts that keep you focused on the task at hand, whether thats sandbag training, ropes, resistance bands or bodyweight exercises.

The kind of training that doesn’t take hours to accomplish.  Then again, we all need less intense activities like taking a nice relaxing stroll or casual bike ride, whether alone or with someone else to “talk” about the things going on in our lives.  This is healthy for the mind and soul.

Social interaction and group accountability is part of the success of bootcamp classes and why they have taken off.  I’m guessing that most of these people would say that they worked hard and had some fun.

Get moving!

Brian

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After a few days of eating poorly, I decided to do a 24 hour fast to help my body get rid of the “junk” I put into it.  I’ve done intermittant fasting a little in the past and it can be an effective way to lose weight.

One program I followed several years ago involved going without eating throughout the day and then eating a large meal at dinner time, where you ate as much as you want.

While this might sound kinda strange, there is actually some good points brought up.  For one, throughout history we haven’t always had refrigerators stocked with food that we could go to whenever we wanted to eat.

Which is probably why obesity was never as much of a problem as it is today.

….but it was normal to go through periods of feast and famine, where at times there was plenty to eat and other times where you might have to go without food.

Anyway, I’ve tried a different type of program a little here and there and decided to go back on it for today.  Basically, you go without eating for about 24 hours and then resume your normal routine.

For example, last night my last meal was eaten by 7pm and today I won’t eat until 7pm, give or take.  You drink plenty of water to help flush out the waste products that can sometimes build up in your body.  Besides the obvious part of consuming fewer calories each week, which should lead to some weight loss, your body is supposed to be doing some “house cleaning” during the fasting time.

You can do this either once or twice a week without changing your normal eating pattern very much.

As I’ve said before, I have no problem training intensely, but my eating habits have never been perfect.  I tend to take in too much sugar and processed foods.  I get stressed out at times too, and enjoy my comfort foods.

Going without eating for 24 hours is really more mental than anything else and since you’re asleep for part of that time, it really isn’t that long anyway.

This might not work for people with diabetes or other health issues, but otherwise healthy people should have no problems.  Like I said, its much more mental than anything and it can really identify those for whom food is an emotional crutch.

Its not for everyone, but I definitely notice a difference when I do it.  If you would like more info go over to Eat Stop Eat.

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What is the best training program out there?  The one that gets the optimal results in the least amount of time, while avoiding or reducing the risk of injury!

…..or, to borrow from bodybuilding and fat loss guru Tom Venuto – the best routine is the one that gets you the results you want and the one that you are passionate about.

So if you want to be a better runner you would obviously spend most of your time running.  But if you are the “average joe” who just wants to lose weight and look better, and has minimal time to spend exercising, you don’t have to follow the routine of a competitive bodybuilder or endurance athlete.

In fact, you will probably fall short of your goals as this type of training is very time consuming and energy demanding.

If you are married and have kids, the amount of time you have to commit to exercising is probably minimal, as you are likely occupied with their athletic and school activities, leaving little time for anything else after doing maintenance on your house and lawn.

With so many people starting exercise plans this time of year, many will give up precisely due to the lack of time required, and/or boredom starts to creep in as that walk/jog on the treadmill or constant pedaling in place becomes a little too repetitive for your taste.

So what’s the solution?  Simple, you need a time-efficient workout program that combines cardio and strength training into 1 session – a session that lasts only 30-60 minutes total.  Then, you go home and get on with your busy life.

…..or, you can do this kind of training at home with very little investment in equipment.  For someone working 60 hours or more and possibly doing some traveling with their job, the typical healthclub routine just takes too long.

You CAN get results without spending hours and hours to do so, IF you use an intense workout that keeps your metabolism elevated for several hours, afterwards.  This can be interval training on a stationary bike or interval resistance training where you go from one exercise to another with little or no rest in between.

So those runners, cyclists or bodybuilders, I’m not taking issue with your training program.  By all means, keep doing what you love.  For those who are not currently exercising for whatever reason – you are the ones that I’m addressing!

Also, those who are frustrated or bored with your current exercise routine, there is a better way.  If short on time, you want a program that elevates your metabolism for several hours afterwards, creating some “turbulence” or a large after-burn effect.

This occurs when you use multi-joint exercises involving your large muscle groups, instead of doing bodybuilding routines that isolate different body parts.

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