samedi 28 janvier 2017
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Get Leaner And Healthier Faster With HIIT!
Less time in the gym and greater results. Sounds too good to be true, but the research is stacking up. Read on for 5 proven benefits of HIIT!
Running along the beach or bicycling in the mountains are amazing experiences that make the physical activity seem secondary because there are million-dollar views everywhere you look. It makes you want to keep going just to live the experience a little bit longer.
That same cardio activity in the gym? It can be agonizing work that can't end soon enough. That's one reason fitness enthusiasts have been choosing to cut their cardio gym time in half by employing what's called high-intensity interval training (HIIT). You can reap equal or even greater health-and-fitness benefits than you'd get from double the amount of steady-state cardio.
But of course, there's a catch. If you're new to HIIT, it refers to alternating rounds of intense—like, really intense—bursts of activity with lower-intensity recovery periods. If you're doing it right, every round of work is an ordeal you can't wait to be finished with.
Fortunately, there's a reward for this grueling undertaking. Researchers have been digging deep into HIIT in recent years, and they've discovered a slew of ways it can help you transform your body and improve crucial health markers.
Let's take a closer look at the benefits of HIIT and see what protocol is best for you!
HIIT boosts your VO2
The traditional approach to improving cardiovascular fitness has been to increase the volume or duration of exercise. This means longer runs, longer bike rides, or extended periods of time on the elliptical. But science is showing that's not the only way.
Perhaps the most widely accepted standard of cardiovascular fitness is VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption. Think of it as your body's engine. The bigger it is, the more efficient you are at any level of exertion—and the more powerful you are overall.
HIIT has made positive headlines thanks to a number of studies showing that a relatively small amount of it is just as good at improving maximal oxygen consumption, or VO2 max, as longer duration, continuous exercise.1-5
A higher VO2 max means your body is more efficient at delivering oxygen to your working muscles, which in turn allows you to produce more energy and perform more work. It's one of those strengths that pays off in countless ways.
HIIT burns more fat and calories in less time
We've all heard of the fat-burning zone with steady-state cardio. Some of us have even gone a step farther and started our day there...for an hour, fasted, while the rest of the world slept. Ah, the memories.
While it's true that lower-intensity cardio burns a greater percentage of calories from fat, the total calories burned and fat breakdown are greater at higher intensities. How much greater? Researchers from McMaster University found that it took just 10 minutes of HIIT to burn the same amount of calories as 50 minutes of steady-state exercise.7
Another benefit of HIIT is its potential to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Following an exercise session, oxygen consumption stays elevated as the body tries to restore the body's physiological and metabolic pathways back to pre-exercise levels. Getting them there requires more calories to be burned. EPOC is related to exercise intensity; the harder you work, the harder the body has to work to recover. HIIT can lead to greater EPOC compared to lower-intensity activity, allowing you to burn extra calories long after your workout is done.8
HIIT can also serve to increase fat oxidation, which is the body's ability to break down and utilize fat as an energy source. A study from Canadian researchers found that just six weeks of HIIT increased fat oxidation and decreased the reliance on carbohydrates during exercise.9
Taken together, these studies can help to explain why more researchers have observed dramatic body-composition changes taking place in HIIT studies in a fraction of the time they take with steady-state cardio.10-11
HIIT improves your overall health
The words "high-intensity" may bring to mind images like athletes doing shuttle runs or fitness models gasping for air on an stationary bike. But make no mistake: HIIT isn't just good for the super fit. It's effective at improving health and fitness in a range of populations, including those with type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
Research published in Diabetes Care found significant improvements in glycemic control, body mass, and abdominal fat in type 2 diabetics following 12 weeks of HIIT.12 Additionally, researchers out of the University of South Wales in Sydney, Australia, found improvements in resting heart rate, stroke volume, blood pressure, and arterial stiffness after 12-weeks of HIIT.6
Couple that with other studies finding improvements in cholesterol levels following 10 weeks of HIIT, and you've got a time-efficient way to improve your overall health (and look better naked).13
HIIT fights off fatigue
Sure, HIIT can improve your cardio performance. Endurance athletes know this—they've been doing intervals as part of their training for decades. However, the benefits can be carried over to the weight room as well.
We're all familiar with that burning sensation that builds up in your muscles after a few sets of any weighted exercise. While many wrongly contribute the burn to lactic acid, it's actually caused by the accumulation of hydrogen ions. This buildup of hydrogen ions can lower your body's pH levels, leading to fatigue and the inability of your muscles to contract.
With steady-state cardio, you typically don't reach intensities high enough to challenge—and thus improve—your body's ability to buffer or neutralize hydrogen ions.14 However, HIIT appears to do the trick. A study publish in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that just six sessions of HIIT spread across four weeks improved skeletal muscle buffering capacity, time to fatigue, peak power output, and 40K time trials in trained cyclists.15
While you may not be too concerned with your 40K time-trial performance, increasing your buffering capacity has other benefits that may have more appeal. For one, it means you can handle higher intensities and durations of exercise without getting fatigued.
