First, a question: What does cardio look like? It has many forms, but the basic idea is that it's exercise that elevates the heart rate and uses oxygen as its primary energy source. It can look like many things - swimming, running, walking - but it may not be what you're looking for.
Before you head to the gym to "get your cardio in," you should ask yourself a few questions: What is my goal? And, most importantly: Is cardio really the best way to get to my goal? Assuming that you are like most fitness enthusiasts, you're probably in it to lose a few pounds or "tone" your body (same, same). Another group of gym-goers may be preparing for their upcoming sports season. And, finally, your goal may be to run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in April... In this post, I'm really focusing on the first two.
The people in those two groups may just be wasting their time. And, really, let's be honest, time is not something you like to waste in the gym. Today we're really going to focus on those looking to lose weight.
This subject has come up multiple times over the last week, and I wanted to get some thoughts out there. Well, my thoughts supported by those from our industry's leaders. A large part of what I use in this post is taken from Alwyn Cosgrove's "The Hierarchy of Fat Loss."
So, since you're asking, what is Alwyn's Hierarchy of Fat Loss?
1. Correct Nutrition
"You absolutely cannot out-train a crappy diet."
2. Activities that burn calories, maintain muscle mass, and elevate metabolism
The bulk of our calories burned come from our resting metabolic rate, and this is determined by muscle mass and how hard it's working. We need to maintain or gain muscle mass if we are to lose fat.
The smallest part of total calories burned comes from calories outside of our resting metabolism.
3. Activities that burn calories and elevate metabolism
This is that EPOC stuff that we've been talking about. Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption is defined scientifically as the "recovery of metabolic rate back to pre-exercise levels" and "can require several minutes for light exercise and several hours for hard intervals." These are calories burned due to an increase in demand from our body after an exercise session.
4. Activities that burn calories but don't necessarily maintain muscle or elevate metabolism
This is the least effective tool. In most people's vocab, this is simply referred to as "cardio."
Now, before you give me any credit, just remember that I am paraphrasing Alwyn here... I don't want anyone to claim that I'm stealing! Now, for the meat and potatoes part... (To keep this from getting too bogged down, I'm going to remove the studies from the work... I'll link to the full article at the bottom)
Five Factors for Fat Loss Training
1. Metabolic Resistance Training
Resistance training is vital to fat loss. This means work every muscle group hard, frequently, and with an intensity that creates what Alwyn calls "afterburn" that leaves the metabolism elevated for several hours post-workout.
Metabolic resistance training can be barbell complexes, kettlebell work, supersets, and/or tri-sets.
2. High Intensity Anaerobic Interval Training (HIIT)
It burns more calories than steady state and elevates metabolism significantly more than other forms of cardio. The downside is that it flat-out sucks to do it! One reason this works so much better than steady state is due to the awesome power of the human body (9 times better in the study Alwyn quotes!). When you jog on the treadmill every day your body easily adapts to the stress. If you tear yourself a new one with anaerobic intervals beyond the aerobic threshold, your body will not adapt and you will burn fat.
These intervals are more intense than any aerobic interval. Anaerobic intervals are done beyond the aerobic threshold, where your body can no longer just use oxygen for its energy. These intervals are done in a perceived rate of exertion of 9-10 on a scale to 10.
“Interval training is like putting your savings into a high return investment account. Low intensity aerobics is like hiding it under your mattress. Both will work, but the return you get is radically different.”
3. High Intensity Aerobic Interval Training
Still within the aerobic threshold (a perceived rate of exertion of 7-8 on a scale to 10), but with a higher intensity.
4. Steady State High Intensity Aerobic Training
Just hard cardio (don't see this much...).
5. Steady State Low Intensity Aerobic Training
Moving more.... Walking to get your groceries or taking the stairs instead of the elevator are pretty common options.
From here Alywn gets into what I heard Mike Boyle call the 180 degree principle. “If you see most of the people in the gym doing something you should do the opposite.”
