Favorite Fat Loss Exercises

As promised, here are my three favorite exercises for fat loss.

Before going into too much detail, from my previous post, it should be obvious that in order to lose body fat, one must create a calorie deficit. So, instead of listing the best exercises for fat loss, I will list exercises, which burn the most amount of calories.


1. Running

If done correctly running is by far the best exercise to burn the maximum amount of calories in the shortest amount of time. In addition, it's inexpensive and requires no additional equipment other than a good pair of running shoes and some basic attire. The hype about running being dangerous is just pure nonsense. However, this only applies if running is done correctly. Wearing improper/worn-out running shoes, form imperfections, doing more than your body can handle, and other issues will most likely lead to injury. So, take some time, learn the basics of running, and you're off.

Why is running so efficient for burning calories? One of the biggest reason is that while one burns lots of calories during the activity, running also makes people burn calories after. It is a high-impact activity and there is definitely tissue damage taking place (nothing to be too concerned about, if done properly). Therefore, right after running, the body uses much energy to repair all those tissues and prep you for running session #2. Also, running not only involves the legs, but also the upper body. This results in more blood circulation, which results in a faster heart rate. This also plays an incremental role in increased calorie expenditure.

2. Cycling/Spinning

Contrary to running cycling is a very low-impact activity. An ordinary person may not be able to run for 90 minutes nonstop, but they may very well be able to cycle for 90 minutes. More minutes translate to more calories. While easy pace cycling on a flat road doesn't burn as much calories as running, it oftentimes can be a more enjoyable form of exercise. Ideally, the heart rate stays slightly lower while cycling simply because the upper body doesn't do much. Friends may decide to have a 3-hour leisurely ride on a Saturday afternoon or just head to the store located about 20 miles away to buy some basic groceries. Point being, cycling doesn't have to be considered an exercise, rather a hobby, which burns calories on the side.

Spinning, typically done in increments of 45-60 minutes, burns much more calories than leisurely cycling. The fact that most spin classes integrate intervals, simulate climbing, and also recovery translates to increased calorie expenditures. Hill climbing on a bicycle is also a great way of burning increased amount of calories. However, hill climbing (depending on the grade) is much more strenuous and may not be suitable for those who are just beginning. On contrary, most spin classes allow you to go at your own pace, set your own intensity and resistance, therefore, the experience is customized to your liking.

3. Weight Training

I do realize that "weight training" is quite vague, but point being, it is, or at least should be an important part of any one's fat loss plan. Weight training in itself doesn't burn a lot of calories, at least not when compared to running and cycling. However, weight training is essential for increased metabolism. Muscle is a metabolic tissue (as opposed to fat). The more muscle one has, the more calories they burn at rest. If doing cardio is the primary source of calorie expenditure, then muscle is bound to be lost triggering a decrease in metabolism. Weight training helps preserve those muscles and thus keep the metabolism at a constant level.

So, how many calories???
These numbers are based on one of my clients' fitness GPS (with HR monitor) readouts. I'll call him Mark, even though that's not his real name. Here are Mark's statistics:

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 186

• One hour of easy running (heart rate between 135-145) yields approximately 720 calories.
• One hour of medium intensity running (heart rate between 145-155) yields approximately 890 calories.
• 30 minutes of high intensity running yields about 550 calories
• One hour of easy cycling = 520 calories
• One hour of medium intensity cycling = 750 calories
  
• 30 minutes of climbing (6% grade) = 500 calories
• One hour spin class = 920 calories
• One hour full body weight training = 300 calories (approx)
  

The Best Tasting Cheeseburger EVER

I don't typically blog about my day-to-day activities simply because it's not interesting. I mean, wake up early, run, bike, go to work, swim, and run some more. Who wants to hear about that right? Well, I am making an exception this time and would like to comment about the best tasting cheeseburger I have ever had. Beast your eyes on this:
Yup, that's right. It's Jack-in-the-Box' Ultimate Cheeseburger. Now, before I go on, let me make it clear that I don't work for Jack nor am I being paid to advertise their crappy food. Did I just say crappy? What I really meant was "the most delicious cheeseburger on the planet".

Okay Arkady, get to the damn point!!!!

Here it is....

