Hi Joel
I am so glad to find out how to get that fat off! ´cause I have been trying so hard since easter to slim down. I want to loose 30-40 pounds…and so far just lost ONE! that is working out 4-8 hours a week! I will put my trust in this new information you have given me.
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
Can’t wait to here about the metabolic resistance training!
Joel,
Thanks for citing the research your info is based upon. While all of the information you impart sounds grounded in research, it’s nice to actually see the journal articles you’re basing this information on. While your opinion is certainly important, there are other nutrition/fitness “experts” out there who voice differing opinions, making it difficult at times to know who to believe. Seeing the reserch cited lends significant weight (no pun intended) to your advice. Keep up the excellent job of keeping all of us informed.
This all sounds so great!!!! I am just starting to get back into exercising, so a sample would be super!
Hi I’m in Canada and i place an order few moths ago for 80$ and never receive it!!! Please help me!!!
great job sir,i really love reading they are of great use every time i read them.and share it with my friends.earlier people in ahmednagar didnt knew who joel is?today few of my friends know u because of the ur articles .we are requesting you to post detailed articles on weight training and aerobics training for building muscle and at the same time loosing fat…
god bless u and give u much more than sucess in life
regards
sachin kumar
Good review of these two methods vs. endurance cardio, but are there any studies comparing metabolic resistance training to interval training? Absent evidence, what’s your thought about the best approach, or perhaps how to fit the two together? Right now, I’m doing standard (short) weight training sessions, followed by interval work, 3-4x/week, with a moderate calorie diet (averaging ~1800-2000 cals/day). It’s working OK, but I’d love to step it up.
With these workouts can you post weight/difficulty guidelines?? this is where I get confused on should it be as heavy as you can manage or less weight/more reps. And how can you tell if you are working hard enough?
I would love to know how heavy of weights, for how many sets and how long should it take to do these? I have a weight machine and I want to learn the best way to use it. Thanks, keep up the great work!!
Yeah Joel, this is completely true, experienced that on myself. Been a supporter of the “classic combination” i.e. 3-4 long weightlifting and 3 low intensity cardio workouts weekly, used 6-12 h weekly for that. This was great as long as I was 15-25 and had no job+family (but honestly, when you’re 18 you don’t need to speed up your metabolism, it’s on its max then) . Then suddenly – job, family, car – less time, slower meta, more belly, no form :( Now, being 30 years I have been doing 2 x HIT weights and 1 x interval swimming/running a week for 6 months. I lost 10 pounds (back to my weight at 25y), and feel 10x better than doing previous routine. What better, I am using less than 90 minutes a week for that! Of course, I started eating more sensibly also, but a bit of pizza/lasagne/beer/cake/chocolate sneaks in 2-3 times a week ;) Keep up educating people, Joel !
Cardio with weights is awesome……..Hey Joel how about a Cheat your way to muscle growth Diet. You know for us guys that want to be able to have our cheat days through all the periodization phases.
Is metabolic resistance training bodyweigh interval training by any chance?
I am doing bodyweight exercises with intervals for about 3 weeks and I have seen some results! :D
its nice to know that we dont have to run for hours everyday to burn some fat :) lets wait for tomorrow the examples.
I do 15mins of interval training every 2nd day… 60sec high 30sec low… 5 min warm up and cool down as per Holly’s workout. Which is great ~ no more slow slugging it out 1 hour cardio sessions.
Another great article Joel, thanks so much for this info.
How many comments till now ?
interval training is not always the way to go for soo many people med intensity consistent cardio always wins in the end!
Great info Joel. More benefit in less time in a no brainer.
Great info Joel. Burn more fat in less time is a no brainer. Thanks for posting.
Interval training significantly impacts the role of fat burning. I’m in for some tips!
Cool Post mate…
yes I also do interval training and love it, short and sweet and you’ve really worked hard.
please do give a sample workout for the metabolic resistance training, I’m interested
i am with you one hundred percent!
true,true
i ve tried and it works
pure cardio sucks
Hey, I already do interval training on my treadmill, but I’d definitely be interested in learning more about metabolic resistance training. Like Eveline, I think a “sample” workout would be great to go off of! Thanks!
yes please recomend and show us some of these workouts
Great post. Interval training is the way to go!
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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...