A Good Workout Routine Should Leave You Feeling Exhausted

Two thirds of Americans are obese or overweight. That means 66% of us need to lose weight. The problem is that everyone is looking for the "magic bullet" that will get them in shape and will reduce them back to a normal size without any effort on their part. Most Americans are disillusioned on what kind and intensity of exercise is needed to induce fast weight loss.




Much of the confusion comes from what has been heralded as the "Fat Burning Zone", the optimum range in which to burn fat. This range has been described as 50% to 65% of maximum heart rate. People have been led to believe that the highest amount of fat is burned from performing low intensity exercises. LIES!



The fact is that high intensity exercise, between 70% to 90% of maximum heart rate, burns a higher total calories than medium or low intensity exercise. Not only that, the rate of metabolism remains higher longer after high intensity exercise than it does after low intensity exercise. More calories are burned as the body experiences complete recovery. This post workout calorie burn is what leads to much faster weight loss than low or moderate intensity exercise.



Let's examine the numbers a little more. About 50% of calories burned are from fat during low intensity exercise and as you increase intensity, the percent of energy consumed from fat decreases to about 40% at high intensities. That may lead you to conclude that exercising at low intensity would be better. Well, you'd be wrong again. What is overlooked is the fact that even though the percentage of calories burned from fat is lower, the total calories burned is much higher, making the total amount of fat burned more at high intensity (i.e. 10% of 100, which is 10 is greater than 100% of 5, which is only 5).



Now its time for the disclaimer. Exercising at high intensity is uncomfortable. It has to be because you are at 70% to 90% of you maximum heart rate. People who are not accustomed to high intensity exercise often assume that since it is temprarily uncomfortable, they must be injured in some way, when the truth is, after they are done exercising, the discomfort subsides. Secondly, high intensity for a sedentary 50 year old woman is not the same as high intensity for the 15- 18 year old high school soccer players that I condition. The best way to introduce high intensity training to a novice is through interval training. That is a 20-30 second period of high intensity followed by a period of very low intensity for recovery. At first, the recovery periods will be very long in comparison to the high intensity period. But as the fitness level improves, the recovery period decreases. This makes interval training ideal for both the novice exerciser and the elite athlete. Make sure you get the thumbs up from your doctor befor you start an exercise program.



Now that you know that high intensity workout routines are the best way to get fit, burn fat, and lose weight, take care to schedule the correct number of exercises that lets you exercise with intensity as well as have plenty of time for recovery.



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Clint Grimes, is a retired US Navy commander. He is certified by the California Interscholastic Federation and is currently the strength and conditioning coach for the boys soccer teams at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, CA.



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