Why the Fat Burning Zone Does not Cause Lasting Body Fat Loss

I co-wrote this target heart rate article with Craig Ballantyne because we want to get the message out to everyone who keeps struggling with this outdated mentality that they must be in some sort of “fat burning zone” if they want to stand any chance of losing body fat with their workouts. We’ll show you why targeting a specific heart rate to be in this so-called fat burning zone is actually the opposite of what you should be focusing on in your workouts if you truly want to get lasting fat loss results.

One of the worst myths in the fitness industry is that you need to maintain a specific heart rate range in the fat burning zone in order to lose fat. But this is simply not true. Unfortunately, this false belief leads people to choose low intensity steady state cardio routines that are ineffective and cause most people a major lack of results from their workouts.

The quicker you get rid of the “target fat burning heart rate = the best workout” mentality, the faster you will actually start to get real results with fat loss and changing the shape of your body for good.

In the Turbulence Training workouts, you actually burn more fat and more total calories when you are OUT of the gym due to the high-intensity and variable intensity nature of the training methods in these programs. This phenomenon is not due to the elevated heart rate you experience during the workout (even though your heart rate will be increased from the supersets and intervals), but rather from the metabolic and hormonal response you achieve from the more effective workout compared to your ineffective “fat burning zone” workout.

Over the last 10 years, scientific research has indicated a couple of very important things to us about exercising for body fat loss. First of all, lifting heavier weights while exercising leads to a higher caloric consumption by the body in the period for about 1-2 days following the workout when compared to lifting light weights with high repetitions. So that’s why 6-8 repetitions per set is better than 12-15 reps per set when it comes to stimulating the metabolism for losing fat permanently. That’s one of the cornerstones of the types of training routines in programs that actually get results, like Turbulence Training.

Another important aspect we have learned from scientific research in recent years is that highly variable interval-type training is far superior to slow, steady-pace cardio exercise for fat loss and post-exercise induced calorie burning. In the long run, if you focus on the internal metabolic response your body is getting from your workout routines, instead of how many calories you burn during some sort of magical “target fat burning heart rate zone”, you will achieve MUCH better fat loss results. So not only is it more result-producing, but it is also more time-efficient to use short high-intensity interval training workouts instead of slow, long, steady-pace cardio sessions.

The only time you might need to know your specific heart rate is during the recovery period of the interval training. It is important to take enough time during your recovery intervals in order for your heart rate to drop back down significantly (allow it drop to approximately less than 60% of your max heart rate).

That way you are able to get more quality work done when it counts. You do not want to start your next high-intensity interval too soon, nor do you want to exercise too hard during your recovery intervals.

All of these details are provided in the interval training guidelines within the Turbulence Training program. And we’ll show you how to properly structure your intervals so that you allow enough recovery time between each. With these guidelines, you do not have to worry about monitoring your target heart rate or anything fancy like that. It’s just not necessary. Just follow the TT instructions, and you will do great.

So here’s the bottom line:

If you want to start actually getting the fat loss results you’ve been wanting for so long, do not worry so much about your target fat buring heart rate zone during exercise. Instead, make sure that you are working at a high-intensity and a variable intensity (according to your individual capabilities of course) during each weight lifting and interval training session.

The TT workout guidelines will give you all of the details you need on the specific rest periods to use between supersets and intervals. With these guidelines, you will start to see vastly improved results from your workouts within weeks of implementing the changes.

See below for a special free report on cardio training alternatives that create a much better metabolic environment for fat loss than traditional cardio routines.

Fat Loss Foods For Your Weight Loss Program

So many institutions offer effective weight loss programs, which boil down to eating fat loss foods. And there are a lot of styles on how to lose weight, depending on the program you are into and depending on the foods that are incorporated into those programs. But you do not need to fully depend on those programs. You can actually choose foods that you think can help you better in losing weight. Just make sure that the foods you are going to add into your fat and weight loss diet do not contain much of fats so that you can achieve the maximum effects of your weight loss program.

Weight loss programs are not really hard to understand because all of them follow a basic principle – calories consumed versus calories expended. If you carefully choose those fat-free foods, then you yourself could be assured that you can really achieve the optimum effects of your program. Fats are the main sources of extra weight in our body. That is the reason why many people nowadays are into a weight loss program because they want to shed or eliminate those fats.

