Should Your Workout Kick Your Ass?
Strength coach Sean Hyson (author of The Truth About Strength Training) argues you don't need punishing, exhausting workouts to lose fat. Diet does most of the work, and smart, sustainable training does the rest.
The myth of suffering
We want everything else in life to be easier, yet we judge workouts by how much they hurt. TV shows depict people crying on the floor, and best-selling programmes promise "insanity". The message: to look good, you have to feel terrible.
Exercise alone doesn't burn much
- Obesity researcher Eric Ravussin told the New York Times that exercise by itself is fairly useless for weight loss: it's easy to eat back what you burn, and hard exercise increases appetite.
- Per Mayo Clinic figures, an hour of high-impact aerobics burns about 530 calories for a 160 lb person, and few people can keep that pace for an hour. A modest chicken-and-rice dinner is roughly 385 calories.
- Exercise still matters: cardio uses fat for fuel, muscle raises your metabolic rate, and a 2009 study found women who exercised after losing weight regained less of it, and less around the waist.
- So eat smarter, not starvation-style. Be wary of diets promising more than about 1 lb a week; fast loss isn't all fat.
His five-step approach
He lost about 30 lb in 12 weeks while getting stronger, without dreading workouts:
- A realistic diet. About 12 calories per pound of body weight per day (around 2,100 for a 180 lb person), 1 g of protein per pound, 20% of calories from fat, and the rest from carbohydrates.
- Lift heavy. Squats, deadlifts and bench presses tell your body to keep its muscle while dieting. Keep main sets to about 5–8 reps. You're not lifting to burn calories, and long heavy sets when you're low on energy invite accidents.
- Rest properly. Heavy lifting taxes your nervous system; take 2–3 minutes between sets. Fast circuits have value, but as a short finisher with exercises that are safe when tired (kettlebell swings, rope slams).
- Go easy on jumping. Plyometrics (box jumps, clapping push-ups, bounding) are advanced athletic drills. For heavier beginners, the injury risk isn't worth it. They're mainly on TV because suffering is entertaining.
- Sprint uphill. Sprint up a fairly steep hill, walk down, and repeat for about 20 minutes. The incline protects your hamstrings. It's a form of HIIT that boosts conditioning and calorie burn. Walking on other days also helps recovery and burns extra energy, and it's actually pleasant.
See also
Summary of an article by Sean Hyson (c. 2013).