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:
JOEL, how are ya? In reference to High intensity interval training. As with most
exercise, does your body get used to the varing intervals. Does your Metabolism reach a point or does your afterburn burn for less amount of time if you use this traing tactic over a longer period of time. Or .. Or when you add Metabolic Resistance Training + High Inensity Interval Training to the mix, does this prevent your body and metabolism from entering a plateau. Does your body get used to the exercise.
I am so grateful for the knowledge I’ve gotten from your emails, thank you for helping me to change my lifestyle and do it right to get the results I want!
let’s hear it!
I’ve been doing interval training with resistance for a couple months now and have lost inches and pounds. I’m getting lots of compliments. I know that it works!
I just want to tell you that I LOVE you and your info!!
I am a personal trainer and I started training my clients (and me!) about 2 years ago after discovering Craig and his Turbulence Training!!!!!
You both ROCK!!!! Thanks so much!!!
Hey Joel,
I really can’t agree more with what you’ve said in this blog! Because the thing is, I used to extremely overtrain myself with long, endurance cardio. And I lost a considerable amount of muscle to my legs from it. So now I’ve recently switched to HIIT and it’s awesome! Quick, effective and releases a stack load of Growth Hormone.
I’ve just started using the Optimum Anabolics program (The Muscle Nerd) and he suggested using it at the end of a workout to really elevate GH, so yeah, HIIT really does work.
Cheers
Kurt
What if you did long cardio, just because you love to run and interval training?
I agree, but don’t the studies show that those very impressive numbers, i.e., 44% and 9 TIMES are really only very small numbers? Just want to be realistic when interpreting the data.
Great article, I’d love to see the interval workouts. Keep up the great work!
Is this a re-post? Because I remembered reading this exact same post before.
Joel,
This is great. What you said about MRT and interval training is eye opening. I’m an RN and a diabetes educator. The information you are sharing will help my patients. I have so many obese patients that are looking for some way to lose weight, and haven’t a clue how to exercise. Thanks,
Doris
I like it when these things are broken down and explained. It makes much more sense for somebody to do the right kind of training if they understand how it works, and turns the skeptics around.
Thanks for all your wonderful info Joel im just beginning today and im actually Very excited to be on this journey with continued support from daily emails. It really is a lifestyle change. Look forward to the new workouts!!! Cheers Kerry from OZ:-)
I’ve been looking for a solid high intensity metabolic circuit type routine for a while now. Please share!
Not going to say much, just something very honest. I WANT TO TRY IT!
Looking forward to more info on metabolic and interval training. I’ve been hitting the elliptical every night for a month and have lost 10 pounds… Looking for a more efficient workout… Thanks, Joel for the great information
Joel,
Thanks for the info, definitley looking forward to hearing what you have to say…
Hey Joel,
Great info, just wondering if the amount of weight you need to lose plays a factor in how much after burn you get from doing this type of exercise.
And what kind of exercise would you recomend to achieve this if a person has severe back and knee probs (to the point of being hardly able to walk or stand).
Sorry Joel I know it’s a curly one and I’m not sure if you’ve ever been able to help someone with these probs but I am really desperate for some help.
Here to help push things towards 300. Interested to hear what Joel has to say on MRT.
Hi Joel
Thanks very much for all the info. How can someone with knee problems participate? I’m finding myself become more sedentary (and piling on weight) as exercise seems to increase pain. Drs can’t seem to help: “cartilage problems, yes we can scape it…” but that isn’t satisfactory. Am in early 50s. Tried glucosamine & chondroitin, no perceptible difference after 3 months. Any advice welcome.
C Al Lon
I agree entirely with your comments. Who has time to waste these days? I don’t and I want the best results I can get for the efforts I put in. I am doing Rob Poulos’ High intensity Training (using body weight only) 3 days a week – takes next to no time to do these little exercises – watching my calories and follow up with a delightful weekend cheat day! You should see my shape now! Muscles are strengthening, waist and thighs are decreasing and I’m getting into clothes I haven’t worn for a while. All in 6 weeks! That’s maximum results for least amount of effort. I’m smiling! :<D
Would love to see those exercises, thanks!! =)
There is one person that a good high intensity interval routine called sprint 8. Basically it is 8 sprints, each sprint lasts 30 seconds with 90 seconds of rest in between each sprint. Phil Campbell wrote a book called Ready, Set, Go which elaborates why sprint is 30 seconds, the amount of rest in between.
His strategy is to maximize HGH through diet and exercise. An interesting book.
Thought I would add my information and look forward to see what Joel has planned.
Hey Joel,
Great article! All these different methods and things we should do… How do we know which is right for us?
Thanks :)
I agree with both MRT and Interval training. I’ve been training for weight loss for just over a year. I’ve worked with four trainers and only one of them suggested interval training and none have suggested MRT. I dropped 30 pounds and then hit a wall with the training they suggested. Then I started doing some research, going to my doctor and changing things up. I found out that I’m insulin resistant, thyroid change from T4 to T3 was not functioning properly and overall hormone imbalance. All this came from listening to trainers about diet and the exercise.
Fast forward to today….after hitting the wall for more than 5 months and no weight loss I started doing my own training and diet. I enjoy and get the most benefit from doing MRT one day, Interval the next and day off and start the cycle again. I’m using a heart rate monitor and take my highs up to 90% and then my lows down to 60%.
I’m learning to do the same with my diet, High/low carb and calories. FINALLY the weight is coming off and I feel stronger than I have since I was 18…I’m a 43 year old woman with 6 children. I can actually run with my 24 year old and keep up now. I can beat my 23 year old daughter any day of the week on any sport. :)
Can’t wait to see some new Interval training workouts…would love to see some HRT training workouts too. Also, I’d like to know your thoughts on the short 20-30 minutes HRT/Interval trainings verses hour long versions, the pros and cons of one over the other?
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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...read more