How To Burn More Fat for 72 Hours After your Exercise

What is the after-Burn effect and can you really burn calories for up to 72-hours after your workout?

Have you ever wondered how to get your body fat super low? Or do you want to reveal some muscle definition that has never been visible before? Then creating the after-burn effect is going to be something you need to get from your training.

Imagine being able to increase your calorie expenditure without having to do anything else after you finish working out giving your metabolism a huge boost. Well studies have shown that based on the type of training we do we can achieve this and this is commonly know in the fitness world as the ‘After-Burn’ effect.

The question is… Are you doing the correct type of training to create this so called ‘afterburn’ effect? In this article you are going to find this out so read on to see if you are training correctly.

First things first lets look at what the after-burn effect actually is and how it works. The technical term given to this process is called ‘excess post-exercise oxygen consumption’ (EPOC). This might give you a little clue as to what it involves!

After we finish exercising Oxygen is required in greater amounts to help with recovery and allow our bodies to return to a normal/resting state.

Some of these processes include:

-       Replenishment of Oxygen stores

-       ATP re-Synthesis

-       Creatine re-synthesis

-       Lactic Acid Removal

The list also goes on.

In order for the body to carry out these processes oxygen is required and it requires energy to increase oxygen consumption and therefore we are burning more calories above what we would at rest.

So in a nutshell this is the ‘After-burn’ effect.

How long does this process last? Research and studies carried out show that this can last anywhere from 10 – 72 hours after you finish your workout!

But here’s the thing… This isn’t going to happen from every workout you do. It is all going to boil down to the intensity and type of training you do. So let’s see how many extra calories you could be burning each week.

Which type of training provides a better ‘after-burn’ effect… Cardio or Weight Lifting?

Looking at cardio first, the route to go down here is of course High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). The only reason you should perform cardio for long durations at a continuous speed is if you are training for a marathon for example.

HIIT is also so consistent with speeding up fat loss and preserving/building our muscle and strength so this should be your go-to for cardio.

But how effective is HIIT in creating an afterburn effect?

The benefit of HIIT workouts is that we are going to be able to perform several of them a week alongside our weight lifting program and they allow us to improve our bodies ability to use oxygen for energy (VO2 Max).

However to be considered anywhere near worthwhile it is recommended that you perform at least 3 – 5 HIIT sessions a week lasting around 20-25 minutes per session. By doing this you can expect to burn around an extra 400 Kcals alone.

Which type of HIIT training is most effective then?

One of the most effective methods of HIIT training that can be used for creating an afterburn effect is Tabata Training. Here’s why…

Tabata training involves 20 second interval bursts of all out maximum intensity followed by a 10 second rest period, which is then repeated 8 times making each round of Tabata 4 minutes. It will generally involve large compound movements such as sprints, jump squats, plyometric press-ups.

Since the interval period is only 20 seconds this allows us to reach and train at maximum effort and in order to continue to burn calories after our workout studies show our metabolic rate needs to be at an extremely high level making Tabata an excellent option for these reasons.

So how does Weight Lifting compare?

Once again the point to consider here is the intensity and type of weight lifting workout you do.

Do you lift at 85% or above of your 1 rep max for most exercises?

Because if not then you’re unlikely to be making any significant post workout calorie expenditure.

This was found with research that compared people who trained with lighter weights (around 45-65% of their 1 rep max) against those who trained with 85% of their 1 rep max.

The research showed that people who focused more on heavy lifting burned hundreds more calories post work out than people who trained with lighter weights.

So you do the math! What type of weight lifting is going to be better suited to burning fat away?

Of course when you lift heavier you will perform less repetitions usually in the 3 – 5 rep range.

Is lifting at 85% of your 1 rep max suitable for women though? A lot of women get concerned about lifting heavy weights in case they get bulky. Well here’s the truth…

Of course women can train with heavy weights. If you are after that toned look then as long as you place yourself in a calorie deficit and eat the correct foods then you will burn the fat away and reveal a toned look that you are after.

If you need help working out how to place yourself in a calorie deficit then my personalized nutrition plan will get you on track by clicking here.

So is the After-burn effect really such an important part of fat loss or is it just a myth?

Truth be told the majority of calories you are going to burn will come directly from the workout itself and also from building extra muscle that will help increase your calorie expenditure.

However if you get it right as mentioned above the after-burn effect can certainly assist you in your fat loss goals. In order for EPOC to burn something meaningful such as an extra 1000-1500 Kcals a week from this process alone then you will need to be hitting in between 3-5 sessions of both HIIT and Heavy weightlifting.

So the bottom line is. Combine the two and you could watch the weight fall off and get that toned physique you are working hard for.

If you need any help structuring a combined exercise program that will help you achieve this then my online training programs could be perfect for you so just click here.

Until next time…

E

5 Stretches to help with lower back pain

My Top 5 Stretches to Help with your Lower Back Pain.

If you struggle with lower back pain and want some tips on quick and easy pain relief or simply want to reduce the possibility of experiencing this common issue then you need to read this…

Lower Back Pain is becoming such a common problem amongst so many of us having a huge impact on how effectively we are able to walk, run, sit, exercise and even sleep.

But why is it so common? How can we prevent it? How can we make it go away?

Let me start by saying studies show there is an 80% chance that you will experience lower back pain at some point in your life. Scary eh! So follow some of my advice and don’t let it ever bother you.

This doesn’t mean that it is instantly going to disappear but it definitely means you will be on the right path to improving how you feel if you are consistent in what I’m telling you.

So where to start…?

Lets look at and identify the common causes first. A great chance to see if you are at risk.

Modern Day Lifestyles

It’s no secret that a lot of us live a deskbound lifestyle at work and spend so much time sitting down but on average we all spend between 8 – 15 hours of our day sat down!