As I mentioned in my “Cardio Zombie” (As Kirk not-so-fondly refers to them) post, anybody working out at a commercial gym will see lines upon lines of full treadmills. According to Boyle we should walk the other way. Alwyn prescribes metabolic resistance training as his first attack against the bulge. This battle begins with time management.
That time should be allotted according to the following:
Time Available - Training Used
≤ 3 hours - Metabolic Resistance Training
3-5 hours - Add High Intensity Anaerobic Intervals
5-6 hours - Add High Intensity Aerobic Intervals
6-8 hours - Add Steady State High Intensity Aerobic
> 8 hours - Add Steady State Low Intensity Aerobic
With fat loss training the key is to do the maximum amount possible while maintaining our recovery levels. As you see in the chart, the intensity diminishes as we spend more time in the gym. Our body can recover much better from the steady state aerobic work than it can from the resistance training, so once additional time becomes available for burning calories we can effectively use it for fat loss without inhibiting our recovery.
Special thanks to Alwyn Cosgrove for the inspiration this week. I know his work here has helped many coaches and trainers understand the science of fat loss. You can find the original article here.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
NSCA Mid-Atlantic Conference - Body Composition
I attended my first Strength and Conditioning conference this past weekend. It was put on by my certifying agency the National Strength and Conditioning Association. They are one of the leading bodies in terms of S&C research, so I was expecting big things from the 12-hour conference.
Things didn't start too well for the conference in my opinion. Well, the fact that I was the first one there says a lot... Dr. Todd Miller, GW's representative for the conference, was there to greet me, but none of the NSCA folks were. After 45 minutes of waiting, they finally walked in and started registration. Due to the delay, our first presenter started late. This was unfortunate, because I believe the first session was the best of the day.
Dr. Miller was that presenter, and he seemed to be the best prepared speaker of the bunch. He designed the Exercise Science graduate program at GW and is one of the faculty members in their program. His topic was in regards to body composition testing of athletes before, during, and after their seasons.
Here are the two abstracts he referenced in his session (as you can see, he was one of the main researchers in each):
The effects of training history, player position, and body composition on exercise performance in collegiate football players.
Seasonal changes in VO2max among Division 1A collegiate women soccer players.
Dr. Miller's main argument began with an overview of the second study. Female soccer players were found to have lost lean muscle and gained fat mass over the course of their soccer season. This could be due to the adjustment of their workout schedule and the assumption that soccer players work as hard in practice as they do in the weight room (therefore causing the coach to schedule less anaerobic sessions during the season). The change in body composition could prove to be a detriment to the athlete's performance, but injury could prove to be even more detrimental. Although no data was available to show us whether these additional sessions may make an athlete any more or less injury-prone, it does seem a good argument for maintaining performance and body composition through the season.
His second study covers the addition of an external load on the speed of an athlete. The external load would represent fat mass, and would have to be done this way to best replicate the addition of fat mass onto the body. Obviously he couldn't have shown the differences in the same athlete with less muscle and more fat, because a study of that size would just be asking for inconsistencies and it would be extremely hard to create.
It was at this point that Dr. Miller brought up a very interesting real world application of this. Thoroughbred horses are sometimes handicapped to make their races more competitive. These 1300 lbs, 3% body fat horses are only handicapped 2 pounds to slow them down by 8 feet over the course of a mile. Only 2 pounds!
The translation to humans is pretty dire. If a 130 pound person added 2 pounds of fat and didn't lose any muscle we could potentially expect them to lose up to 80 feet over the course of a mile. That's quite a difference. The football players in Dr. Miller's study lost around .25-.5 seconds in a 40 yard dash by adding 2 pounds of external load. In a high stakes athletic competition, that's a big deal.
So, the take home message for those coaches out there? Take body comps often and continue to push your athletes in the weight room through the season. Dr. Miller recommends prescribing athletes mandatory cardio sessions if an athlete's fat mass begins to rise during the season (something low-impact like the bike or elliptical). A well-designed nutrition plan and education could also serve your athletes well in this regard.
