It is no mystery that weight loss is one of the most common training goals. While there are endless formats and training styles in the fitness industry, Alwyn Cosgrove’s hierarchy of fat loss outlines the most effective ways to reduce fat. Understanding this hierarchy will help you succeed with your weight loss goals:
- Nutrition
You can’t out-train a poor diet. It is impossible to lose weight unless you create a caloric deficit (more calories burned than consumed). For healthy, sustainable weight loss, you must also stay hydrated and consume a proper intake of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Using “Less is More” is a perfect tool for creating sustainable nutritional habits that can lead to healthy fat loss. Meet with one of our registered dietitians to find more about our “go-to” weight loss strategies.
- Exercise or activities that burn calories, elevate metabolism, and promote muscle mass
Your RMR (resting metabolic rate) is where you burn most of your calories. Increasing muscle mass and engaging in activities that increase metabolism will maximize RMR and therefore burn more calories throughout the day. Essentially, you have to work your muscles hard in order to get the highest calories burn.
At One on One, we use metabolic resistance training (weighted exercises, group classes, circuit training) to get the muscles working the hardest, elevate EPOC, and burn the most calories. This type of training can be seen in many different variations, including High Intensity Anaerobic Interval Training (HIIT) which allows you to train in a short period of time with limited rest between sets while burning the most calories.
- Exercise or activities that burn calories and elevate metabolism
This training still involves creating EPOC and burning a significant number of calories during your workout. Depending on your fitness level, this training might still challenge you to the best of your abilities.
At One on One, we generally use interval training on cardio machines (High Intensity Aerobic Interval Training). Going for a hard run or bike (Steady State High Intensity Aerobic Training) are also good options to accomplish this level of training.
- Exercise or activities that burn calories, but might not elevate metabolism
Going for a long easy run or bike (Steady State Low Intensity Training), recreational activities, and NEAT are all great ways to add to your burned calories in a day. If you can find time for any of these, that caloric deficit can become much more attainable!
If weight loss is your goal, use this hierarchy as a guide. From an exercise perspective, metabolic resistance training is most effective. But remember, regardless of how you exercise, you can’t out-train a poor diet!
Sources
Cosgrove, A. (2007, April 11). The Hierarchy of Fat Loss.
