I Want You To H.I.I.T Me – Here’s Why!

A couple weeks ago we discussed “cardio” and it’s relative effectiveness for losing bodyfat.  (More Cardio Please!)

I promised a follow up that would explore more evidence that steady state cardio isn’t always what it is cracked up to be.

When you walk into Get Fit NH Bootcamp you are not going to see traditional “cardio” machines such as treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bikes – and that’s not by accident.

Our philosophy of training dictates that we do the least amount of training time-wise to elicit a training effect. In other words we train using movements and protocols that give you the most “bang for your buck” to build lean muscle and lose bodyfat. Our choice of equipment reflects our philosophy, simple as that.

Intense metabolic resistance training and high intensity interval training (H.I.I.T.) are what both science and the real world results we see in the gym show to be the best way to get the job done. And while there is a place for low intensity cardio, it’s not first place. On top of that studies show that the number calories you burn during exercise isn’t nearly as important as what happens afterward.

It’s an “EPOC” phenomenon.

EPOC is an acronym for Excess Post Oxygen Consumption, and is defined as the “recovery of metabolic rate back to pre-exercise levels” which “can require several minutes for light exercise and several hours for hard intervals.”

Here’s a couple studies which indicate high intensity training is superior to steady state cardio for fat loss.

Study One

Endurance training. 20 weeks. 28,661 calories expended during training.

vs.

Interval training. 15 weeks. 13,614 calories (less than half) expended during training.

Results?

When corrected for energy cost the interval training group showed a nine times greater loss in subcutaneous fat than the endurance group. That is the power of EPOC. Even though the interval group trained less and burned fewer calories during training, the metabolic rate over an extended period of time caused much greater fat loss. Bottom line, they worked less time and got better results – pretty cool!

Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C.
Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal musclemetabolism. Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7):814-8.

Study Two

15 weeks of 20 minutes per session interval training, 3 times per week

vs.

15 weeks of 40 minutes steady state exercise, 3 times per week.

Both groups burned the same total calories over the 15 weeks and ate the same diet.

Results?

• The steady state group gained an average of 1 pound of bodyfat
• The interval group lost 5.5 pounds of fat and increased lean mass
• The interval group increased aerobic capacity more than the steady state group.

Trapp EG, Chisholm DJ, Freund J, Boutcher SH. The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Jan 15

Interval training “works” because it is extremely metabolically demanding. The body works harder for longer, even after exercise is over. Studies indicate that resistance training works in much the same way.

When you have a choice (and you usually do) metabolic resistance training and interval training are the way to go. But you can’t just go through the motions. You have to give max effort during the work periods to get maximum effect, and take the proper recovery between.

Next time we will discuss what kind of nutrition is most effective for fat loss.

Until then keep…

Making It Happen!

Coach Dean