After reading the articles, I’m finally on the band wagon. Thank you for your concise information. Doing CYWT now!
In the last update I talked to you about the massive shortcomings of “slow-go” aerobic exercise for fat loss and began to briefly touch on the benefits of something much more effective – short duration, high intensity exercise.
Simply put, if you are looking for the fastest fat loss results, high intensity exercise is a MUST.
Short duration, high intensity exercise comes in two major forms: metabolic resistance training and interval training. Today, I want to take a DEEP look into the benefits of each.
First up, metabolic resistance training:
As mentioned in my previous post, metabolic resistance training is simply “cardio with weights”, and when speaking of the most effective form of exercise for the fastest possible fat loss, this is it.
A couple of studies to support this that my buddy Alwyn Cosgrove dug up:
Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, McBride JM.
Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management.
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Mar;86(5):411-7. Epub 2002 Jan 29.
In this study a 30-minute circuit style metabolic resistance training session was put to the test. The result was a 38 hour increase in metabolism – massive AFTERBURN.
Let’s put this in perspective: Say that you worked out at 8AM on Friday. By way of metabolic resistance training, you’d still be burning calories from that workout while out at the movies on Saturday night.
You want to burn calories by watching Wolverine? Now you can.
Here’s another:
Kramer, Volek et al.
Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 9, pp. 1320-1329, 1999.
This study showed that those who added metabolic resistance training to a reduced calorie diet burned up to 44% more fat than those who dieted alone.
Don’t get me wrong, diet is the NUMBER ONE component of the fat loss puzzle, but once you’ve got that down, metabolic resistance training can really take your results to a whole new level.
And here’s one more:
Bryner RW, Ullrich IH, Sauers J, Donley D, Hornsby G, Kolar M, Yeater R.
Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.
J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):115-21.
This study compared “slow-go” aerobic exercise to metabolic resistance training and found that the resistance group lost significantly more fat without losing ANY lean muscle even at an extremely low calorie intake (not so for the aerobic group).
In fact, believe it or not, while the aerobic group experienced a decrease in metabolism (and lost muscle), the resistance training group actually increased overall metabolic rate.
THAT’S the power of metabolic resistance training.
Convinced that metabolic resistance training flat out WORKS? Good. Next up, interval training:
Interval training is simply a form of high intensity cardio in which you alternate back and forth between periods of high effort and periods of active recovery.
For example, you may run very hard for a period of one minute and then follow it up with walking for one minute, repeating 8-10 times for a less-than-20-minute workout.
Does it work?
Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C.
Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism.
Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7):814-8
Are you sitting down? If not, take a seat.
You want to know what happened when this research group compared 20 weeks of endurance training vs. 15 weeks of interval training?
While the aerobic/endurance group actually managed to burn more total calories during exercise, the interval training group lost NINE TIMES more body fat. NINE TIMES.
Nine times more fat loss in half the time? The clear choice for fat loss is interval training.
And it all comes down to elevated metabolism after your workout is completed – the afterburn.
Are you experiencing the afterburn?
Give me at least 700 comments and I’ll be back tomorrow with some sample interval training workouts and a post you won’t want to miss!
Talk to you in the comments section!
Joel
P.S. Every so often, something crosses my desk that’s just too good not to share with you. Well, my buddy and uber nutritionist Kyle Leon is at it again:
==> Metabolism trick to OVERCOME your genetics (actually works)
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835 comments - add yours
Thanks for providing the scientific basis for the afterburn effect.
What about kettlebell training? I heard this is both cardio and muscle training and should work well if you want to lose weight. What is your opinion on this?
Great information. Really interested in the metabolic resistance training.
Joel, love all your posts. Looking forward to the next one. I am new to the fitness world so I don’t know much about different training routines. Thanks for all you do!
Looking forward to the info on metabolic resistance training as that’s very new to me. Thanks!
Great stuff. Why do you think the people at the gym who jog 2 mph for 45 minutes dont lose any bodyfat? Because they dont get the afterburn. I would rather sprint for 10 minutes with great results than jog for 45 minutes and get less benefit.
