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The “Best” Workout for Weight Loss

Many people are constantly searching for the most effective workouts to lose weight as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately, this “magic” workout does not exist—different methods work for different people.  However, there are certain parameters that one must focus on in order to achieve a successful weight-loss program. Although it is not considered part of the “workout” section of a weight-loss program, if your diet is not in check you will most likely not lose weight.  Ask your physiologist for any recommendations they have to help kick start your journey to a lighter, healthier body.

Your first and most important priority with any weight-loss workout is cardio—increasing the number of times your heart beats per minute (through physical activity) for a prolonged period of time is essential to increasing your caloric deficit.  Caloric deficit refers to a higher amount of calories being burned from the body versus the amount of calories being taken in through eating and drinking.  That deficit is what causes our body to recruit calories from fat stores within us as metabolic fuel for normal bodily functioning and activity.  Therefore, doing cardio or moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week will benefit you by helping create a larger caloric deficit.  According to numerous studies, including a 12-month study by Chambliss et al, exercise duration (at least 150 minutes per week) was more important than vigorous versus moderate intensity exercise to achieve weight-loss goals (1).

On average, a moderate intensity cardio workout of 30 minutes at a heart rate zone between 50-80% of a person’s heart rate reserve (HRR) can burn anywhere between 200-300 calories depending on intensity.  Other factors that determine the rate of calories burned include age and mass.  However, not only should a person attempting to lose weight perform moderate cardio or physical activity on most days of the week, they should also train one or more times at a higher intensity in order to improve their metabolic functioning. Some research experiments, including one by Yoshioka et al. explain that high intensity versus moderate intensity exercise yields significant benefits on post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) as well as on fat oxidation (3).  What this means is that high intensity training causes a person’s body to burn calories at a faster rate after exercise as well as specifically burn fat more effectively.  Both of which have positive benefits in relation to weight-loss.

Another overlooked but important component of any “great” weight-loss workout includes resistance/strength training.  Building strength in the muscles that we use to perform our cardio exercises benefits us by improving our tolerance for work intensity and improving muscle endurance to last longer with our workouts. According to one study, 45 minutes of strength training created a greater EPOC and fat oxidation during the 2 hours after the exercise session (2).  This means that for two hours post-strength training, one can increase his or her metabolism and rate at which fat is burned.

In conclusion, there is no “perfect” workout for weight-loss.  Involving moderate and vigorous cardiovascular training sessions, day-to-day physical activity, and strength training combined with a proper diet are the keys to making your weight-loss program an effective one.

 

By Anthony Locast

 

Sources

  1. Chambliss, Heather O. “Exercise duration and intensity in a weight-loss program.” Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine15.2 (2005): 113-115.
  2. Da Mota, Gustavo Ribeiro, et al. “Strength training and weight loss.” Journal of the Health Sciences Institute28.4 (2010): 337-340.
  3. Yoshioka, M., et al. “Impact of high-intensity exercise on energy expenditure, lipid oxidation and body fatness.” International Journal of obesity25.3 (2001): 332.

The Risk of Fad Diets

As Exercise Physiologists, we are often asked, “What is the best way to lose weight?” But the answer does not always match up to the answer the client is looking for.  Everyone seems to be looking for the fastest ways to lose a lot of weight; which is why diets are so widely marketed.  The fact of the matter is, losing 9 pounds and 5 inches in 2 weeks under the guidance of a fad diet are unsafe, counterproductive and often unsustainable. This type of weight should often be under the supervision of a medical professional.  It is near impossible to lose 9 pounds in two weeks while also giving the body all the macronutrients it needs to perform at optimal levels.  Being in a medically supervised zone can make simple tasks difficult to focus on, increase catabolic reactions which can result in muscle breakdown and strains on different organs and the systems they are responsible for.  Unfortunately, the risk of losing muscle and possible organ failure is greater when following a “fad diet.”  If gaining muscle, increasing focus and drive all while losing weight are your goals, then you may want to consider meeting with an Exercise Physiologist to discuss simple calories in and calories out.

Each individual is unique in their own way.  Yes, you are unique not only by what people see on the outside but what’s happening inside your body, as well.  Each individual is equipped with their very own metabolic rate.  Your metabolic rate controls the temperature of your body; it controls the success and proficiency of your organs that aid in digestion, absorption, muscle building, muscle breakdown, cell growth, cell death etc.  This takes a great deal of energy to control, in fact your metabolic rate accounts for 60-75% of your daily caloric expenditure.  With a percentage like that and the responsibilities that your metabolism bears, it is of the utmost importance that you know how many calories specifically you need to feed the machine that is your metabolism.  You can easily calculate your metabolism through scientific equations available online, or perform the test if your gym or doctor’s office is equipped to perform an RMR test.  Once you feed the “machine” that is your metabolism, everything else is just extra calories that can be manipulated in order to achieve weight loss.

