Interval Training: a faster way to burn fat!

Reprinted with my own permission from the Forest Lake Press, White Bear Press, Vadnais Heights Press, Quad Press and Shoreview Press 3/12/10...

Interval Training: a faster way to burn fat

What’s all this buzz about interval training? Is it really the best way to lose weight? There is an impressive amount of research out there now that says YES! Study after study shows that cardio workouts with speed intervals are much more effective at burning fat than workouts done at a steady pace. One recent study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found an interval workout regime to burn 36% more fat than steady state cardio work in the same amount of time, and other studies have produced even higher numbers – some showing up to 9 times the amount of fat loss.

So what exactly is interval training? Mayoclinic.com defines it as simply alternating bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter activity. Interval training is versatile because it can be incorporated as part of any exercise routine and can be accomplished through any method of movement.

The fat-burning magic of interval training is largely due to EPOC or “Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption” from a high-intensity workout. The body uses a lot more oxygen after a tough workout than it usually does at rest. The intensity of these workouts causes the energy stores in your muscles to become depleted, which causes the body to turn to stored fat for energy, and the extra oxygen available creates a favorable environment for fat-burning in the hours that follow your workout session. To put this in layman’s terms, your metabolic rate will be higher throughout the day – burning more fat even 36 hours after the workout.

The benefits of interval training go beyond fat-burning. Evidence is turning up that shows it improves cardiovascular health, decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes, improves sports performance and increases exercise adherence since it is perceived as being less boring.

An easy way to get started with an interval program is to try a 1:3 work recovery ratio. After a 5 minute walking warm-up, walk or jog at an intense pace that feels close to your maximum ability for one minute. Follow this with a three minute recovery, walking or jogging at a pace you can maintain. After 3-5 cycles finish with a 5 minute walking cool-down. Due to the intense nature of interval training it is advisable to consult with your physician before beginning this type of a program.

Karissa Johnson is the owner of Premier Physique in Forest Lake and founder of Moms on the Run. For more information about Karissa see www.momsontherun.com

5 days of Rice and Chicken

I interrupt the regular weight loss series to bring up a special VERY related topic - my own weight loss "experiment."

Last week I participated in a food challenge presented by my church (Eagle Brook) to help change our perspective and soften our hearts to those who live in poverty. The challenge was to eat like they do Monday through Friday last week, a diet of mainly beans and rice. We were allowed beans, rice, a little bit of chicken, tortillas, oatmeal and water. We were asked to limit ourselves to 3 8oz portions a day.

Everything inside of me did not want to do this. It was going to set me further back from my fitness goals which I have recently been doing well towards. But I decided this was not about me, and I gave it a whirl. From a professional standpoint, I decided to chalk it up as an experiment to present my viewpoint that dieting is not an effective technique for weight loss.

Now I did not follow the serving size guidelines, did not limit my chicken, and I did add one protein shake every day. After all I have to get through exercise classes without fainting. I managed to sneak in 1000-1500 calories every day. But this is far from my usual 2200 and I was hungry every minute all week long. The experiment was effective for me in learning extreme appreciate for the variety in my diet I take for granted every day.

I measured my weight and body composition before and after and the end result from a fitness standpoint is that I lost 3 pounds and did not lower my percent body fat at all. That means I lost 1/2 pound of fat and 2 1/2 pounds of muscle. This is what I expected but did not want to happen. This is significant. After ONLY FIVE days of eating lower calorie I lost 2.5 pounds of muscle. EVEN THOUGH I instructed THREE WEIGHT TRAINING classes during this time to build muscle. That means this week I have a lower metabolic rate by approximately 100 calories every single day. I cannot resume eating as normal, or I would quickly gain back more fat than muscle.

This is the problem every dieter is up against. Eating low calorie only destroys one's metabolic rate and does nothing to make one less "flabby." Weight loss plateaus; fat is regained. Stay tuned to learn about a better way!

Set yourself up for Success in 2010!

It’s always been hard for me personally to make New Year’s Resolutions, when my Januarys are consumed with helping others achieve their’s! But here it is February, and in light of my long term goal to write regularly for a health publication or write a book, today I take baby steps by promising my readers a bimonthly blog update. At least twice a month, I will write!

In fitting with everyone’s agenda at this time of year, the first topic will be weight loss, divided up into a four part series as follows: Why they give up, Why they don’t lose, Training vs. Trying, and Goal-setting 101. We will follow the typical January gym-goer to see why resolutions are so short lived. Then we’ll take a look at the reasons his/her efforts aren’t paying off as planned, discuss a more successful common sense approach, and learn how to create a goal that is realistic for the kind of loss that is maintainable, according to the level of sacrifice one is willing to make. I’ll also be trying to sneak in some info on supplements in the next month to try to simplify an issue that is very confusing for many.

Let me let you in on a little secret. The truth is, losing weight – the kind that will stay off, is one of the hardest things you will ever do in your entire life. It requires an adjustment of priorities, and major financial and time sacrifice. The commercials make it look so easy. Yet we overlook the “results not typical” fine print and don’t ever follow up with their future difficulties in maintaining their success. Americans are spending 40 billion dollars a year on diet programs and products, and we are fatter than ever. 95% of all dieters gain back all the weight they lost and more. 95%! Wake-up call! How do we avoid being a statistic? What can we do that is so different from the ordinary approach that we can actually be a part of that elite 5% who experience success?

Stay tuned! Up next is “Why They Give Up.” Consider subscribing to this blog by using Google friend connect (find on the side bar at premierphysique.blogspot.com), or by adding the following link to your RSS reader http://premierphysique.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default