1) Performing daily body part workouts
The reality is that training your whole body more frequently will result in bigger
strength and muscle gain, greater fat loss, and more metabolic boosts than
training each muscle group once per week– and the science supports this.
In a recent study at the University of Alabama, researchers had two groups of
men perform two different strength-training programs with the same total
training volume (sets and reps) for each muscle group. However, one group
split the work across three total body workouts while the other group trained
each muscle group separately one time per week. They discovered that the
total body workout group gained five additional pounds of lean muscle mass
compared to their body-part training counterparts.
It’s critical to understand that the more muscle you have the greater your resting
metabolic rate (RMR).
THE FIX: For busy people looking for the biggest bang for their fitness buck,
best results will be achieved with 3 total body workouts per week with ideally 48
hours between workouts to maximize muscle growth and recovery.
Deadly Workout Sin #2- Performing marathon workouts lasting 60 minutes or
Longer
Well, a landmark aerobic training study from the International Journal of Sports
Nutrition determined that 45 minutes of steady state aerobic training 5 days per
week had zero effect over dieting alone when it came to weight loss— that’s 45
hours of activity for nothing! However, the lack of results wasn’t solely due to the
length of the workouts, but also the low-intensity nature of these workouts.
THE FIX: Shorter, more focused and intense workouts produce better results
than one hour plus marathon sessions. If you have to workout for longer than
30-45 minutes to feel satisfied than you probably weren’t working hard enough
in the first place or you were committing some form of the other deadly workout
sins.
Deadly Workout Sin#3- Using single-joint isolation exercises that address only
one plane of movement
Multi-joint, compound exercises involve functional movement patterns that
occur in the real world across multiple joints at the same time thus resulting in
greater total muscle activation and heavier loading and subsequently greater
calorie burning, fat loss, and muscle growth. For our purposes, there are six
foundational movement patterns that comprise the ultimate total body
metabolic workout:
THE FIX: Employ functional multi-joint, compound movement patterns that
address all three planes of movement for maximum muscle growth, fat loss,
and metabolic spikes.
Deadly Workout Sin#4- Using low-intensity work periods lasting 2 minutes or
longer to burn fat
One of the biggest myths in fitness is the concept of the fat-burning zone. It all
started in 1993 when researchers at the University of Texas determined that
lower to moderate intensity activity burnt the greatest amount of fat for fuel. In
addition, peak fat oxidation (burning) appeared to occur at 65% of aerobic
capacity. This is basically the exercise equivalent of conversational cardio or a
power walk or slow jog.
The fact of the matter is that high-intensity exercise is scientifically proven to
burn nine times more body fat than ordinary exercise per unit of effort. Plus, it’s
not about how much fat your burn during your workout that’s important. The
harder you exercise the more sugar you burn for fuel and this allows you to
burn more fat during rest periods and in the hours and days between your
workouts for maximum total body fat burning.
In the Gibala study, researchers collected a bunch of college students who
were in good health but not participating in any athletics. One group rode a bike
at a sustainable pace for 90-120 minutes. The other group performed 20-30
seconds of cycling at maximum effort followed by four minutes of full recovery
and they repeated this sequence up to four to six times for a total of 18-27
minutes. Each group exercised three times per week for two total weeks. In the
end, they discovered that both groups achieved identical improvements in
endurance even though the high-intensity group had only exercised for six to
nine minutes while it took the low-intensity group five hours to achieve those
same results! I know, crazy, right?
What’s even crazier is the fact that the high-intensity group had greater weight
loss than their low-intensity counterparts. According to the head researcher
Martin Gibala the “rate of energy expenditure remains higher longer into
recovery” from high-intensity interval training.
THE FIX: To burn fat and skyrocket metabolism 24-7-365, employ high-intensity
work periods lasting 30-60 seconds or less to deplete muscle glycogen stores
during your workouts in order to burn more fat fuel when resting and at all other
times of the day.
Deadly Workout Sin#5- Performing straight sets of a single exercise
Burn over 500 calories in 20 minutes: In a recent study by the University of
Southern Maine, researchers discovered a more accurate method of
estimating calorie burn from weight training than had been used previously.
They discovered that a weight training circuit burned 71% more calories than
previously thought. In fact, an eight minute circuit burned somewhere between
159 and 233 calories which breaks down to about 20-28 calories per minute!
Elevate metabolism for up to 38+ hours post-workout: In a study by the
European Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers determined that a 31-
minute circuit training protocol of three compound, multi-joint movements
significantly elevated metabolism for 38 hours post-workout– at which point
they decided to stop tracking. This metabolic afterburn was due to a couple of
factors. The first is due to increased tissue turnover due to the need to build
and repair muscle microtrauma after high-intensity training. The second is due to increased Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) due to the oxygen debt created by high-intensity anaerobic exercise.
THE FIX: If your goal is maximum results in minimal time, employ alternating
sets of non-competitive exercises each and every time you workout. Metabolic
circuit training is by far the best way to get into the best shape of your life in 30
minutes or less so you can get on with your very busy day.
Deadly Workout Sin#6- Using long rest periods of 2 minutes or more between
Exercises
THE FIX: Employ short rest periods of 30-60 seconds or less between
exercises in order to maximize training density and the growth hormone
response from exercise for maximum fat loss and metabolic acceleration.
Deadly Workout Sin#7- Performing the same fitness routine for six weeks or
More
THE FIX: Change-up up your fitness up your fitness routine each and every
month to prevent dreaded weight loss and performance plateaus. Employ new
exercises and different work and rest periods (or interval protocols) to
constantly provide a new stimulus that your body must learn how to adapt to.
