By Sean Barker
Author
of The Dad Fitness System
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I hear this question often in
regards to cardio and burning body fat.
“Should I perform cardiovascular
exercise for a longer duration at a low intensity 45-60 minutes,
or shorter at a higher intensity, 15-20 minutes?
Research shows that the human
body uses mostly fat during the duration of low intensity
exercise. So people automatically thought that the longer
they exercised the more fat that they would burn.
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But what the people failed to realize
was that the amount of calories burned after an exercise session
is far more important than the calories burned during the exercise
itself. Low intensity exercise does not challenge the respiratory
systems within the body; therefore this form of exercise does not
elevate the metabolism nearly as much as exercise performed at a
higher intensity.
When aerobic exercise is performed
at a higher intensity, the respiratory system and glycogen stores
are challenged which in turn elevates the resting metabolism for
the hours after exercise. Which means more calories are burnt even
at rest.
The secret to this exercise methods
extreme effectiveness is the ability to increase your body’s
metabolism far beyond its normal state. More specifically it is
referred to as E.P.O.C. otherwise known as “excess postexercise
oxygen consumption.” EPOC represents the process your body
goes through in which energy is used to recover from exercise.
When you finish exercising, it takes
time and energy for your muscle cells to return to resting levels.
Energy is also needed to replenish depleted glucose, protein and
fat stores, and to remove accumulated cell waste. The more rebuilding
that needs to be done, the greater the rate of EPOC, which in turn,
means more calories from your body’s fat stores are being burned
after your workout. While the primary factor in determining EPOC
is exercise intensity, there is also duration to consider —
just not to the same extent.
A good analogy I like to use to describe
this effect is visualize spinning one of those Tops that you used
to spin as a kid. Spinning the top with your hand real hard is similar
to high intensity exercise. But when you let go of the top the momentum
continues to spin the top on it's own. Your metabolism works in
the same way. After high intensity intervals, you create "metabolic
momentum" which continues to spin really hard on it's own,
even hours after exercise.
Studies show your metabolism remains
elevated to such a level up to 48 hours after high intensity exercise.
When you perform exercises like sprints or bodyweight circuits,
you will see how EPOC works to literally melt the fat off your body!+
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Not too long ago, the exercise
industry preached the concept that lower intensity aerobic
exercise burns more fat than high-intensity exercise. Although
this is still true, nowadays the approach has somewhat changed.
When you exercise at a high
intensity, much of the fuel your body burns comes from carbohydrates,
because they are more easily accessible than fat. But the
energy requirements of recovery, especially an active recovery,
need to be considered as well. EPOC primarily depends on fat
and lactic acid (a waste product produced by your muscles)
as fuel. In fact, the recovery from EPOC burns mostly fat,
so intense exercise is associated with a significant amount
of fat breakdown.
Always remember, losing body
fat is all about calories in and calories out. So for the
most efficient way to get the calories out on a consistent
basis, perform higher intensity cardio to burn more fat in
less time...
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CLICK HERE to learn more about Sean's
book "Dad Fitness". You can also
read our review of the book by clicking
here.
About
The Author
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Sean Barker is a nationally
certified personal trainer. C.P.T., a worldwide award winning
bodybuilding competitor and most importantly, a proud dad.
He has been involved in the health and fitness industry for
over 15 years and have appeared in High Performance Muscle
Magazine, been on health and fitness radio shows and was selected
as a sponsored athlete by one of the top supplement nutrition
companies in the world. He is affiliated with the top trainers
in the industry and has provided fitness consulting to numerous
people over the years helping them get real-world results
in the shortest amount of time.
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