Your metabolism is extremely important as it is responsible for almost every major function in the human body.  If you under eat below your metabolism through certain fad diets, it can come back to harm you in the end (i.e. having a detrimental effect on many systems that the metabolism controls).  In the end, fad diets may even slow down your metabolism further making it harder to lose weight.  Eating just enough to feed your metabolism will keep you from gaining weight; then as you add in exercise and increase your physical activity, you will then see changes in your body weight and composition.

 

 

By Brandon Ayala, CSCS

Recipe of the Week: Superhero Muffins

Yields: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25-35 minutes

This recipe comes from a favorite cookbook titled Run Fast, Eat Slow. Authors Elyse Koepesky and Shalane Flanagan (winner of the 2017 NYC Marathon) are big fans of real foods that fuel your body and your workouts. They’re full of veggies and sweetened with maple syrup (instead of refined sugar). Perfect for an easy grab-n-run breakfast. “And don’t fear the butter.” Adding healthy fats to your meals is a great way to start your day and help keep you satisfied longer. As a bonus, these muffins are gluten-free.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups almond meal
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free if sensitive)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup currants, raisins, or chocolate chips (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 zucchini)
  • 1 cup grated carrot (about 2 carrots)
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (not Aunt Jemima’s)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • paper muffin cups (however I always just spray the pan with non-stick spray- it works better)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, oats, walnuts, currants or raisins, if using, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, zucchini, carrot, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
  5. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling each to the brim. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 35 minutes.

TIP: Keep a batch in the freezer for a sweet grab-n-run breakfast. Simply defrost on low power in the microwave

 

Original recipe from Run Fast, Eat Slow can be found here!

Improving Game Speed & Performance

When working with athletes, speed and agility are training essentials, along with strength. However, it is common to mistake the difference between speed, agility and acceleration. The National Academy of Sport Medicine (NASM) refers to speed as the ability to move one’s body in one direction as fast as possible and acceleration is how quickly an individual can reach their top speed from a non-moving position. Agility is the ability to accelerate, decelerate, and quickly change directions while maintaining proper posture. It is incredibly important, when training athletes, to consider what planes of movement they will be using during the course of a game, tournament or outing. Increasing speed, agility and acceleration can be a daunting task for trainers, but understanding the difference between the 3 and knowing drills to supplement each aspect will allow athletes to reach new heights.

Speed is a quality, essential to most sports. Some sports are more reliant on it than others and sometimes, it can even determine the success of one athlete over another. But, how exactly do we train for speed?

Increasing speed initially revolves around the idea of “perfecting” running technique. Arm action drills can increase coordination between our upper and lower halves, while wall-drills teach the athlete to achieve triple extension. In tandem, these rudiments provide the base for producing the most power per step and ability to cycle when at top speed. Squats, heavy sled drags, and isometric/eccentric hamstring exercises, etc. attribute to muscular development in the groups essential to speed development. Increasing muscular development and being able to “shut-off” the muscles that are antagonistic when sprinting will result in a faster athlete. Lastly, it is necessary to get out and sprint, using proper technique. Filming or using apps like Hudl are great ways to critique and help identify breaks in form.

While speed sometimes steals the spotlight, agility can turn the tides for an athlete in most sports. Athletes are required to move laterally (side-to-side) in order to defend, make quick cuts to evade defenders, or sometimes full turn into a sprint to track down a ball. Whatever situation an athlete finds themselves in, being able to quickly perform any movement at any time will give them a competitive advantage. Training to improve agility has a similar pattern to training for speed. Agility is based around motor control and proper positioning of the body. Agility also heavily features deceleration, so being able to reposition the feet to create better angles for absorbing and then producing force will make a significant difference. The main strength component for agility is a strong core. Most movements will require the upper and lower halves of the body coordinating movements. Thus a strong core will allow for the ability to dynamically stabilize and distribute force within the body more effectively.

Athletes can have natural speed and strength, but even the fastest and strongest need to be able to control their movements as scenarios change game-to-game, play-to-play. Training should emphasize developing technique, gaining overall strength and putting practice into real scenarios. After all, as Mike Robertson says, “games are won in tight spaces.”

 

By Julian C. Lee

Be Efficient: Producing Power Inside and Outside of the Gym

In order to better understand what the word “power” describes in a sports or life setting, let’s take it back to high school physics.

Power = Work/Time OR (Force*Displacement)/Time OR = Force * Velocity

Power; typically measured in watts, quantifies how much force you apply over a distance, in an amount of time. Think of power as the rate at which you execute strength, or how hard/fast can you execute a movement. Walking Uphill= Less power than Running up the same hill. Easy Enough, Right?

