Nothing draws a bigger laugh from fitness professionals than those infomercials advertising all sorts of weird exercise contraptions that promise “6-pack abs in only 3 minutes a day!” Currently, my personal favourite tool is the Ab Circle Pro, seen here in action:
What I love best is when Johnny Voiceover points out, “Best of all, it’s fun, easy and takes only 3 minutes a day! In fact, 3 minutes on the Ab Circle Pro is equivalent to 100 sit-ups.” Awesome. Not only does this exercise require no work, but it promises the same kind of results as one of the most ineffective abdominal exercises ever imagined. Where do I sign up!?
But wait, there’s more! Not only will this machine replicate 100 sit-ups, but it combines cardio with ab training to keep me in my fat burning zone. Sweet. The fat burning zone sounds exactly where I should be training. One small problem though; the fat burning zone has little to do with optimal fat loss and more to do with the nuances of metabolism.
Although exercise manufacturers love extolling the virtues of the fat burning zone, this zone simply corresponds to a range of exercise intensities where a greater percentage of energy needs are being met through fat metabolism, as opposed to carbohydrate metabolism. For most people, this is a rather pedestrian level of intensity corresponding to approximately 60-70% of your VO2max.
Romijn et al. 1993
As shown in the graph above, fat metabolism (muscle triglycerides + plasma FFA) comprise the greatest percentage of total calories at 65% of your VO2 max. However, total calories are burned at a much greater rate training at 85% of your VO2 max.
When it comes to trying to lose body fat, burning more calories than you ingest (and absorb) ultimately determines success. So although the term “fat burning” is accurate from a metabolism perspective, it tends to not be very useful from the “dropping fat from your midsection” perspective.
Unfortunately promotional trash like this makes everyone skeptical about short exercise interventions. Because most of us aren’t born suckers who think washboard abs are possible in only 3 minutes a day, we conclude the opposite: to get the body of our dreams, we need to spend hours on the treadmill. Sadly, this approach tends to be only marginally more effective than our three minutes a day on the Ab Circle.
For most people, long cardio sessions primarily accomplish two things:
- They make you hungry
- They make you injured
Not surprisingly, these outcomes tend to hinder long-term fat loss. Sure there are people who can lose weight through cardio alone (although whether they experience a meaningful change in body fat percentage is open for debate), but for most people long duration cardio just doesn’t appear to be all that effective, or enjoyable.
So why bother with cardio at all? Because apart from cardio’s obvious benefit to your heart, the right kind of cardio training is still be a huge aid to fat loss.
One of the “newest” trends to hit the fitness industry is the idea of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). I say “new” because like most training ideas, this one has been proven effective for thousands of years but it has become new and fashionable due to the efforts of a few researchers and the media building it into a current phenomenon, but I digress.
Unlike steady-state cardio, which often has you plodding along for 30-90 minutes, HIIT typically involves work intervals of 20-60 seconds, followed by anywhere from 10 seconds to 4 minutes of rest, repeated 4-8 times. The beauty of HIIT workouts are that they are brief, burn fat likes it’s nobody’s business and produce far fewer repetitive stress injuries than steady state work. The downside is that these workouts are HARD. But nothing worthwhile in life is free, so accept the fact that to lose some body fat, it’s going to take some work.
To help you get started with HIIT, here are three simple programs. Find one that works for you, then repeat 2-3 times per week for best results.
Track Sprints
- Warm up with some light jogging and gradual accelerated sprints for 5-8 minutes
- Perform some light stretching, emphasizing quads, hamstrings, calves and hip
- Run 200 m as fast as you can (takes generally takes 25-35 seconds), then walk for 2 minutes to cool down
- Repeat 6-8 times total
Judging by the amount of chubby sprinters you see walking around, clearly sprint training is extremely effective for producing fat loss. As an added bonus, sprinting is one of the best activities for both hamstrings and glute development.
Tabata Burpees
(A tabata protocol is one that involves 20 seconds work: 10 seconds rest)
- Perform as many burpees as you can in 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds
- Repeat this sequence for 4 minutes; build up until you can go continuously for 7-8 minutes
- Once your push-ups fail, you may switch over to squat jumps
Tabata-style exercise can be done with any compound movement. Squats, kettlebell swings, sledgehammer work, farmers walks… you are only limited by your imagination and tolerance for pain. 
