Why Does Jason Always Make Me Sprint?

Today I am going to talk about a subject that is a little confusing to many.  That subject is cardiovascular exercise and how exactly it should be performed.  If you have ever been frustrated in your attempts to burn body fat, then it’s possible that your cardio routine could be the culprit.  My goal is to teach you the RIGHT way to do cardio to ensure that fat loss frustration is a thing of the past.

First, like anything else in exercise, variety is the spice of life.  There is a reason why we frequently switch up your routine at boot camp.  It’s the best way to get the fastest results possible because it provides the best chance at avoiding plateaus (provided you are eating well). So let me preface this by saying that I am not a proponent of one form or the other all the time.  What I will say, however, is that there is a reason that a lot of what we do in boot camp skews on the side of short, high intensity bursts of whatever it is we are doing…be it with the weights, or with anything cardio.  You also might have noticed that most of the cardio workouts that we send you on a weekly basis are typical interval workouts, as well.  Frankly, the results are flat out better when done properly (at least if we are looking at fat loss as a goal – which I think most of you are).

I’ll use the old example of comparing a sprinters physique to a long-distance runner’s physique.  First off, I have tremendous respect for long distance runners.  The mindset that you have to get yourself into to do a 10 K or marathon is pretty remarkable.  So props to all you runners out there.

I’m sure most of us would agree that a sprinter’s body looks leaner and more toned than most long distance runners (think ripped to shreds Michael Johnson versus any number of marathon runners you’ve seen on T.V.).  Many runners develop physiques that are what a trainer calls a “fat skinny”.  They might be at a desirable weight, but there’s flab and loose skin upon close examination (not to mention various orthopedic issues as well).  The reason for this is because even if they do some resistance training, they are unable to keep lean muscle on their bodies because they are using that very lean muscle tissue for fuel during all the long cardio sessions.  The reason most fitness experts recommend a moderate duration of cardio (no more than 35-40 minutes MAX) is because after about 25 minutes you have essentially burned up your last meal and your blood sugar (glucose).  Once that fuel is gone, your body turns to other fuel sources to get through the workout.  Yes, it burns fat (during the workout), but it also burns away lean muscle tissue.  Guess what that does?  It lowers your body’s metabolism and hampers your body’s ability to burn fat on a DAILY basis.

In fact, it’s the same phenomenon of the lady who you see in the gym week after week on the treadmill or elliptical who never changes her shape.  Not coincidentally, she never picks up a dumbbell either.  Constantly burning away muscle tissue, and not trying to build any. Doesn’t seem fair does it?  She is busting her butt, and not reaping the rewards.  Not her fault, she just doesn’t know yet.

Over the years, and especially recently, there has been a shift to training in a way that challenges our clients in a more anaerobic way (meaning without oxygen, or short bursts of intensity in a short period of time).  Without oxygen means that while doing an exercise your heart and lungs are unable to supply the muscles with ample amounts of oxygen, so the muscles give out and tire very quickly.  An example of an anaerobic exercise would be pushups.  How long can you perform pushups before you give out?  A minute?  Maybe two?  There is no way you can do it for 30-40 minutes like jogging.  The reason is that the muscles need oxygen to continue doing the pushups and it needs it very quickly and consistently.  The heart and lungs are unable to oblige, the muscles quickly ”fail” and you can no longer perform the exercise.

So, why do we do this?

Well, I’ll defer to the famous Dr. Izumi Tabata (from the National Institutes Of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo) to answer that question.  Dr. Tabata was in search of a training method that could burn more fat.  Not too long ago, he and his team did some testing on some athletes in sports that required high levels of both aerobic and anaerobic capacity…namely speed skaters.

Dr. Tabata, through the means of testing two groups, one using moderate cardio, and the other in more of the realm of training like a “speed skater”, was able to prove that the anaerobic capacity increased 28% (of the trainees who trained with a higher intensity for a shorter period of time), and their ability to consume oxygen (VO2 Max) increased 14%.

What does this mean for you?  Well, many fitness experts believe that VO2 Max is the best available measure of overall physical fitness.  It stands to reason that the more oxygen you can consume, the harder and longer you can work out…and if you can work out harder and longer, guess what?  The results are better.  The leanest athletes have the highest oxygen capacity and consumption.

And here’s the best part…

When you work out aerobically (say on a treadmill for an hour), you are burning calories, and perhaps some fat.  That is DURING your workout.  What happens, though, once your workout stops is your calorie burn starts to drop at a very quick rate.  The beauty of higher intensity cardio and overall exercise is that you actually burn up to 50% more calories and fat AFTER your workout, even more so in that first hour after stopping (this is why I tell you to wait an hour before eating after a high intensity or HIIT workout).  Ever hop out of the shower after a tough workout, cool down, and still be sweating even an hour or two later?  That’s the continued calorie burn!

So, how hard are we talking when we are referring to intervals and sprints?  That will vary.  Much of what a trainer will tell you to do is subjective.  Like the scale of intensity of 1-10 that we tell you to use.  At the very hardest, we are talking all out sprints that last 20 seconds.  That means for that 20 seconds you are running as fast as you possibly can for those 20 seconds…guaranteeing that at the end of those 20 seconds you absolutely cannot go any further at that pace.

Keep in mind that all sprints do not necessarily mean running.  Sprints can be performed with different methods.  So it’s not all about the running.  What it does mean is that you are moving as fast as you can for the allotted time period (usually 20 seconds to a minute or so).  The shorter the period, the faster the pace.  Bottom line…the faster and harder, the more fat you will burn.  That’s something we can all get behind as you lose your behind.

A little side note, if you feel like you are trying to increase intensity, but are not improving…consider post-workout and overall nutrition as a potential culprit to lack of energy to give more.  See your trainer to discuss these issues…there is almost always a solution.

Here’s to huffin’ and puffin’ your way to a leaner you!

Motivational Quotes

“The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results.”

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”

To Your Health,

Jason

P.S. To register for your FREE BodyBack! Boot Camp session, click the link below and register now:

www.BodyBackBootCamps.com

Come and join us for a fat burnin’, calorie churnin’ workout with other people who have the same goals as you! It’s fast, it’s fun, and it works!  There is no better time to begin getting fit than January.  Be sure to register now as spots fill up VERY fast this time of year!

If you would like more fitness and weight loss tips click the “Free Report” link to the right of this article and get my latest reports “Finally…The Truth About Weight Loss” and “10 Ways to Lose Weight…FAST!” They will be emailed to you immediately!