An elevated heart rate can be obtained by using a variation of standard weight training procedures. The advantage of employing said methods is threefold.
1) You will enter the "fat burning zone" much more quickly.This is accomplished by keeping rest in between sets to a minimum. While engaging in this type of training, all rest periods must be kept to one minute or less.
2) You avoid the muscle breakdown so often associated with typical aerobic exercise.By avoiding prolonged periods of "low intensity," the body uses only the available carbohydrates. This spares the muscle tissue that begins to be used as fuel once carbohydrates are depleted.
3) You place the body in a state that allows for more muscle growth. Through the utilization of weight resistance, however light, there is an increase in mitochondria which allows for more potential muscle growth. Lighter, higher duration sets also increase capillary production providing a greater "pump" therefore allowing more blood and nutrients to enter the muscle. This, too, is a factor in promoting growth.
Add to the mix a greater increase in growth hormone release due to the applied intensity, and what you wind up with is a powerful combination for burning fat!
Intensity takes on many forms. It isn't just using "the most weight" or "going to failure." If you doubt the intensity required to perform this workout, then give it a try -- just once. Chances are, you'll be huffing and puffing so hard you won't have enough breath left to argue!
The simplest approach to utilizing a no-aerobic aerobic workout is to start with the basis of the training you are now using. Let's say you train back and biceps together. This would work well due to the fact that the biceps will be warmed up and ready to go after working the back. There would be no need to lessen the momentum warming up a new body part, therefore, fat burning "intensity" is maintained. You may think that a quicker paced, almost circuit training styled routine would require higher reps, but that isn't so. The elevated heart rate achieved comes from keeping the breaks short! You can continue to train in a rep range as low as 6 to 8 reps if you like. In this manner, the muscle is more involved in the activity.
Going to failure is not required or recommended with this type of training. That doesn't mean the reps should be too easy. Work hard. You just want to stop one or two (unassisted) reps short of failure. I don't like to state specific routines or even exercises in any program. It's more about the overall application of the exercises. Do as many sets as you can within a 20 minute time limit per body part.
ONE AT A TIME PLEASE
When weight training "aerobically," it is necessary to use as many unilateral movements as you can think of. By working one limb at a time, such as the biceps, you can fatigue the left bicep muscle and then go directly to working the yet unstressed right bicep. Of course, your aerobic capacity will be forced to work harder since all that your lungs and heart know is that an increased demand has been placed on them. But that's the idea.
LITTLE MUSCLES - BIG CHALLENGESWhile I feel it's best to work muscle groups in tandem, (Back & Bi's; Chest & Tris; Quads & Hams, etc.), it isn't as imperative when working "aerobically." In fact, this just may be the perfect opportunity to prioritize on two very separate muscle groups. A good example would be delts and calves. While working a calve, there is no strain whatsoever on the delts, therefore you can forgo any rest between the sets. Here's an example...
Standing Calve Raises - 1 set x 25 reps - No Rest - going directly to... Dumbell Lateral raises - 1 set x 15 reps - No Rest -go to...
Seated Calve Raise - 1 set x 25 reps - No Rest - go to...
Barbell Presses behind the neck - 1 set x 10 reps -No Rest - going back to...
Standing Calve Raises - 1 set x 25 reps - No Rest - go to...
Seated Dumbbell Presses - 1 set x 10 reps - No Rest - going to... Well, you get the picture.
The pattern is obvious. The name of the game is...KEEP IT MOVIN"!!! The rep range is optional. It's all contingent on the weight you choose. Keep in mind, any weight that can be taken to more
than twenty five reps is most probably too light.
SUPERSETS REVISITED
Since we are now training "aerobically," supersetting becomes a viable and even a preferable option. Once again, the objective is to work the muscles and elevate body temperature (which burns fat) by executing the pace as quickly as possible.
When employing supersets, the blood is now concentrated in one area (e.g., bi's and tri's). Taking "no rest" may not be practical because of the increased lactic acid build up in the area. A good rule of thumb when supersetting with this method is to keep rest to 30-40 seconds. That half a minute starts to go by pretty quickly by the time it gets around the fifth or sixth set.
An alternative approach while supersetting is to alter not only the body parts but the hemispheres. Using the bicep-tricep combination, you can work the left bicep followed by the right tricep. Then return to the left tri followed by the right bi and so on.
As you can see, there are a multitude of variables. You can "shoot from the hip" while you're in the gym but if you're more comfortable with a "structured" workout, you can write down the days battle plan beforehand. Just don't get so hung up on finding that "perfect" combination of sets, reps, and exercises. (That advice can carry over into many aspects of training.) The one constant in aerobic weight training is to avoid allowing the heart rate to drop to a "resting" level. If your HR is under 120 beats per minute at any time, you're either moving too slowly or the poundages are too light.
Try this program for a week or two and you will see for yourself what a terrific alternative it is to traditional aerobic training. Do not engage in any other aerobic work when implementing this routine! Not even on "off days." (An off day should be a day off.) This is all the aerobic work you will need. Not only will you be increasing your cardiovascular ability, but you will more efficiently burn fat and probably feel a pump like you haven't experienced in some time.
And by the time you're ready to hit it heavy again, there's a good chance your numbers will be even higher! That's right. By putting emphasis on the slow twitch muscles thus allowing the larger muscle groups more recuperation time, they should be fresh and ready to go. The only difference is, your tendons will have been strengthened by all that high rep work.