For gym rats, that can equate to having some gas in the tank at the end of the workout for extra sets, or for condensing your entire workout into a shorter period of time. In either case, it can mean giving your body a stronger stimulus to grow!
HIIT is more fun!
You may be able to stomach pedaling a stationary for an hour and not going anywhere. But do you like it? Note: Answering "It depends on what's on TV" doesn't count.
HIIT, on the other hand, has been shown in multiple studies to be more enjoyable than steady-state cardio. A study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that people tended to enjoy shorter, high-intensity bouts of exercise more than longer, steady-state activity.16 Additionally, research out of University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) reported higher levels of enjoyment doing HIIT compared to continuous exercise in overweight and obese subjects.17
The minimal time commitment and overall enjoyment could mean you're more likely to stick to your program long enough to see results!
When to Schedule Your HIIT Sessions
The intensity of HIIT has both an upside and a downside. Although it's time efficient, interval training tends to be much more stressful than lowerintensity steady-state cardio, which makes its placement in your workout program important.
Placing it right after a lower-body workout probably isn't a great idea. Your body won't be recovered adequately from the lifting session to reach the desired intensity for long enough to see true adaptations to HIIT.
Likewise, you want your HIIT training to compliment, not compound, the training stress caused by strength training. Many athletes who resistance train are afraid that cardio will "interfere" with their gains. However, the amount of interference between cardio and resistance training is more closely related to the volume of endurance training you're doing than the intensity.17,18
Still, because HIIT often hits the same muscle fibers as strength training, it's wise to save your HIIT for days where your lifting sessions don't include lower-body exercise. Chest and arm days would work best (depending on what type of HIIT you do, of course).
If you absolutely must do your HIIT on lower-body days, give yourself about a recovery window of about 6-8 hours after weights before you HIIT it. This will give you a long enough time to recover and fuel your muscles, but not so long that DOMS starts to set in.
HIIT: How to Start
There are multiple ways you can do HIIT, but generally speaking, work intervals should be around 20-90 seconds, with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:1 to 1:3. The duration of the work interval is directly related to intensity: the higher the intensity, the shorter the duration. If you've got access to a heart-rate monitor, make sure to keep the intensity level around 85 percent or higher of your max heart rate during your intervals.
You don't have to get super fancy with your workouts, either. A solid HIIT workout can done almost anywhere, using any piece of equipment, in a number of different interval arrangements.
Here's an easy template to follow:
| Mode | Duration | Rest | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treadmill sprints | 45 sec. | 75 sec. | 8-10 |
| Stationary bike | 30 sec. | 60 sec. | 8-10 |
| Prowler (sled) push | 30 yard | 30-45 sec. | 10-12 |
| Battle ropes | 20 sec. | 40 sec. | 6-8 |
| Jump rope | 60 sec. | 30 sec. | 10 |
To be clear, there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing steady-state exercise. And despite what some people say online, you don't have to pick one style or the other like you'd pick a political party. There can be room in your life for both a brisk hike and a sweat-drenched rower workout.
Just be sure to up the intensity some of the time, because the benefits are too good to resist!
* Ratings as of article's date of publication
References
- Thomas, T. R., Adeniran, S. B., Iltis, P. W., Aquiar, C. A., & Albers, J. J. (1985). Effects of interval and continuous running on HDL-cholesterol, apoproteins A-1 and B, and LCAT. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Sciences. Journal Canadien des Sciences Appliquees au Sport, 10(1), 52-59.
- Nybo, L., Sundstrup, E., Jakobsen, M. D., Mohr, M., Hornstrup, T., Simonsen, L., ... & Krustrup, P. (2010). High-intensity training versus traditional exercise interventions for promoting health. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42(10), 1951-1958.
- Rakobowchuk, M., Tanguay, S., Burgomaster, K. A., Howarth, K. R., Gibala, M. J., & MacDonald, M. J. (2008). Sprint interval and traditional endurance training induce similar improvements in peripheral arterial stiffness and flow-mediated dilation in healthy humans. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 295(1), R236-R242.
- Burgomaster, K. A., Howarth, K. R., Phillips, S. M., Rakobowchuk, M., MacDonald, M. J., McGee, S. L., & Gibala, M. J. (2008). Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise after low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance training in humans. The Journal of Physiology, 586(1), 151-160.
- Gibala, M. J., Little, J. P., Van Essen, M., Wilkin, G. P., Burgomaster, K. A., Safdar, A., ... & Tarnopolsky, M. A. (2006). Short-term sprint interval versus traditional endurance training: similar initial adaptations in human skeletal muscle and exercise performance. The Journal of Physiology, 575(3), 901-911.
- Heydari, M., Boutcher, Y. N., & Boutcher, S. H. (2013). High-intensity intermittent exercise and cardiovascular and autonomic function. Clinical Autonomic Research, 23(1), 57-65.
