Effective Training Methods for Fat Loss
The majority of my personal training clients in Marylebone want to achieve a leaner, more athletic physique while juggling busy work schedules with family life. My training methods have to be time-efficient to maximize the results they get. So, what are the most effective forms of training that produce effective results?
Research shows that a combination of strength training and high-intensity intervals induces the best results for better body composition and improved health. These forms of exercise have been extensively researched, and all studies have indicated that an increase in lean muscle tissue intensifies your resting metabolic rate.
Furthermore, high-intensity interval training is the most efficient tool for fat loss compared to steady-state aerobic exercise. By performing shorter, faster bursts of exercise with a work-to-rest ratio that encourages intensity, several different energy pathways are used, which is more efficient for fat loss than aerobic exercise, which utilizes the aerobic pathway.
This article will highlight why you should adopt anaerobic training to improve body composition and live a healthier life. Through resistance training and high-intensity interval training such as sprints, you will achieve the lasting results you want with less time training than steady-state aerobic exercise, such as going for a long, slow run.
Why are sprints king for fat loss?
Anaerobic training, such as sprints, forces the body to burn fat tissue to endure the intensity. Whether you use sprint training on a rower or by foot, they are great for creating intensity quickly, driving the body’s metabolic rate through the roof, and creating an efficient fat-burning environment. Anaerobic exercises such as sprints tap into different energy pathways compared to aerobic exercises; in other words, they tend to burn fat first for fuel rather than carbohydrates. Furthermore, anaerobic training creates an oxygen deficit, thus increasing the amount of calories the body burns for as long as 24 hours after exercise.
A 2001 study in the American College of Sports Medicine’s journal, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, compared two groups of women. One group exercised standard zone aerobic training, while the other used anaerobic interval exercise. The interval group exercised for two minutes at a highly intense 97% max heart rate. They then rested by doing three minutes of low-intensity activity. The aerobic group performed moderately intense activity at nearly 70% of the max heart rate. The researchers made sure that each group burned exactly 300 calories. Despite exercising longer and burning the same amount of calories, the aerobic group had less loss in body fat at the end of the study compared to the interval group. In addition, fitness in the interval group was also substantially better.
The findings of this study underpin the critical point mentioned earlier that anaerobic training is beneficial for fat loss due to its ability to force the body to continue to burn a higher percentage of calories post-workout, thanks to the high intensity which causes excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). EPOC refers to the body’s oxygen deficit due to the effects of the exercise, making it work hard to catch up and recover. Although the benefit of EPOC and the impact of greater fat oxidation on fat loss is evident, another factor also plays a vital role – hormone response. Sprint and other anaerobic training develop your endocrine system; in other words, they enhance the body’s sensitivity to insulin. They also boost growth hormone release, which helps build muscle tissue and burn fat. Unlike slow-paced aerobic exercise, the body secretes growth hormone due to the intensity of anaerobic training such as sprints.
An earlier study by the same journal demonstrated that an aerobic-trained group produced insignificant fat loss results. The study said: “Disappointingly, aerobic exercise protocols have led to negligible fat loss.” Another study in 2007 showed that in as little as two weeks, active women who performed interval training experienced a 36 percent increase in the use of fat for fuel during exercise. I have already highlighted how anaerobic training made it possible to cut our cardiovascular workout in half due to its intensity and format. It’s true – we all lead busy lives and must free up as much time as possible. Sprint training provides significantly better fat loss results; you can achieve them in half the time. Assuming your intensity during training is adequate, you can cut the time you spend training in two, thus giving you more free time.
Perhaps the most telling study on the effects of anaerobic vs. aerobic cardiovascular training was published in 1994 in Metabolism. The study tracked two groups of people undergoing different modes of exercise. One group underwent zone aerobic training for 20 weeks. Group 2 did 15 weeks of a high-intensity interval program. The results showed that the aerobic group burned 48% more calories than the interval group throughout the study. However, despite the enormous caloric disadvantage, the interval group enjoyed a 9-fold more significant loss in subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin). Most remarkably, resting levels of 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (HADH), an enzymatic marker of fat burning, were significantly elevated in the interval group.
The findings of this research indicate that even though the anaerobic group trained for five weeks less, each workout was shorter than the aerobic group and still produced more excellent fat-burning capabilities at rest and during exercise. This highlights the productivity of sprint training and its effect on hormone response and elevating fat loss.
It is worth noting that a quality sprint interval training session can be done in half the time of a traditional aerobic session. This enables the muscle-building hormone testosterone to stay elevated, improving muscle development and preventing muscle wastage. If testosterone levels are kept higher, then the build-up of cortisol, a stress hormone that stores fat cells around the belly, will decrease. Cortisol is elevated when you are put under stress – whether it is psychological or physical stress. It increases when testosterone decreases, typically after 45 minutes of intense exercise. This is why your training sessions should not be longer than an hour, whether it’s a resistance or cardiovascular training session.
Why should strength training form the cornerstone of your programming?
Strength training for both men and women to achieve better body composition is crucial for lasting results. High-volume protocols with short rest periods shock the neuromuscular system, forcing the muscle to grow and increasing your resting metabolic rate while increasing the secretion of the growth hormone and testosterone levels, helping to improve your body composition. This is why it should be made part of your workout routine. Research with over 1100 previously sedentary adults revealed body composition improvements from eight weeks of standard strength training (Westcott and Guy, 1996). In the program, participants increased their lean weight by 2.4 pounds and decreased their fat weight by 4.6 pounds.
As we age, our testosterone levels decrease naturally, and we lose muscle tissue. So, it’s even more critical that weight training stays the cornerstone of our programming as we age. A study by Hopkins at the College of Health and Human Performance and the College of Medicine, University of Florida, found that the metabolic effects of reduced muscle mass, engendered by normal aging or decreased physical activity, led to a high prevalence of obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. The study also noted that adults who do not perform regular weight training lose approximately 0.46 kg of muscle annually from the fifth decade. Furthermore, adults who do not perform weight training experience a 50% reduction in type 2 muscle fibers, the fibers responsible for high strength levels.
In a nutshell, I believe it’s clear that you should prioritize your resistance training for optimal body composition and fat loss. The best approach to weight training for fat loss is to use high-volume training. So, you need to do 4-6 exercises per session with at least four sets per exercise for muscle development and increased metabolic drive. Exercise selection is also essential – using the biggest bang for your buck exercises makes sense. These compound movements target several large muscle groups in one exercise, such as s, squats, lunges, deadlifts, chin-ups, chin-ups rows, chest presses, and shoulder presses. These exercises should be included in every workout as they recruit the most muscle fibers and release the most testosterone. You should vary your reps scheme; in other words, if you have been working in higher rep ranges between 8 and 12, you should raise the intensity by increasing the load and working with a rep scheme that enables you to lift 80% or more of your 1RM. The use of supersets is excellent – by using antagonistic supersets, you can increase the intensity and volume while cutting down your training time. Similarly, tri-sets, giant, and drop sets are great for upping the intensity.
– Tom Winterbottom is a personal trainer in St John’s Wood and offers online coaching programs to fit into your lifestyle
