High reps and low weight will help you be more “toned” and lose fat. Low reps will help you gain strength and build muscle.
Forest says:
WRONG
Sorry Charlie.
There’s not a single research study but I am aware of that proves “high reps” (for the purpose of this article, we’ll call that sets of 15 and above) are better for fat loss.
High reps WILL help you with:
Muscle endurance – so if your goal is for example to be able to do more push-ups – like going from being able to do do 20 in a row, to 30 in a row – then higher reps are good!
Giving you a “burn” – higher rep sets cause a buildup of lactic acid in the muscles, giving you that feeling of your muscles burning, which some to some people feels like has the effect of burning fat (though it doesn’t)
Now your goals MAY include muscle endurance, so I am NOT saying that high reps / low weight is bad.
BUT, for the purposes of this article… if you HAVE been doing high reps / low weight in efforts to burn fat, this is what I recommend you do instead:
2 – Continue to work on building strength. Especially if you are in a calorie deficit (which we’ll get to in a second), we want to do our best to offset any kind of muscle loss, and continuing to lift heavier and keep your strength up will help a lot with that.
3 – Make sure you’re doing enough cardio (but not too much). This is a balance, because if we do too much would you start to dip in and start taking away from some of our strength and muscle gains. But if your goal is fat loss, research says you should probably be doing somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 to 4 times per week for 20-30 minutes.
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The sum up, high reps are not better for fat loss. Instead, you want to 1) keep training for strength, 2) focus on your diet, and 3) do just enough cardio.
To your success!!
– Forest and the FVT Team
PS – Supercharge your fat loss results with this 7-day detox plan – it’s NOT all hype, and it’s 100% Forest-approved: http://bit.ly/tt7daydetox
Even thought I KNOW the science says the physiological changes caused by resistance training (like increases in strength, but decreases in mitochondrial density) are in some ways in direct opposition to those caused by aerobic training (like increases in oxidative capacity, but decrease in max power output) …
…I still really LIKE to BOTH “train like an athlete”, feel like I’m in good aerobic shape…
…AND lift some heavy weights too.
I want to be lean AND strong AND jacked, all at the same time!!
Maybe you feel the same way?
So what do we do?!?
Well, actually an analysis of 21 studies on concurrent training conducted in 2012 by Wilson et al. revealed some very interesting data on this subject.
I’ll link it up below, but in a nutshell, it said that concurrent training (doing both strength and cardio/conditioning work in the same training cycle) only creates significant adaptation interference under certain conditions.
And that if you set it up right, you CAN both get strong AND improve cardio condition, all at the same time.
Couple of key points:
Running (over lower-impact activities like cycling or rowing) seems to have the most impact on reducing strength and hypertrophy in the lower body when done concurrently with strength training. (Not that it can’t be done at all, but mixing in other aerobic modes of work can be a good idea.)
Upper body gains were NOT impacted by concurrent training
VOLUME has a lot to do with interference – so if you’re looking to gain muscle and strength, you’ll likely want to limit your cardio to around three or four days per week for around 30 minutes or so, most of the time
Heck, I’ve even included a serious strength program – that can be done with a couple of kettlebells and your own bodyweight, none the less – FREE when you pick up a copy by Sunday night.
But the special launch pricing and the free bonuses go away very soon. So get all the details and order now at the link below:
Option 1 is to go outside and find a hill. This is my personal favorite option. I have a hill that’s about ¼ mile from my house that I can walk to as a warm up … and it takes me around 60 seconds to run up, which is exactly what we’re going for here.
If you’re not a runner, you can also power walk up the hill, or run for maybe ¼ of the way or ½ the way or ¾ of the way, and then walk – whatever you can handle is great.
Option 2 is to do this on a treadmill. In this case, you’d set the treadmill to 5-10% grade for the run up, and then either hop off the tread and let it go – if you feel you can do that safely – or just turn the speed and/or incline down for your recovery times.
Complete the workout below:
Power walk / run / sprint up the hill – 60 seconds
Recover / walk back down – 120 seconds
Repeat for a total of 10 rounds
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Imagine taking your cardio conditioning to the next level, and burning a TON of extra calories in the process.
Imagine a complete 5-week program to help you do this, that you can BOLT ON to your existing strength routine.
That’s EXACTLY what the “Fire-Breather” program is all about.
Most people I find just want to be ready to rock and in good shape, all the time.
They want to be able to lift some decent weight, or play a pick up game of basketball, or go for a run and feel good… and not kill themselves in the process.
I’m guessing this might be along the lines of goals you have for yourself as well?
A big challenge folks seem to have though with this, is with the STRENGTH part. Particularly if they are working out at home, with minimal equipment etc.
