Taking it to the MAX
By Peter Miller  

The surefire cardio “solution” guaranteed to get you in shape for summer!

Does it drive you crazy when you walk into the gym and see people casually exercising on the “aerobic flavor of the month” such as the treadmill or stationary bike? Well, if you’re anything like me, you’ve noticed that many of these people aren’t getting much leaner. I mean, how much of a benefit does all this slugging around actually generate? Oh sure, these people appear to be happy as they lazily pedal along waiting for the timer to expire—maybe 40, 50 or even 60 minutes later. But in your “gut,” you know instinctively that this may not be the best routine to burn fat fast. If this sounds like you, then your instincts are dead on. Do you want to know why? Of course you do—let me explain … 

You’ve probably noticed the vast difference in the physiques of marathon runners and sprinters. Marathon runners carry just enough muscle and a surplus of fuel (some body fat) so they can go the distance without being weighed down. Sprinters pack the maximum amount of horsepower (muscle) with even less body fat to go short distances very fast. Now, then, ask yourself this: Who do you want to look like? Maximum muscle with minimum fat stores, you say? Well, the type of training you do can have a huge impact on becoming just that. What is the common thread between these “stallions of sport”? In a nutshell, all of these athletes train intensely! I’m not talking about a walk around the block or playing croquet … I’m talking all-out intensity that only few can truly handle. So, if you’re looking for a way to achieve that ideal physique by the time summer rolls around, the next few pages will introduce you to what I consider one of the greatest, yet most challenging, cardio workouts you’ll ever put yourself through.  

Setting the groundwork
Before we dive in, let me first explain the major differences between the various forms of cardiovascular exercise. Lower to moderate aerobic training represents most day-to-day training and is typically defined by exercise up to about 75 percent of your maximum oxygen capacity, also known as your VO2 max. Beyond that, high-intensity aerobics takes you upward of 85 percent to 90 percent and even possibly closer to your maximum oxygen capacity. Within these so-called aerobic training zones, you can achieve varying degrees of fat burning and cardiovascular adaptations. So what’s left? Well, it’s been termed “Supramax” training. And it goes above and beyond the “comfort zone” we so often fall into. We’re taking it to the max and beyond. Now this doesn’t mean your heart will be racing at 300 beats per minute or you’ll have to go all-out into a sprint for 10 minutes and pass out. What it does mean, though, is that you will be pushing your body beyond its normal capabilities—well beyond. With all of that said, let me briefly discuss some of the background and physiological implications. 

Recommendations from exercise organizations such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) have based their fat-burning, low-intensity exercise recommendations on research which shows more fat is burned during long-duration, low-intensity exercise. However, when looking at how many calories are burned during a given activity, you must consider that calorie expenditure comes not only from the activity itself, but also from post-exercise metabolism—what I call the “forgotten factor.” A fancy term called net total oxygen consumption (NTOC) is the measurement used to find the total energy cost of exercise, and includes calories burned during exercise plus calories burned after exercise and beyond your normal resting metabolism, usually measured by excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). 

Simply put, a significant difference in either the duration or intensity of exercise may affect how many calories you burn after a workout, which is of key interest to any of us looking to get lean. In fact, studies have shown this calorie- and fat-burning duration has been measured as short as 3 minutes,7,8 and as long as 48 hours after exercising, depending on various variables.1,2 Of these variables, workout intensity may be the key factor regulating both the amount and duration of your post-exercise calorie burning. 1,2,4,7

Go intense, or go home!
In previous studies, most people who experienced this increased rate of calorie burning after working out usually had done some sort of high-intensity exercise. But there seems to be an intensity threshold before this highly sought exercise “after-effect” occurs. If you only exercise at 30 percent of your VO2 max, even for hours, you’re out of luck.2,4 Usually you’ll need to reach at least 50 percent of your VO2 max for a long time just to achieve minimal effects. 

In other words, as your workout becomes more and more intense, you’ll start burning more calories once you stop. For example (as we often forget), it has been shown that high-intensity weight training increases the post-exercise calorie burning much more than just riding a regular old exercise bike at a low intensity. 

So what physical factors are responsible for these post-exercise benefits? Once you finish a high-intensity workout, you might be resting, but your body is going through a lot. Your temperature is raised. Your breathing’s a bit heavier. Your blood is pumping through your veins at a faster rate. Your body’s trying to find glycogen to replenish your fuel stores.1,4 The list goes on and on.

The bottom line is that a combination of these mechanisms is activated to a higher degree in high-intensity exercise compared to low. The end result is more calories burned and less body fat covering your hard-earned muscles. In addition to intensity, how long you work out makes a difference. Some studies show you need to work out for at least an hour at a moderate intensity to reap the benefits.6 Fortunately, the more intensely you work out, the less time you have to do it for. And, studies show your post-exercise benefits skyrocket when you do sets of sprints or similar high-intensity exercise. What’s even better is that these post-exercise calories you’re burning are coming straight from your fat stores.5 In other words, go intense, or go home.

The long-term benefits
You might look at this "taking it to the max" cardio "solution" as a quick fix for melting away that fat you accumulated over the winter, but there are long-term benefits that make it worth your while to add this workout to your regular repertoire.  As you've learned, research shows that short, gut-wrenching bouts of high-intensity sprints will help you burn the fat off your body and increase the number of calories you burn once you're done with your workout.  If you continue to do this type of cardio regularly, your metabolism will increase, as well as the rate at which your burn fat, even while you're at rest.  Picture this... you could be hanging out on the beach doing nothing more intense than turning the pages of a book, but you'll still be reaping the benefits of taking it to the max.

Taking it to the Max :  The cardio "solution"
Here are some tips for creating your own "to the max" fat-burning cardio workout.

Disclaimer:  If at anytime you feel faint, discontinue and consult your physician.

OK, Y'ALL ~ I have started to do this and all I can say is ... WOW!