Protein plays a really great role in losing weight, so you better choose foods with high protein content. One of the good effects of protein to the body is that it helps your metabolism burn those unwanted fats in your body. Foods like chicken, eggs, fish, and cottage cheese are the main sources of protein. It even helps build as well as repair damaged muscle tissue because it is also rich in amino acids. Never make the terrible mistake of choosing foods with low protein content.

Other healthy foods that you should take while you are on a weight loss program are vegetables. You can eat a lot of them, getting only very low calories in your body. Example includes popcorn, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, and soups. These foods will really fill you up to your satisfaction with minimum calorie intake. Thus, you will not get hungry easily.

Lastly, warm foods will also help you loss fats easily because it gives you a satisfying feeling yet your calorie intake is low. Examples are tea, coffee, stews, and soups. But be careful and mindful of the additives added to those foods. Some additives have a high calorie content, which can destroy and defeat your purpose of having those kinds of food and drinks.

The best thing you should do while you are into any sort of weight loss program is to monitor and calculate your calorie intake against the calorie you lost. Always choose fat loss foods to achieve the weight you really wanted and to achieve your goal of a healthy body.

Discover detailed and honest reviews of popular weight and fat loss guides and choose the top fat burning diets that’s most suitable and effective for you!

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The Ten Fat Loss Mistakes You are Making at the Gym – Part 2

6. Never Workout Without Music! Did you ever pay attention to the soundtrack of your favorite TV show or movie? Did you every wonder why certain songs were playing at certain times? Music evokes emotion, and emotion can carry you through even the toughest of workouts. I’ve had workouts totally come apart when the battery died on my iPod Nano!

Several studies have been conducted to show the effect of music on workouts. One study showed that upbeat, hard-driving music can increase your strength and intensity, while another study revealed that music has been shown to increase pain tolerance during a workout.

Putting on a pair of headphones also helps you to block out all of the distractions that loom at the gym (as previously noted). Sometimes, just hearing the opening beat of some of the tunes on my iPod gets me revved up – especially since I workout first thing in the morning (more on this in future issues of the newsletter).

Some of my favorite tunes on my workout list include a variety of genres:

- “Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor

- “Welcome to the Jungle” – Guns ‘n Roses

- “Beautiful Day” – U2

- “Wake Up Call” – Maroon 5

- “Enter Sandman” – Metallica

- “Higher” – Creed

Make your own workout mix and get moving!

7. Never Workout Without a Heart Rate Monitor! The best way to keep yourself honest in the gym is to wear a heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor will let you know how hard you are working, and when you need to crank up the intensity of your workout. Whether weight training or interval training, it is the best indicator of how hard you are working and help you to figure out your optimal rest intervals.

For example, during interval training, you need to create an oxygen debt – that is, your body is asking your lungs for more oxygen than it can provide. How do you know this is happening? After you stop your hard effort, your heart rate should actually increase and you begin to pant in an effort to take in more oxygen – and that is your debt situation. Having the HRM makes it much easier to determine when you’ve reached this point.

I’ll go into the optimal ranges for your heart rate activity during exercise, calculating your maximum heart rate and other relevant information. For now, get a heart rate monitor, read the manual and take it for a test drive. You don’t need one with all of the bells and whistles (unless you’re into gadgets like me) – my favorite brand is Polar, and you can get great prices by searching the Web.

8. Stop Socializing at the Gym! Every gym has one – I call him “the Mayor”. He’s the one who knows everyone and feels the need to come over and talk about just about anything. He’ll do his very uninspired set on one of the weight machines, often grunting loudly or distorting his face to get further attention, and when he finishes says “Whew!” loudly to no one in particular. The poor soul who acknowledges him will then be subjected to a 10-minute discussion on the economy, the presidential race, the stock market, or whatever strikes his fancy. He may even horse around with the personal trainers, who are now not watching their clients as they perform their sets.

You should avoid the Mayor at all costs – he will derail your fat loss efforts in an instant! In fact, you should avoid all interaction during your workout, with the exception of asking someone if they are using a particular weight or rack. If you’re following my advice above and working out to music, this is really easy to accomplish – just turn up your tunes and tune out the others.

