The Best Cardio Intervals for Fat Loss: Part 1
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
http://www.neusight.com/turbulence.html
Is there really a best interval training system for fat loss?
Do intervals really work as well as regular cardio for fat loss?
I’m going to cover these, and many more questions in Part 1 of your lessons on interval training.
But this is not just interval training 101. Today, you’re going to
leave this email with a graduate degree in interval training for
fat loss.
I’ll answer both questions upfront before the lesson begins, and
I’ll give more details on each as we go along:
1) Conservatively, intervals are at least as effective as regular
aerobic training for fat loss. Personally, I believe intervals are
far superior. And there is no denying that intervals allow you to
get your workouts done a lot faster than slow, boring cardio
workouts.
2) I have to admit, there is no best interval training program for
fat loss. But that is a good thing, because there are so many waysv that you can change your interval training to keep your fat loss results coming week in and week out.
By changing your training program every three to four weeks, you are using one of the key principles of Turbulence Training -
variety. It is essential to change your workouts this frequently,
otherwise you might suffer from a dreaded fat loss plateau.
And if that is the case for you now, I’ll show you dozens of
alternative interval training workouts you can use to kick-start
your metabolism and fat loss.
Now what many people don’t know, or perhaps just fail to recognize, is that interval training is not just for advanced fitness superstars. No way. In fact, intervals are an effective and perhaps even the most effective method for beginners to get fit and lose fat.
First you have to understand that interval training is based on
relative performance. While my intervals would be much too hard for a beginner, my intervals would be a joke for Lance Armstrong.
So even for those men and women that are just dipping their toe
into the fitness waters for the first time in months, years, or
dare I say, decades, they too can do interval training.
If you are a beginner and you can walk at 3.3mph for 20 minutes, then your intervals will start at a walk at 3.6mph for 30 seconds to a minute. That is interval training.
It doesn’t have to be high-intensity, sprint-to-the-death activity.
Instead, just increase the intensity slightly more than you can
normally handle, and do so for a short time, and intersperse that
with periods of easier exercise for twice the duration.
So if you did 1 minute at 3.6mph, drop down to 3.0mph for 2
minutes. Do that up to 6 times, and you’ve had yourself an interval session.
Now for those of Wire Transfer The Connecticut Bank And Trust Co you that have been doing only slow, traditional
cardio, switching over to interval training 2-3 times per week is
going to be the fat loss equivalent of throwing a lit, gasoline
soaked rag on a pile of dry kindling.
Here’s why…research has given us a lot of evidence that intervals are superior to traditional cardio. First, a study from Laval University in 1994 compared interval training to aerobic training – straight up – over a 12 week training period. Subjects that used interval training had better results. They lost more fat. You can’t argue with that.
And second, interval training causes metabolic turbulence – also
known as boost in your metabolism. Due to the high-intensity nature of intervals, there is more “turbulence” applied to the muscle. That means more muscle breakdown and more adaptations in the muscle.
Now I know that sounds very technical, but all you need to
understand is that when all this extra activity goes on at the
muscle level, it requires a lot more energy to return your muscle back to normal (i.e. to get out of turbulence and back to a normal resting state).
And when your body uses more energy, it means, in laymen’s terms, that you are burning more calories.
So it’s important for men and women not too get hung up on the
calorie counters in the gym. First, because the calorie count of
the workout is not the only factor in determining fat loss
(intervals burn far more calories after the workout – more on that later).
And second, a report on CBS showed that the calorie counters on some machines are often significantly inaccurate.
Doesn’t that boil your blood when you think back to all those times you did slow, boring cardio and patiently watched the calorie counter creep up to your goal of 250, 300, or even 400 calories? And who knows if that was even accurate?
With intervals, you can forget about the calories on the machine.
Just work hard, do the intervals, then leave the gym and let your muscles continue burning calories on its own while it recovers from exercise.
OK, time is up, so I’m going to leave off here for Part 1.
I apologize, you don’t have your Master’s of Science Degree in
Interval Training yet, but you will after Part 2.
So your homework between now and next week’s class is to start incorporating interval training into your fat loss program. For beginners, see the outline above. Make sure to include a 5-minute specific warm-up and cool-down.
And if you truly did just peel yourself off the couch last week and you have not exercised in years, I insist that you see a doctor before you take up any exercise program. Believe me, you’ll thank yourself for it.
For more advanced fitness levels, let’s start with 60 second
intervals.
Do a 5-minute specific warm-up, then exercise for 60 seconds at a slightly harder than normal cardio pace.
Follow that with 90 seconds of exercise at a very easy pace. (Don’t exercise too hard in the recovery period – that is one of the biggest mistakes people make with interval training!). Repeat this sequence for 3 more intervals (let’s just do 4 intervals for your first session).
