Working Out Harder,
Not Getting Results?
By Dr. Rick
Kattouf II
More
Intensity, Less Results?
Body
transformation; it's something many individuals are striving for. Body fat
loss, weight loss, increase muscle mass, improve overall health and fitness, improved
athletic performance, etc., are just some of the goals individuals set for
themselves. As a result of setting such goals, the mindset of "more is
better", is often adopted. On the surface, it almost seems to make sense,
right? Want to lose body fat? Then just work out harder/more intense! This
seems like a very reasonable approach. But, in the famous words of ESPN's
College Game Day, Lee Corso, "not so fast!" When it comes to working
out, can more intensity lead to less results? Absolutely; this can easily
become the reality (and a frustrating reality). In order to understand how and
why this can happen, we want to dive into some basic principles of human
physiology. Before we get into such details, in no way does this mean that we
have to work out easier, not even close. When it comes to achieving body
transformation and athletic goals, it's not a matter of working out easier
versus harder; rather, it's all about working out smarter. There is a big
difference between working out smarter and working out easier/less intense.
Let's take a look at workout intensity in terms of anaerobic and aerobic
metabolism.
Anaerobic
metabolism is the
creation of energy from the breakdown of carbohydrates when oxygen is not available.
This is when the respiratory rate is very high and the lungs cannot pump enough
oxygen into the bloodstream. The demand of oxygen from the muscles is too high
and this is why anaerobic metabolism is utilized during very short bursts of
activity. During anaerobic metabolism, fuel sources like glycogen and glucose
cannot be broken down and as a result, high amounts of lactic acid
enter the blood stream. When lactic acid attacks the muscles, they stop
contracting and muscle function is greatly reduced. Hence, the human body has
to slow significantly or come to a complete stop in order to reset. And this is
why, when lactic acid builds up too quickly in the body, our
performance is greatly reduced.
Aerobic
metabolism is the
creation of energy from the breakdown of mainly fats & carbohydrates. Aerobic
metabolism is much more efficient as compared to anaerobic metabolism.
For example, one molecule of glucose can produce 39 molecules of ATP (adenosine
triphosphate; think of this as energy) during aerobic metabolism. But, during
anaerobic metabolism, one molecule of glucose can only produce 3 molecules of
ATP. And, it is this adenosine triphosphate that helps to fuel the muscles.
Once we start to exceed 90% of our maximum heart rate, we start to
switch from aerobic metabolism… Into anaerobic metabolism (which is much less
efficient). Keep in mind, when we go all out (anaerobic) we can
only sustain this for a few seconds and up to a maximum of approximately
2 minutes. At this point, lactic acid builds up so much that the
muscles cannot contract and the body has to come to a halt. The body now
has to recover and reset before it can start back up again.
Working
out smart is all about working out in the proper, aerobic heart rate zones, in
order to build the most efficient system possible. As mentioned above, aerobic
metabolism is much more efficient as compared to anaerobic metabolism. And
again, in no way does this mean that individuals have to work out easy/low
intensity. Now, with that being said, when individuals start to work out smart
and follow the proper heart rate zones, sure, it may in fact feel very easy and
low intensity at first. Why is this? Well, the answer is simple; it means that
the individual is not very efficient at this stage in terms of their personal fitness,
and that is okay. We are going to work on this and improve efficiency.
We have to
keep in mind, the key to body transformation success is not a matter of how
hard/how fast/how intense we can work out. Rather, it's a matter of how
hard/how fast/how intense we can work out… At the lowest heart rate
possible. That’s the key phrase, at the lowest heart rate
possible. Simply working out at an extremely high intensity is not
going to result in the body transformation goals we desire especially if the
heart rate is extremely high (we are not maximizing fat burning). There is a
"metabolic cost" to our workout intensity. And the goal is to keep
this metabolic cost as low as possible in order to get maximum benefit. When we
just simply go all out, drive that heart rate up super high, there is a big
metabolic cost to this. And remember, the anaerobic metabolism is not nearly as
efficient as aerobic metabolism. In addition, individuals who have not yet
built the necessary efficiency, are putting themselves at increased risk for
overtraining, injury, delayed recovery, fatigue, etc., when they workout at a
heart rate that is too high.