- Skelly, L. E., Andrews, P. C., Gillen, J. B., Martin, B. J., Percival, M. E., & Gibala, M. J. (2014). High-intensity interval exercise induces 24-h energy expenditure similar to traditional endurance exercise despite reduced time commitment. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 39(7), 845-848.
- Laforgia, J., Withers, R. T., & Gore, C. J. (2006). Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(12), 1247-1264.
- Perry, C. G., Heigenhauser, G. J., Bonen, A., & Spriet, L. L. (2008). High-intensity aerobic interval training increases fat and carbohydrate metabolic capacities in human skeletal muscle. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 33(6), 1112-1123.
- Tremblay, A., Simoneau, J. A., & Bouchard, C. (1994). Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism, 43(7), 814-818.
- Boutcher, S. H. (2010). High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss. Journal of Obesity, 2011.
- Karstoft, K., Winding, K., Knudsen, S. H., Nielsen, J. S., Thomsen, C., Pedersen, B. K., & Solomon, T. P. (2013). The Effects of Free-Living Interval-Walking Training on Glycemic Control, Body Composition, and Physical Fitness in Type 2 Diabetic Patients A randomized, controlled trial. Diabetes Care, 36(2), 228-236.
- Shepherd, S. O., Wilson, O. J., Taylor, A. S., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Adlan, A. M., Wagenmakers, A. J., & Shaw, C. S. (2015). Low-Volume High-Intensity Interval Training in a Gym Setting Improves Cardio-Metabolic and Psychological Health. PloS One, 10(9), e0139056.
- Juel, C. (2008). Regulation of pH in human skeletal muscle: adaptations to physical activity. Acta Physiologica, 193(1), 17-24.
- Weston, A. R., Myburgh, K. H., Lindsay, F. H., Dennis, S. C., Noakes, T. D., & Hawley, J. A. (1996). Skeletal muscle buffering capacity and endurance performance after high-intensity interval training by well-trained cyclists. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 75(1), 7-13.
- Bartlett, J. D., Close, G. L., MacLaren, D. P., Gregson, W., Drust, B., & Morton, J. P. (2011). High-intensity interval running is perceived to be more enjoyable than moderate-intensity continuous exercise: implications for exercise adherence. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(6), 547-553.
- Smith-Ryan, A. E. (2015). Enjoyment of high-intensity interval training in an overweight/obese cohort: a short report. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging, Epub ahead of print.
- Wilson, J. M., Marin, P. J., Rhea, M. R., Wilson, S. M., Loenneke, J. P., & Anderson, J. C. (2012). Concurrent training: a meta-analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercises. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 26(8), 2293-2307.
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How The Pros Travel During Prep
Competitive physique athletes pay thousands for nutritionist Chris Tuttle's advice, but you can have it for free. Read his on-the-road nutrition advice before your next show!
There's a time to live it up, and there's a time to dial it in. Bodybuilders know this better than anyone, and it's most apparent when we travel.
Case in point: When I was in Texas recently with fellow IFBB pro and Universal athlete Antoine Vaillant, he was in the offseason and could fill up on barbeque all he wanted. But me? I was nine weeks out from the stage. No brisket for me.
I could have half-assed it and eaten kinda clean, but that's not me—and that's not why people hire me as a nutrition coach. My version of prep is all about consistency, no matter where you are. I get up at the same time on the road as I do at home. I eat the same. I train the same.
Texas Universal Road Trip Tuttle Talks Travel
Watch the video - 14:26
Is it easy? No, but it's possible. With a few hours of prep, I can clear my mind to have fun on the road—and eliminate the risk of getting smashed by spoiled food. Here's how I do it, and how you can as well.
Step 1 Days Before You Leave
If you wait until you arrive at your destination to start figuring out what to eat, you're already losing the battle. That is, unless you've hired a meal-prep service to deliver meals to your destination. If that's the case, good for you. Everyone else needs to do it the hard way.
Know your location: Does your hotel room have a kitchenette or a mini fridge? If not, see if you can get one. Does your hotel provide free shuttles to nearby locations such as, say, a grocery store? Is there a solid grocery store like Whole Foods nearby?
Have your gear: You still need to eat during travel, right? Purchase at least one quality cooler—don't scrimp here—and depending on the length of your trip, possibly two: one day-bag for travel, and the other to carry ingredients for meals while you're at your destination. Check the airline website for dimensions of what's acceptable for carry-on luggage. Also, make sure your day bag has plastic utensils, or the TSA will throw them away.
Do the math: If you're carrying ingredients for a few days, you'll have to calculate the food you'll need while traveling. For example, say you need 5 ounces of cooked chicken for four meals a day across a four-day trip. That equals 5 pounds of cooked chicken. That sounds like a lot to carry, but a vacuum sealer can make it pretty small. Consider investing in one.
Bring your essentials: Is there a food or ingredient that you just can't live without, and that you're not sure you'll be able to get where you're going? Bring it with you. I brought a loaf of Ezekiel Sprouted 7-Grain Bread to Texas in my checked bag. I also brought my favorite flavored oils and vinegars, double-bagged and wrapped in bubble wrap (don't skip those steps). Overkill? Maybe. But this way, I have to scramble less and don't have to worry about my surroundings.