Last night, after my regular swim session, I became alarmingly hungry. For those who do not swim competitively, swimming is by far the worse exercise you can do for fat loss. Why? Michael Phelps has rock hard abs, so it has obviously worked for him right? Well, Michael swims on average 6-8 hours a day and he also eats more food in a day that most people do in a month. But for regular folks, swimming tends to increase the appetite astronomically. Some studies suggest that an average swimmer consumes nearly three times as many calories after the swim than the calories burned while swimming. Now, there is more to life than burning calories. The undeniable fact that swimming is probably the best exercise you can do to benefit your heart and lungs really outweighs the calorie factor. If you really want to increase your endurance, VO2 Max, both aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, then start swimming. It is also by far the safest activity (providing you know how to swim) in a sense that it creates the least impact (again, providing you don't bump your head on the wall). So, while swimming may not be the most efficient activity to create a calorie deficit, it is by far the most beneficial in terms of health and overall fitness. HINT: To avoid overeating after the swim, try consuming carbohydrate-rich calories about 30 minutes prior to getting in the water. Potatoes would be a good example, and so would sugary cereal (no milk). They key here is to consume about 200 calories beforehand and as soon as the swim is over, consume another 100-200 calories of the same food but with some protein to aid muscle recovery. Do this and you can freely use swimming as part of your fat loss plan AND get all the aerobic and anaerobic benefits. Have your cake and eat it too!!! Don't forget to hydrate constantly, even while in the pool.

Now, I may have just deviated on a tangent. I was speaking about the best cheeseburger ever before I started ranting about the benefits and drawbacks of swimming. So, here I go...

After my Tuesday swim session, my hypothalamus informed my frontal cortex of the hunger issue. So, instead of waiting to go home, I just pulled into the nearest fast food joint in the area, which happened to be Jack-in-the-Box and proudly order 1 Ultimate Cheeseburger. The cheeseburger itself wasn't made any different. It had the same bun, 2 day old lettuce, aged tomatoes, and 2 well-cooked pieces of beef patties, which seemed like it was frozen for about 2 years before they decided to thaw and serve. However, this paired with my increase appetite and craving for food, it was, INDEED, the best tasting cheeseburger I have ever had.

Stay tuned next week for my top-three favorite exercises for fat loss and why.

Abandoning my New Mission

Dear Friends,

I have decided to abandon my mission of having a clearly defined six-pack by March 1, 2009. While this action on my part may indicate failure, and if you'd to think of it as such, that's fine. However, I would like to clarify a few miss-conceptions and hope that you, my dear reader may place this in a separate context. First of all, my decision to abandon the mission isn't based on the difficulty and the commitment required to accomplish my goal. Ask any fitness professional who know what they're talking about and they will tell you that in order to have a clearly defined abdominal muscles one needs to lose body fat. In order to lose body fat, that someone must create a calorie deficit. Now, what is a calorie deficit? Simply put, it is the act of consuming less calories than your body burns. As some of you know, I have dubbed myself to be an endurance athlete and my race calendar for 2009 is quite full of races and events. Starting with Carlsbad Marathon on January 25, 2009 and finishing with an Ultramarathon in December of 2009. Throw in a couple of Ironmans, and a half Ironmen between, and you literally have a full time job called "training". Add to this, my other full time job which actually brings in money to pay for the expenses caused by the "other" job. The nutritional requirements for someone on a fat loss plan doesn't necessarily coincide with someone training for a marathon or an Ironman. For example, many fat loss experts advocate whole grain and whole wheat as preferable carbohydrate sources and discourage of simple carbohydrates while on a fat loss plan. However, while the aforementioned sources are an important part of anyone's diet, starchy foods such as white bread and potatoes are also preferred carb sources for endurance athletes.

In the past few weeks, I have found myself transitioning back to fat loss nutrition and quite honestly, my endurance performance has suffered because of it. I have increasingly found myself with less energy throughout the day and I dehydrate faster during my training. Therefore, I feel like I would be doing a disfavor to my athletic endeavors and ultimately my body by continuing to be on a strict fat loss plan.

I will continue updating my blog and will make extra time to increase the frequency. In the meantime, if you reside in Southern California, please visit and sign up for my running group:
http://www.meetup.com/The-Santa-Monica-Running-Group/

You can also be my facebook friend


In an unrelated note, Tom Venuto, my all time fitness and fat loss mentor has just published a new book titled "The Body Fat Solution". It is NOT your ordinary diet book... Get more information by visiting:
http://www.thebodyfatsolution.com/

It is also available in audio version from http://audible.com