Fat Loss Exercise!

One thing I really loathe is the infomercials advertising the most ridiculous productswith fake testimonials and promises they know they can’t keep. I even remember a while back a woman who purchased expensive chocolate bars which promised to burnfat and lose weight as they had “special” herbs in them! Not that takes it to a new level, eating chocolate for weight loss???

Weight loss, fitness, and getting in shape is really quite straight forward. But because it’s a multi-billion (yes billion) dollar industry, there’s so much spin and BS because so many companies do not care that they’re offering a terrible product to a desperate consumer, they just want the money. Every time I go to the gym I see the worst exercise performance by many individuals. Now this is not surprising, as everyone is not a fitness expert.

It’s a bit like taking your car to get repaired and having a go yourself. Or try cooking a meal without the correct recipe. The most common problem I see in gyms around the world is people doing the same workout week in week out without much intensity. Only the other day I saw a woman on a lifecycle reading a book with a RPM of 40, 40!! This pace was soslow that the monitor started to flicker as it thought noonewas using the lifecycleand it was trying to shut down. What on earth was she hoping to achieve from this workout? She was quiteoverweight so presumably weight/fat loss was her goal.

Well she was achieving neither, and quickly! Let me tell you some of the worst exercises I see being performed in gyms today: Tricep Kickbacks, Swiss/Gym ball situps, (well mostly any sit-up exercise), Seated Leg Extensions/Leg CurlsAbductor/Adductor machine, Upright Rows, Pec Deck, Rear Pulldown.

I might as well give you the some of the best exercises that everyone should be doing:

Squats
Deadlifts
Woodchoppers
Pullups
Romanian Deadlifts
Travelling lunges

An exercise routine should be based on resistance exercises using a moderate load with minimal rest intervals. Long and slow cardio training is not conducive for weight loss,and unfortunately is an overused method of training, especially by women, in health clubs around the world. To stimulate the body to burn fat and develop lean muscle tissue, the overload principle must be implemented.There must be a higher intensity within exercise sessions to promote the metabolic cost and in particular the excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). EPOC is simply the accumulation of physiological processes that bring the body back to homeostasis after exercise.

The greater the EPOC, the greater the energy expended post-exercise which is highly advantageous for weight loss. Using fixed weight machines, single-joint exercises, and slow cardio training reduces the EPOC and doesn't produce the physiological state necessary for losing weight. One crucial aspect of exercise commonly overlooked is the conditions required to stimulate greater hormonal release, in particular testosterone and growth hormone. Women especially need to stimulate these anabolic hormones and they can only be produced only under certain physiological conditions. The build up of metabolic by productssuch as lactic acid causes a sustained increase in testosterone and growth hormone release. To achieve this state, a higher intensity exercise protocol must be administered. Rest intervals between exercises must be reduced to allow a more demanding workout which produces a greater metabolic build up which stimulates the anabolic hormones.

Below is an ideal exercise drill for burning fat and developing lean muscle tissue. Perform each exercise 3-4 times for approx. 12-15 reps.


1. Squats with shoulder press
2. Deadlifts with bicep curls
3. Assisted pullups
4. Romanian deadlifts with Cuban press
5. woodchoppers
6. Sumo squats with lateral raises
7. Tricep dips
8. Split squat with rotation
9. Sledgehammers
10. Russian twists

This type of circuit incorporates many multi-joint, multi-muscle exercises that recruit more muscle motor units, expend more energy, and stimulate the greatest metabolic and hormonal response. This provides the ideal physiological environment for stimulating fat loss.

The key with this type of program is to keep the rest intervals to aminimum (15-45secs). The circuit can be performed up to four times depending on the training quality andage of the individual. Too much resistance coupled with too short a recovery time will ultimately lead to complete fatigue and a non-enjoyable workout. If the resistance is too light and the rest interval is too long, an incorrect stimulus will be produced leading to ineffective results.

There is an abundance of exercises available to use; it is simply a case of getting creative and selecting challenging exercise drills. This type of protocol is highly appealing for women who do not like the blood pump into the muscle that men enjoy from bodybuilding training. If you wish to do more cardio training then running on the treadmill, boxing, rowing, or cycling can be incorporated between circuits, as long as the intensity remains moderately high. These sessions should last approx. 45-60mins.


Mike Heatlie MSc CSCS

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