Folks at my gym may think I’m anti-social because I don’t acknowledge anyone – heck I don’t even look at people – while I’m in the middle of my workout. Why? Because I only have a limited time to accomplish my goals for that day, and stopping even for a moment to chat takes away from the time I have. And if I don’t reach my goal for that day, I consider it a failure (more on that in future newsletters). To combat people’s perceptions, if you care about things like that, a simple smile or wave hello as you enter or leave the gym is enough to reassure them that you are not a recluse. But once you strap on your music, it’s “Go Time!”

9. Never Workout Without Consuming Protein Afterwards (and Sometimes Before)! I train first thing in the morning, so sometimes I drink a protein shake prior to heading to the gym, sometimes I don’t. There is a lot of debate over working out in a fasted state that I won’t get into here. Suffice it to say that consuming protein before your workout has been shown in research to increase muscle mass and decrease body fat, so it is a good idea to have a protein shake before a workout, especially if you’ll be working out later in the day.

You should always consume protein after a workout, preferably a protein shake made from whey protein isolate. I will go into much greater detail in subsequent newsletters about reliable brands, tasty recipes, etc. How much protein? Take your current body weight and divide by 5.5 – that is how many grams of protein should be in your post-workout shake. What about carbs? The conventional wisdom says that the number of grams of carbs in the post-workout shake should equal the number of grams of protein. BUT…what I have found through my research and practice is that post-workout shakes are more effective for fat loss if they are kept low in carbs. One of the aspects of protein consumption that will be covered later is exactly how many grams should be consumed in a day, and questions about safety concerns from ingesting large amounts of protein.

10. Stop Stretching Before Your Workout! Do you know how many people walk into the gym from the street and immediately start to stretch? Do you know how counter-productive this is?

First, there are two kinds of stretches – static and dynamic. An example of static is when you throw your leg up on a parallel bar or rack and bend at the waist until you feel a slight pull, then hold for a period of time. Static stretching before workouts is a very bad idea. Static stretching forces the muscle to relax, this making it weaker. When a muscle is weaker than its counterpart (for example if your hamstrings on the backs of your leg are weaker than your quadriceps in the front of your leg) it causes an imbalance that could lead to strains, tears and pulls.

Dynamic stretching is the way to go to get loose before your workout. We’ll cover this in greater detail in the future. For now, save your static stretching for any time other than before your workout.

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Doing Burpees For Fat Loss

Burpees are fun, even though they tend to make me a little dizzy sometimes. You need to take the following tips into consideration when wanting to do burpees for fat loss.

Burpees can be great for fat loss because in the end they are just another form of aerobic exercise.

If you’re reading this and wonder what the heck is a burpee, here is the basic routine.

1. You start in a squat position with your hands on the ground in front of you.

2. Then you kick your feet backwards to a push-up position.

3. You then immediately return your feet to their original squat position.

4. Without pause, you then leap up as high as you can from the squat position.

You are using a lot of muscles with you going down to the ground, kicking your feet back, and then leaping into the air.

More importantly, you are employing your quads and butt muscles that make up a large percentage of your muscle mass.

That exercise increases your heart rate and causes your body to burn calories so that it can supply energy to those muscles.

When doing burpees for fat loss you need to keep doing them for between 12 to 20 minutes.

Your body only really kicks into fat burn mode after roughly ten to twelve minutes of exercise.

Since burpees are quite strenuous activity, close monitor how you feel after a few minutes. Stop immediately if you feel light-headed or experience any discomfort or pain.

Doing burpees for longer than 20 minutes at a time could also put your knees at risk. You put a lot of strain on your knees when you leap up into the air and land back on your feet.

Like any aerobic exercise, burpees can be great for fat loss as long as you do them sensibly and do them regularly.

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Cardio is not the Key to Fat Loss

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

http://www.neusight.com/turbulence.html

Do you have questions about Turbulence Training? How it works? What’s in the workouts? Or even what does it mean?

Recently one of the UK’s top trainers, Paul Mort from

PrecisionFitness.co.uk, interrogated me on the Turbulence Training system. Here’s our q’n'a…

Q: First, can you tell us the basics about Turbulence Training?

Answer:

Turbulence Training is the result of years of study in the gym and in the research labs and library. From personal experience, I’ve found there is only one way to get the most fat loss and workout results in the least amount of time – you must increase your training intensity.