They would like to do some traditional barbell-based training for example, but it’s just not feasible. They don’t have the time to drive to the gym and use the set up there, or the space or extra funds to set something up at home.
(Or maybe your gym is even closed due to current restrictions around the pandemic.)
So I’ve come up with this 6-week program designed to help you get STRONG – using nothing but a single KB and your own body weight!
It’s called KB/BW Hybrid Strength.
And you can get it right now 100% FREE, when you pick up up a copy of Fire Breather at the link below:
You’ll end up with a killer cardio-focused plan you can use to improve your conditioning and burn twice the calories…
…PLUS you’ll have a new 6-week KB/BW training plan that pairs with it perfectly to get STRONG, any time, any place, with just a couple of KBs and your own bodyweight.
Well, here in California, we just got news that we have to shut down our gym, AGAIN.
Good news is, the weather here is pretty good, so we can move a lot of our training outside, and keep things going.
If gyms are closed where you are too… or, if you just like the idea of training outside… thought it would be good timing to share this:
*Sample from my new “Fire-Breather” conditioning program coming out this week, stay tuned:
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“Fire-Breather” Next-Level Conditioning Workout
Set your timer for 60 minutes.
You can walk. You can jog. You can run. Do the intensity that is right for YOU.
Important thing here is that we are trying to keep your heart rate between 130-150 beats per minute. Use a heart rate monitor or manually count using the method below (see full course for explaination, stay tuned).
Another thing that you can try, that I have personally had GREAT success with, is the “run-walk-run” method. (Full course will have link to PDF on how to do this properly.)
THEN – every 5 minutes, you are doing to stop and do:
:30 high plank hold (on minute 5, 20, 35, 50)
10 burpees (on minute 10, 25, 40, 55)
15 bodyweight squats (on minute 15, 30, 45)
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Imagine taking your cardio conditioning to the next level, and burning a TON of extra calories in the process.
Imagine a complete 5-week program to help you do this, that you can BOLT ON to your existing strength routine.
That’s EXACTLY what the “Fire-Breather” program is all about.
To celebrate, I bring you this special “Freedom from the Gym” 4th of July Workout.
You’ll get strong, with no weights.(Just like with my Bodyweight Strong program, now FREE when you sign up for the Kettlebell EMOM 2.0 Challenge by tomorrow at midnight: 28-day EMOM Kettlebell Challenge + Bodyweight Strong)
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“Freedom from the Gym” 4th of July Workout [get strong with no weights]
(exercise pair one)
— one arm push up – hands elevated on bench OR standard one arm push up – 5 per arm — vertical jumps (go for max height; rest about 5 seconds between reps) – 8
Do four sets total of each exercise. Rest about one minute between exercises – but remember, get mostly recovered before the next set.
(exercise pair two)
— Bulgarian split squat – 10 per leg — Tactical pull up – 1 to 10 reps (depends on strength level) OR 8-15 recline rows
Do four sets total of each exercise. Rest about one minute between exercises – but remember, get mostly recovered before the next set.
(exercise circuit / finisher)
Do these exercises circuit style. Each exercise is to be done continuously or 35 seconds; take 5 seconds or transition between exercises and rest for about 30 seconds at the end of the circuit. Repeat the circuit three times total.
– Power jack – plank hold – reverse overhead lunge – x body mountain climber – run in place
In these crazy times over the last few months, your daily lifestyle is likely changed. A lot.
And whether that is less activity, added stress levels due to a variety of factors, or other things… “dropping the quarantine 15” seems to be one of the top goals we are hearing from people these days.
So what’s the key to making it happen?
Well, the first thing I can tell you is what WON’T work. And that is doing the same thing you are doing right now.
Sounds obvious, but your current routine got you to where you are at.
As they say, “the future you is an exaggerated version of the current you”
If you are eating a little too much, and not exercising as consistently as you’d like… and your weight is creeping up… well, if you keep that up, it’s going to KEEP creeping up.
So what we need to do is, change course!
Get you on a workout plan. Get your nutrition on track.
And get some ACCOUNTABILITY to make it happen.
Because let’s be honest. If you could do it on your own 100% perfectly, you wouldn’t be reading this message.
There is science behind accountability. It is POWERFUL.
In one study published in 2008 in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, they followed almost 1,700 men and women who were either overweight or obese.
The average weight was 212 pounds.
The participants attended 20 weekly group meetings and were encouraged to eat about 500 fewer calories a day, to engage in moderate intensity physical activity 30 minutes or more a day, and to follow the low-fat, low-sodium DASH dietary plan, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods.
Participants were asked to record daily food intake and their exercise minutes.
After 20 weeks, the total average loss was about 13 pounds.
