Have you ever looked at high intensity athletes such as martial artists (MMA Fighters), track stars, gymnasts, etc, and wonder how and why they have a physique like that of a bodybuilder posing at the night of their showing?  You see 6-pack abs, ripped muscles, and basically just a lean mean fighting machine? 

These high intensity athletes are not freaks of nature (well, some of ‘em are), but more or less people who have truly maximized their genetic potential through High Intensity Training.  Whether it is their profession or a passion, you can see across the board the effects of their training.  One class of high intensity athletes are martial artists such as MMA (Mixed Martial Artists) Fighters. 

GSP http://www.sportsbettingandcasino.com/files/2008/01/georges-st-pierre.jpg

As of late, you have seen the explosion of MMA into the mainstream affecting everything from clothing lines, media, pay-per-view, haircuts (kidding), etc.  But when you look at how these high intensity athletes train, it is amazing.  There is something to be said about the energy demands and requirements for this type of training.  This form of training is anaerobic (without oxygen) in nature and has what we call an “afterburn” effect aka EPOC (Excess Post Oxygen Consumption).  Unlike traditional cardio aerobic programs where you stop burning once you stop your exercise, anaerobic exercise keeps on going for hours afterwards thus maximizing fat loss!  It is the Energizer Bunny of fat loss! Keeps going and going and going… 

BJ Penn http://www.newzealandmma.com/home/images/photos/bjpenn.jpg    

Manny Pacquiao http://hibachibaby.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/manny-pacquiao.jpg

Although many cannot handle the actual intensity of how hard Martial Artists truly train, you can still get involved in high intensity training starter programs and maximize the benefits from it.  As you progress, you can increase the workload and change up the routine to accommodate your progressions.

So how many calories can you burn?  Well, let me just say that your body composition determines that.  Obviously if you are heavier, your energy demands are greater.  For example, did you know that you can burn up anywhere from a low end of 300-600 calories OR 800-1200 calories per hour of boxing training?  Those numbers are dependent upon the body mass of the individual.   But before you get excited about your fat loss journey, keep in mind most people CANT go for an hour of boxing let alone 15 minutes.  Now remember, boxing is one format of a high intensity exercise.  You are missing the point here if you start buying gloves and a heavy bag.  I’m talking about high intensity training and using martial artists as an example.  Look at the example below demonstrating high intensity vs traditional cardio training below:

-       154 pound person who runs at a pace of 8 mph will burn 320 calories in 20 minutes. That same person, walking at 3 mph for an hour, will burn 235 calories.

Now take that into your training protocol and you will see that you do NOT have to train for an hour.  Train Smarter not just harder. 

The Strong and Sexy bootcamp program with Element 5 Fitness has incorporated this form of training into their programming.  All over the Eastside clients are experiencing fat loss with this type of training.  From 25-50+ pounds of fat loss, you may wonder why participants at the Strong and Sexy Bootcamp classes are experiencing this phenomenon.  Well, if you were paying attention to the paragraphs above then you would know why!

I have included some of the sample workouts below that were incorporated in our Strong and Sexy Bootcamps classes.  This is a 30 second format PER exercise.  You cycle through the three exercises one after another WITHOUT rest.  The only real rest you will probably get is a 5 second transition between stations. 

30 second format EACH exercise EQUALS ONE SET:

-       Bench Press OR Band Punches 30 seconds

-       Reverse Lunge with Band Row

-       Jump Rope OR explosive cardio format

Repeat these exercises 4 or 5 times through!  That itself covers a quick six to seven and a half minutes!  Once you combine 3 – 4 formats of this type of training, you will have covered at least 20-30 minutes of a high intensity type of training. 

If you dare, try this format and adjust the intensity and tempo to get a killer workout!  Welcome to the FITNESS WARRIOR LIFESTYLE!!!

Yours in health,

Belton