Exercise
Successful Weight Loss – Step 2 – Exercise
Weight loss is all about calories in versus calories out. If you consume fewer calories than you use, you will create a calorie deficit and lose weight. The thing you need to watch out for is how the weight loss is occurring. Ideally you want to lose fat not muscle. This is because muscle is more metabolically active than fat.
The more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate will be. Muscle also makes you stronger and more toned, enabling you to do more and look better. The right combination of exercises can create that deficit and allow you to retain and even build muscle while reducing body fat.
How do I know what my ideal weight should be?
The first page in this series (Step 1 – Nutrition) provides a guide to healthy weight ranges for adults. Alternatively if you are not sure, consult your doctor, NHS website or personal trainer for advice on appropriate weight for you.
The Distinction Between Exercise and Training
Both exercise and training are important and valid in their own right as an aid to weight loss. The difference between the two is that exercise is a random physical activity that happens in the moment and produces instant results. Training is structured and consists of a programme written and undertaken with a long term goal in mind. Training progresses as you progress and produces measurable results that contribute towards your long-term objectives. Many people support their weight loss efforts with exercise, but to get the most out of your time in the gym you really need to invest in a training programme that has been specifically designed to support your goals.
Calculating your maximum heart rate.
Before you can start with fat burning cardio workouts you need to establish the correct level of intensity for your workout based on your age and level of fitness. If you train with a personal trainer they will do this for you. To calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR), subtract your age from 220. e.g. if you are aged 49 then 220 – 49 = 171. 171 beats per minute is your MHR. Your heart rate should not exceed your MHR when training.
As a rule low to moderate intensity aerobic activity is classed as 50-75 percent of MHR and High intensity aerobic activity is between 70-85 % of your MHR.
If you are very overweight or obese, have a medical condition or are new to training and very unfit, first check with your doctor that it is safe for you to undertake cardio exercise. Lower-to- moderate intensity aerobic activity (50-75 percent of MHR) will probably be an appropriate level for other beginners.
High intensity aerobic activity (70-85 percent of MHR) will burn more calories and fat than low intensity aerobic activity. It will also increase your metabolic rate both during and after training much more than will lower intensity aerobic exercise. One of the keys to weight reduction is to keep your metabolic rate high so that you are constantly using more energy.
What is Cardio?
Cardio activities are aerobic exercises such as rowing, running and cycling. They are repetitive, longer in duration, and difficult enough to challenge the heart and lungs. During these activities the body uses oxygen as a fuel source to sustain the body over a sustained period (usually 15 minutes or longer).
Cardio doesn’t have to involve equipment. Sets of burpees combined with jump lunges and star jumps can make a shorter but really intensive workout that will get your heart rate up and put your body into fat burning mode.
Try to incorporate variety into your cardio routine. Don’t just rely on doing steady state cardio on one machine. Use the interval option on cross trainers and treadmills or add 10 -15 second sprints into your rower or cycle workouts. Don’t be afraid to try something different. Skipping with an ordinary skipping rope burns fat more effectively than rowing – 10 minutes skipping can burn 166 calories. There is something for everyone when it comes to cardio training, the important thing with is to find something that you enjoy.
TIP: Cardio can significantly help with weight loss. However, if you need do an hour or more of cardio a day in order to create a calorie deficit, you need to look at your diet.
The Problem with Fasted Cardio:
Fasted cardio has a reputation for being the best way to target fat loss, but this is not necessarily the case. According to Michele Olson, Ph.D, “When you run or bike on an empty stomach, your body will turn to the carb and fat fragments in your bloodstream and muscle stores, not to the fat in your fat cells to energize your workout.”
Muscle is more difficult to gain, easy to lose and being more metabolically active than fat keeps your metabolism ticking over at a higher rate, so this is the last thing you want to compromise.
The Benefits of Resistance Training
Resistance training is the best way to increase your muscle. Resistance training can be done using resistance machines that work large muscle groups such as the leg press, or by using traditional weights such as barbells to perform compound exercises such as squats, lunges and deadlifts. Dumbbells, kettlebells and sandbags can also be helpful. Muscles burn more calories and more fat, so for every pound of muscle you gain, you can expect to burn an extra 40 calories a day without doing anything.
While cardio burns calories and fat when your performing it, high rep resistance training offers what is known as high ‘EPOC’ or Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. This means that your metabolism remains elevated long after you have finished training, in some cases for up to 38 hours after the workout. In other words, you continue to burn calories long after your strength training session has finished. Whereas once you stop cardio, the calorie burning stops as well. Another advantage of resistance training when trying to lose body fat is that you predominantly lose fat rather than muscle. In one study, dieters lost 21 pounds whether they performed cardio or strength training. But for the cardio group, six of those pounds came from muscle, while the lifters lost almost pure fat.
Super Fast Combined Workouts
Exercises that combine a cardio and strength element are one way to maximize the benefits of your time in the gym. One recent study found that kettlebell exercises can burn up to 20 calories a minute—the equivalent of running at a 6-minute mile pace. Likewise battle ropes can provide one of the toughest cardio workouts you can find in a fraction of the time, burning an average of 11 calories a minute.
Getting the results you want
The key to successful weight loss is to get the balance right between your cardio workout, your resistance training workout and your diet. This comes from having a well written exercise programme that is supported by a nutritionally dense, protein rich diet. The best way to get that balance is to work with a personal trainer who has the knowledge and expertise to guide you through the process and keep you focussed and motivated.