Things didn't start too well for the conference in my opinion. Well, the fact that I was the first one there says a lot... Dr. Todd Miller, GW's representative for the conference, was there to greet me, but none of the NSCA folks were. After 45 minutes of waiting, they finally walked in and started registration. Due to the delay, our first presenter started late. This was unfortunate, because I believe the first session was the best of the day.
Dr. Miller was that presenter, and he seemed to be the best prepared speaker of the bunch. He designed the Exercise Science graduate program at GW and is one of the faculty members in their program. His topic was in regards to body composition testing of athletes before, during, and after their seasons.
Here are the two abstracts he referenced in his session (as you can see, he was one of the main researchers in each):
The effects of training history, player position, and body composition on exercise performance in collegiate football players.
Seasonal changes in VO2max among Division 1A collegiate women soccer players.
Dr. Miller's main argument began with an overview of the second study. Female soccer players were found to have lost lean muscle and gained fat mass over the course of their soccer season. This could be due to the adjustment of their workout schedule and the assumption that soccer players work as hard in practice as they do in the weight room (therefore causing the coach to schedule less anaerobic sessions during the season). The change in body composition could prove to be a detriment to the athlete's performance, but injury could prove to be even more detrimental. Although no data was available to show us whether these additional sessions may make an athlete any more or less injury-prone, it does seem a good argument for maintaining performance and body composition through the season.
His second study covers the addition of an external load on the speed of an athlete. The external load would represent fat mass, and would have to be done this way to best replicate the addition of fat mass onto the body. Obviously he couldn't have shown the differences in the same athlete with less muscle and more fat, because a study of that size would just be asking for inconsistencies and it would be extremely hard to create.
It was at this point that Dr. Miller brought up a very interesting real world application of this. Thoroughbred horses are sometimes handicapped to make their races more competitive. These 1300 lbs, 3% body fat horses are only handicapped 2 pounds to slow them down by 8 feet over the course of a mile. Only 2 pounds!
The translation to humans is pretty dire. If a 130 pound person added 2 pounds of fat and didn't lose any muscle we could potentially expect them to lose up to 80 feet over the course of a mile. That's quite a difference. The football players in Dr. Miller's study lost around .25-.5 seconds in a 40 yard dash by adding 2 pounds of external load. In a high stakes athletic competition, that's a big deal.
So, the take home message for those coaches out there? Take body comps often and continue to push your athletes in the weight room through the season. Dr. Miller recommends prescribing athletes mandatory cardio sessions if an athlete's fat mass begins to rise during the season (something low-impact like the bike or elliptical). A well-designed nutrition plan and education could also serve your athletes well in this regard.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Progression/Proximal Development
I was doing some reading today when I came across this article on Proximal Development. I think that fits in nicely with what I posted yesterday...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Progression
This is what it's all about. Life, at it's most basic, is just that: progression. You are born, learn to crawl, walk, talk, run, read, write, etc. It's progression. We all start small and work our way to more and more difficult tasks. We make these things easy, and then we move forward again. How am I able to recite the alphabet forwards and backwards or read a book? Progression. I started with A-B-C, worked my way to A-G, and eventually A-Z. We did it every day for almost a full year in school until A-Z was no longer a challenge. We then progressed to writing these letters, reading them in words, and learning their meanings. With the number of words in the English language progression is still a possibility.
If we have all learned to continually progress the mind, why do we not insist on putting our bodies through the same rigor? Our body is the vessel with which our mind resides, yet most do nothing to progress that body.
Fitness is an extension of this, yet many of us get it wrong. When it comes to fitness, progression is setting goals and working diligently to achieve them. So many people "work out" in the gym, but there are only a few who "train."
Here's what I mean... Say you want to lose some weight, but you aren't willing to put in some time to understand weight loss or weight training. You head to the gym and find yourself on a treadmill for 30 minutes each day, maybe do some "abs," and throw in a few curls for good measure. Sure, sometimes you hit the machines and do a few chest presses, but you're mostly sticking to what's comfortable for you. True, you may be in the gym 4-6 times a week on a regular schedule, but what are you accomplishing?
