What’s your fat burning zone?

jon-erik kawamoto personal trainer Do you want to lose weight (fat)? Most people do. We used to be concerned about how many calories we were burning DURING the workout. That’s how the fat burning zone was popularized. However, what’s more important is how many calories we burn DURING and AFTER the workout. When working out, don’t worry about what fat burning zone you should be in…the fat burning zone is so 1980s and early 1990s.

Same goes for people who run. Now, don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t apply to people who race and compete. This is targeted to people who want to look good naked! Long slow running is an aerobic (using oxygen) exercise that people usually do to lose weight. Same goes for people who use the stair master, spin bike or any other cardio equipment. Go to any gym bright and early and you’ll see all the cardio equipment full with very few people in the weight room. Well, that’s great, good for you for getting out there…but there is a better method.

Working anaerobically (without oxygen) means the intensity is cranked. When you train anaerobically, aerobic fitness is also improved, but the reverse doesn’t hold true. This method also increases EPOC…no…not a character from Star Wars…something referred to as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption.

EPOC is the amount of calories you burn AFTER your workout. This process helps you recover and recuperate back to the state were before the workout. Some of the things included in EPOC is returning the blood glycogen levels (carbohydrate storage) back to normal, returning the heart rate back to normal and the removal of lactic acid. Therefore, the harder your session…the higher the EPOC. So, female or male; it doesn’t matter…put down those pink dumbbells and pick up some real weight!

A very popular protocol to ramp up the intensity has been termed the Tabata Protocol, after Dr. Izumi Tabata, PhD. Dr. Tabata has done some interesting research out of the National Institute of Fitness and Sport in Tokyo, Japan. He did a 6-week study in which one group of subjects (control group) rode the exercise bike at 70% of their maximal oxygen capacity for 5 days a week for 60 minutes per session. The experimental group cycled at 170% of their maximal oxygen capacity for 20 seconds followed by a 10 second easy recovery. This procedure was carried out for 5 minutes or eight 20-second bouts.

The control group’s aerobic fitness improved by 10% with no improvement in their anaerobic fitness. The experimental group’s aerobic fitness improved by 14% and their anaerobic fitness improved by 28%! Therefore, aerobics is inferior to improving overall fitness than hard interval training.

Keep in mind that the 20 sec hard and 10 sec easy protocol can be manipulated to suit your current fitness level. For example, 15 sec hard and 15 sec easy or 20 sec hard and 25 sec easy…it’s really up to you. Your mental toughness will really shine in these types of workouts because the intensity is so high, you’ll want to stop after the first 20 seconds!!

Another method to increase the intensity of your workout is called Escalating Density Training. Charles Staley explains in his book, Muscle Logic, how 15 minutes per exercise pair can improve strength and burn fat simultaneously. The idea is to find two antagonistic exercises, say the barbell bench press and the barbell row (muscles on the opposite side of the shoulder joints).

In this 15 minute time frame, which Staley calls a PR-zone, you’ll use a 10-RM (a weight that you could use for 10 repetitions) weight, and see how many reps you can bang out. You don’t perform 10 reps per exercise…if you do, you’ll be toast after the 2nd set. To control for fatigue, Staley has you perform 5 reps per exercise with your 10-RM. So, let’s say for example your 10 RM for the bench press is 185 lbs and your 10 RM for your bent over barbell row is 160 lbs. You would start your timer and perform 5 reps of the bench press with 185 lbs and then 5 reps of the bent over barbell row with 160 lbs. You would keep alternating this pattern for the full 15 minutes. Keep track of how many reps you perform per exercise with that weight and see if you can increase the density (how many reps you perform) the next time you do this workout. (Use the same weight). You can chose 3 antagonistic pairs and finish a great workout in just under an hour. To find out more about his technique, you can read his book.

So, check your program…are there areas that can be improved to challenge your metabolic threshold? Metabolic disturbance training is a great way to train, but you should always check with your doctor before taking part in such a demanding exercise program. The intensity is very high and all pre-program precautions should be covered.