Only pack essential supps: When I'm prepping for a show, the essentials are whey, glutamine, CLA, and a pre-workout. Know what yours are, and pack them in your checked bags.
Never check your cooler! This might seem self-explanatory, but it's serious business; never check your cooler with the rest of your luggage on a plane. It's not worth losing your food for a show and having to purchase and cook food in your hotel room. Just as bad, your cooler could leak, get damaged, or otherwise put your food at risk of spoiling. It's certainly not worth the stress before a show.
Step 2 Meal Prep and Travel
This step is what separates the men from the boys. If you get to the airport and have to throw out all of your ice packs—and all that food that would spoil otherwise—then your fellow travelers just might get to see a grown man cry. Follow these steps to ensure your food makes it to your destination with you.
Pack like a pro: You can't pack each meal separately; your cooler space is limited. So only make the individual meals you will need for your travel day, and then pack the remaining food in large containers in your coolers. The nice thing about vacuum-sealed bags is that they can be tossed in as-is.
Make an ice sandwich: Right before your departure, fill gallon-sized freezer bags two-thirds full of ice and double- or triple-bag them. (Remember, the TSA will throw away ice, ice packs, and all liquids over 4 ounces, so leave your ice packs at home, but I'll explain in the next step how to get around that with the bags of ice.)
Place containers of cooked meat in one cooler and starches in the other. Place the ice-filled freezer bags both on top of and below the food, because cold air travels downward. But also remember to pack your travel-day meals toward the top of your cooler for easy access once mealtime arrives.
Make it through TSA: Once you get to the airport, but before you get to the security checkpoint, empty all the ice out of the freezer bags in both coolers. Don't throw the freezer bags away. Once you get through security, go to any fast-food restaurant and look for a soda/ice machine to refill your freezer bags with ice. Make sure you bring extra freezer bags so you can double-bag the ice once filled. The airline attendants won't appreciate your cooler leaking in the overhead compartment of the airplane.
Step 3 At Your Destination
Buy essentials: If there's no refrigerator available, or if all your food doesn't fit when you reach your hotel, purchase a 1.5- to 2-inch-thick Styrofoam cooler. It costs about $3 at most grocery stores, and it's a great alternative to a refrigerator. It kept my food frozen for 16 hours at Nationals (with replacement of ice at regular intervals, of course).
Replace your ice: I'm a big fan of keeping a small refrigerator thermometer in a cooler. You want to know if you're safe? It'll tell you. Then, replace it in the cooler every 2-4 hours or as needed. Pack it right, and you might be able to keep your cooler under 30 degrees for as much as six hours.
How to Not Get Sick
I'm a serious stickler about food safety, particularly when I'm traveling. Make fun of me all you want, but I don't get sick from expired food. Getting food poisoning is stupid, especially because it can be prevented. Here's how.
Take your time with prep: Once your food is cooked, let it cool for about 10 minutes at room temperature in 3-inch-deep containers before placing it in the refrigerator to cool overnight. Placing hot food into the refrigerator can raise the temperature of the whole refrigerator, which can potentially increase the rate of bacterial growth. The next day, portion out the amount of meat you will need for two meals, and vacuum seal it into a vacuum-sealable bag (vacuum sealer needed), then repeat for the remainder of the meat.
Place proteins in the coldest part of the cooler: Meats in particular are at high risk for bacterial growth, so take this into consideration. I further advise freezing 75 percent of your vacuum-sealed meats to further reduce the risk of spoilage and bacterial growth when you travel on a plane. Keep enough unthawed to eat on the day you arrive.
Know your refrigerator: If you have a small, cheap refrigerator in your hotel room, it may not be cold enough to keep bacteria from growing on the high-risk foods such as meat. In that case, pack the meats in the Styrofoam ice cooler and the starches in the refrigerator.
Seriously, replace the ice: With each day that passes on the road, it gets easier to ignore that ice. Don't do it.
Why All This Matters
Experienced bodybuilders know that the more you keep things consistent, the easier it is to figure out what needs to be changed. On the other hand, if your water intake has been up and down and your food has been a bit off for the last week or so, you don't know what needs to be changed.
Believe me, an inconsistent week can set you back. Even a week that's kinda clean, but not really, is a wasted week. You've come this far and have committed to stepping on stage. Don't start half-assing it now.
You may think it's impossible to enjoy a vacation with all this in my mind, but the opposite is true. Having all of this hammered down is what allows me to enjoy my time with a clear mind on the road. If you're serious about your results, you know what I mean.
Have a plan, and then have fun.
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lundi 15 février 2016
3 Exercises You Won't Believe Work As Well As They Do
Don't believe everything you see in the weight room. Your first impulse may be to dismiss these three exercises, but the joke would be on you!
Vital Stats
Name: Tony Gentilcore, CSCS
Occupation: Co-founder of Cressey Performance.
