Length of Cardio Workout

miss muffet said:
as for your question about HIIT... it stumps me. i have no clue. how does it work? why does it work?
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For multiple reasons really. It boosts your metabolism, it releases fat burning hormones, it uses ALOT of energy in a short period of time, and it keeps you from losing muscle as you are losing weight. Plus from an athletic standpoint, it trains your muscles to buffer hydrogen ions, which are a byproduct of lactic acid, and that raises your lactate threshold level, which lets you perform better, for longer periods of time.

I mean, your heart rate in HIIT sessions can get close to 100%. If this is bad and you should stay in the fat burning zone, then why did researchers in Austrailia find that overweight women who did 12 minutes of HIIT lost 3 times the fat as women who did the long fat burning zone workouts for 40 minutes? I can guarantee that they were in alot better shape at the end of the testing period than the other group as well. Fat burning zone stuff just isn't optimal. It's not about the time spent working out.

There are some FAQ sections in the "harsh truth" area for general information about HIIT and also your other question about the fat burning zone in the "top 5 ways to gain fat" link. Actually, here is the direct link. Read #1 and realize that this article is extremely heavy in the sarcasm.

 
miss muffet said:
that makes sense, too. but then i have more question (hah, sick of me yet?): where are the other calories coming from? is it good or bad to lose calories from these stores?
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To explain this in full would first of all be impossible for me, but secondly would make whoever tried look like a mad scientist. The simple but partially incomplete answer would be muscle glucose and glycogen stored in your liver, which converts to glucose. It's not bad to use calories from your glycogen/glucose stores, I mean, that's what they're there for, and once you tap into them, your fat stores will also kick in, but that is a slow reaction. Glucose is fast. The problem is that burning up all of your glucose and glycogen and then continuing to attempt to work out at a high intensity will force your muscles to try to burn protein for fuel, and theoretically your body will start breaking down its own muscles to provide this fuel. Fueling properly in athletic events should minimize this in my opinion, but for fat loss purposes without refueling, it just shouldn't be done, just don't run as fast as you can for hours and stuff like that.
 
Well I can tell you what has happened with my own clients that I train in this way. The three I have that are trying to lose weight I use high repetition weight training 3 times per week and I have them do 45 to 60 mnutes of walking a day. 1 (female) has lost 22 pounds and 21 total inches in 1.5 months. 2 (Male) has lost 20 pounds in 1 month and 1 week and has lost about 4- 5 % body fat. 3 (female) has lost 15 in 1 month. So the results for me have been very good.
 
TrainerTodd said:
Well I can tell you what has happened with my own clients that I train in this way. The three I have that are trying to lose weight I use high repetition weight training 3 times per week and I have them do 45 to 60 mnutes of walking a day. 1 (female) has lost 22 pounds and 21 total inches in 1.5 months. 2 (Male) has lost 20 pounds in 1 month and 1 week and has lost about 4- 5 % body fat. 3 (female) has lost 15 in 1 month. So the results for me have been very good.
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Too bad that's not all fat that they're burning. Any time that overweight people first start out they lose alot of water weight at first, very easily. After that, things get alot harder. This isn't exactly a great testimony to the fat burning zone. Even if it WAS all fat, they're losing about twice the upper limit of the typically recommended safe level of 1-2 pounds per week.
 
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1 -2 pounds is the recommended without physician supervision. My clients generally have physicals and clearance from their doctors and check in. You can lose more without harming yourself as long as you do it in a healthy fashion. Second I would really like to know what your credentials are before I waste any more time arguing with you. I don't know why you feel the need to discount what other people are doing. You have nothing to gain and should really look a little farther into the science outside of one study and what one person says on their website. Start checking scholarly journals and read the physiology books. Until then anyhting that is said could be considered misinformation. Finally you are going to lose water weight with any exercise routine. I am here to help others and not to argue with the likes of you.
 
TrainerTodd said:
Until then anyhting that is said could be considered misinformation.
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Show me another trainer who regularly visits here who wholeheartedly agrees with you and embraces the idea of the fat burning zone and high rep weight training as being optimal for fat loss while preserving muscle and I'll shut up, I promise. Until then, anything that goes against what the other trainers are trying to teach these people could be considered misinformation.
 
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Well the entire International Sports Sciences Association
And All of my exercise science professors. Granted they do not visit this website, but i am willing to bet they are all well qualified and I have my certification through the international sports sciences association. Besides which you are the only to disagree thus far.
 
There is one thing to remember in all of this. It is all about heart rate, so as you become more conditioned you can stay in that zone while working at a higher intensity.
 
TrainerTodd said:
1 -2 pounds is the recommended without physician supervision. My clients generally have physicals and clearance from their doctors and check in. You can lose more without harming yourself as long as you do it in a healthy fashion.
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I'm not talking about physician clearance. To 2 pounds of actual fat per week, you would have to be in a deficit of around 1,000 calories per day. That is on the extreme end, so that's usually not going to happen, but if you try to go beyond that, your metabolism is going to take a big hit and you will more than likely lose muscle, you're working against yourself.
 
not true. As long as you take in the appropriate amount of macro nutrients your body will use that first. The reason your body starts destroying the muscle is because it is starting to use protein as a fuel source. part of the idea is that with this method you still have glucose left over to maintain plenty of energy for you daily activities and you still have plenty of protein left to maintain the body. If it is pullling the calories from fat it is doing no harm. All of my clients gain strength while on this routine. You have to know when to eat and what to eat in the appropriate amounts. I follow a 1-2-3 strategy. 3 parts carbs or proteins depending on the goals, 2parts protein or carbohydrates, and 1 part fat, and plenty of water. If you follow this strategy correctly they will have plenty of nutrients to maintain body functions and for the the metabolism to work correctly. Thats all I'm going to tell you. If you want more information you can take the course for yourself. I already did all the work.
 
Gents - the original poster's question is being lost... you want to take your discussion to a seperate thread or offline....

thanks
 
I agree. It needs to end. Chalk it up to a diference in opinion. No disrespect intended.
 
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