“Whats the deal Matt, Why is this important? I came here to learn about getting fit, not to get a lesson in physics from a meathead with a nice haircut”

Well, the reason we get anywhere is because of power. Power is the ability to take our strength (force) and apply it to Movement at a rate of speed (See Equation).  Think walking down the stairs to catch the bus, throwing your coffee in the air when the neighbor’s cat scares you, chasing after the bus when you miss it because you spilled your coffee (but enough about my day, I digress). All of these actions are different measurements of power.

“Ah, I see where power fits into our lives, but I don’t play sports, how is power important to me?”

Not entirely! Yes, a softball player should be able to swing her bat hard, and a swimmer should be able to move quickly through the water, but all of these sports contain skills that we use in day to day life. Think throwing, jumping, running, twisting, changing direction, etc. Additional benefit to training power would be more applicable strength, improved athletic performance, joint resiliency, decreased fall risk, and improved cardiovascular health …(Don’t believe me? Try doing box jumps for 30 seconds, total soul crusher.)

“Onto the nitty gritty; how do I get better at this power thing?”

Reader, you’re in luck. Specificity states that in order to get better at something, we need to practice that thing. To become a more powerful everyday athlete, work in a power day or a few power focused moves into your current routines. Take a look back at our definition of power and we can see that it involves applying force quickly. Think jumps, tosses, slams, etc. A shoulder press translates to a med ball overhead toss, a box squat to a box jump, planking to heavy carries, and the list goes on. Talk with your exercise physiologist about incorporating power training specific to your goals and abilities!

 

-Matt Rhodes, M.S., EP-C

 

Green Goddess Salad Dressing

Swap out those calorie dense, high fat salad dressing for this homemade twist on a classic! All you will need are plenty of greens and a blender.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 green onions
  • ½ green jalapeño pepper
  • ? cup Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup lightly packed cilantro
  • Juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons)
  • ? cup olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon honey

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Chop the green onions. Seed and dice 1/2 jalapeño pepper.
  2. Place the green onions and jalapeno pepper in the cup of an immersion blender (or in a blender). Add ? cup Greek yogurt, ½ cup lightly packed cilantro, juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons), ? cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon honey. Blend to combine. Transfer to an airtight container; the dressing stores in the refrigerator for 1 week.

 

Recipe of the Week: Jerk Chicken Collard Wrap

Total: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings (2 wraps per person)

Ingredients:

  • 8 large collard green leaves (about 10 ounces)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 pound chicken, sliced into 8 tenders
  • 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
  • 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 14.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups shredded red cabbage (from 1/2 small head)
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 small avocado, sliced
  • 1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

Directions:

  1. Remove the stems up to the leafy part of the collards. Lay each collard leaf underside up on a flat surface. Locate the thickest part of the stem and use a vegetable peeler to shave off the top for even thickness (this makes it easier to roll up the leaves).
  2. Fill a large wide skillet or pan with just enough water to coat the bottom. Arrange a few leaves at a time in a circle, overlapping, in the bottom of the skillet and sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining leaves. Put the skillet over medium-high heat and as soon as steam appears, lower the heat to medium, cover and steam until the collards are green, tender and pliable, 5 to 6 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the leaves to a baking sheet to cool completely.
  3. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the top of the oven and preheat the broiler. Scatter the coconut on a baking sheet and broil until toasted, 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a medium bowl. Coat the chicken in 1 tablespoon of the jerk seasoning and 1 tablespoon of the yogurt. Arrange the chicken tenders on the baking sheet and broil until lightly browned and cooked through.
  4. Add the beans to the bowl with the coconut and use a fork to mash lightly. Combine the cabbage, lime juice and remaining 1/4 cup yogurt and 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning in a separate bowl.
  5. Lay a collard leaf underside up on a work surface. Lay a piece of chicken across the middle. Top the chicken with a couple slices of avocado and strips of pepper. Pile an eighth of the coconut black beans next to the chicken. Pile an eighth of the cabbage mixture next to the beans. Fold in the sides of the collard leaf and roll up like a burrito. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling ingredients.

 

Original recipe from the Foot Network can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Grilling season is in full swing! This steak is grilled to perfection, topped with chimichurri sauce and served with a side of tomatoes and green beans. Perfect to whip up for the whole family.
Total: 30 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Chimichurri Sauce:

Directions:
  1. Place a double layered piece of heavy-duty foil on a tray or cutting board; fold and gather edge to form a rim. Toss the green beans and tomatoes on foil with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
  2. Preheat a grill to medium. Lightly oil the grill grates and season the steak with salt and pepper. Slide the foil tray onto the grill; cook, tossing occasionally, until the beans char slightly and cook through, about 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, add the steaks to the grill; cook until desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove steaks to cutting board to rest 5 minutes. Slice, and serve steak and the vegetables with the Chimichurri Sauce.

For the Chimichurri Sauce:

  1. Combine the garlic, vinegar, herbs, olive oil and water in small food processor; pulse until herbs are coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Calories: 451
Fat: 29 grams
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Protein: 37 grams

 

Original recipe from the Food Network can be found here!