Website: tonygentilcore.com
If you've ever picked up a VHS off the shelf at Blockbuster—you still do that too, right?—you know that movies often aren't what they appear to be at first glance.
- "The Deer Hunter" isn't about hunting deer.
- "The Neverending Story" actually, you know, ends. There's even a sequel.
- "50 Shades of Grey" is not about a coloring book.
Strength training is the same way. Plenty of movements look like a whole lot of weirdness—or a whole lot of nothing—when you see them in a 10-second YouTube clip without context. But with a little more context, they turn out to be just the thing you needed all along to build an epic overhead press or nail that first pull-up.
These three movements are all worthy of being performed without a shred of self-consciousness. Still, it's a good idea to be prepared for the inevitable question: "What is that working?"
HBT Overhead Press
HBT Training w/ Overhead Pressing TonyGentilcore.com
Watch the video - 0:13
What it looks like: A circus act. Bonus points if you can do it off a BOSU ball while juggling chainsaws.
What it's actually working: Try it, and you'll discover it does plenty. HBT stands for "hanging band training," a concept I learned from Dr. Joel Seedman. You take two resistance bands, fold them in half, hang a light kettlebell from one end, and wrap the other end around a barbell. Then you press, or bench, or squat.
Yes, it looks a bit gimmicky, but HBT does have a fair amount of efficacy and usefulness. The unpredictable and oscillatory characteristics of this form of training provide a unique training stimulus that allows this kind of training to do two things:
- It serves as an excellent assistance exercise to train the shoulders by boosting time under tension. You like time under tension, don't you? Yes, you do.
- It challenges stabilization, increases core demand, and helps "excite" the central nervous system.
Both of these can help you improve your form and move bigger weights on the barbell-and-plate version of the lift.
Key coaching cues to consider: Don't be a hero; you won't need as much weight as your ego thinks you do. The idea is to keep things under control, which is hard to do. Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs, and, as weird as it sounds, press your tongue up against the roof of your mouth, all of which help increase full-body tension. Then press up and down using a tempo of 2-3 seconds up and 2-3 seconds down.
Lying Hollow Position
Coaching the Hollow Position TonyGentilcore.com
Watch the video - 1:21
What it looks like: Not much. I mean, you're just lying there on the ground. What's so hard about that?
What it's actually working: Ohdeargodmycore. I love using this drill with many of my female clients when teaching them the importance of full-body tension, specifically when it comes to doing pull-ups. Building this ability on the ground will translate very well to improved confidence and performance when hanging from a bar. This move is a staple of gymnastics training for a very good reason: It works!
Key coaching cues to consider: Many people's first inclination will be to perform something close to a sit-up, bending at the waist to get into position. This is wrong. The idea here is to "lock" the ribcage to the pelvis and maintain a neutral spine, even (especially) when your body really doesn't want to.
From there, cross your ankles and overlap your hands and press both together...hard. The goal is to work on holding this position for time. For beginners, 10 seconds will be torture because they'll have no concept of what tension really means. I'll then work them up to a total of 30-45 seconds over several "sets."
To up the ante, you can add a PVC pipe or broomstick, and have the client hold it above their head while maintaining the hollow position, then have them emulate the actual movement of a pull-up for several repetitions. It's brutal, but it provides a ton of benefits.
Spoto Press
Close-Grip Spoto Press TonyGentilcore.com
Watch the video - 0:16
What it looks like: "Mommy, mommy, what's wrong with that man's bench press? It's missing the bottom two inches!" Everyone knows you're supposed to work every movement through a full range of motion, or you lose Internet cred and the basic protections provided by the constitution.
What it's actually working: Named after world-record raw bench presser Eric Spoto (722 pounds, thank you very much), the Spoto Press is also called the "invisible board press."
The board press, used in varying widths, is a popular bench-press accessory movement used to help trainees work through sticking points in addition to building massive triceps, which play a key role in helping to lock out the bench press.
It's a fantastic exercise and one I use often, but it's far from foolproof. I find many trainees fail to utilize the movement for its intended use and allow the weight to "sink" into the boards, thus dissipating tension. Hopefully, by now, you're catching on to the theme that getting and maintaining tension is a huge key to moving big weights.
The Spoto Press has several advantages over the traditional board press:
- It forces more time under tension in a range where most trainees typically miss their bench press, 1-2 inches off the chest.
- It teaches you how to maintain tension within that same range of motion.
- It helps to work on bar speed and explosiveness out of a weak ROM.
- It hammers the triceps—ven more so when you train the exercise in a close-grip fashion, as in the video above.
Eric Spoto used these exclusively to bench press 722 pounds, raw. Are you going to be the one to tell him they don't work?
Key coaching cues to consider: I generally like to use this as an accessory movement to the bench pressrather than as a main bench movement. I'll keep loading within 55-70 percent of 1RM and utilize high(er) repetition schemes in the 8-12 range. I'll also vary the pauses from 2-5 seconds. I've seen some coaches go as high as 10 seconds, but I think that's just being mean.