Through trial and error, find an intensity that allows you to work to near fatigue – but not complete fatigue, there should still be some “gas” left in the tank – by the end of the 60 second interval.
In the next newsletter, I’ll discuss at least 6 different interval
durations and when you should use them, as well as the best
interval training methods – and don’t miss when I expose the most ineffective machine in the gym.
Hint – It is also the most common machine these days, yet I’ve yet to see a single person change their body by using this machine for their cardio and intervals.
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit =>http://www.neusight.com/burnfat.html
Cardio is not the Key to Fat Loss
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
http://www.neusight.com/turbulence.html
Do you have questions about Turbulence Training? How it works? What’s in the workouts? Or even what does it mean?
Recently one of the UK’s top trainers, Paul Mort from
PrecisionFitness.co.uk, interrogated me on the Turbulence Training system. Here’s our q’n'a…
Q: First, can you tell us the basics about Turbulence Training?
Answer:
Turbulence Training is the result of years of study in the gym and in the research labs and library. From personal experience, I’ve found there is only one way to get the most fat loss and workout results in the least amount of time – you must increase your training intensity.
With the right workout, you can get more fat loss results in less
workout time. Period. That is the one and only goal of this
training program. A better body in fewer workout sessions, and
shorter exercise bouts.
That means:
a) Shorter interval workouts instead of long slow cardio workouts
b) More challenging strength training exercises, such as advanced bodyweight exercises and some traditional strength training free weight exercises
If you have two hours to spend in the gym everyday, you can feel free to stick to the same relatively ineffective and inefficient
program of long cardio and light weights. But if you are like most
men and women and have 45 minutes (or less) on only three days of the week to workout, then Turbulence Training will work wonders for you.
Male or female, almost everyone I see in traditional fitness centers could benefit from increasing the challenge in their workout. And they can also benefit from getting in and out of the gym faster.
So that’s what led me to Turbulence Training. It’s simple, no B.S., no-fluff, just-the-basics, results-oriented training. You don’t need fancy gym machines or even an expensive gym membership. If you have a bench, a ball and some dumbbells at home, you are set.
Q: Okay so we’re clear it’s a e-book training program package that will melt bodyfat fast, what makes it so effective?
Answer:
Most people are so darn hung-up on burning a specific number of calories on a cardio machine, that they don’t care how long they spend in the gym.
But big deal. If you burn X calories over 30 minutes in the gym
doing cardio, but don’t boost your post-exercise metabolism, you’re wasting the other 23.5 hours to burn a lot more calories.
And that’s what happens with slow, steady workouts that never
change. Sure you burn a few calories in the gym, but there is no
“turbulence” on the body to increase your metabolism outside of the gym.
Instead, by using challenging strength training, and choosing
intervals over monotonous cardio, research has shown that your post workout metabolism is significantly greater. And an increased metabolism for an entire 24 hour period is what gives people results.
It’s like putting money in the bank. It makes you more money even while you sit at home or sleep! That’s the power of a more
challenging workout.
And Turbulence Training workouts, and other “challenging” workouts are always exponentially more enjoyable than staring at a TV (or worse a wall) when “doing your time” on a cardio machine. You can get this great “metabolic turbulence” in a boot camp, with bodyweight, at home with dumbbells, or even in a busy gym.
Nothing is more effective than Turbulence Training if you only have 45 minutes, three times per week to workout.
Q: In my opinion, resistance training, both with free weights and bodyweight is the key to losing bodyfat, for our readers that are still unsure about this could you give me your opinion on my this statement?
Answer:
Strength training is just one key for fat loss, it is essential to
maximize your metabolism, and it is absolutely, positively
paramount to building the best body of your dreams.
For those that doubt, start with bodyweight training. Not only is
this method of strength training effective at helping you sculpt
your body, but it is also empowering to your Ach Providers self-confidence and
100% applicable to your daily living.
Everything from carrying groceries to “seks” will be easier if you are stronger in the bodyweight exercises. Your mobility and stamina will increase, so that you will be able to carry your children to bed easier, you will be able to do yardwork with less fatigue, and you’ll literally improve your “zest for life” simply from mastering your bodyweight strength.
All of these benefits without touching a single free weight…but
if you do go with free weights, you’ll take your fitness to an even
greater level.
Research from the 2001 meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine showed that female subjects boosted their post-exercise metabolism to a greater level when they did 8 reps per exercise, rather than 12 reps.
So low rep, strength training is best for boosting metabolism. It
will get you more results in less time because it will continue to
work while you recover.
Q: I’m always telling people that aerobic exercise is useless for fat loss, does you agree with this? And why?
Answer:
Aerobic exercise is certainly inefficient for fat loss.
By that I mean, the benefits pale in comparison to the fat loss you can achieve in less time with interval training. Most people would be able to cut their workout time in half simply by using intervals rather than aerobic exercise.