Thanks for reading,

-JK

Lee Wicks

Personal Strength Training by Thomas King

I had virtually no real experience using weights and felt intimidated going gyms. I avoided gym-goers using free weights, especially when hearing that loud crash, as they would drop weights to the floor. I thought this was to show everyone around them that they owned that area and that I shouldn’t go anywhere near! So I guess I just wanted to learn how to lift weights safely in a gym environment.

I spent over 18 years in the British Military, so I got to use some nice gyms. 99% of my time and experiences in those gyms was spent doing cardiovascular workouts, because I could just jump on a treadmill, plug in my head phones and do my own thing! JKC is different, because they have given me the confidence to use free weights and equipment that I had feared for years. Their demonstrations and knowledge is impeccable and I thank them for their continuous belief and support they show me at every session.

Teri Stuckless

After my children were born, I was completely out of shape. I had been active before my first pregnancy in 2008. I saw a post on social media about a charity event that was hosted at the gym. It prompted me to check out the JKC website. I was immediately impressed by the professional content and decided to give it a try. The professionally crafted and uniquely tailored work outs, as well as the sense of accountability and commitment that they foster. I have not missed a workout since joining – contrary to other experiences I have had when purchasing gym memberships. The flexibility of booking and rescheduling workouts, made easy by an online app, also contributed to my success in meeting my fitness goals.

I enjoy every session, working out with Jon, Thomas and Craig, as well as the “JKC Community”. Anytime someone achieves a personal best, I enjoy the celebration and support everyone gives each other. For me, I fondly remember achieving personal bests on bench press, chin ups and the sled push, in particular.

Lloyd Hussey

Personal Strength Training by Jon-Erik Kawamoto

I started at JKC in January of 2014 and I’m 67 years old. When I had my Initial Assessment, I knew – almost immediately – that Jon knew what he was doing and what he was talking about. I was overweight, out of shape, and in serious need of someone, like Jon, who could get me back on a fitness/conditioning routine that suited me, my age, my less than acceptable physical condition, my sometimes intermittent RA, and my need for a structured, consistent and yet flexible training and conditioning program that would work for me.

Fundamentally, if I made a choice at all with respect to JKC – it was to continue to come back each week. I have not been in a lot of gyms. To be honest, they used to intimidate me. What makes JKC different is their approach to each and every one of their clients. Jon and Thomas – and now Craig – tailor each training regime to the particular needs of each client. That ensures that the training regime will suit each client upon the start of training and changes as the client improves. It adjusts for any physical setbacks such as injuries and it adjusts for success. It is just that simple.

It is also the consistent encouragement that comes from Jon, Thomas and Craig. That voice that comes to you while you are in the middle of a particularly difficult set – rear-foot elevated split squats comes to mind immediately – that says “good job” or “keep it up” or “just a couple more reps.” To know, in that moment, that you are not alone and the trainer is paying attention to what you are doing. That is priceless for me.

Carla Chaytor

I’m 29 and I just had my 3rd Liftiversary 🥳 at JKC. I chose to train here because of the great word on the street and the fact that at lululemon, we’re encouraged to support our local community. My day-to-day routine is very busy, and I love showing up and having to think very little about my workout. The vibes are always good, my music choice is usually accommodated, and the bys are incredibly supportive and compassionate, helping me reach my goals (even when I had a broken hand). I also get to be my weird self, and am embraced fully.

David Squires

Not having much if any experience with professional gyms I though it would be along the lines of going to a facility and doing your own thing, getting some instructions from time to time, if you asked for it, and for most part working out on your own, in a large impersonalized setting. I was a bit apprehensive as I figured I’d be standing around a lot looking at all this equipment wondering what to do with it, or worst doing something to hurt myself. Well I couldn’t have been more wrong. Both Jon and Thomas are very attentive, professional trainers, who lay-out an exercise program, from start to finish, for you. They demonstrate the exercise they want you to do and then watch you do it to make sure you got it right. Jon and Thomas are very thorough, patience and non-assuming.

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