So you have read all about the myths that exist in the areas of health and nutrition. But I am sure you’re confused now and are wondering ‘how do I fix it?’
Well over the next 6 days we will be sending out a fitness tip each day to kick start your fat burning furnace, so you will burn fat not only with each workout you do, but also while you are sitting on the couch enjoying some TV or simply watching your kids run around. You will be burning calories like its no bodies business; we just need to show you how.
Through the 1990’s there was much debate about which training system was better for burning calories. Was it long slow duration cardiovascular work (1 hour + at <65% Max Heart Rate) or short sharp workouts (20minutes at >80% Max Heart Rate)? Strong debate raged from both corners, with valid arguments as to why each was better than the other. But with some more thorough research being completed and a hint of common sense thrown in we now conclusively have a new winner!!!
It is now accepted that completing workouts at a higher intensity will burn more calories and maintain your elevated metabolic rate for hours after your workout (which will keep burning calories, yep even after you have finished sweating!)
An example of why is shown below, using average numbers from an average person;
Low Intensity Walk (1 hour)
Calories Burned 250
Cals from Fat (65%) 163
Cals burnt next 2 hours 25
Total Cals Burnt 275
(163 from fat)
High Intensity Sprints (20 min)
Calories Burned 450
Cals from Fat (45%) 202
Cals burnt next 2 hours 100
Total Cals Burnt 550
(202 from fat)
Now please bear in mind these numbers are for demonstration purposes only, I don’t know if you will burn 550 calories in your sprint training session, that depends on a lot of factors but the point remains the same. Yes you do burn a higher percentage of calories from fat in a low intensity workout but you also burn less calories and have a lower calorie post workout ‘after burn’ (which is stimulated by metabolic momentum). Also to complete a high intensity workout it is not essential that you have to sprint, you can apply the workout to a cross trainer in the gym, to a bike in a spin class or whatever you like.
It’s just a matter working at a high intensity for say 20 seconds and then recovering for 20-40 seconds (dependant on your fitness level) and continuing this for 20 minutes. I apply the high intensity cardiovascular training theory to my workouts and all a2z personal training clients with amazing (and very sweaty) results.
Stay tuned for the next email in a few days where I will share a nutrition tip with you where I detail how to achieve this ‘metabolic momentum’
Take care,
Andrew Zagami