Less fat. More potential muscle growth. Increased strength. And NO AEROBICS! What more can anyone ask for?
1) You will enter the "fat burning zone" much more quickly.This is accomplished by keeping rest in between sets to a minimum. While engaging in this type of training, all rest periods must be kept to one minute or less.
2) You avoid the muscle breakdown so often associated with typical aerobic exercise.By avoiding prolonged periods of "low intensity," the body uses only the available carbohydrates. This spares the muscle tissue that begins to be used as fuel once carbohydrates are depleted.
3) You place the body in a state that allows for more muscle growth. Through the utilization of weight resistance, however light, there is an increase in mitochondria which allows for more potential muscle growth. Lighter, higher duration sets also increase capillary production providing a greater "pump" therefore allowing more blood and nutrients to enter the muscle. This, too, is a factor in promoting growth.
Add to the mix a greater increase in growth hormone release due to the applied intensity, and what you wind up with is a powerful combination for burning fat!
Intensity takes on many forms. It isn't just using "the most weight" or "going to failure." If you doubt the intensity required to perform this workout, then give it a try -- just once. Chances are, you'll be huffing and puffing so hard you won't have enough breath left to argue!
The simplest approach to utilizing a no-aerobic aerobic workout is to start with the basis of the training you are now using. Let's say you train back and biceps together. This would work well due to the fact that the biceps will be warmed up and ready to go after working the back. There would be no need to lessen the momentum warming up a new body part, therefore, fat burning "intensity" is maintained. You may think that a quicker paced, almost circuit training styled routine would require higher reps, but that isn't so. The elevated heart rate achieved comes from keeping the breaks short! You can continue to train in a rep range as low as 6 to 8 reps if you like. In this manner, the muscle is more involved in the activity.
Going to failure is not required or recommended with this type of training. That doesn't mean the reps should be too easy. Work hard. You just want to stop one or two (unassisted) reps short of failure. I don't like to state specific routines or even exercises in any program. It's more about the overall application of the exercises. Do as many sets as you can within a 20 minute time limit per body part.
ONE AT A TIME PLEASE
When weight training "aerobically," it is necessary to use as many unilateral movements as you can think of. By working one limb at a time, such as the biceps, you can fatigue the left bicep muscle and then go directly to working the yet unstressed right bicep. Of course, your aerobic capacity will be forced to work harder since all that your lungs and heart know is that an increased demand has been placed on them. But that's the idea.
LITTLE MUSCLES - BIG CHALLENGESWhile I feel it's best to work muscle groups in tandem, (Back & Bi's; Chest & Tris; Quads & Hams, etc.), it isn't as imperative when working "aerobically." In fact, this just may be the perfect opportunity to prioritize on two very separate muscle groups. A good example would be delts and calves. While working a calve, there is no strain whatsoever on the delts, therefore you can forgo any rest between the sets. Here's an example...
Standing Calve Raises - 1 set x 25 reps - No Rest - going directly to... Dumbell Lateral raises - 1 set x 15 reps - No Rest -go to...
Seated Calve Raise - 1 set x 25 reps - No Rest - go to...
Barbell Presses behind the neck - 1 set x 10 reps -No Rest - going back to...
Standing Calve Raises - 1 set x 25 reps - No Rest - go to...
Seated Dumbbell Presses - 1 set x 10 reps - No Rest - going to... Well, you get the picture.
The pattern is obvious. The name of the game is...KEEP IT MOVIN"!!! The rep range is optional. It's all contingent on the weight you choose. Keep in mind, any weight that can be taken to more
than twenty five reps is most probably too light.
SUPERSETS REVISITED
Since we are now training "aerobically," supersetting becomes a viable and even a preferable option. Once again, the objective is to work the muscles and elevate body temperature (which burns fat) by executing the pace as quickly as possible.
When employing supersets, the blood is now concentrated in one area (e.g., bi's and tri's). Taking "no rest" may not be practical because of the increased lactic acid build up in the area. A good rule of thumb when supersetting with this method is to keep rest to 30-40 seconds. That half a minute starts to go by pretty quickly by the time it gets around the fifth or sixth set.
An alternative approach while supersetting is to alter not only the body parts but the hemispheres. Using the bicep-tricep combination, you can work the left bicep followed by the right tricep. Then return to the left tri followed by the right bi and so on.
As you can see, there are a multitude of variables. You can "shoot from the hip" while you're in the gym but if you're more comfortable with a "structured" workout, you can write down the days battle plan beforehand. Just don't get so hung up on finding that "perfect" combination of sets, reps, and exercises. (That advice can carry over into many aspects of training.) The one constant in aerobic weight training is to avoid allowing the heart rate to drop to a "resting" level. If your HR is under 120 beats per minute at any time, you're either moving too slowly or the poundages are too light.
Try this program for a week or two and you will see for yourself what a terrific alternative it is to traditional aerobic training. Do not engage in any other aerobic work when implementing this routine! Not even on "off days." (An off day should be a day off.) This is all the aerobic work you will need. Not only will you be increasing your cardiovascular ability, but you will more efficiently burn fat and probably feel a pump like you haven't experienced in some time.
And by the time you're ready to hit it heavy again, there's a good chance your numbers will be even higher! That's right. By putting emphasis on the slow twitch muscles thus allowing the larger muscle groups more recuperation time, they should be fresh and ready to go. The only difference is, your tendons will have been strengthened by all that high rep work.
Less fat. More potential muscle growth. Increased strength. And NO AEROBICS! What more can anyone ask for?
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