I have a question about the best muscle (!) burning exercises. I'm 1,75m, 82kg, 22 (woman), but I'm not fat as one might think although my weight should be around 60-65kg. I don't know what I'm doing wrong but although by long term jogging in the morning I feel slimmer and I'm getting rid of fat, I can't get my weight down. Is it because I eat a lot of proteins or maybe I need another type of exercise? I don't eat more than I burn! How could I lose overall body mass?

Thanks,
Me

Six months of Nutri-System: $2000

The latest crappy exercise equipment sold by infomercial: $500

Adjusting cardio to diet: PRICELESS!

Hey im doing that already! Trust me guys and girls this really does work. I also, like you said Rusty, have a longer and more intense cardio session after pizza etc, combining HIIT and lower state cardio. I tell myself after ive "splurged", i need to work hard to burn it off. if i dont do the cardio thing the next day i actualy feel sluggish and that bit heavier which as you know to a gymmer, is crap!!!
Well done Rusty, you hit the nail on the head yet again. good to know im in the right direction. take care.

Feel free to eat carbs and Italian food, etc. You have to live life. Just try to time the carbs in a strategic way at least part of the time. Google Friend connect is kind of in "beta" right now and I believe it will be much larger than Facebook. I have seen some behind the scenes things not released to the general public.

John,

Great point about fat loss. I love it when you guys "dig deep" into these subjects.

Kash,

I agree with you point about going low-carb. It becomes easier the longer you do it.

Burritokid,

Burning calories is where the majority of results happen, Craig is right. I just like to hit fat from every angle possible. Over time, this makes a big difference.

James,

Yeah…calorie deficit is a given if someone wants to lose body fat. Completely agree.

Good stuff guys,

Rusty

Heavy lifting is (mostly) ATP/PC based – that's probably fine in ketosis if you allow adequate recovery between sets. I'm referring to circuits involving constant work (some heavy lifting, some body weight) for around an hour. My HR is generally > 150 most of the time, and I'll be pulling loads anywhere from "really light" to around 85% of 1RM.

They generally consume around 6-800 calories.

When my carb intake is low, I can't make it through more than about a 35 minutes on one of these without having a serious bonk.
But I also don't eat REALLY low carb, they're usually around 20-30% of calories for me, I just sometime have a low day.

If there IS an adaptation that would support this kind of workload I'd be really interested.

I can vouch for the fact that after about 2-3 weeks, you will experience pretty good energy levels that will allow you to set new records. I do low-carb diets (50 grams or less of carbs for 5-10 days) while using EDT (Escalating Density Training) and am able to increase reps.

I would caution anyone, however, that the first 2-3 weeks are no joke and you would be best served using lighter weights for more reps. When I first start a low carb phase (like I did last February, for example) I just rowed, alternated with Heavy Hands and kettlebells. Hitting a heavy bag and body weight exercises are also good.

I think your spot on. Intervals and weight training will deplete glycogen, theoretically enhancing fat oxidation thereafter. However, none of this matters if one is not in a caloric deficit.

The caloric deficit is the key to weight loss. Macronutrient composition has the potential to alter the %'s of what's lost (fat or muscle), but that's even speculative with few, if any, studies indicating one diet if optimal over another (assuming fat loss is the goal and caloric content is identical – then again, higher protein diets should MARGINALLY improve calorie burning from thethermodynamic benefits of digesting the food and also potentially improve muscle retention).

I found it kinda weird in the wording because everyone is advocating burning fat with workouts, even he at times. Now he is going about it this way. I think his main point is the myth of the "fat burning" zone though.

I've had issues with ananerobic work during low carb diets before, but they were not full on ketogenic diets. I'm not aware of any studies (even informal ones) about anaerobic work while ketone adapted. I'd be really interested in seeing this, since I think it's something that isn't addressed in the mainstream exercise science literature.

The focus of the mainstream stuff is really on either o-lifters of endurance runners… which is something I'd like to change.

A sprinter will rely on fast twitch fibers primarily and these are anaerobic. So in theory, I agree with your statement: "It's irrelevant though – HIIT does NOT burn fat as a substrate. The intensity levels are too high. Sprints and the like by necessity rely on anaerobic metabolism and stored muscle glucose."

But . . . in the real world . . . the sprinter will be recruiting both fast and slow twitch fibers . . . if not during the actual "sprint" then at the start and end of the sprint, the warmup, walking on the track, recovery and so on. In fact, he'll use some slow twitch fibers even while he sprints.