Rowing Machine
- Warm up with 1000 m of light-moderate rowing
- Perform 250 m rowing as fast as possible (takes about a minute)
- Recover for about 2 minutes
- Repeat 4-6 times
- Vomit (just kidding, but not really)
- If you are a sadist, try 500 m of rowing, with 3 minutes of rest
Spin bikes can also work for hard intervals: jack the resistance way up and aim for a work interval of about 30 seconds. Since blood tends to pool in the legs, you should continue spinning at a light intensity during your rest break to help pump blood back to your heart.
Overall, high-intensity interval training tend to work great for anyone whose progress has stalled or for those who want dramatic fat loss in the shortest possible time. Regardless of what high-intensity interval program you choose, all involve only 3-6 minutes of actual work per workout. This may not seem like much, until you try them and you wonder if your heart was always at the back of your throat.
Remember, although washboard abs can’t really be built in only 3 minutes a day, 3 minutes can do a heck of a lot to radically transform your physique. Focus on working smarter, not working longer and you’ll hit your goals in record time.
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I like this blog entry … A LOT … because it arrived right when I needed it! After some research yesterday I finally found a label for my fitness struggle – I am “skinny-fat”. I was actually going to write to ask if you had info about how to fight this particular beast so the info above “When it comes to trying to lose body fat, burning more calories than you ingest ultimately determines success”. I always thought “how could I love overall body fat without doing hours of cardio?” and though common sense, the “Focus on working smarter, not working longer” was the feedback I needed
Thanks Graeme!
p.s. What are your thoughts on fat burning supplements like Hydroxycut, Slimquick and Xenadrine? Helps the cause or dangerous?
Good stuff. I’ve also wanted to “use the momentum of gravity”
Fat burners can help or hinder, it really depends on who is using them and for what purpose. Many fat burners operate by stimulating sympathetic nervous system activity. Basically they crank up your heart rate and metabolic rate. Keep in mind that humans aren’t designed for 24/7 nervous system stimulation, so this clearly can be dangerous.
Unfortunately, too often you see people use them as a primary fat loss tool. Sadly, these same people have yet to develop the proper eating and training habits for long-term leanness. Obviously, fat burner misuse in this sense is a recipe for disaster. Once you stop taking them, the weight comes flooding back. Not only that, but using any kind of stimulant for long periods of time downgrades your receptors – meaning you need a larger and larger dose to get the same kind of effect.
Fat burners should really only be used by someone who is already quite fit (i.e. can handle an additional cardiac stressor), for a short period of time and in conjunction with a rapid fat-loss diet and exercise program designed primarily for aesthetic purposes. Basically, they should be just one small component of a total lifestyle focus on fat loss. Keep in mind this still doesn’t make burners healthy, but helps minimize any potential long-term damage you might be doing to your body.
Hope this helps!
Points noted! Will put down the bottles of fat burners … and the sugar (because I am addicted to it like crack as per your other blog entry) … and will pick up the weights!
Graeme I have a request for your next blog post. Can you do an appraisal of the new broccoli ad campaign? Is this to become the “Got Milk” of the new decade?
Awesome site. Gives me the motivation to lose weight this year. Will be visiting again. I want to look slim for the beach!
Sounds good Larraine and I like that goal! As we get closer to beach season, I’ll be putting out more and more direct fat loss tips and strategies so definitely stay tuned.
I was studying something else about this on another blog. Interesting. Your position on it is diametrically opposed to what I read in the first place. I am still contemplating over the various points of view, but I’m tipped to a great extent toward yours. And regardless, that’s what is so superb about modern democracy and the marketplace of thoughts online.
Resources like the one you mentioned here will be very useful to me! I will post a link to this page on my blog. I am sure my visitors will find that very useful.
That is the beauty of online discourse, that dissenting opinions can be voiced. In my experience, as well as what is being shown in the research is that brief periods of high intensity work do seem more effective for fat loss, for most people. Some people can lose fat from long duration work, but the quickest way to do is almost always through greater intensity, as opposed to increased duration.
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Great article, thank you. I am very interested in finding a diet that lowers my sugar intake. I currently have a sweet-tooth, and am finding it difficult to find meal plans, what to eat for snacks, etc. While diabetes is not something that runs in my family, I am still concerned and would like to be smart and take a proactive approach to my health.
It’s good that you are taking a proactive approach. Learning as much as you can is always a great way to start.