With the right workout, you can get more fat loss results in less

workout time. Period. That is the one and only goal of this

training program. A better body in fewer workout sessions, and

shorter exercise bouts.

That means:

a) Shorter interval workouts instead of long slow cardio workouts

b) More challenging strength training exercises, such as advanced bodyweight exercises and some traditional strength training free weight exercises

If you have two hours to spend in the gym everyday, you can feel free to stick to the same relatively ineffective and inefficient

program of long cardio and light weights. But if you are like most

men and women and have 45 minutes (or less) on only three days of the week to workout, then Turbulence Training will work wonders for you.

Male or female, almost everyone I see in traditional fitness centers could benefit from increasing the challenge in their workout. And they can also benefit from getting in and out of the gym faster.

So that’s what led me to Turbulence Training. It’s simple, no B.S., no-fluff, just-the-basics, results-oriented training. You don’t need fancy gym machines or even an expensive gym membership. If you have a bench, a ball and some dumbbells at home, you are set.

Q: Okay so we’re clear it’s a e-book training program package that will melt bodyfat fast, what makes it so effective?

Answer:

Most people are so darn hung-up on burning a specific number of calories on a cardio machine, that they don’t care how long they spend in the gym.

But big deal. If you burn X calories over 30 minutes in the gym

doing cardio, but don’t boost your post-exercise metabolism, you’re wasting the other 23.5 hours to burn a lot more calories.

And that’s what happens with slow, steady workouts that never

change. Sure you burn a few calories in the gym, but there is no

“turbulence” on the body to increase your metabolism outside of the gym.

Instead, by using challenging strength training, and choosing

intervals over monotonous cardio, research has shown that your post workout metabolism is significantly greater. And an increased metabolism for an entire 24 hour period is what gives people results.

It’s like putting money in the bank. It makes you more money even while you sit at home or sleep! That’s the power of a more

challenging workout.

And Turbulence Training workouts, and other “challenging” workouts are always exponentially more enjoyable than staring at a TV (or worse a wall) when “doing your time” on a cardio machine. You can get this great “metabolic turbulence” in a boot camp, with bodyweight, at home with dumbbells, or even in a busy gym.

Nothing is more effective than Turbulence Training if you only have 45 minutes, three times per week to workout.

Q: In my opinion, resistance training, both with free weights and bodyweight is the key to losing bodyfat, for our readers that are still unsure about this could you give me your opinion on my this statement?

Answer:

Strength training is just one key for fat loss, it is essential to

maximize your metabolism, and it is absolutely, positively

paramount to building the best body of your dreams.

For those that doubt, start with bodyweight training. Not only is

this method of strength training effective at helping you sculpt

your body, but it is also empowering to your self-confidence and

100% applicable to your daily living.

Everything from carrying groceries to “seks” will be easier if you are stronger in the bodyweight exercises. Your mobility and stamina will increase, so that you will be able to carry your children to bed easier, you will be able to do yardwork with less fatigue, and you’ll literally improve your “zest for life” simply from mastering your bodyweight strength.

All of these benefits without touching a single free weight…but

if you do go with free weights, you’ll take your fitness to an even

greater level.

Research from the 2001 meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine showed that female subjects boosted their post-exercise metabolism to a greater level when they did 8 reps per exercise, rather than 12 reps.

So low rep, strength training is best for boosting metabolism. It

will get you more results in less time because it will continue to

work while you recover.

Q: I’m always telling people that aerobic exercise is useless for fat loss, does you agree with this? And why?

Answer:

Aerobic exercise is certainly inefficient for fat loss.

By that I mean, the benefits pale in comparison to the fat loss you can achieve in less time with interval training. Most people would be able to cut their workout time in half simply by using intervals rather than aerobic exercise.

Now I’ve witnessed a few people lose fat and maintain a beautiful body with aerobic exercise, but these have been limited to: young University-aged males that also did 4 days of heavy strength training, who had no “life” stress and plenty of time on their hands to train up to 10 hours per week (not counting recreational sports).

But does that sound like your average gym-goer’s lifestyle?

I doubt it. If it does, where do you live? I want to move there!

So next time you go to the gym, do this admittedly un-scientific

test…Take a visual survey of the “cardio” area and the strength

training area. Where are the best bodies?

