Festive Season Training
Festive Season Training for Fat Loss and Strength Maintenance
It’s usually around this time this time of year that the population wants to lose weight for Christmas or the New Year and want to train more intensely in an attempt to make up for the influx of caloric intake that often accompanies the festive season and summer months. It is also still a widely held belief that the best way to achieve this, is by putting yourself through sickening amounts of cardio – this however is not the case.
While cardio training and the resulting, cardiovascular fitness does play a role in fat loss, the most efficient method of fat loss is a combined approach of cardio and resistance training (Ho, S. S., Dhaliwal, S. S., Hills, A. P., & Pal, S. 2012). If your schedule consists of solely cardio and long bouts of endurance exercise, the weight loss experienced can often actually be a reduction in muscle mass more so than fat (Ho, S. S., Dhaliwal, S. S., Hills, A. P., & Pal, S. 2012). The more muscular density and strength you have, the higher your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), which means the more calorie and fat burning potential your body has – meaning you can burn more fat while exercising and at rest (Kraemer, W. J., Ratamess, N. A., & French, D. N. 2002).
This is a key reason why resistance training is now strongly recommended as a means of losing fat and is most effective when aligned with diet considerations and some cardio training. There is growing evidence suggesting that the most efficient exercise method for both fat loss and strength maintenance/muscle growth, is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) (Kraemer, W. J., Ratamess, N. A., & French, D. N. 2002). This type of training is especially useful if you’re short on time over the holidays.
During HIIT, there is shorter intervals of very high intensity cardio, or resistance work, with small rest intervals in between. This usually causes your heart rate to be pumping in the higher ‘fat burning’ and ‘peak’ zones without allowing too much of a drop during the rest – meaning that you’re burning more fat the entire workout.
Our Strength and Conditioning classes at Premier, provide this combination of resistance and endurance training, as well as dedicated interval training days.
Contact us if you have a specific goal and our Accredited Exercise Scientists can provide individual programming and coaching.
Additionally, if you’re heading out of town over the holidays but want to keep up your training, get in touch and ask about our online program/coaching options.
- Sarah Mantova
B. ExSS (Hons), AES and Strength and Conditioning Coach