Haha, looks like we’re getting our article.
just started your plan and look forward to sample interval training
i want to know mooooooooooore..i love getting your newsletters as you re one of the only fitness advisors advising us considering the fact that we re human and cant have all the discipline we wish for, and i want to find out more about the burnout.. I do circuit trainning 4-5 time s a week in my figth school but i never really know how to feed as i don t want carbs at night not to gain fat but then am extremely tired the day after when i dont..
p.s. keep up the good work
I am new to CYWT and very motivated to lose weight.
And yes, I am very interested in interval training and would love to have some
workout ideas from you. I only hope that I CAN do the workouts you might
suggest………cause I had knee surgery about a year ago to repair torn cartilege,
and was told by my doctor to walk and exercise on a stationery bike until my knee totally healed ( 1 year ). So now I think I am ready for something more,
to help burn the fat faster. Thanks for your article and support.
6 months ago I was at my lowest weight when I was doing weight circuits and sprint 8’s. I have been slack lately and the body fat is creeping back on. Thanks for the reminder! Looking forward to some sample plans to get me back on track. Thanks for the post!
Thanks for the tips Joel. It’s great for newbies like me!
Will you recommend doing interval training (for me I use the eliptical because of arthritis) & weight training in the same session?
I tried the metabolic training for the first time last night and the interval training for the first time this morning. WOW! I love having a shorter workout, but gee do you work hard in that short space of time! I felt fantastic after getting my heart racing! I believe these techniques revolutionise the excercise industry! Thank you for giving me confidence to try something new, to be challenged and to suceed!
Please share a good interval workout, I am really interested.
Thanks
I am a 57 yr old woman and we all know how hard it is to lose anything after 50! Instead of 20 minutes of running on the treadmill followed by 30 minutes of lifting I started intervals of 1 minute running, then a set of weight training,then 1 minute of running etc…. In one week I lost 4 pounds!!! Even with some “power eating” over Thanksgiving I gained no weight1 I am a believer!
Very good information. I have been using interval training on a statioary bike for a short time, and it is an excellent workout. I would like to see some examples of metabolic resistance training. Thanks.
You are right on. I currently use AOS’s SIM Kettlebell program and CST’s 4×7 Bodyweight program. Both are fantastic Metabolic resistance programs.
I also do HIIT on the treadmill.
Excellent, love the scientific journals backing it up!
Hi Joel,
Question –
I have started aqua classes and can you classify the type of exercise it is?
I think it may my a combination of mixed intensity (as we may have reps of fast and slow eg “peddling” a lap sitting on a noodle float and then swim a lap hard etc.) and aerobic resistance as we do a lot of excercises under the water eg lunges, punches, crunches with float dumbells and also have other resistance in pulling a partner who swims behind us and also work the pool so we have to push against the current).
I am using my steps outside for my home MIT. Slow = stepping up and down and Hard = Jumping two feet up and down a step or side straddling a step one foot one step the other foot down a step and then jumping facing one side then jumping to the other side (swapping steps with feet).
Traditional cardio is a hard habit for me to break but this all sounds like the true key to fat loss. I do interval burst during my 45-60 daily cardio but probably not enough so I am going to be working on that ASAP! What to learn more about and understand what the metabolic resistance is all about. Thanks for everything!
Hi Joel – Can’t wait to hear more about metabolic resistance training. Thanks for all the great articles. I have been impressed with the good information you have provided. I just started the CYWT program and have already noticed that I feel I get a greater workout following your CYWF MIT workout. I look forward to the sample interval training workouts and your next post.
Sue
I am looking forward to your sample interval training routines. I have lost weight but am currently stuck in “plateau hell.” Tell me what to do to break through! Please!
I have been doing an interval training for quite some time. I really love the result but now I would like to know about metabolic resistance training. Hope you could help me out in this, thank you.
I have knee problems is interval training can work for me? if yes i’d love to try it
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...