Super 7 System

 

Aloha, Fitness Fanatics, Exercise Enthusiasts, and Weight-Wary Warriors! 

April Fools has come and gone, but not the opportunity for me to debunk some of the most common myths about fitness and fat loss. If you want to discuss any of my answers in more detail, please join me on tomorrow’s free “Walk & Talk” (4/7). We are meeting at 6pm at the Kapa`a Public Pool, right behind Chicken in a Barrel on Kou Street. All ages, and all abilities, are always invited.

1. Which activity burns the highest percentage of fat?

Stamina? Nope! Strength? Nope! Sleep? Yes… can you believe it? During rest, up to 80% of the calories that you burn are from stored fat. But, to take full advantage of this time of preferential fat burning, you need to crank your metabolism in the short-term with Stamina (Swings of intervals during circulo-respiratory exercise) and in the long-term with Strength (muscle-lengthening Eccentrics during resistance training).

2. In terms of body composition, which tissue weighs more: muscle or fat?

I’ve heard it a thousand times; muscle weighs more than fat, right? Wrong! Five pounds is five pounds. 100 pound of rooster feathers weighs the same as 100 pounds of red dirt. Weight is weight. That being said, muscle is more dense, and sinks in water. Body fat is more voluminous, and floats in water. You can’t always trust the scale, so be wise… by being as dense as possible.3. Since sleeping burns the highest percentage of fat, how can training in the "fat-burning zone" burn the highest quantity of fat?

That’s easy… it can’t. Lower intensities of activity, like sleeping or exercising in the “fat-burning" zones, burn higher percentages of fat, but much lower overall quantities of fat. With regard to exercise, training at a higher intensity (Stamina Swings, aka intervals, into the “cardio zone”) burns a much greater volume of fat, even though the actual percentage is less. This is complicated conundrum, so please refer to some of my previous columns on the topic.

4. How much weight should a novice expect to lose during their first week of working out?

Unless you are beginning your program with my Super 7-Week Shape-Up Super Duper 7-Day Jump Start, you really shouldn't expect to lose any weight initially. In fact, gaining weight during the first week of exercise is a good thing. Gaining weight temporarily is the secret to losing fat permanently. This initial weight gain is not fat; it’s primarily blood volume and muscle glycogen storage. Both are necessary to fuel the body to burn fat more efficiently.

5. What is the single most effective secret for building more muscle… and burning more fat?

To build metabolically-active muscles, most people need to do one thing… stop lifting weights! Yes, this is another trick question, but my answer is scientifically sound. “Slowering the Lowering” of a weight (7 seconds down) builds muscle fast. This, in turn, burns fat forever. We all need to focus on lowering weights (Eccentrics in Strength), not lifting them. 

6. Why is swimming such an incredibly effective fat loss tool for overweight populations?

I’m so sorry to tell you this, but it’s not. Yes, competitive swimmers often look great aesthetically; however, I can pretty much guarantee that they're doing a lot more than just swimming. Yes, water workouts are a phenomenal cardiovascular exercise and can safely work muscles throughout a full range of motion (without harming the joints). However, fat floats. Buoyancy makes workouts very efficient (so less fat burned), especially for overweight populations (because floating facilitates skimming across the surface of the water more easily). Plus, there are no eccentric muscle actions… because water doesn’t push back. Regardless of the direction you push against the water, the muscle are only contracting concentrically, not eccentrically lengthening under tension, because there's no resistance to lower. Make sense? Perhaps this would be a good topic for a separate column, because there a few popular exercise which fall under this category.    

7. For many people, what is the primary dietary principle to help stave off the onset of obesity?

Staving off starvation is crucial. In other words, stop starving yourself; properly fueling your furnace is much more critical. Repetitive low-calorie dieting starves your muscles (and your brain) of nourishment (which includes carbohydrates) and forces your body into a protective metabolic meltdown. Calorie restriction might be temporary. Muscle reduction is probably permanent. Fat wins. Booey!

8. Which resistance training exercise is likely to burn the most fat off of the midsection?

While abdominal exercises target the building of muscles throughout the midsection, none of them do squat for burning off the fat covering them. They "do squat!" Speaking of… this is precisely the exercise which works the body’s largest muscles (glutes and thighs). Squats are the best way to create truly functional muscle mass, burning fat off of your midsection, and everywhere else, all at the same time. Here are two videos which should help drive down that point.

9. How much of an increase in metabolic rate can a person expect after losing weight?

Overall metabolism is affected by many factors, but is most largely impacted by body weight and, more specifically, lean body mass, namely muscle. Unfortunately, most people lose muscle while losing weight, hence the concomitant decrease in metabolic rate during weight loss. In other words, metabolic rate doesn't usually increase after losing weight, it decreased. With a lower metabolism, you will gain more weight on less calories. Increase muscle mass is really the only way to combat this in the long term, and strength training is the only way to increase muscle. In a nutshell, never ever lose weight without incorporating strength training (especially with Eccentrics) into your program.

10. What’s a guaranteed benefit to expect when I “Lose a Tire” around my waist?

Hmmm… “Loose attire” around your waist? Get it?

LOSE A "TIRE"
LOOSE ATTIRE

Well, I thought that it was pretty clever. haha I had this made into a 10-foot long banner which I placed outside my Connecticut fitness facility many moons ago.

If you have a spare tire, spring and summer is a great time to get shredded!! Let's get rolling!! :-)

 

We’ll be looking for you tomorrow (4/7/24) at 6:00pm sharp, meeting at the Kapa`a Public Pool on Kou Street, right behind Chicken in a Barrel. Don't forget to bring your smiley hat; the first smile is always free!!

In Health & With Hope, 

Doug :-)

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Doug Jones earned his Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Maryland on a full academic scholarship and has served professionals and personalities as a concierge fitness trainer for decades. As a resident of Kauai and Connecticut, he has helped millions of people learn the secrets of fitness and fat loss through his Super 7-Week Shape-Up System. Doug has trained thousands of clients personally and is looking forward to helping you reach all of your health and fitness goals. 

To begin ONLINE FOR FREE,
please go to: http://Super7System.com  

To begin ON ISLAND FOR FREE,
please go to: http://DougJonesFitness.com

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