Now I’ve witnessed a few people lose fat and maintain a beautiful body with aerobic exercise, but these have been limited to: young University-aged males that also did 4 days of heavy strength training, who had no “life” stress and plenty of time on their hands to train up to 10 hours per week (not counting recreational sports).
But does that sound like your average gym-goer’s lifestyle?
I doubt it. If it does, where do you live? I want to move there!
So next time you go to the gym, do this admittedly un-scientific
test…Take a visual survey of the “cardio” area and the strength
training area. Where are the best bodies?
In the strength training area, no doubt.
And in fact, we can also find a lot of beautiful bodies in the Yoga
and Pilates area. Why? There’s certainly no “fat burning” cardio
zone going on there. So what gives?
Nutrition.
Nutrition is the #1 factor in fat loss. It trumps any fat loss
program, no matter how good it is. Yes, even my beloved Turbulence Training will not be 100% effective if someone continues to eat chips and pints as their meals.
That’s why I spent almost 500 quid to have Dr. Christopher Mohr put together an easy-to-follow, healthy, fat loss nutritional guidebook to go along with the Turbulence Training workout package. It has diet plans for both men and women.
So Paul, getting back to the original question.
There are far more efficient ways to change your body.
Eat for fat loss, and do some form of strength training to sculpt
your body. When you take care of your nutrition and eat according to Dr. Mohr’s guidelines, your body will be like modeling clay in your hands…and the exercises you choose to do with sculpt it. If someone continues on with aerobic exercise, the improvements will be negligible.
So that’s why you don’t see cardio in my structured program. If
someone wants to do a family bike ride or play a game of football on the weekend, by all means go ahead. But it is far too
inefficient to get put in my main workouts.
Q: What about somebody that isn’t a member of a gym? Can they still benefit from Turbulence Training?
Answer:
Absolutely. As mentioned earlier, all you need is a bench, a
Stability Ball (aka – Physioball), and a set of dumbbells. A pullup
bar would be a bonus, if you are strong enough to use the pullup
and chinup exercises.
I’ve done many of the bodyweight exercises outside, as obviously you don’t need any equipment to do many of the novel ab, leg, and pushing exercises. Heck, I bet you use many of the exercises in your boot camps and you know how little equipment is needed for a hard workout.
Think back to the days before the glitzy chrome-and-machine gyms.
People were still able to get fit with free weights andbodyweight.
And good nutrition certainly doesn’t need a gym membership.
Q: And lastly, I meet a lot of people who seem to have tried every diet going, tried classes, gyms and DVDS, what makes Turbulence Training different from these?
Answer:
Most people train in their comfort zones. And while a lot of
programs require a lot of effort (those classes are no joke), most
programs lack an effective level of intensity.
By intensity, we are talking about working closer to your maximum level of effort.
Sure, a set of 15 repetitions to failure for triceps pressdowns is
tough, but it’s not truly intense. Compare that to doing a set of 8
pushups – which for many people is much more intense – and now you are using your entire body a lot harder. Thus, the turbulence on the body is much greater. And your body will have to work harder after training to recover – and that’s what increases your metabolism – and allows you to burn fat all day, rather than just for 20-30 minutes.
And dont’ worry, even if you can crank out dozens of pushups, there are a few variations in the Turbulence Training program that will give even the savviest gym veteran an intense workout.
The same goes with the cardio vs. intervals. If you switch to
intervals, you’ll notice changes in days. And that’s not hyperbole. I’ve heard it time and time again from TT users…they feel and see changes within 48 hours once they switch their workouts and start using the TT Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines.
Stay consistent with the plan, and you’re gold!
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
P.S. Don’t forget…
As one of your bonuses for ordering Turbulence Training, you’ll
receive a 4-week bodyweight program with beginner, intermediate, and advanced versions. These are great workouts for holiday and business travel, so you don’t have to stress over missed workouts.
“Craig’s Bodyweight Turbulence Training program lets you use your body as the most comprehensive home gym available. In turn the results are like nothing else out there. What really impressed me was his inclusion of a self assessment that lets you monitor your own progress so that you keep getting stronger and leaner without any wasted time. If going to the gym ever feels stale, I immediately switch to Craig’s Bodyweight TT program to get and stay in shape.”
Anthony Belza, Strength Coach, Toronto
“Craig, I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been using your
Turbulence Training System to whip myself back into shape after a vacation and too much time in front of the computer getting a couple of projects completed and I’ve dropped 10.2 lbs. of bodyfat in the last 28 days. As a fellow fitness professional I can safely say that it’s the best and most efficient approach to improving body composition that I’ve come across.”
Pat Rigsby
President, The Fitness Consulting Group
Fitnessconsultinggroup.com
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.neusight.com/turbulence.html
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