So in practical terms a HIIT session will burn fat . . . even though in a lab we might show that the anaerobic effort of fast twitch fibers is relying on glucose.

But there is a second aspect to this discussion which is very important and that is whether the trainee is in ketosis and thus using fat for fuel.

In ketosis, if you were to sprint in the morning, then fast all day, you would still be able to sprint in the afternoon . . . though perhaps at a somewhat reduced level of intensity. This is because the muscles have adapted to burning ketone bodies for fuel.

Lyle McDonald has written what I think is some of the "cleanest" articles on the subject of ketone bodies fueling HITT so I will defer to his explanations.

I was just wondering, for a dude like myself who wants to get a little bigger but cut up (obviously following the common aesthetic of this site: Hollywood and not body builderish), would I also have to watch my carbs, like, all the time? I usually remain pretty lean just because of how my body is, and I exercise regularly, but I definitely know about the pump you're referring to. I'm Italian so I eat a good amount of bread, pizza, and pasta, not to mention regular cereal intake. I stay away from junk food most of the time, and I eat healthy and well-balanced meals.

I can usually do cardio exercise for long periods of time, so I can't say that I am depleted in terms of diet. Just today I played basketball for 3 and half hours, but I definitely like your opinions and viewpoint as I respect your knowledge and focus on the same physical type that you advocate.

Side note: those crazy 8 body circuits literally turned my legs to jelly on Monday. I couldn't move after 2 sets.

Thanks in advance man and keep it up!

Nice post on explaining MetCon.

rugby,

You will have to adapt to your circumstances. I have seen people get incredibly fit regardless of their injuries or conditions.

BurritoKid,

I like to do quick intense exercise at the end of fasting, but will add in Steady State if I still feel a bit carbed up.

britkan,

You should do HIIT followed by steady state cardio and see how that works first, click the "low body fat" link at the bottom of my site. I also have an example of a body weight circuit I used to stay lean without going to the gym. Click the "Body Weight Training for Fat Loss Link" at the top of the site. That will be a good start.

Scott,

Sounds like a good plan. Bascially anything that can quickly get you back into fat burning mode is what you are aiming for.

Jeremiah,

Funny that you should mention eating a lot of calories before running a marathon. Although I am not an expert at all when it comes to running a marathon, I think those men and women do eat crazy amounts of calories leading up to the big race.

Yash,

Try rugby practice in a fasted state and adjust from there. It is tough to give you an exact answer because there are a lot of variables involved. As far as feeling carb depleted…I can tell when the muscle look a little bit flat…you basically look a little smaller than normal (not in a bad way). What I like about this is that it really allows you to see how much fat you have to lose. People that are carb loaded all the time, get an unrealistic idea of their body composition. If you can look good carb depleted, you will look outstanding when it comes time to hit the beach, or go on vacation.

Andrew,

You will experience great fat loss results over time if you stick tih this approach.

alex,

I follow this rule…a head cold I will do low intensity workouts (maybe just strenght training without cardio or limited cardio). If it is a chest cold…avoid working out alltogether.

Dave,

There are some poeple that stay lean without cardio, but typically there is some "type" of interval activity involved (like circuit training, which to me is like doing cardio with weights). Sticking with a really rigid diet can do the job, but who wants to do that? I like the ocassional beer and pizza too much

Dave – Best Ways to Lose Fat

Great blog you have started….Thanks for mentioning this post. I subscribed to your RSS feed.

Mike,

Thanks…Just another tip to implement if it fits in with your strategy.

Bryan,

A simple explanation…the carbs just make you hold more water weight for the most part. Good deal with your wife working out now as well. As far as recommending a workout…It depends upon her weight and condition. The biggest thing is to get her in the gym and teach her some really basic easy-to-remember lifts for each body part. Have her do things she is comfortable with. The biggest problem I see with many personal trainers is that they take people WAY outside of their comfort zone. Remember, since she is a beginner, almost any lift that she does is going to produce results. So a basic 2 day split routine followed by 20 minutes of cardio to begin with…4 days per week in the gym total. After a month you can introduce HIIT (walking followed by fast walking at first…she can jog when she feels comfortable). A good diet and slowly improving without quitting is what is going to ultimately work for her.

MrBunny,

You are bad (but right)!

