Click the link for references and calculations on how the various EPOC values were derived. I will only quote the important stuff...
"So, for an equivalent duration workout, the interval workout comes out a whopping 14 calories ahead due to the impact of EPOC. That will net me an extra pound of fat loss every 250 days (3500 calories / 14 calories per day = 250 days). Hooray.
Clearly, for any equivalent length workout the interval training will always come out slightly ahead.
Except that you wouldn’t expect someone to do longer and longer and longer interval workouts; the whole point of intervals (or one point) is that they are more time efficient, that you get all you need in somewhere between 4 and 20-30 minutes (depending on which expert you’re listening to and what they’re selling).here’s a question for my pro-interval crowd to ponder:
Let’s say I want or need to train daily for fat loss (most athletes train every day, as do most dieters). Which am I more likely to do on a day-in day-out basis? Which is more likely to lean me out faster? Which am I more likely to BE ABLE to do daily (from a RECOVERY standpoint)?
1.30 minutes of intervals: burning 342 calories including EPOC.2.60 minutes of moderate teady state cardio: burning 642 calories including EPOC.
this articles is absolutely NOT meant to be against interval training as one tool in the fat loss arsenal. My issue is simply with the uncritical claim being made that intervals are always superior to steady state " Obviously, if you're coming from a complete sedentary lifestyle, any types of training regimen is going to help you expend calories and improve insulin sensitivity (HIIT or Cardio).
Also, if you don't have the luxury to do1hr/day cardio, 5-6 days a week, interval training might be your best bet. Other than these 2 cases (and strictly talking about fat loss here), I still believe steady state is the better choice for long term adherance to a fitness program and overall reduction in injury occurances.
Jason Ferruggia wrote an awesome article on how bodybuilders (natural or juiced) achieve great physiques with a handful of basic compound barbell exercises while only use walking as a form of cardio to keep body fat percentage low.
JC from JCDfitness also wrote a good post on why most people are always looking for shortcuts but realistically, it's a matter of reaching caloric deficit (from dieting) long enough to lose body fat combine with some heavy lifting to look ripped.
"Cutting Through The BS
There are actually no exercises that can make you lose fat, period. You can do all the movements known to man, stuff yourself silly and still never drop an ounce of body fat. If these movements (bench/dead/squat) were responsible for fat loss, every powerlifter on the planet would be ripped. Then again, I have to pinch myself and remember that most people are looking for a quick fix, not necessarily a realistic approach.
The Truth
The only way to lose fat is by means of a caloric deficit. You create a deficit by monitoring your intake and eating less than you burn. Sure, extra exercise can help create that deficit if you are sedentary most of the day. People who sit at a desk for work can benefit from some extra movement to increase their expenditure. This will allow them to eat a little more food and drop fat faster than without any exercise at all.
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I should also mention that squats, presses, deadlifts and any other form of resistance will allow you to retain lean body mass which is so crucial to dieting successfully. So why do people keep writing about The Top 10 Exercises That Will Eliminate Your Love Handles? It seems they forget to mention you actually have to eat less. No way!"
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My Champions
Read my articles on Examiner.com for weight loss and sports nutrition.
Learn more about my Programs
Find out how HIT Center Austin Can help you reach your fitness goals today!
1 comment:
adding to this post, Jamie Hale wrote an awesome piece on the long term effects of aerobic vs. anaerobic training for fat loss. very interesting piece and you'll learn a lot
http://www.maxcondition.com/page.php?116
although cardio work burns proportionally more fat and can be sustained longer, overall calorie burn overall as well as adherance to this type of training long term is what really counts.
Long term studies suggest that HIIT or anerobic work produce better result (assuming diet is the same).
"Fat oxidation: Long term/chronic effects
Long-term tests are the most important when looking at total fat loss. A common finding with long-term testing is that when caloric expenditure is the same during training between high and low intensity exercise minimal differences are seen in fat loss. Another significant finding generally found is that high intensity training usually results in maintenance or growth of muscle tissue. Low intensity training usually results in loss of muscle tissue.
The majority of research indicates that high intensity interval training (interval training alternates periods of short near maximal intensity activity with low to moderate intensity activity) is superior for both fat loss and lean mass gain/maintenance. Tremblay’s team (1994) did a study comparing HITT versus steady state endurance training on young adults over a 20-week period. The HITT used a progressive program working up to five, 90-second intervals near their max heart rate thee times per week. The steady state endurance group worked up to 45 minutes of exercise five times per week. Although the interval training group only worked out one hour per week compared to 3.75 hours in the steady state group and expended only half as many calories during the interval workouts, fat loss, as measured by skin folds, was nine times greater in the interval training group. In the HIIT group, biopsies showed an increase of glycolytic enzymes as well as an increase of HADH activity, a marker of fat oxidation. Researchers concluded that the metabolic adaptations in muscle in response to HIIT favor the process of fat oxidation.
In summary, contrary to hearsay, you do not have to do steady state, low intensity endurance training to enhance fat loss. In reality, fat oxidation while training is only part of the picture when attempting to maximize fat loss. Post-workout, 24-hours, and chronic fat oxidation must be considered.. One final thing to look at is the physiques of 100-meter sprinters. Generally, they perform minimal to no low intensity aerobic activity. They also burn a minimal proportion of fat while training. Think about it.”
In reality, no exercise (aerobic or anaerobic exercise) is required to drop bodyfat. Creating a calorie deficit on a regular basis will result in bodyfat loss. The amount of bodyfat lost or gained also depends on P-ratio. P-ratio is the amount of weight stored or mobilized as protein during weight gain or weight loss. People with higher P-ratios tend to gain and lose higher percentage of weight as protein. Lower P-ratios result in less weight deposition as protein and less weight loss in the form of protein (Henry 2008). P-ratio can be altered to a degree (with exercise, nutrition, drugs) but is largely dependent on genetics."
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