How to Become a Fat Burning Machine – Part II

In Part I of How to Become a Fat Burning Machine, we touched on metabolism and energy systems and how we can manipulate it to our advantage.  In Part II, we’ll actually lay out a program for you to follow.  Now keep in mind, when training to become a fat burning machine, you’re gonna have to stick to the game plan… and the game plan is LONG and BORING!  That’s just the way it is.  Only when you become efficient and things become easier will the runs be any fun.

At the beginning, they’re just long and slow and boring, but that’s the only way we can ensure that you’re building a solid aerobic base.  The better your aerobic base, the more oxygen you can utilize, the easier things get… and as if I haven’t already said it enough:  the easier things get, the more fat you’ll burn.

The Game Plan

Attached is a graph of my first ever metabolic assessment (at a time when I never did any cardiovascular training… I know, I know… I’m making excuses for a horrible showing). In Zone 1 (131-141bpm, low intensity) I am burning 5.3 calories from fat per minute and 9.9 calories total per minute. As my intensity gets harder, I burn less calories from fat but more calories overall.

Zone 2 (141-160bpm, moderate intensity) shows me burning 4 calories from fat and 12.5 calories total per minute.

Zone 3 (160-180bpm, high intensity) shows me burning only 2.9 calories from fat but 16.1 calories per minute overall. These zones represent a training intensity of 50% to 85% of my heart rate reserve (HRR). For your cardiovascular system to see any improvements, you must train within these intensities.

Not everyone has access to a metabolic assessment so the next best thing is to use the Karvonen formula to figure out your (HRR). By using your resting heart rate (RHR) and age, we’ll make this program as unique to you as possible. The formula is as follows:

HRR  = 220 – Age – RHR

Let’s say I have a 30 year old client whose RHR is 60bpm. Her HRR would be:

HHR = 220 – 30 – 60
HHR = 130bpm

To figure out her target heart rate (THR) at 50%:

THR = (HRR x .50) + RHR
THR = (130bpm x .50) + 60bpm
THR = 125bpm

And at 70%:

THR = (130bpm x .70) + 60bpm
THR = 151bpm

We now have the lower and upper ends of the target training zone at 50% and 70%. I used 70% instead of 85% because I want my client to ease into her cardio program. Setting lofty goals will only lead to failure and potentially giving up completely. Remember, you gotta learn how to crawl before you walk!  Subsequent programs will include higher intensities.

All we’re missing now is our moderate intensity zone which we’ll set at 60%. What would her THR at 60% be?

The Program

Now that we’ve figured out the THR for three different intensities, we need to set up the actual program.

I’ve included spaces for you to record your incline and speed for the purpose of monitoring your progress. If you track your speed you might notice on day 1 it took a level 4 speed to reach 125bpm. After 6 weeks of training, it might take you a level 6 to reach the same THR. Do you see what is happening? You’ve increased your cardiovascular efficiency and your capacity to do work. Pretty soon, your 10 minute per mile pace will become a 6 minute per mile pace, all while keeping the same heart rate! Does this make any sense? After several months of training, what you should see on your metabolic re-assessment is higher fat utilization in all Zones, with the ultimate goal being a straight line from your aerobic base to your anaerobic threshold.

An extreme example is Lance Armstrong. His metabolic assessment on a bike shows him utilizing nearly the same amount of fat in Zone 1 as he is in Zone 4/5. Now that’s what you call CARDIOVASCULAR EFFICIENCY! However, throw him on a treadmill and his efficiency is nowhere near the same levels. Because his training is primarily in cycling, he’s really really good at it which means it’s so easy for him that fat is utilized much more highly than if he were running. This is why you should stick with one modality. If you want to be a fat burning machine, do not mix biking with running with swimming. Pick one and stick with it.  Didn’t I say it was gonna be boring?

After you complete this 6 week program, you should retake your RHR. If you’ve kept up with the program, your RHR should actually be lower. Using your new RHR, create a new 6 week program with higher target training zones. Eventually, you’ll start to introduce intervals and sprints into your program which will train your anaerobic threshold. Once you get to this point, your workouts will be more fun.

Guestimate to Your Advantage, Eat What You Want

I am definitely not a calorie counter but if you are, you should stop.  You’re just gonna drive yourself nuts.  But if you insist, then this is how you can use it to your advantage:

Using my own metabolic assessment, I can estimate the amount of fat calories and total calories I am expending. In my Zone 1, if I am burning 5 fat calories per minute and 10 total calories per minute, that would equate to 300 fat calories and 600 total calories on day 1 (60 min cardio sesh). Considering that a slice of pizza might be 300-500 calories, are you willing to sacrifice 60 minutes doing cardio to eat a slice? (I do it all the time, pizza… not cardio).

Obviously, if you are more efficient than I am, then you’ll be burning more calories.  I’m only giving you this as an example.  The only way to know how many calories you’re burning per minute is by getting a metabolic assessment.

For your reference:

• Weight loss is contingent on calories in versus calories out. You consume more than you expend, you gain weight. You expend more than you consume, you lose weight.
• 3500 calories = 1lb.
• Protein = 4 calories/gram
• Carbs = 4 calories/gram
• Fat = 9 calories/gram
• Alcohol = 7 calories/gram (so lay off the liquid diet!)
• You can safely lose 1-2lbs. per week
• Shoot for a deficit of 500 calories per day if you’re looking to lose weight.
• A combination of cardio and dieting to achieve this 500 calorie deficit is much easier than trying to burn 500 calories through working out or depriving yourself of 500 calories through dieting.

So let’s recap…

• Get yourself a heart rate monitor. Do you really need one? No, but it just makes things easier. Since we are focusing on heart rate training, we’ll need a way to monitor it (and no, holding onto the heart rate monitors is not accurate because it actually slows your heart rate down).
• Pick one modality and stick with it. If you’re gonna run, run. If you’re gonna bike, bike. Don’t mix up your modalities. Unlike strength training, you don’t want to confuse your body. Confusion won’t make you efficient at burning fat. Keep with one modality and be really good at it. Remember, the easier it is, the more fat is used as an energy resource…blah, blah, blah.
• Be consistent. Again, I can’t stress this enough… the more you do it, the easier it becomes and the easier it becomes, the more fat you’ll burn…blah, blah, blah.

Aaaannnnnnddd…. we’re done!  But let me leave you with this one last bit of advice:

CARDIO IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR STRENGTH TRAINING, EVEN IF YOU’VE BECOME THE FAT BURNING MACHINE YOU’VE SET OUT TO BE!!

You might get thinner, but without muscle, all you really are is SKINNY FAT!

Oxymoronic?  Not at all.  We’ll save that for another day though…

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