Chris,

Good points. When I'm talking about marathon cardio…I am suggesting an intensity that is higher than the low intensity fat burning cardio that 99% of the people in the gym do exlusively. I like to do HIIT in a depleted state to release fatty acids into the blood stream. True that the body can't burn fat at that high intensity, but that is why I tell people to followup with low intensity steady state cardio to utilize the fat that is released from the higher intensity training.

Partick,

Perfect advice. I haven't hit the jump rope for a while. I may begin to do that routine I outlined again to prepare my body for volleyball this summer.

David,

I agree that the tough intense cardio is much more time efficient. I also believe that this marathon cardio is more of a way to "put the body back on target" to burn fat…basically to get the body to respond better to the intense cardio (which is where the real fat loss results happen).

fitness-siren,

Just another way of looking at cardio. Something to pull out of your "bag of tricks" if fat loss comes to a halt and you want to get a bit leaner.

Helder,

Thanks buddy…every post I do is typically a tip that someone can try if they are stuck. Out of the hundreds of tips on the site, people can test and tweak until the come up with the perfect routine for their circumstances and goals. There are so many variables at play that it would be impossible for me to come up with a one-size-fits-all routine.

John,

You should still start a fitness site! If you do, make sure and contact me…I'd love to help you get started. There are a lot of people interested in this topic and not enough quality sites to cater to these people. My goal when I started was to improve the internet a bit and the more helpful websites that get launched, the better.

Arya,

Your routine looks good. What I would recommend is to keep doing this exact routine until you fail to make progress. At that point, drop one exercise per body part. So now you are just doing 2 exercises per body part. Do 5 sets 3 reps of each exercise once you are down to just 2 exercises. This will lower your volume but allow you to focus and increase the tension more (which will put you back in strength gain mode). As far as lifting lighter. I do it on those days when I'm not "feeling it". Some days you go into the gym and the bar "feels heavy" in your hands. On those days, do the exact rep range with MUCH less weight. So if you could normally do 5 sets of 3 reps on the bench with 225 pounds…do 5 sets of 3 with 150-185 pounds. Make sure you lift at the exact same tempo as when you are lifting 225. This is a way to train your nervous system for maximum output while giving your tendons a break.

Trygve,

You can lose fat up to a point without depleted glycogen stores, but it you want to get exceptionally lean…this is what is going to help get you there. No need to go overboard…if you are playing soccer you are naturally going to burn up a bunch of glycogen in the muscles aprt way through the game and then be in good condition the remainder of the game without feeling bad. Just aim for a balance.

Yash,

I love the "nerd talk"…both you and Chris do an excellent job of explaining your points. I always look forward to reading the communication in the comment section. It is better than the posts a lot of the time!

Chris,

As a Seattle guy, I don't believe there is a thing as too much caffeine (kidding)…I am a fan though!

Mel,

You may want to dial it down a notch (4 times per week and shorter workouts). A lower libido is a big sign of over-training. Also, you should increase your calories a bit. You should feel an increase in libido and your body should feel "warmer" than normal. You are paying too high of a price to get in shape (I did a similar thing when I was starting out). You have a lifetime of working out ahead of you, so don't push so hard in the beginning. Stay somewhat lean and consistent and over time you will get in better and better shape.

Good comments!

Rusty

Been meaning to ask you this for a while but hadn't mustered up the courage until now to speak it. I've been exercising pretty rigorously for the past year or so, doing lots of HIIT calisthenics + heavy lifting – often times 5-6 times a week. In the process, I've also tended to cut down on my food portions and have yielded to healthier options as well. The problem, since around this past fall, has been my lowered libido (I'm early 20's) and I can't pinpoint the exact reason for it, I have some of my suggestions and listed following are some of them: lower body fat %, over-training, not enough calories or the cold weather and how I feel incessantly cold nowadays – probably due to lower body fat).

Have you experience anything like this? It is kind of depressing. Thanks

To respond to your post:
I do like the caffeine boost, though I drink more than I should.

I'm not sure on the post exercise burn from HIIT. I believe you're referring to EPOC? Most of the science I've seen doesn't support this effect being significant, but I personally always felt like there was some lasting effect after a workout. Anectdotally, if I start the day with some kind of cardio workout I feel more energized the entire day.

On a side note, I don't know if you caught my response to one of your comments a few posts back, but I enjoy your comments. It gives me a chance to flex my nerd muscles, which don't get used as often as my physical ones.