Holding yourself accountable and actually pausing the lift for the allotted time is on you. It helps to perform these with a partner who will keep you honest. It's amazing how a 5-second hold becomes 1.7 seconds when we're left to our own devices.
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What's Better For Weight Loss: Green Tea Or Green Coffee?
More than just a pick-me up, your morning cup of tea or coffee may actually help your weight-loss efforts! But when it comes to fat loss, which one of these greens reigns supreme?
When it comes to losing fat, no magic pill or powder can replace consistent work in the gym and a clean diet. Your efforts will always trump anything a supplement can do. That said, there are a handful of ingredients that may help boost your metabolism and enhance your weight-loss efforts.
Two of those ingredients—green tea and green coffee—may already be part of your daily morning ritual, but they're also sold in supplement form as green tea and green coffee extract. If fat loss is your goal, is one extract better than the other? It's time to put these two green titans in a head-to-head battle for fat-loss supremacy!
Make Time for Tea
Green tea, which comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, has been recommended as a healthful drink for centuries with potential health benefits ranging from improved antioxidant status to cardiovascular support.1 Although multiple parts of the plant can be used, it's the extract from the leaves that seems to offer the most health benefits, especially when it comes to weight loss.
The two components primarily responsible for green tea extract's (GTE) health benefits are catechins, which provide the majority of antioxidants benefits, and caffeine, which enhances thermogenesis and fat metabolism.
When compared to a placebo and caffeine alone, GTE has been shown to significantly increase 24-hour energy expenditure.1,2 Over time, increasing the number of calories you burn both at rest and during exercise could lead to favorable changes in your body composition. Furthermore, there are multiple studies showing GTE's ability to increase rates of fat oxidation (or fat burning) over a 24-hour period.
Long-term consumption of green tea extract has been shown to support modest weight loss, around 2-3 pounds, over a 12-week period.3 While GTE clearly won't do all the work for you, research suggests that, when combined with exercise, it can support greater weight loss when compared to exercise alone.4
Shop green tea extract in our store!
* Ratings as of article's date of publication
Green Is the New Black
Green coffee extract (GCE), as the name implies, is extracted from unroasted green coffee beans. Its main active ingredients are compounds known as chlorogenic acids, which are thought to be responsible for its weight-loss effects.
While it's not entirely clear how it works, chlorogenic acid may be able to promote fat loss by increasing the activity of PPARalpha—a gene involved in fatty-acid transport and oxidation—and reducing the creation of new fat cells through its antioxidant effects.5,6
To date, there has been only one study to demonstrate a positive effect of GCE on weight loss in humans. A 2007 study published in the Journal of International Medical Research found that when GCE was added to coffee, participants lost (on average) almost 12 pounds over a 12-week period, when combined with diet and exercise. This compared to only 3 pounds lost in the coffee-only group.7
While results from this study are promising, larger, better-controlled studies are needed to truly determine the effectiveness of GCE as a weight-loss tool.
Check out green coffee extract!
* Ratings as of article's date of publication
Green coffee supplements are generally sold containing 40-50 percent chlorogenic acid by weight. In order to get the most effective dose of 120-300 milligrams of chlorogenic acid, you'll want to look for a supplement containing 300-750 milligrams of green coffee extract.
References
- Cabrera, C., Artacho, R., & Giménez, R. (2006). Beneficial effects of green tea—a review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 25(2), 79-99.
- Dulloo, A. G., Duret, C., Rohrer, D., Girardier, L., Mensi, N., Fathi, M., ... & Vandermander, J. (1999). Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(6), 1040-1045.
- Wang, H., Wen, Y., Du, Y., Yan, X., Guo, H., Rycroft, J. A., ... & Mela, D. J. (2010). Effects of catechin enriched green tea on body composition. Obesity, 18(4), 773-779.
- Maki, K. C., Reeves, M. S., Farmer, M., Yasunaga, K., Matsuo, N., Katsuragi, Y., ... & Blumberg, J. B. (2009). Green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced abdominal fat loss in overweight and obese adults. The Journal of Nutrition, 139(2), 264-270.
- Hsu, C. L., Huang, S. L., & Yen, G. C. (2006). Inhibitory effect of phenolic acids on the relation to their antioxidant activity. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(12), 4191-4197.
- Cho, A. S., Jeon, S. M., Kim, M. J., Yeo, J., Seo, K. I., Choi, M. S., & Lee, M. K. (2010). Chlorogenic acid exhibits anti-obesity property and improves lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-induced-obese mice. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 48(3), 937-943.
- Thom, E. (2007). The effect of chlorogenic acid enriched coffee on glucose absorption in healthy volunteers and its effect on body mass when used long-term in overweight and obese people. Journal of International Medical Research, 35(6), 900-908.
- Onakpoya, I., Terry, R., & Ernst, E. (2010). The use of green coffee extract as a weight loss supplement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. Gastroenterology Research and Practice, 2011.
