Fri, Dec-01-06, 06:25
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Plan: Muscle Centric
Stats: 238/153/160
BF:
Progress: 109%
Location: UK
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You might find the following article of interest:
Quote:
Resistance is useful
For years we've been told the only way to burn off fat is endless hours of aerobic exercise. But now researchers say the secret lies in 'resistance training'. By Fiona Russell
Thursday July 6, 2006
London, UK
The Guardian
For decades the experts have been telling us to exercise more, harder and longer, to burn body fat. Run, power-walk, row, trampoline ... do whatever bores you least, but increase your cardiovascular training. Now comes the latest advice: do less cardio - but burn more fat. The key, say scientists, is resistance training. This could mean lifting light weights or using the body's own weight as resistance, with squats, press-ups and lunges.
According to research from Glasgow University currently under review, the rate at which body fat is burned can be significantly increased when you precede any aerobic activity with 20 minutes of press-ups and squats.
"This is a breakthrough for both sedentary people and fit people," says Dr Niall MacFarlane, one of the authors of the study. The research - which monitored 11 fit volunteers over three weeks - suggests that if exercisers include a 20-minute session of resistance training prior to working out aerobically, the fat-burning benefits are two to three times greater. This means the easily breathless don't need to huff and puff for such a long stretch - and exercise aficionados can achieve better results in the same period of time.
"In fact," says MacFarlane, "because resistance training helps to switch on the body's fat-oxidation [burning] processes quicker, it also means people will be able to endure longer subsequent aerobic exercise."
Until now, anyone exercising aerobihas probably been told they need to keep going for at least half an hour to see significant results. At the start of a session, an untrained body uses a higher proportion of sugars, or carbohydrates, mainly stored in the muscles and liver, to fuel energy expenditure. (It is harder for our body to source energy from fat stores than from carbohydrates.) This reliance on carbohydrate can lead to early depletion of muscle glycogen and fatigue - and tired people tend to give up before they have started to burn fat.
For them especially, the research could be a boon. The Glasgow team believes that 20 minutes of resistance training enables the body to use fat as an energy fuel much sooner. The body will burn fat right from the start. And because the body is using fat to fuel the muscles instead of carbohydrate, the muscles do not tire as quickly and can endure longer sessions."This is especially good news for the sedentary person or the very overweight," says MacFarlane.
The happy news doesn't end there. Three one-hour sessions a week should be adequate - and nothing too strenuous either. Forty minutes' brisk walking after 20 minutes' easy resistance training (eg lunges without weights with rests in between sets) should suffice. "The fat-burning potential of this hour is the equivalent of two hours' hard running," claims MacFarlane.
Juliette Cassidy, 33, from Glasgow, is a convert to the resistance-CV combo. Not so long ago, she had a demanding regime, running five times a week and competing in ultra-marathons of up to 100 miles. But a year ago, on the advice of a personal trainer, she switched to two 30-minute sessions a week of weights and resistance work, including barbell lifts, press-ups, straight weight lifts, lunges and squats, while running less. "My body shape has completely changed," she says. "I have much more muscle, and while I weigh more, my physique is slimmer. I have less fat on my hips, bum and thighs and everything is more toned."
Not everyone is surprised by the Glasgow research. "We've always known resistance training is a good thing in terms of fitness," says Mike Johnstone, national endurance coach for Scottish Athletics. "Even if an unfit person was doing only resistance training you would expect to see fat burn. Anything that makes you move quickly, such as sit-ups and press-ups, will help you lose weight.
"The more muscles a person has compared with fat, the more efficient the body is at burning fat and calories. I still believe in the traditional premise that we should all be exercising more, especially aerobically, and for longer periods to improve general fitness. If this gets people up and exercising in the first place, it has to be a good thing. Hopefully, they will then stick at it and increase the intensity."
There are benefits, too, for those who already exercise. Instead of spending an hour sweating on the treadmill and lifting weights, people will find enhanced benefits from a resistance session followed by an easier run. "The more resistance training and aerobic exercise they do, the better the fat-burning benefits are and the greater their endurance," says MacFarlane. "If they are able to do more, that's good, but what we're saying is, you don't have to kill your-self to see fat loss."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/health/st...1813677,00.html
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I personally do do my weights before cardio because I am trying to burn fat. |
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