In this week’s Coach’s Corner episode, I want to discuss why your current exercise routine may actually be hindering your fat loss efforts instead of helping. I share the story of two overweight guys I see at my gym who workout hard but never seem to lose weight or build muscle. I explain the difference between strength training and cardio/conditioning workouts and why the latter causes your metabolism to adapt and burn fewer calories over time. I argue you need strength training to build metabolically expensive lean muscle mass.
I describe the usual routine of these two guys – some kind of intense circuit training with constant movement and little rest. While they’re clearly putting in lots of effort, their body composition remains unchanged months later. I propose that if their goal is to lose abdominal fat and finally look fit, their workout regimen is better categorized as challenging cardio rather than true strength training.
The key distinction is the rest periods. True strength training works your fast twitch muscle fibers which are powerful but have little endurance. So you need longer rest intervals of 60-90 seconds between sets to allow them to briefly recover before the next intense burst. Cardio and conditioning routines preferentially use slow twitch fibers that can keep going for longer periods.
As we age, we lose more metabolically expensive fast twitch fibers. Our bodies are highly adaptive and efficient, meaning cardio causes us to burn fewer calories over time as we get better at those movements. Also, intense cardio paired with dieting triggers emergency metabolic adaptations for survival, making it harder to lose fat.
I explain how I would program these two guys if they want to finally achieve their goals: stop circuit training, walk for cardio, focus on full body strength training workouts 3 days a week with compound lifts at moderate volumes and intensities. I’d have them track progress, apply progressive overload, rest 60-90 seconds between sets, eat sufficient protein, and cycle calories.
In closing, I urge listeners not to fear strength training. Muscle is the organ of longevity and a healthy metabolism. I provide my email for anyone wanting help getting started with a beginner’s strength routine. Check the show notes for useful links and info on how to support the podcast.
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