However, when I dig a little deeper, about 80% will admit that their main goal is to “lose weight”. In addition to this, many express a fear of “bulking up” as a result of a training program and request light weights, high reps before we even do an assessment! I don’t blame them; we are bombarded with magazine ads, commercials, doctors’ orders, peer-pressure, etc. that all perpetuate the idea that we need to be under a certain weight to be healthy.
When I dig even deeper, it’s clear that the real goals of a fitness training program are to lose inches, not pounds, and to look & feel better while fitting into clothes you haven’t worn in years! In general, we just assume that “weight-loss” will help us get to these eventual destinations.
There are a few flaws with this outlook which I want to cover here to clear up some confusion.
Judging the number on the scale is hugely misleading
You’ve heard it before: Muscle weighs more than fat. This is 100% true but it’s a hard concept to wrap your head around when it comes to a plan of attack for reaching your true goals. If you are not accustomed to a strength training program, and jump into a consistent 2-3 days per week regimen, you will put on muscle. There’s no avoiding this. What does this mean as far as your end-goals though? Check out the picture below.
Guess what…this is a good thing for fat loss. Picture that muscle surrounded by the thick layer of fat. If we add a little muscle diameter, but simultaneously lose a significant portion of fat, what will happen to the scale??
Your weight will not change or could even go up a bit, but your inches will drop!
Lean Mass vs. Fat Mass and Resting Metabolism
As research continues to be released regarding the benefits of Fat Free Mass (FFM) and its’ effect on resting metabolic rate, it becomes more and more clear that a well-designed, progressive strength training routine is a huge factor when it comes to weight-loss in the long term. This means that an increase in muscle mass will result in an increase in calories burned throughout the day that will happen with little to no extra effort! Many of the top professionals in the world use this as their #1 strategy for quick and effective results…they wouldn’t be in business if it didn’t work!
The Myth of the Fat Burning Zone & Calories Burned During the Workouts
Many people are still basing their workouts around the magical “fat burning zone” that shows exercise performed within a certain heart rate range will result in a higher percentage of fat calories burned.
This is 100% true. But there’s a catch (obviously)
Higher intensities will result in more total calories burned! Think of it this way, would you rather have half of a really small pie or a quarter of a really big one? Healthy nutrition aside, you would get more bang for your buck with the bigger pie. In calorie-talk, let’s say you burn 75% of your calories from fat at lower, steady state intensities, and only 50% at high intensities from strength training or more intense cardio work.
At a lower intensity, you may burn 150 calories, with 75% coming from fat, about 112 fat calories burned from fat.
At a higher intensity, you may burn 350-400 calories in the same time period. At a 50% fat-burning rate, that would equal 150-200 calories straight from fat; Lower percentage, but much bigger pie!
A solid program based around strength exercises performed in circuits with appropriate sets/reps/rest periods and intensities will result in a higher overall number of calories burned and more “bang for your buck”!
Lesson: Don’t shy away from those “big” weights!!! They will increase the “size of your pie” in any given workout!
There’s much more that goes into program design, safe training practices, and reaching your goals, but since this is priority #1 for weight loss it seemed like an appropriate place to start.
For more information, check out Alwyn Cosgrove's "Hierarchy of Fat Loss" article, it's a classic in our industry that is standing the test of time!
Keep getting after it!
Jon
jhudak@moorept.com
