Has Science Found The Best Exercise To Lose Weight?
The best exercise to lose weight is probably a surprise to most people. This article is for those people who spend hours on the treadmill or exercise bike 4-5 times a week with minimal results. It seems unfortunate that the world of fitness and dieting is riddled with so many unsupported claims. I have no idea why many of these myths continually get reprinted, discussed and therefore perpetuated until they are accepted unquestionably by the masses. And this is all despite science strongly supporting other valid approaches to exercise and diet.
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On some level I think these claims get perpetuated because they do, to a certain degree, make sense. When you are first told about how traditional cardio is the best exercise to lose weight, it makes a bit of sense. A low intensity exercise that hits the “fat burning zone” and it must be done for hours to burn away more calories. Sounds correct right? It may sound correct but it is totally scientifically wrong. There is so much mounting evidence that goes against this type of approach as the best exercise to lose weight, that it is not even funny. Not only is it inefficient at losing weight but it isn’t even that good for your cardiovascular system.
Forget the fat burning zone!
This type of traditional cardio or as I like to call it ‘steady state’ cardio is a staple on many weight loss programs. The gyms are filled with people month after month doing the same steady state cardio and guess what? Month after month they look the same and get the same results. When you put hours and hours into your workout, which is what is required in a steady state cardio program, and at the end of the month you have very little to show for it. It is very unmotivating. It is no wonder that most diets and exercise programs are stopped after 3 months. Why workout if you have nothing to show for it?
The ‘Fat Burning Zone’ Truth
The body does burn a higher percentage of calories from fat in the ‘fat burning zone’ or at lower intensities. But, also at higher intensities, you will burn a larger number of overall calories which is what you should be concerned about when trying to lose weight. The chart below details the fat calories expended by a 130-pound woman during cardio exercise:
| Low Intensity – 60-65% MHR | High Intensity – 80-85% MHR | |
| Total Calories expended per min. | 4.86 | 6.86 |
| Fat Calories expended per min. | 2.43 | 2.7 |
| Total Calories expended in 30 min. | 146 | 206 |
| Total Fat calories expended in 30 min. | 73 | 82 |
| Percentage of fat calories burned | 50% | 39.85% |
From The 24/5 Complete Personal Training Manual, 24 Hour Fitness, 2000
For The Scientifically Minded
This article from the Journal of Obesity 2011 is a nice summary of all the research looking at the benefits of high intensity exercise and weight loss. And I quote straight from the abstract
“The effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible; however, other forms of exercise may have a greater impact on body composition. For example, emerging research examining high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) indicates that it may be more effective at reducing subcutaneous and abdominal body fat than other types of exercise.”
The author proposes that the mechanisms behind why HIIE could be so good at fat loss could relate to better fatty acid (energy taken from fat) utilization during and after the bout of exercise. There is also talk about some post exercise appetite suppression. Studies in rats have shown the increase of an appetite suppressing peptide.
Here is another great summary of what is called EPOC or excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and its relationship to high intensity exercise. EPOC is the number of calories expended (above resting values) after an exercise bout. EPOC represents the oxygen consumption the body uses to return to its pre-exercise state.
Research demonstrates that the intensity of a cardiovascular exercise bout has the greatest impact on EPOC. As exercise intensity increases, the magnitude and duration of EPOC increases.
So basically not only does high intensity exercise burn more calories and fat during the exercise but it appears to also have a post exercise calorie burning effect on the body that is directly related to the intensity of exercise performed.
What is HIIT and How To Do It
The approach called high intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, is the best exercise to lose weight. Typically it involves repetitive cycles of short burst of high intensity exercise with longer periods of less intense exercise or even rest. Usually HIIT session only last about 20 minutes. What is important to note is that the intense period is an all out effort (think running from a lion). Working up to this level of intensity is important for extremely overweight individuals or those with currently poor cardiovascular fitness.
HIIT can be performed on most traditional cariod machines
After a 2-3 minute warm-up walking warm-up, to start your HIIT training up the speed to a brisk walking pace on your treadmill and this will be the recovery or low intensity speed for your training (on most treadmills level 3.5-4.0 is a good start). You will walk at this pace for 1 minute then for the next 30 seconds increase the speed to a running speed say level 7.0-8.0. Start slowly with the running and slowly increase the speed by 0.5 each subsequent time until you find a good level of intensity – ultimately you want your high intensity level to reach a level where you cannot run for the 30 second time period . Alternate 30 seconds of intense exercise with 1 minute rest. If you are starting out you can have 2 minutes of the low intensity level. This protocol can be done 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes at a time.
- Pick the cardio machine of your choice
- 2-3 minutes warm up
- 60-90 seconds of low intensity
- 30 seconds of high intensity exercise
- Repeat the low and high intensity phases 6-12 times depending on your fitness level.
A form of HIIT can also be used for resistance training and when combined with HIIT cardio can really produce great results. Craig Ballentyne of Turbulence Training has done a good job of putting together an awesomely time efficient and result producing program. Click here to read my summary of Turbulence Training or visit their main site here.
HIIT has been shown to not only be the best exercise to lose weight but better at improving cardiovascular fitness that traditional steady state cardio. So you gain more time away from the gym and a healthier heart, the only thing you lose is more body fat!