The short answer is pretty much nothing. Your body is as resilient a mechanism as you'll find. It realizes that you've changed its schedule and it will adjust its functions to accommodate for the minor changes you've made, and become more efficient at them. Your body now works less doing the same amount of work, and in a few short weeks you will no longer benefit from your "work out." Sure, that's super-cool that the body can manage stress so brilliantly, but your left sitting on 20% body fat and now you're wasting 4-6 hours a week at the gym!
The educated lifter hits the gym with a plan. Goals are set and benchmarks are in place before they begin a training cycle. These guys/girls know what they can do and know what they want to do. It could be weight loss, weight gain, increased speed, or increased strength, but it all comes with a plan. Each workout is progressively more difficult than the next. The weight loss trainee plans shorter and shorter rest periods for their high intensity interval sessions; the weight gainer lifts heavier weights each week and packs on the calories; the speed trainee works acceleration over 10 yards one workout and strength-speed the next; and when looking for increased strength the trainee works a combination of low repetitions with long rest periods and includes assistance work to bring up weaker points in their range of motion. Each of these trainees has a plan with a designated goal, and comes into the gym prepared to progress their bodies closer towards that goal each day.
If you're one of those who just "works out" then you need to quickly re-evaluate your situation. Sure, you may have seen some quick gains right off the bat, but they never last if you stick with what's comfortable for you. If gains begin to plateau or, even worse, you begin to put the weight back on you need to have a plan. So, get out your pen and paper and set yourself some difficult, but achievable, goals. Now that you've got some idea of what you want, ask an expert how best to accomplish your goals. And, remember, at the end of the day you need to "keep the goal the goal." Dan John spoke those wise words and they ring true. Make sure all of your effort is put towards your goal, and only stop when you meet that goal. Once you're there you can set another, because it's all about progression.
If we have all learned to continually progress the mind, why do we not insist on putting our bodies through the same rigor? Our body is the vessel with which our mind resides, yet most do nothing to progress that body.
Fitness is an extension of this, yet many of us get it wrong. When it comes to fitness, progression is setting goals and working diligently to achieve them. So many people "work out" in the gym, but there are only a few who "train."
Here's what I mean... Say you want to lose some weight, but you aren't willing to put in some time to understand weight loss or weight training. You head to the gym and find yourself on a treadmill for 30 minutes each day, maybe do some "abs," and throw in a few curls for good measure. Sure, sometimes you hit the machines and do a few chest presses, but you're mostly sticking to what's comfortable for you. True, you may be in the gym 4-6 times a week on a regular schedule, but what are you accomplishing?
The short answer is pretty much nothing. Your body is as resilient a mechanism as you'll find. It realizes that you've changed its schedule and it will adjust its functions to accommodate for the minor changes you've made, and become more efficient at them. Your body now works less doing the same amount of work, and in a few short weeks you will no longer benefit from your "work out." Sure, that's super-cool that the body can manage stress so brilliantly, but your left sitting on 20% body fat and now you're wasting 4-6 hours a week at the gym!
The educated lifter hits the gym with a plan. Goals are set and benchmarks are in place before they begin a training cycle. These guys/girls know what they can do and know what they want to do. It could be weight loss, weight gain, increased speed, or increased strength, but it all comes with a plan. Each workout is progressively more difficult than the next. The weight loss trainee plans shorter and shorter rest periods for their high intensity interval sessions; the weight gainer lifts heavier weights each week and packs on the calories; the speed trainee works acceleration over 10 yards one workout and strength-speed the next; and when looking for increased strength the trainee works a combination of low repetitions with long rest periods and includes assistance work to bring up weaker points in their range of motion. Each of these trainees has a plan with a designated goal, and comes into the gym prepared to progress their bodies closer towards that goal each day.