- Anderson, R. A., & Polansky, M. M. (2002). Tea enhances insulin activity. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50(24), 7182-7186.
- Bohn, T. (2014). Dietary factors affecting polyphenol bioavailability. Nutrition Reviews, 72(7), 429-452.
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Allanna Got Fit To Inspire Her Troops
Air Force officer Allanna Jones-Anstaett always struggled with her weight. Then she realized that, in order to be a role model, she needed to get fit for life!
Vital Stats
Name: Allanna Jones-Anstaett
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Growing up, Allanna Jones-Anstaett was extremely active, almost to a fault. "I played softball and soccer and was out all the time," she says. "Those activities, combined with band and homework, led to many late nights where, instead of cooking dinner, my family and I would just go grab something quick."
Lacking a foundation of healthy habits, Allanna's diet continued to suffer when she eventually attended the Air Force Academy. "We didn't have any choice but to eat whatever they were serving," she recalls. "The meals weren't always the healthiest. Every Monday was pasta night, and there was dessert every day."
Allanna struggled to fit workouts into her busy schedule, especially after she graduated and faced the busy schedule of an Air Force officer. But the demands of her job soon reminded Allanna that she needed to be the best she could be—which meant getting healthy and fit. That's when things changed.
This is Allanna's story.
What was your turning point or aha moment?
I was close to 200 pounds when I realized that I wasn't being a good role model for my troops. All through college, I had it drilled into me that, as an officer, if you didn't get an "excellent" score on the physical fitness test—90 points or higher—then you were setting a low standard for the enlisted troops.
I really couldn't expect my troops to be physically fit and pass their fitness tests. I knew I wasn't in good enough shape to place where I wanted and that I needed to be a better role model.
What was your goal once you decided to get fit?
Fitness competitions had just started getting really popular in the area I lived in. I had friends who were competing, and I followed their progress online. Eventually I thought, "Why not me?"
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 191 lbs.
Body Fat: 32%
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 138 lbs.
Body Fat: 10%
My Air Force base had a competitive fitness team, and the trainer who coached them encouraged me to try out. I made the decision to give competing a shot, and I gave myself five months to lose 50 pounds. I was beyond nervous. I'd never been one to show my body off, because I was overweight. Still, I stayed determined.
Throughout the five months I had to prepare, not competing never really crossed my mind. I have always been a goal-driven person, and once I set my mind to something, I go for it full force. It was an ambitious goal, but in the end, I pulled it off.
What was the first thing you changed about your lifestyle?
My diet. I didn't have a cheat meal for the five months before my competition. I cut out all added sugars. I realized that I'm good at taking regular recipes and cleaning them by reducing added sugar and replacing butter and oils with things like applesauce and avocados. So I started doing that, using Bodybuilding.com as my go-to resource.
I used the site to research healthy recipe substitutions, like using avocado instead of butter. I tried different diet plans on the site to find out what worked best for someone with my body type.
How did you discover Bodybuilding.com?
I actually discovered the site before I decided to compete. Someone had posted something about it on Facebook, so even before I was working out consistently, I would go on there and look at training programs. I love all the different articles about workouts or recipes. I love to cook, so I spend a lot of time looking at recipes to add into my meal plan.
In five months without a cheat meal, how did you stay motivated and curb cravings?
I'm a chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-ice-cream fanatic. I actually found a lot of recipes on Bodybuilding.com to help me fight cravings. For example, when I was craving chocolate, I'd make a batch of protein avocado brownies instead of having ice cream.
What does your diet look like now?
Grapefruit 1/2
Oats 1/2 cup
Whole eggs 2
Egg whites 4
Veggies 1 cup
Chicken breast 6 oz.
Brown rice 1 cup
Veggies 1 cup
Ground turkey 6 oz.
Brown rice 1 cup
Veggies 1 cup
Chicken 6 oz.
Avocado 1/2
Do you use any supplements?
NLA for Her Shred Her 1 capsule
NLA for Her CLA 1 capsule
OPTI-Women 1 capsule
ON Fish Oil 2 softgels
ON Flaxseed Oil 1 softgel
ON BCAA 1000 Caps 2 capsules
ON Glutamine 1000 Caps 2 capsules
ON Gold Standard 100% Whey (Cake Donut) 1 scoop
Did you start working out right away?
Since I had so little time to prepare for my competition, I started doing two-a-days right away. I would get up and do an hour of cardio, and then at night, after work, I would go lift.
What was the most difficult thing about your new lifestyle?
The hardest part for me was definitely trying to balance training with work and still have time to plan and prep my meals. I had never gone through that planning process before, so I struggled with that.
How did you stay motivated to balance it all?
I think that, over time, I just got used to it. I forced myself in the beginning, especially when it came to getting up at 4 a.m. for cardio before work. Eventually, it all became a habit. I also had to learn to adjust my routine when things got in the way, like if work got busy and I couldn't get in a workout. There's only so much time in the day, so there wasn't much I could do about it other than make sure I upped my cardio the next day to compensate for the workout I had missed.
