Lose fat & type II diabetes with 3 kinds of exercise

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In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective. We do posts on staying healthy; preventing disease; aging more slowly; weight loss; exercise; nutrition; & news in medicine.

Today's post: Tuesday, 6-19-2007

Lose fat & type II diabetes with 3 kinds of exercise….

1. Do the kind of exercise that boosts your metabolism, burns fat, & slashes insulin resistance & keeps doing it up to 39 hours AFTER you do it.

2. Do a little bit of exercise several times a day. That not only makes it easier to fit in exercise into your day, it too helps keep up your metabolism for more hours each day than just doing your exercise in one session. Even a few extra sessions of 5 to 10 minutes each week will help.

3. Do moderate & lower intensity exercise for bigger chunks of time if you possibly can.

1. Do the kind of exercise that boosts your metabolism, burns fat, & slashes insulin resistance & keeps doing it up to 39 hours AFTER you do it.

Here’s an excerpt from an email from Jon Benson, author of Fit Over 40.

The summary is that research shows that the right kind of strength training increases your metabolism & calories burned for up to 39 hours after you stop exercising.

(Disclosure: I am currently an affiliate for the Fit Over 40 book as I think it helps people who read it. But I would have included this info even if I wasn’t.)

"Burn Bodyfat While You Snore?"
Date: 6/12/2007 7:11:19 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: newsletter@fitover40.com

This is a longer article than usual. Read it if you want to find out how you literally can
burn bodyfat while you snore... ...even if you do not snore at night!

Your Freee Weekly Newsletter from Jon Benson and Fit Over 40

Sent by permission only For more info-- http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth
----------------------------------------------

“A recent study presents us with some great news when it comes to burning bodyfat.

Ready for the conclusion?

> Weight training is far superior for burning body fat and elevating metabolic rate post-exercise than any other exercise.

If ever you wanted to start training with weights, or if you have been doing endless cardio with no results, this article is for you.

Note: I cover exactly how to make weight training simple and time-efficient in
Fit Over 40.

Read more here -- http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth
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The Study
------------------------------------------------

A body mass study conducted by The Human Performance Laboratory at The University of Wisconsin demonstrated that weight training of a specific variety and rep scheme elevated metabolic rates (measured though VO2 max)
for thirty-nine hours.

That means you would be burning more bodyfat even when you are asleep at night. Pretty cool,isn't it?

In comparison, the average forty-minute cardio session elevates the metabolism for only a few hours post-exercise.

That is thirty-nine full hours of being able to consume more food without gaining bodyfat, all things being equal.

For the record, no other form of exercise comes close to doing that in as short a period of time as targeted weight and/or resistance training.

This degree of post-exercise calorie burn is close to the levels seen in marathoners.

This is nothing new to avid weight-trainers, but it may be news to a lot of you. This is
especially enlightening if you have a fear becoming muscle-bound if you venture into
the weight-room area of your gym.

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The Specifics
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The study focused on repetitions and exercises. Certain protocols delivered the greatest results when it came to post-exercise calorie burn.

True elevation of metabolic rate did not occur if weights were too heavy, involving exercises that were done for less than six repetitions.

Even more illuminating is the fact that metabolic elevation was not significant if the weights were too light. This was defined as any exercise that took over twelve repetitions to complete.

The thirty-nine hour elevation in metabolic response was caused by a workout which
stimulated the larger muscles. This involved compound weight-training movements such as squats, rows, bench presses, and curls.

The ideal way to do this is not with machines, Pilates, or baby dumbbells, but with free weights. Exercises should be targeted in the eight to twelve repetition range for maximum fat-burning metabolic effect…..”


“The nutrient calculation for post-workout recovery was determined to be significant, especially in comparison with more moderate forms of exercise.

This means more food is required to repair the body, and the metabolism once again is elevated.

The body mass study did not address the metabolic spike with proper post-workout nutrition, however frequent feedings that are sufficient in protein and moderate in carbs have clearly demonstrated a significant metabolic increase.

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The Application
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Heavy weights for lower repetitions is not an ideal strategy for post-exercise caloric burn. This would factor into the reasons why powerlifters develop strength but very little definition.

The "lighter weights, higher repetition" strategy, and its failure to produce results, is probably more important to most of us who want to use weights to
sculpt our physique.

Lighter weights for higher reps is not an effective strategy for fatburning. Yet this is the protocol that many trainers use for individuals wanting to quote-unquote "tone" their muscles.