Why is spending a lot of time sat down associated with lower back pain?

When we spend prolonged time sitting down a lot of our major muscle groups such as our hamstrings, Glutes (Bum) are affected becoming less flexible also making our hip muscles shorter. The result of this is our lower back having to do the dirty work to keep us upright. This added workload on the lower back almost guarantees us lower back pain at some point in the future!

Although this is the main cause just the way of modern living plays such a big factor and even the simplest of things can contribute to a sore back. The list could go on but just to pin point a few;-

-       Bending

-       Twisting

-       Sleeping Positions

-       Standing for Long Durations

-       Heavy Weight Lifting

-       High Intensity Interval Training

Are you guilty of any of the above? More than likely as the list seems almost unavoidable. Especially as fitness and exercise is being pushed to the forefront in society.

Do You experience lower back pain when performing abdominal exercises?

A common issue related to fitness is the inability to perform core/abdominal exercises effectively without complaining of a sore back. 

The core and back muscles are required to work in tandem but if we haven’t developed enough strength in our lower back then the workload is predominantly done through our core making the muscles become tighter and tighter pulling more on the lower back leading to the end result of lower back pain.

How should we correct this muscular imbalance?

Simple… Train and exercise your lower back as well as your core. Strengthening both of these areas will give your spine the muscular support it needs to function properly.

Keep lower back pain at bay with these stretches..

This then leads me on to the main focus point of this topic how can we reduce lower back pain through stretching? Here are my top 5 stretches for lower back pain, include these into your daily routines and ease that pain and keep it away for good.

1.    The Two Knee Twist

 

-Lying on your back with your arms spread out either side of you so that your body is in a T-shape, place your knees together then draw them up to your chest.

-Now, with your shoulders pressing down firmly to the ground, slowly lower your knees to your left.

-Hold for two minutes and bring your knees back to center, and repeat on the other side.

-If you find your knees are making your shoulders rise from the ground, lower your knees further down.

2.    The Cobra

 

- Lying on your stomach, with your forearms propping you up and elbows under your shoulders, press your weight down through your palms and the tops of your feet.

- Squeeze your pelvis bone into the ground. Breathe deeply and hold for two to three minutes.

3.    The Seated Twist

 

- Holding the left hand armrest of your seat, and keeping your back straight, turn the right side of your body towards the armrest, and hold for one minute.

4.    Legs up The Wall

 

- With your backside right up against a wall, raise your legs up and straight against it.

- You’ll feel all the muscles of your lower back and upper thighs relax. Hold for 10 minutes.

5.    Thread the Needle

With your knees together facing the ceiling, cross your left leg over your right so that your left ankle is touching your right knee.

Now, interlocking your hands underneath your right knee, with your hands slowly draw your right knee towards your chest.

Feel the stretch in your left glute then hold for three minutes, before swapping sides.

Now put it into Action!

Now you know put these to practice. Don’t be the guy or girl that thinks they’re invincible. A wrong move could just be around the corner and there goes your exercise routine out the window.

Any questions or suggestions are welcome as always.

E

How To Keep up the Cardio Through Bulking Season

This is a question I get asked a lot and quite frankly it was a question that I always used to ask myself at this time of year in the past. Could I really afford to stop my cardio altogether in order to slap on as much muscle mass as possible through the off-season or so called “bulking season”?  But more importantly Can you?

Il give my opinion on this often talked about debate using my own personal experience and knowledge I have gained through research I have looked at over the years. So you are probably thinking that its time to ditch the cardio altogether right?  Surely you wont grow if you continue to do those interval runs or treadmill sessions? Think again!

Don’t fall into a big trap that I did over the years and fail to get your bulking season right. Because you will have more work to do when you start your cut. Lets face it during a bulk you are going to put on a little bit of added body fat, which isn’t a bad thing as long as you can accept this is just something you are going to have to get along with. But by making sure you maintain a lean bulk by eating a good source of foods you will minimize the added body fat you put on around the mid-section and this means that when you come to cut it wont take long to reveal those Abs and display a chiseled six-pack. So where does the cardio aspect come in?

Most people see cardio as the go to lose weight and yes it can be looked at this way. But imagine if you skipped it all together. The idea of a lean bulk is that you minimize body fat increase as much as possible so throwing 2 – 3 cardio sessions in a week is going to support this a great deal and it is NOT going to affect your goals of putting on weight at all so don’t be scared. Here’s why:

When you include cardio in your training you improve the efficiency of your cardiovascular system, which is essential to help you maintain intensity when you train and increase work output. During the bulking season you are going to be lifting much heavier weights so you need as much muscular endurance as possible to help you reach the end of the workout and fight muscle fatigue. The last thing you want is to not be able to push out those final reps right?

On top of this it will limit the amount of body fat you put on and help you stay as lean as possible through the bulk as mentioned above. Of course you will cut down on the amount of cardio sessions you include in your training and I’d also suggest positioning these on different days to when you lift! Aiming for about 2 – 3 cardio sessions a week is sufficient. But what type of cardio should you do?

Typically I always suggest and select High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) purely for the fact It is much more explosive and therefore it requires and recruits more fast twitch muscle fibers, which will improve strength more than Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS). This will also benefit your bulking as you will be more explosive and continue to recruit more muscles fibers for those big lifts. On top of this the sessions can be done in 20 minutes. So all you need to schedule in is 2 – 3 20 minute HIIT sessions per week and your on to a winner! I have designed some great HIIT workouts that can help you plan this with ease and they can be used time and time again to get you proven results. Check them out by clicking here.

I know that this year I am set for my best bulk yet and can’t wait to see the results over the coming months. Take on board this advice and you will be too. But don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need added support such as with your diet or training program to go along with you bulk (The last thing you want to do is be eating too little or too much!).

EJP