Who motivated you?
My husband was very supportive throughout the whole process. The fit lifestyle was new to both of us, and I kind of forced him to go along with it with me. He stuck to the same meal plan as me. He's definitely gotten more fit, even though he sometimes has cheat meals without me. We ended up moving away from the base where my trainer was, so now my husband has become my workout partner, too.
How did you design your workouts?
I usually go with one muscle group each day. I draw a lot of inspiration from Bodybuilding.com. I love trying workouts from the site and then tweaking them for my specific goals.
What was the workout plan that guided your transformation?
Elliptical Trainer
30 min. (fasted)
Wide-Grip Lat Pull-down
4 sets of 12 reps
Barbell Incline Bench Press (Medium-Grip)
4 sets of 12 reps
Elevated Cable Row
4 sets of 12 reps
Dumbbell Bench Press
4 sets of 12 reps
V-Bar Pull-down
4 sets of 12 reps
Leverage Decline Chest Press
4 sets of 10 reps
Lying T-Bar Row
4 sets of 12 reps
Elliptical Trainer
30 min. (fasted) Trap-Bar Deadlift
4 sets of 15 reps
Smith Single-Leg Split Squat
4 sets of 15 reps
Leg Press
4 sets of 15 reps
Dropset
Lying Leg Curl
10 reps at 90 lbs., 10 reps at 40 lbs., 10 reps at 20 lbs.
Dropset
Leg Extension
10 reps at 120 lbs., 10 reps at 70 lbs., 10 reps at 30 lbs.
Elliptical Trainer
30 min. or HIIT (fasted) Dumbbell Shoulder Press
4 sets of 12 reps
Machine Shoulder Press
4 sets of 12 reps
Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear-Delt Raise With Head On Bench
2 sets of 12 reps
Dumbbell Shrug
4 sets of 10 reps
Side Lateral Raise
2 sets of 15 reps
Front Dumbbell Raise
2 sets of 15 reps
Reverse Machine Fly
4 sets of 12 reps
Elliptical Trainer
30 min. (fasted) Kettlebell Single-Leg Deadlift
4 sets of 15 reps
Single-Leg Cable Kick-back
4 sets of 15 reps
Good Morning
4 sets of 15 reps
Barbell Hip Thrust
4 sets of 15 reps
Kettlebell Curtsy Lunge
4 sets of 15 reps
Did you encounter any hurdles or setbacks?
It was hard to stick to my meal plan at first because I was embarrassed to take food into meetings at work. I just wasn't used to eating five or six meals a day, and a lot of my coworkers weren't familiar with the regimented routine of someone who's preparing for a competition.
I felt like I was constantly being judged, but over time, I stopped caring. I realized that, at the end of the day, other people might be judging me, but I need to live a life that's going to make me happy.
What was your first competition like?
As I was waiting offstage, I literally thought I would have a heart attack. But the second they said my name, there was no turning back. I felt as if I was shaking like a leaf the entire time, but my husband said I didn't even look nervous.
In my first competition, I was in the model, bikini, and figure categories and went on stage at total of seven times. Each time, I could feel more of the nervousness wash away. I ended up placing second in bikini and third in the figure and model divisions.
What do you love about competing?
I like meeting other fitness competitors who have the same mindset that I do. They understand how much work and dedication the sport takes. Competitions are full of supportive, like-minded people, and I meet new ones at every competition.
I also fell in love with the feeling of competing—how it makes me feel to be onstage, knowing I've achieved a huge goal. That's what kept me going. I got addicted after my first show, and, I decided I wanted to get my pro card. I got that in May of this year—exactly a year after my first time on stage.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan on competing in my second pro show, Fitness Universe, in June 2016. I just found out this week that I'll be working with Paul Buceta, the owner of Strong magazine, to run a Strong Camp in Ohio in July. I'd entered in their trainer ambassador search, and they chose me to run a weekend training camp, kind of like a yoga retreat, but for fitness.
I'll plan workouts, seminars, and group activities. It's designed to get a bunch of women together to discuss having a healthy lifestyle and being strong. It had been a longtime goal of mine to run one of these camps, so I'm really excited.
Another one I'm doing is back at my old base. My former trainer asked me to run a training camp and a nutrition seminar for everyone, so I'll be doing that at the end of February.
Has your fitness affected any other areas of your life?
My transformation has affected my family and friends by making them want to change their lifestyle, as well. Recently, my parents decided that they wanted to clean up their diets, so they asked me to come up with a meal plan, and they started at the beginning of 2016. I'm pretty excited about that!
Allanna's Favorite Gym Tracks
Flo Rida
"GDFR"
Rob Bailey & The Hustle Standard
"Beast"
Nicki Minaj
"I'm Legit"
Selena Gomez
"Good for You"
Flo Rida
"GDFR"
Rob Bailey & The Hustle Standard
"Beast"
Nicki Minaj
"I'm Legit"
Selena Gomez
"Good for You"
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