14 Aug Burn it, babes!
We all know that merely showing up is typically the hardest part of a workout. Once you are in it, endorphins are flying and you are SO glad you did it. I PROMISE you, trainers and mega marathoners alike will all attest to having days where they just didn’t feel like it. Working out anyway, on the days you just don’t feel like it, is what will separate you from most. So if you are going to push yourself, you want the most bang for your buck, right? For most, that means wondering what’s going to take off the unwanted pounds in the most efficient way. You have probably heart of a “target heart rate zone” that promises you to burn more fat off your belly if you stay in that zone. You’ve probably also noticed that it’s not THAT high of a heart rate for you. You’d love to believe that the less intense you work it, the more you burn, but then your watch is saying that you burn so many more calories when you actually really crush it in a HIIT workout. So what gives?
You are comparing apples to oranges. Let’s start with the basics. We all learned about Anaerobic and Aerobic Exercises back in PE. Refresher: Anaerobic is when you are breathing really heavy and oxygen is not coming so easily. Aerobic is when oxygen is readily available, you can talk and maintain your performance. We also learned that’s it’s simply all about calories in v calories out. Sadly, it’s not that simple. All calories are not created equal when it comes to your food and they are definitely not all created equal when it comes to your workout. I’m going to blend these two topics together so you can understand how to get the most effective work out in. First, just remember that carbohydrates are worth about 4g of calories and a fats are worth about 9g.
When we workout, we are converting calories into an energy source called ATP. These calories are comprised of both carbs and fats. At an aerobic level and oxygen is flowing, and we are say, jogging a comfortable, consistent pace, our body is using that oxygen to break down the fat stores in our body for the energy. Fat storage has more calories per gram and it needs oxygen so when it’s flowing, we’re using it. When we bump up to an anaerobic level and we are gasping for oxygen, the body will slow the process of converting fat and rev up converting carbohydrates because this process doesn’t need as much oxygen. BOTH are still being used, just at a different ratio. So, are we using more fat than carb during aerobic exercise? Yes, but it isn’t all that simple.
When we workout really hard and deplete the oxygen, we are burning calories at a much faster pace than we would at a comfortable pace. So OVERALL, we will burn MORE fat too! Remember, the calories are still composed from carbs AND fats.
Ok, so what do I recommend to get the most out of your workout? Incorporate HIIT workouts every couple days. (For you over achievers, I really mean, every COUPLE days so you don’t get sore joints or burn out). High Intensity Interval Training will rev up your metabolism, allow you to get a calorie busting burst, and then allow you to rest before doing it again. These rest periods will enable you to keep it for longer so your overall burn will be higher. Studies have shown that sprint intervals in running or cycling burn the most. Further, I encourage you to try Tabata. It’s a form of HIIT where you work hard for 4 min, rest for 10 sec, repeat. This is intense but the calorie burn is worth it and the afterburn is one of the greatest studied so you’ll still be burning at a higher rate 16-20 hours after you finish. How is THAT for motivation?
Keep in mind that honestly more than 80% of your weight loss is determined by what you are eating. Don’t, I repeat, DON’T, think that if you crushed spin class you can “earn” it or wash it by crushing Chipotle. It just doesn’t work like that!