If you're one of those who just "works out" then you need to quickly re-evaluate your situation. Sure, you may have seen some quick gains right off the bat, but they never last if you stick with what's comfortable for you. If gains begin to plateau or, even worse, you begin to put the weight back on you need to have a plan. So, get out your pen and paper and set yourself some difficult, but achievable, goals. Now that you've got some idea of what you want, ask an expert how best to accomplish your goals. And, remember, at the end of the day you need to "keep the goal the goal." Dan John spoke those wise words and they ring true. Make sure all of your effort is put towards your goal, and only stop when you meet that goal. Once you're there you can set another, because it's all about progression.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Everyday Learning
In the fitness and nutrition field it's vital that you continue to educate so science doesn't pass you by. New research is reviewed and released almost every day that can have a lasting affect on your programming, so where do you go to keep up?
I link to many of my favorite sources on the sidebar, but there are a few that haven't made it up yet. Here's a short list of some that I've found educational:
The Fitcast : http://thefitcast.com/
I've been able to listen to snippets of their podcasts on my short drive to work, and the knowledge that Kevin, Leigh, Dr. Fass, and sometimes Tony bring to the table is wonderful. Weekly interviews with top industry professionals brings the listener several different views on varying topics. It's also great that, should I feel the need, I can just drop them a few questions to answer on the next episode. Go ahead and subscribe to the podcast through iTunes and see what it's all about. They each have their own blogs that I've found to be very informative. Links are here: http://kevinlarrabee.com/; http://www.tonygentilcore.com/; http://www.leighpeele.com/; and http://jonathanfass.blogspot.com/.
Eric Cressey : http://ericcressey.com/ and http://www.cresseyperformance.com/
After reading Maximum Strength I was sold on this guy's expertise. Several articles he posted on T-Muscle only served to confirm his standing as one of the top professionals in the field. He's done a number of products on assessments, corrective strategies, programming, and shoulder health that you can check out on his website. They are all very well done. I also chronicled my trip to Cressey Performance here and here.
Alan Aragon : http://www.alanaragonblog.com/
Ever since I first happened upon Alan's stuff, I've been blown away by his stubborn ethical stance on nutrition. Not stubborn in that I think he should change it, but stubborn in a sense that just about every nutrition "expert" you meet is attached to some supplement or product out there. Alan is a no-b.s. kind of guy, and he comes across as such in his writing and interviews (there are a few on the Fitcast you should check out). He just recently began blogging, so there isn't much content currently available, but his name can be found in many places. Research reviews, Men's Health, and on various podcasts and articles across the internet. There is a 3-part series on his development that is both entertaining and educational that anyone who's interested in moving into a fitness or nutrition-related field should read.
I'm going to cut the list short there, but know that there are many other names out there that I haven't thanked for their constant blogging, interviewing, and information-gathering that have contributed to my knowledge. As for my blogging, I think I'm going to try to hold myself to a once-a-week posting that will both help me to keep this blog current and encourage myself to provide meaningful information each week. Look for the next post next Tuesday or Wednesday!
I link to many of my favorite sources on the sidebar, but there are a few that haven't made it up yet. Here's a short list of some that I've found educational:
The Fitcast : http://thefitcast.com/
I've been able to listen to snippets of their podcasts on my short drive to work, and the knowledge that Kevin, Leigh, Dr. Fass, and sometimes Tony bring to the table is wonderful. Weekly interviews with top industry professionals brings the listener several different views on varying topics. It's also great that, should I feel the need, I can just drop them a few questions to answer on the next episode. Go ahead and subscribe to the podcast through iTunes and see what it's all about. They each have their own blogs that I've found to be very informative. Links are here: http://kevinlarrabee.com/; http://www.tonygentilcore.com/; http://www.leighpeele.com/; and http://jonathanfass.blogspot.com/.
Eric Cressey : http://ericcressey.com/ and http://www.cresseyperformance.com/
After reading Maximum Strength I was sold on this guy's expertise. Several articles he posted on T-Muscle only served to confirm his standing as one of the top professionals in the field. He's done a number of products on assessments, corrective strategies, programming, and shoulder health that you can check out on his website. They are all very well done. I also chronicled my trip to Cressey Performance here and here.