In the strength training area, no doubt.

And in fact, we can also find a lot of beautiful bodies in the Yoga

and Pilates area. Why? There’s certainly no “fat burning” cardio

zone going on there. So what gives?

Nutrition.

Nutrition is the #1 factor in fat loss. It trumps any fat loss

program, no matter how good it is. Yes, even my beloved Turbulence Training will not be 100% effective if someone continues to eat chips and pints as their meals.

That’s why I spent almost 500 quid to have Dr. Christopher Mohr put together an easy-to-follow, healthy, fat loss nutritional guidebook to go along with the Turbulence Training workout package. It has diet plans for both men and women.

So Paul, getting back to the original question.

There are far more efficient ways to change your body.

Eat for fat loss, and do some form of strength training to sculpt

your body. When you take care of your nutrition and eat according to Dr. Mohr’s guidelines, your body will be like modeling clay in your hands…and the exercises you choose to do with sculpt it. If someone continues on with aerobic exercise, the improvements will be negligible.

So that’s why you don’t see cardio in my structured program. If

someone wants to do a family bike ride or play a game of football on the weekend, by all means go ahead. But it is far too

inefficient to get put in my main workouts.

Q: What about somebody that isn’t a member of a gym? Can they still benefit from Turbulence Training?

Answer:

Absolutely. As mentioned earlier, all you need is a bench, a

Stability Ball (aka – Physioball), and a set of dumbbells. A pullup

bar would be a bonus, if you are strong enough to use the pullup

and chinup exercises.

I’ve done many of the bodyweight exercises outside, as obviously you don’t need any equipment to do many of the novel ab, leg, and pushing exercises. Heck, I bet you use many of the exercises in your boot camps and you know how little equipment is needed for a hard workout.

Think back to the days before the glitzy chrome-and-machine gyms.

People were still able to get fit with free weights andbodyweight.

And good nutrition certainly doesn’t need a gym membership.

Q: And lastly, I meet a lot of people who seem to have tried every diet going, tried classes, gyms and DVDS, what makes Turbulence Training different from these?

Answer:

Most people train in their comfort zones. And while a lot of

programs require a lot of effort (those classes are no joke), most

programs lack an effective level of intensity.

By intensity, we are talking about working closer to your maximum level of effort.

Sure, a set of 15 repetitions to failure for triceps pressdowns is

tough, but it’s not truly intense. Compare that to doing a set of 8

pushups – which for many people is much more intense – and now you are using your entire body a lot harder. Thus, the turbulence on the body is much greater. And your body will have to work harder after training to recover – and that’s what increases your metabolism – and allows you to burn fat all day, rather than just for 20-30 minutes.

And dont’ worry, even if you can crank out dozens of pushups, there are a few variations in the Turbulence Training program that will give even the savviest gym veteran an intense workout.

The same goes with the cardio vs. intervals. If you switch to

intervals, you’ll notice changes in days. And that’s not hyperbole. I’ve heard it time and time again from TT users…they feel and see changes within 48 hours once they switch their workouts and start using the TT Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines.

Stay consistent with the plan, and you’re gold!

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Author, Turbulence Training

P.S. Don’t forget…

As one of your bonuses for ordering Turbulence Training, you’ll

receive a 4-week bodyweight program with beginner, intermediate, and advanced versions. These are great workouts for holiday and business travel, so you don’t have to stress over missed workouts.

“Craig’s Bodyweight Turbulence Training program lets you use your body as the most comprehensive home gym available. In turn the results are like nothing else out there. What really impressed me was his inclusion of a self assessment that lets you monitor your own progress so that you keep getting stronger and leaner without any wasted time. If going to the gym ever feels stale, I immediately switch to Craig’s Bodyweight TT program to get and stay in shape.”

Anthony Belza, Strength Coach, Toronto

“Craig, I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been using your

Turbulence Training System to whip myself back into shape after a vacation and too much time in front of the computer getting a couple of projects completed and I’ve dropped 10.2 lbs. of bodyfat in the last 28 days. As a fellow fitness professional I can safely say that it’s the best and most efficient approach to improving body composition that I’ve come across.”

Pat Rigsby

President, The Fitness Consulting Group

Fitnessconsultinggroup.com