This is also the preferred strategy for many female weight trainees who have been told that heavier weights would build too much muscle.

The post-exercise caloric burn is what really pays the dividends when it comes to fatburning.

Exercise by itself burns only a marginal amount of calories during the session itself. When used in conjunction with a smart mealplan, this can be a
very powerful fatburning tool.

However, bear in mind that even an intense workout, one that may burn five hundred calories or more, can be offset by a single modest-calorie meal.

------------------------------------------------
The Conclusion
------------------------------------------------

The bottom line is weight training rules when it comes to sculpting the body and earning the greatest post-exercise dividends.

Like a good investment, a brief but targeted weight training routine conducted just two or three times per week can produce rewards that are both short-term and exponentially powerful.

When combined with a fat-burning nutrition plan and stress-reducing exercise (such as yoga, walking, or Pilates), the rewards are greater still.

Sincerely,

Jon Benson
Creator, Fit Over 40

P.S.

Here is the challenge you probably face:

how to actually "do" weight training.

I understand. That is why I developed the 15-Minute Ultimate Workout Plan.

You get this plan for freee when you get The Fit Over 40 Success For Life Kit.

I include it in audio and printed format.

15 minutes...that is all you need to get all of the metabolic fatburning benefits!

http://www.fitover40.com/aff/iehealth “

The other point that Jon makes elsewhere is that the 6 to 12 repetitions need to be progressive.

If you get to the point where you can easily do several more than 12 & just do 12, you won’t get the effect -- or get it nearly as much. Increase the weight to the very next level next time you do the workout. And, if that’s still too easy, increase it until you can only do 5 or 6. Then focus on doing at least 6 in good form. Once you do that, add repetitions one at a time as you are able until you can again do 12.

Yes you do get to the point where you have to work at it. And the last one or two reps can be hard or you may find you can’t quite do the last one. The great news is that those are the reps that make you stronger & trigger this fat burning effect.

The other important point is that this effect also includes a dramatic improvement in insulin resistance. And, for those hours, you will be far more able to keep your blood sugar low enough for good health.

How effective this is varies some from person to person with how hard they workout & their individual heredity. But some people have literally turned off type II diabetes by simply eliminating high glycemic & junk foods & doing this kind of strength training.

The rest of the people may have to continue on drugs. But they will be far healthier & their blood sugar readings will be much more desirable or even totally normal -- when, with the drugs alone, they were not.

Another point: You can do well for your health & strength doing two nonconsecutive days of strength training where you do both leg exercise & upper body exercise in the same session.

But if fat loss or controlling high blood sugar levels are important to you, here’s a way to get this effect all week long.:

Do upper body strength training on three days & then on the days off from that, every other day, do three days of leg strength training. On Monday, Weds, & Friday for upper body & Tues, Thurs, & Saturday for legs for example.

These may be the same three hours total you would spend doing both upper body & leg exercises together for one hour 3 days a week. But by doing about half an hour six days a week, the sessions are shorter AND you get more fat burning & metabolic effect.

Similarly & with similar results:

2. Do a little bit of exercise several times a day. That not only makes it easier to fit in exercise into your day, it too helps keep up your metabolism for more hours each day than just doing your exercise in one session. Even a few extra sessions of 5 to 10 minutes each week will help.

Separate research has shown that a few minutes of exercise several times a day is more effective for boosting your metabolism than the same total all done at the same time.

And, in fact I know one woman with type II diabetes that got excellent blood sugar control doing exactly that.

She does just five minutes of freehand squats & pushups & situps before leaving the house in the morning & a mid-morning exercise walk of about 10 or fifteen minutes. And, she does a longer walk at lunchtime some days. And she only gets to the gym for strength training two evenings a week for half an hour each time.

And, the combination has given her such good blood sugar control her doctor is impressed.

Your schedule may be different. But the other thing that makes this such a great way to go is that you can fit it into almost any schedule since each bit of exercise can be as short as you need for it to be.

3. Do moderate & lower intensity exercise for bigger chunks of time if you possibly can.

Humans have been on earth for hundreds of thousands of years & our preceding ancestors for several million years more before that.

And, until about 80 to 120 years ago, almost everyone who wasn’t sick in bed got in several walks each week of two to seven miles each.

So, it should hardly be surprising that people who get at least one or two such walks (or do such relatively easy to moderate exercise) every week tend to have better health & be less fat than those who never do. And, they have higher metabolism & blood sugar control.

This can be extremely challenging to do in addition to doing strength training & all the rest of your schedule. But if you can add it, it will help.