Do you want to decrease your body fat, preserve and increase lean muscle mass, and raise human growth hormone in less time? Who doesn’t! In order to do so, your workouts must be smart and effective. All too often, men and women alike, resort to long, slow distance (LSD), steady state cardio as their preferred exercise of choice.
In my books, The Power of 4 and Fat Loss Revolution, I explain why LSD is not the best exercise of choice if: #1 – you’re limited on time, #2 if your goal is losing body fat and getting lean and #3 if you wish to optimize the balance of your hormones. LSD exercise done excessively, or as your only mode of activity can increase inflammation, elevate cortisol, create excess belly fat, cause hormonal imbalances, accelerate aging, and increase your risk of heart damage.
LSD activity such as jogging involves the aerobic energy system (type I muscle fibers) only, and neglects the anaerobic energy system (type IIA and IIB muscle fibers). When you use type IIA and type IIB muscle fibers, high amounts of exercise-induced GH is released.
If your goal is to change your body composition, spend a minimal amount of time on an exercise program, and keep inflammation at bay, the exercise prescription of choice to achieve these results is a well-designed resistance training program and interval training, not LSD exercise.
A 1994 study in the journal, Metabolism, monitored two groups of people with the purpose of seeing how different exercise programs would affect metabolism and body fat. One group did steady state aerobic training for 20 weeks; the other group did interval training for 15 weeks. Although results showed that the aerobic group burned 48% more calories vs. the interval group, aside from the calories, the interval group had 9 times greater subcutaneous (fat under the skin) fat loss!
Muscle loss is a normal part of the aging process, which means that our ability to lose body fat declines as well. Muscle is our metabolically active, fat-burning tissue. In order to increase the thermic effect for permanent fat loss to happen through exercise, you must increase your muscle mass.
Reduce your body fat, raise human growth hormone, and increase muscle in just eight weeks with this Smart Workout.
Pre-Workout Nutrition 40-60 minutes before your workout, consume 30-40 grams of protein and 10 grams of BCAA powder.
Dynamic Warm up The warm up is crucial – perform at least 5 minutes of a dynamic warm up specific for sprinting – Leg swings (front and side), lunge walk with rotation, hip circles, side lunges, dynamic calf bounces, butt kicks, 60% build up sprint
The Workout Choose your preferred method – cycling, running, stairs and perhaps an elliptical or rowing machine. My favorite is sprinting at the local high school track. If you’ve been sedentary for years and just starting out, power walking can be an option. The exercise must involve large muscle groups such as the legs and glutes.
Duration and Intensity 30 seconds at your high intensity pace (i.e. sprint), followed by 90 seconds recovery (i.e. leisure walking). This may not be enough rest for some individuals and a longer recovery period may be required initially.
Sets 8 total sets @ 30 seconds work followed by 90 seconds active rest. Listen to your body. If you’re new to this type of workout, 2-3 sets may be plenty, and if you think you can do more than 8 sets, you are not doing them with all out effort! Basically, you’re slackin!
Frequency 3 times per week maximum on non-consecutive days
Cool Down Static Stretching or Self-myofascial Release using the Foam Roller
Post-Workout Nutrition No workout is complete without post-exercise nutrition. Enhance the benefits of growth hormone after your workout by consuming a minimum of 25 grams of protein. Consuming refined and processed sugary drinks will diminish growth hormone.
My recommended and favorite post workout nutrition consists of:
* 35 grams protein powder * 1 scoop Greens powder * 10 grams BCAA powder * 12-16 ounces coconut water * 10 grams L-glutamine Powder * Ice
What Works About This Program? Exercise induced growth hormone circulates in the body for up to 2 hours afterwards. In just 8 weeks, at a frequency of only 3 times per week, you can expect these profound changes:
| Increases in: | Decreases in | |
| * Human Growth Hormone | * Metabolism | * Body Fat |
| * Cardiovascular Health | * Fat Burning | * Adipose Fat |
| * Muscle Strength and Growth | * Oxygen Utilization | * Inflammation |
| * Tissue Repair | * Calcium Retention | * Cortisol and Insulin |
| * HDL Cholesterol | * Mineralization of Bone | * Triglycerides & LDL Cholesterol |
Enhance your fat burning, muscle building benefits by consuming at least 25 grams of protein following your workout.
This program is motivating. You’ll experience increased levels of energy, greater fat loss and so much more! For more interval programs and an intelligently designed 12-week strength training program, see Chapter 11 – Fat Loss Revolution.
Thank you! Make it a Happy, Healthy Day! 
Copyright © Paula Owens
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Sources:
- The Journal of Applied; Physiology February 17, 2011
- http://www.kdmc.org/obesity_research_1.html
- Tremblay, et al. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism. 1994;43:814-818.
- Treuth, et al. Effects of exercise intensity on 24-hr energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 1996;28,:1138-1143.
- Wilmore, et al. Alterations in body weight and composition consequent to 20 wk of endurance training: the HERITAGE Family Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999;70:346-352.
- Kraemer, et al. Physiological adaptations to a weight-loss dietary regimen and exercise programs in women. Journal of Applied Physiology. 1997;83:270-279.
- King, et al. A comparison of high-intensity vs. low-intensity exercise on body composition in overweight women. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2001;33: A2421