But the biggest predictor of success was an accountability factor – keeping a food record. Those who kept no food records lost about 9 pounds, and those who kept six or more per week lost about 18 pounds. That’s a HUGE difference – it’s twice the weight loss!!
So check it out. I want to help you reach your goals, and help with holding you accountable to do it.
We are looking 3 people to try our Elite Kettlebell Coaching program, starting next week.
If you:
Have trouble motivating yourself and staying on track
Find that “one-size-fits-all” – type programs don’t work for you
Have a specific goal you are training for – an event, certification test, etc
Just would like some additonal personalized attention, motivation, and care
This could be the perfect fit.
Here’s how it works:
1 – Click the link below, and fill out the application. 2 – On filling out the application – if approved – you will be taken to a page where you can schedule a 15 minute phone call for us to touch base and see if the program is a great fit for both of us. 3 – If we decide together that it’s a good fit to help you reach your goals, we’ll get payment set up, and I will send you over a new client intake questionnaire. 4 – You’ll fill out the questionnaire in it’s entirety … and when I get it back from you, I will design you a custom workout and nutrition plan. 5 – You’ll check in with me regularly (after every workout at least). I’ll help you tweak your workouts, your meal plan, etc to get to your goals as fast as possible. If you’d like to send me videos of you doing exercises so I can critique your form, I am happy to do that as well. And I’ll continue to work with and motivate you as we go. 6 – Each month I’ll send you a new workout and meal plan based on your goals, your previous month’s progress, etc
The other great thing about this is, it’s MUCH more affordable than hiring a personal trainer at your local gym, and in my (admittingly biased) opinion, much more effective.
Hourly rates for a personal trainer start at $60 on the low end… so working with a PT a couple of times per week, you’re looking at $500++ per month in most parts of the country.
But with this program, I can get you BETTER results, in less time, working from the comfort of your own home / garage / backyard. For just $197.
Again, we HAVE to connect prior to you signing up, to make 100% sure it’s a fit. I will not consider signing you up until we touch base for a call.
But if you’re interested, the first step is to fill out the form linked here: http://bit.ly/1RTPFwT
Then I’ll review your app, and get back with you ASAP!
Thanks –
– Forest Vance Owner, FVT Boot Camp and Personal Training Master of Science, Human Movement Level 2 Certified Russian Kettlebell Certified Personal Trainer Certifed Performance Enhancement Specialist Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach ForestVance.com ForestVanceTraining.com
I am looking for 7 more people to try my new “KB Fit Over 40” personalized coaching program.
If you:
Have trouble motivating yourself and staying on track
Find that “one-size-fits-all” – type programs don’t work for you
Have a specific goal you are training for – an event, certification test, etc
Just would like some additional personalized attention, motivation, and care
“KB Fit Over 40” personalized coaching could be the perfect fit.
Here’s how it works:
1 – Click the link below, and fill out the application. 2 – On filling out the application, we’ll review it, and reach out to schedule a short call if it sounds like an initial fit 3 – If we decide together that it’s a good fit to help you reach your goals, we’ll get payment set up, and I will send you over a new client intake questionnaire. 4 – You’ll fill out the questionnaire in it’s entirety … and when I get it back from you, I will design you a custom workout and nutrition plan. 5 – You’ll check in with me regularly (after every workout at least). I’ll help you tweak your workouts, your meal plan, etc to get to your goals as fast as possible. If you’d like to send me videos of you doing exercises so I can critique your form, I am happy to do that as well. And I’ll continue to work with and motivate you as we go. 6 – Each month I’ll send you a new workout and meal plan based on your goals, your previous month’s progress, etc
The other great thing about this is, it’s MUCH more affordable than hiring a personal trainer at your local gym, and in my (admittingly biased) opinion, much more effective.
Hourly rates for an *average* personal trainer start at $60 / session on the low end (I currently charge about 3x that)… so working with a PT a couple of times per week, you’re looking at LEAST $500++ per month in most parts of the country. Probably closer to $1000.
But with this program, I can get you BETTER results, in less time, working from the comfort of your own home / garage / backyard.
If we connect and it turns out to be a fit, for just $199.
Again, we HAVE to connect prior to you signing up, to make 100% sure it’s a fit. I will not consider signing you up until we touch base for a call.
But if you’re interested, the first step is to fill out the form linked below: http://bit.ly/1RTPFwT
Then I’ll review your app, and get back with you ASAP!
Thanks –
– Forest Vance Owner, FVT Boot Camp and Personal Training Master of Science, Human Movement Level 2 Certified Russian Kettlebell Certified Personal Trainer Certifed Performance Enhancement Specialist Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach ForestVance.com ForestVanceTraining.com
