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Shake Up Your Fat Cells at Any Age with “Vitamin I”

I just returned from Arizona where I led a women’s health and fitness retreat. Most of the participants were frustrated and wanted to know why, despite regular exercise and healthy nutrition; they weren’t seeing their body fat change. After observing them work out, I concluded that they were “Vitamin I” deficient. What does that mean? I made it up when I wrote Body for Life for Women. Vitamin I is intensity. Without using intervals of intensity on a regular basis, those feminine fat cells won’t give up that fat fuel and let you slip into a smaller pair of jeans.

Intensity:

  1. Helps you burn calories more efficiently during and after your workout;

  2. Increases the fun of exercise while cutting the boredom of endless hours on workout equipment at the same slower pace;

  3. Increases your aerobic capacity and endurance while promoting fat loss;

  4. Reshapes your body, redistributing fat and toning muscle for the fittest look;

  5. Results in more fat loss in a shorter workout time than women who maintained the same moderate exercise level;

  6. Applies to both cardio as well as weight training.

Research has shown that women who train with intensity look like it. They’ve got more toned muscle and less fat, resulting in a leaner, fit-looking body. Intensity also helps override the powerful innate programming in a woman’s body to store fat that is so specific to a woman’s body. Adrenalin and growth hormone help to stimulate fat release. As women age, fat cell breakdown is more of a challenge. Intervals of intensity will get the fat release ball rolling.

Here’s what you need to know to start to incorporate intensity intervals into your training. First, here are the precautions:

  1. Anyone who is over the age of 40 and/or has any medical condition that may be affected by intensity (e.g. heart, lung, muscle/joint injury, etc) must first clear any such training through their physician. Moderate levels of exercise are perfectly fine and yield terrific results for health and wellness. Sometimes higher levels of intensity simply cannot be used.

  2. It is absolutely imperative and required that everyone who engages in interval training must first warm up at a low and then moderate intensity for no less than 10 minutes prior to starting an intensity interval.

  3. For people who are presently unfit (e.g. not regular exercisers and/or overweight or obese), it is essential that you begin very gradually. This means you engage in low and moderate levels of intensity for no less than 6-8 weeks prior to initiating intensity intervals. A fitness professional will help get you started.

  4. Intensity intervals in weight lifting must be initially supervised by a fitness professional. I will not address high intensity weight training techniques as this should always be created and guided by a professional.

  5. The elliptical trainer and stationary bike are the safest ways to practice intensity intervals. The treadmill requires more pounding and stress on weight bearing joints and the back, but is fine is the individual is already trained and comfortable with brisk walking and running.

Actual high intensity interval training used by athletes is pretty grueling. It involves first the warm up, then going all out at 100% of effort for 30 seconds, then resting at a low level of intensity for 4 minutes, repeating this cycle 4-8 times. I do my own adaptation of this which involves a much more gradual increase in intensity suited for beginners and non-athletes.

  1. Do a 10 minute warm up gradually moving from a baseline of lower intensity to moderate intensity;

  2. For the first interval, increase the intensity one level up by increasing the speed, resistance, or incline for 30-60 seconds;

  3. Bring down to your baseline moderate level of intensity for 3 minutes;

  4. Repeat the intensity interval and rest period again;

  5. If you feel that the increase of one level up doesn’t feel hard enough to cause you to sweat, increase one more level up (now you’re up 2 levels of intensity);

  6. Repeat this 3:1 interval cycle just twice for starters. Add another cycle every week or so until you’re comfortable with between 4-8 cycles.

You need to do cardio no less than five times per week. Try the interval training once per week as a start, working up to doing it three to four times per week. You may notice that over time, your baseline warm up levels may increase and your intensity levels will be higher. That means you’re achieving the training effect and improving strength and endurance. Take body size measurements before you begin your intensity interval training and watch the reshaping and toning take place. Get your body fat percentage measured and pay attention to that number, not just your weight. We’re talking about changing the quality of your body, not just the quantity.

Start today and reap the rewards of shaking up your fat cells with Vitamin I.

Related Topics:

  • Weight Loss & Fitness with Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP
  • Get the Weight Loss Wisdom and Fitness newsletters in your inbox weekly!

Labels: fitness, healthy lifestyle, intensity, Vitamin I

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 and is filed under Diet Club Consultations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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