Most
“fat loss workouts” are a joke, relying on high reps, solely bodyweight
movements and “going for the burn!” They do not create a sufficient enough
caloric deficit to lose body fat at a steady rate. The new trend in fat loss is
“metabolic resistance training workouts” which is essentially cardio with
weights. Most MRT workouts look like this type of circuit:
Lunges
x 15
Shoulder
Press x 15
Lat
Pulldown x 15
Burpees
for 30 seconds
Repeat
3-5x
Again,
this “stacking” of non-competing exercises is traditionally known as metabolic
resistance training and it’s very powerful at burning a lot of calories during
the workout and increasing your metabolic rate for 48 hours AFTER the
workout. This is the good news about MRT
workouts and why I love them.
The
problem with MRT workouts (which we’ll overcome in a moment) is that they leave
you skinny and soft, not sculpted and strong.
High rep training does burn calories but the weights are too light and
not sufficient to stimulate the fast-twitch muscle fibers that maintain and
build new muscle.
Essentially,
over four to six weeks of doing strictly MRT workouts, your body will give up
muscle because the weights you’re lifting do not solicit the need for muscle on
your body! Also, since your body gets used to lifting lighter weights, it gives
up its strength and you become weaker. This is based on the use it or lose it
principle.
Once
your body “lets go” of your muscle and strength, you burn fewer calories at
rest and have a greater chance of gaining the fat back once you stop this style
of training. All that hard work for nothing! That’s the bad news about MRT
workouts.
Introducing:
Targeted Metabolic Resistance Training Workouts
Imagine
MRT workouts targeted to a specific body part! Here are the benefits if you’re
looking for a strong and sculpted body instead of a soft and skinny body:
- You avoid adaptation. Your body is designed to adapt. When you keep doing the same exercises, in the same order, for the same number of reps, using the same hand grip or foot stance, the body adapts. In effect, your nervous system becomes “hardwired” to that particular routine and consequently, fewer fibers are recruited, you use less energy and fewer demands are made on the body. In short, you become a pro at that routine, and after a surprisingly short amount of time, you stop making progress. Targeted MRT workouts shake things up by changing the stimulus, so the nervous system doesn’t adapt. What happens is that your body grows new muscle and become stronger and “harder” to survive the onslaught of your attack! Essentially we’re going to apply more direct muscle work to each body part so your body takes on a curvier shape. Hello hourglass!
- Shifting rep ranges develops neurogenic and myogenic muscle tone. Most individuals are hopelessly attached to the old 10-15 rep range scheme. It’s as automatic as your morning coffee and watching your favorite reality TV show each week. It’s largely habit. Remember, every rep range targets a different group of muscle fibers and if you don’t stimulate all your muscle fibers than you’re throwing away 50% of your gains! Muscle fibers are "typed" according to their oxidative capacities and how fast they fatigue. Historically, fast-twitch fibers (the ones best suited for growth and neurogenic muscle tone) are worked by a combination of lower-rep, and heavier weight workouts. This style of training is new for most females. Except that muscles are also made up of slow-twitch fibers and contribute to myogenic muscle tone. You can't just ignore them if you want to see your sexiest body revealed once the fat comes off. Targeted MRT workouts will include lower rep training (i.e. reps less than 7), intermediate rep ranges (i.e 8-12 reps) and high-rep training (i.e 12-15 and even 15-20 reps) to make the best progress and develop both types of muscle tone - neurogenic and myogenic.
- You look harder, curvier and sexier! When you directly target a muscle group with straight sets you make average gains; when you directly target a muscle group with a bi-combo (two exercises back to back on the same body part) you can almost double your rate of progress; when you target a muscle group with a tri-combo (three exercises back to back to back on the same body part) you can almost triple your rate of progress! Fitness models of known this for years, which is why they have strong yet still feminine bodies. Targeted MRT workouts apply so stimulus directly to the body parts i.e your thighs, glutes, shoulders and back that give your body the coveted hour glass figure! By adding a few pounds of muscle to these specific body parts you’ll dramatically transform the shape of your body type and create the illusion of a much leaner and sexier body!
- You strip all the fat revealing killer definition. Mountains of research have shown MRT workouts to be effective at burning a substantial amount of calories during the workout and for up to 48 HOURS AFTER the workout. Targeted MRT workouts achieve the same goal but stimulate your muscles at the same time so that you keep and even gain a few pounds of calorie-burning muscle to reveal killer definition in a few short weeks!
Conclusion
If
you’re interested in trying out a science-based and strategically designed to
build calorie-burning muscle and strip the fat in the same workout then check
out Flavia Del Monte’s brand new CURVALICIOUS Body Sculpting System
By Flavia Del Monte, R.N., C.P.T., C.N