Alan Aragon : http://www.alanaragonblog.com/
Ever since I first happened upon Alan's stuff, I've been blown away by his stubborn ethical stance on nutrition. Not stubborn in that I think he should change it, but stubborn in a sense that just about every nutrition "expert" you meet is attached to some supplement or product out there. Alan is a no-b.s. kind of guy, and he comes across as such in his writing and interviews (there are a few on the Fitcast you should check out). He just recently began blogging, so there isn't much content currently available, but his name can be found in many places. Research reviews, Men's Health, and on various podcasts and articles across the internet. There is a 3-part series on his development that is both entertaining and educational that anyone who's interested in moving into a fitness or nutrition-related field should read.
I'm going to cut the list short there, but know that there are many other names out there that I haven't thanked for their constant blogging, interviewing, and information-gathering that have contributed to my knowledge. As for my blogging, I think I'm going to try to hold myself to a once-a-week posting that will both help me to keep this blog current and encourage myself to provide meaningful information each week. Look for the next post next Tuesday or Wednesday!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Stolen Vid/Nutrition Stuff
Alright, so I've been talking a lot lately about this diet I've been on and how it's changing the way I look at food. Well, check out this clip that I stole from one my links to the right (Tony Gentilcore's site):
I know roommate Dave has been going through a lot of issues finding and preparing food so I understand where these kids are coming from, but, seriously, not knowing what a potato, tomato, or cauliflower is?!?
Here's the thing that I'm coming to realize about my current food intake. It's not that I'm eating less calories each day - I may be, but I'm not counting and that's not the point. It's really that I've been eating more nutrient-dense foods. Let's make a quick comparison...
Half of a chocolate, chocolate chip muffin from the grocery store (yes, I absolutely used to eat these for breakfast...) costs you 220 calories. The nutrition facts give you 12g Fat, 28g Carbs, and 3g Protein. We're getting some nutritional help with a small percentage of RDV of Vit A, Calcium, Iron, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Magnesium, and Zinc. Nothing really substantial though. At most, there's 12% total of some.
Now, let's take a look at the improved version of my breakfast. Calories will stay similar, but check out the nutrients packed into 2 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 2 handfuls of spinach, a cup of mushrooms, and a half cup of onions. This costs you about 240 calories. 9g Fat, 15g Carb, and 26g of Protein. Now, this is pretty extreme, but in the spinach alone you'll find 150% RDA of Vit A, 42% of C, 540% of K, a smattering of B vitamins, and 39% of Manganese. That's just the spinach! The next best part about this breakfast is that it's way more filling than any muffin will ever be.
So, yeah, this is an extreme comparison, but it is one that's applicable to me. Take a look at your breakfast and see how you can tweak it for the better. Maybe add in some fresh food, I think you'll find that you like it!
I know roommate Dave has been going through a lot of issues finding and preparing food so I understand where these kids are coming from, but, seriously, not knowing what a potato, tomato, or cauliflower is?!?
Here's the thing that I'm coming to realize about my current food intake. It's not that I'm eating less calories each day - I may be, but I'm not counting and that's not the point. It's really that I've been eating more nutrient-dense foods. Let's make a quick comparison...
Half of a chocolate, chocolate chip muffin from the grocery store (yes, I absolutely used to eat these for breakfast...) costs you 220 calories. The nutrition facts give you 12g Fat, 28g Carbs, and 3g Protein. We're getting some nutritional help with a small percentage of RDV of Vit A, Calcium, Iron, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Magnesium, and Zinc. Nothing really substantial though. At most, there's 12% total of some.
Now, let's take a look at the improved version of my breakfast. Calories will stay similar, but check out the nutrients packed into 2 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 2 handfuls of spinach, a cup of mushrooms, and a half cup of onions. This costs you about 240 calories. 9g Fat, 15g Carb, and 26g of Protein. Now, this is pretty extreme, but in the spinach alone you'll find 150% RDA of Vit A, 42% of C, 540% of K, a smattering of B vitamins, and 39% of Manganese. That's just the spinach! The next best part about this breakfast is that it's way more filling than any muffin will ever be.
So, yeah, this is an extreme comparison, but it is one that's applicable to me. Take a look at your breakfast and see how you can tweak it for the better. Maybe add in some fresh food, I think you'll find that you like it!
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