Maybe you are
wondering just why exactly we structure our workouts the way we do? Why we
challenge your bodies, and push them so far that your muscles are screaming and
you think you’re going to die (please, don’t think you are the only one – it
really is a love/hate relationship that you personally have with bootcamp…).
We thought that since
it is the beginning of a brand new session, we would offer you all (the
returning and the brand spanking new iluvthis bootcampers) some fabulous
insights as to why we train the way that we train – and why it is so gosh darn
effective at bringing you those FAT BLASTING, BOOTY SHAPING, MUSCLE BUILDING
results!
In the past, straight aerobic exercise has been
touted as the most effective way to lose those extra pounds, but a new wave of
exercise has rapidly been taking the fitness world by storm. You may or may not have heard of High
Intensity Interval training, but nowadays it seems that everybody has taken to
some form of weight/cardio intervals, HIIT, cross-fit etc, to burst through
weight loss plateaus in an effort to loose fat and build lean muscle or even
just for the purposes of strengthening and conditioning their bodies. People
are beginning to realize that in order to actually change the physical SHAPE of
your body, you MUST increase the amount of muscle on your body – not only is
this the only way to get that lean, fit, healthy shape to your body, but it is also
imperative to burning more fat (the more muscle you have, the more calories
your body will burn even when you are at rest).
This is ultimately the difference between loosing “weight” and losing
“fat” – and our ultimate goal for you is that you are able to lose fat, while
gaining lean muscle.
Check out this quick pic to get an idea of what
we mean:
Both of the women in
the picture weigh the same amount (150lbs) and have the same BMI – But the
different shapes of their body are incredibly noticeable. The woman in red has a higher muscle mass
than the woman in green – red dress is leaner and more toned than her green
dress friend. Ultimately, this is what Bootcamp style training, HIIT can do for
your body.
So why exactly is interval training so
effective at changing your body?
1. High
Intensity Intervals allow you to burn more fat than long duration lower-intensity
exercise
“An old-schooled personal trainer (one
who has stopped reading research for the last 10 years) will tell you that
lower intensity cardiovascular exercise like walking for 2 hours daily burns
more fat. They will argue this is because at these lower intensities a
higher proportion of fat is used for energy as opposed to carbohydrate or
sugar. The key word here is “proportion”. While it IS true a higher
proportion of fat compared to carbs are used in low intensity exercise, higher
“total” amounts of both fat and carbs are used in higher intensity exercise.” –
(The Myth of Low Intensity Exercise) Overall, you will burn more calories and
as such more fat and carbs when performing HIIT exercises opposed to
long-duration, low-intensity cardio.
2. You
will burn fat stores even AFTER you are finished working out
Compared to traditional long duration, low-intensity cardio such as running, jogging
or going the elliptical for a set amount of time, assuming that we have worked
your body hard enough at bootcamp, “more fat will continue to be burned after
the workout as well. This is called EPOC, excess post-exercise oxygen
consumption, and it refers to the amount of fat and calories burned after a
workout is over. The EPOC of a workout is determined largely by its
intensity. Low intensity workouts have a very small EPOC while higher
intensity workouts have a larger EPOC. Researchers argue the magnitude of
this effect, but it is not disputed that higher intensity cardiovascular
activity will generate a larger EPOC effect” (The Myth of Low Intensity
Exercise). Who doesn’t want to burn more
calories in a shorter amount of time anyways? Definitely the most bang for your
buck! So the next time you want to beat up your trainer just think about all of
the amazing benefits to your body after you are done – I told you it’s a
love/hate relationship!
3.
Studies have also shown multiple other benefits to HIIT workouts like those
we do at bootcamp
“A January 2009 article in the Journal of the American College
of Cardiology adds to the growing evidence that high-intensity interval training
may be more beneficial to the heart than continuous moderate intensity
exercise… This study hints that high intensity interval training may be
superior to continuous aerobic exercise in addressing one of the
key underlying factors involved in the induction
and progression of cardiovascular disease. Another novel
finding in this article is that high intensity interval training was
shown to greatly enhance, to a significant degree, the production of
antioxidants by the body. Again it outperformed continuous aerobic
exercise in this regard. This study and others like it are beginning to show
that high-intensity interval exercise is not only great for changing body
composition but may also excel at protecting the heart” (Intervals
Better Than Aerobics For Heart?).
For more information on this study
please check out the article at the Metabolic Effect Website: http://www.metaboliceffect.com/interval-training-better-than-aerobics-for/
Overall, the benefits of HIIT and our
Bootcamp style workouts are many and varied.
We are so glad that you have decided to join us this Summer for iluvthis
Bootcamp, and can’t wait to see all of the amazing changes that you are able to
make along the way!
Have an amazing day, and remember:
You are going to LUV this!
Sources:
Images:
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