Fast Paced Workout For Busy Women

“To lose fat, it’s essential that each workout last a minimum of one hour ” FALSE

“A 20-minute workout can provide amazing results for fat loss” TRUE

Would you like to know what the formula is? Here it is!

I have been doing this kind of workout for a little while, mainly on Sundays, because I am always too busy on Sundays and I want my workout to fit it in! So every Sunday I end up doing this 20-minute workout around 6 PM. I love it because it gives me the opportunity to work at a great intensity, as it doesn’t last long!

• What are the benefits of this 20-minute workout?

Burn Fat, Maintain both Fitness and Muscle Mass

• Who is it for?

This method is NOT recommended to beginners or people who are returning to exercise. It is necessary to build solid Aerobic Foundations (If you are interested in this topic, check out this article http://sock-doc.com/sock-doc-training-aerobic-foundation), get some practice about Weight Training with the help of a Fitness Professional, and then you will be ready for my 20-minute workout.Also, make sure you have Doctor’s clearance before you start any new training program.

• What do we do?

A) Choose 3 exercises that don’t require any equipment.

1. Exercise Number 1 should be a High-Impact Exercise
2. Exercise Number 2 should be a Push Exercise, a Pull Exercise or a Plank Exercise
3. Exercise Number 3 should be In Motion and High Impact. If you train Indoor and with little space, it should be High Impact, like Exercise Number 1.

These 3 workouts are examples of what you could do:

- Squat Jumps, Push Up elevated (on a bench, or stairs), and Shuttle Runs

- Jumping Jacks, Plank alternating one leg off the floor, and ZigZag Hops

- Jumping Lunges, Pull Ups (with a bar or a tree), Going up the stairs 2 steps at a time (you live at 3^rd floor, do you?)

Ask the help of a Qualified Fitness Professional to make sure you train in a safe environment and with proper technique.

B) Once you’ve chosen your exercises, Warm Up during 10 minutes:

First of all, perform some basic Mobility Work for 5 minute. In a few words, mobilizers are subtle movements that mobilize your joints and prepare your body for a session. The gentle rhythmical motion aims to lubricate your joints to allow the body to move more efficiently and help you feel better during your workout. Focus on mobilizing your ankle, hip and thoracic spine. If you want to know more about mobilizers, check out this article http://saveyourself.ca/articles/mobilizing.php 

If you Google “mobilizer exercise” in the YouTube view, you will find plenty of examples.

Then, perform 8 repetitions of each exercise giving 60% of your maximum pace, during 5 minutes. It doesn’t matter how many circuits you do. Just do one exercise after the other, during 5 minutes.

Well, you are ready to go!

C) Reset your timer for 10 minutes.

Complete 12 repetitions of each exercise in circuit fashion, with full range of motion and as much energy as you can. Go, go, go for it! Can you hear me? Maintain good alignment all the way.

Take a rest when you feel that no more exertion is possible (basically when your body slows down, you are unable to perform the exercise with the right alignment, your muscles are burning, and you are breathless). You self-regulate the intensity and you rest according to your needs. Some people will use lots of short rests while others will prefer less frequent, longer rests. Remember: you only have 10 minutes. GIVE-IT-ALL!

Yes, but… (I can hear you telling me “yes, but…”)

• How can we burn fat with this type of workout, since in order to burn fat, we have to exercise more than 30 minutes? How can we burn fat with this method, as we are above the Fat Burning Zone?

I understand your confusion! It is a deeply rooted belief that in order to lose fat, the best solution is to exercise for a prolonged duration on a cardio-training machine at a moderate intensity. Long-duration cardio is actually beneficial if you are a beginner or returning to exercise, if you are preparing for a long-duration event like a marathon or if you love the way it makes you feel (there is evidence about the benefits for mental health). However, if you want to lose fat and keep it off, training exclusively with long-duration workouts is not the best method. It can be counterproductive. You will understand why.  

It is important to remember that we are continually using both fat and carbohydrate (sugar) to power our activities, whether we are sitting in a couch or walking down the street. Even when you speed up to catch your train, you are still using fat and carbs. It is the relative ratio of fat and sugar that changes as the intensity shifts. Relatively more fat calories are used compared to sugar calories at lower intensity, while the proportion of recruited sugar builds as intensity rises (if you start jogging on a treadmill). What happens after a certain time of moderate intensity cardio training is that the body reaches a steady and optimum state where the percentage of fat used as energy is higher than the percentage of sugar.  That’s the Fat Burning Zone. What a shame to stop at this stage…  No No No… Keep reading!

My goal is to explain how a short high-intensity workout is your Training Tool #1 to you burn fat I've said Training Tool on purpose, because Nutrition is your Tool #1 regarding Fat Loss. 

==> From now, you know that a high-intensity workout will recruit more sugar than fat. Please read CAREFULLY what comes afterwards.

After the workout is over, glycogen stores (sugar) are somewhat depleted, forcing the body to pull from fat stores for energy use during post workout recovery. This recovery lasts hours, and a few even days after a tough workout. Now, my question is: would you rather burn fat for days post-workout than during the 1 hour of treadmill only?

==> The other thing to consider is the Hormonal Response to your workout. Long duration moderate intensity workouts increase the stress hormones (cortisol and epinephrine) however without the release of fat-burning hormones (Human Growth Hormone, Testosterone) and the release of Acid Lactic which acts as a chemical messenger in the fat burning process. So this kind of workout (long duration) promotes muscle breakdown and fat storage. I guess it’s not what you want …

Now, are you ready to try the 20-minute workout?  You can’t tell me you don’t have time to exercise!

Also, it’s very important for your Physical and Mental Health to diversify your training methods. Perform my 20-minute workout when you want to save time, 3 times a week maximum.

I am more than happy to answer your questions. Find me on http://www.helphub.com.au/!

Nathalie, Personal Trainer, to help you feel vibrant, fit and happy.