As we
continue to work out smart and become more and more efficient, the results
become nothing shy of mind-bending. There is no better sign of increased
fitness than being able to work out at a very high effort and intensity,
but at the same time, maintain low heart rate zones (your heart is working less
hard, but at the same time, moving the body at a fast rate). This is the
concept that we want to grasp. Just think about what just happened here. We can
work out at a very, very high effort and intensity but at the same time, be able
to keep the heart rate low; this is unbelievable! This is the key to success
when it comes to improving overall fitness and achieving body transformation
success. This is all about building a very strong and stable foundation, much
like building a house. In order to build a great house, we have to first build
a very strong and stable foundation, right? But all too often, when it comes to
fitness and body transformation, individuals tend to skip steps and they want
to build that roof (anaerobic metabolism) before they've built an extremely
strong and stable foundation (aerobic metabolism).
Working
out smart has been the backbone of TeamKattouf®
Coaching & Training from day 1. Whether we are working with a
professional athlete, an individual that is morbidly obese or someone in
between, proper heart rate training is the key to success. What are some of the
signs of increased cardiac efficiency? One of the main things you will notice
is this; you will be able to work out longer, harder and faster at the same or
lower heart rate. When you see this happen, look out; because you will have
achieved a fitness level you may have never dreamed of before. When we can
teach the heart to beat as slow as possible but at the same time, move the body
as fast as possible; that is the dynamic we are looking to achieve by working
out smart.
I think
most individuals would agree that they want to get the biggest return possible
on their investment of time when it comes to their workouts. Individuals are very
busy and therefore, they want to make the absolute most of their workout time.
Well, it's as easy as monitoring your heart rate during each and every workout.
All too often, individuals look back at their workouts and realize how intense
their workouts have been and their heart rate has been very high. In addition,
they are scratching their head because they do not understand how this super
high intensity/high heart rate during their workouts is not resulting in a
lighter and leaner physique. These individuals are not noticing
body transformation changes, despite the high effort, intensity and high heart
rates that they have been working out at. While there are many factors that
lead to this (nutrition, strength training, etc.), working out smart and
working out in the proper heart rate zones will be a huge step in the right
direction.
We have to
keep the following in mind; working out hard is easy. But working out smart
takes time, effort, energy, patience, focus, discipline and the ability to
delay gratification. So, if you have been putting in a great amount of workout
time and intensity and you are not achieving the body transformation goals you
desire, it may be due to the heart rate zones at which you are working out at.
Let’s start to switch the focus from harder workouts…to smarter workouts, in
order maximize body transformation results!
WORKOUT SMART, EAT RIGHT, GET RESULTS®!
Download
the TeamKattouf® Nutrition LLC app:
Rick
Kattouf II, O.D. is a 2x Best-Selling Author and Fitness & Nutrition expert
and has been named one of America’s PremierExperts® and one of the World
Fitness Elite® Trainers of the Year. Rick is a Sports Nutrition Specialist,
Heart Rate Performance Specialist, Master Personal Trainer & Triathlon
Coach. He has been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates around the country
as well as in the USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Ironman.com, Livestrong.com,
FIGHT! Magazine, Florida Cycling Magazine and The Independent in the UK. Rick
is the CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Inc, CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Nutrition
LLC, CEO/Founder of Virtual Gym LLC, Creator of TeamKattouf® Nutrition
Supplements, Host of Rx Nutrition, author of Forever Fit, Creator of 5-Round
Fury® Nutrition Supplement, 5-Round Fury Fitness® workout app, Creator of
Coach2CEO, Creator of Fuel Keeper®, Entrepreneur and Inspirational Speaker. Dr.
Rick has personally coached individuals in 30+ states and 10+ countries.
