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If it is already boring to realise the long hours you spend at the gym aren’t making you any thinner, it is even worse when you see you have gained some pounds even when training all the time.

The worse hypothesis was proved by South Wales University, in Australia. The research, conducted by Doctor Steve Boucher, compared two groups of 45 women in their 20s who were all a bit overweight.

The women on one of the groups worked with short but high intensity training sessions. On spinning, for example, they lost about 5,5lb in a 15-weeks time. The women on group 2 trained for 40 minutes (twice as much as the ones from the first group), cycling at a regular, continuous speed. Those gained 1lb during that same period.

Another research, this time from West Scotland University, compared the results shown by the quick and intense weight training versus the traditional programs, which tend to last much longer and work with moderate strength. Fifty seven teenagers were part of the study and it was concluded that the second training takes seven times longer to burn the same amount of fat.

Researchers from the Waikato Institute of Technology and Auckland University, in New Zealand, analysed 22 studies on the same theme. They’ve realised that fat loss is up to twice bigger in the high intensity activities. Meaning, it is much better to workout heavily for a short period of time (about 20 minutes or so), instead of training for longer with less intensity.

The longer and more moderate workout sessions may cause weight gain because the person is much hungrier after the training is over, which means we tend to exaggerate on food without realising.



Hungrier
Scientists from Munich University, in Germany, suggests it is all GHRH’s fault – a hormone that arouses the hunger feeling in our brains. They have identified that the secretion of this hormone increases a lot when we make long-duration activities. If your weightlifting training time is shorter, GHRH levels keep the same – which means you don’t feel you have to eat the whole supermarket after exercising.

High intensity interval training burns much more fat than the one in which you stay hours on the treadmill in moderate activity. The dispute as to what kind of training burns more fat is not new. Up to not so long ago, the answer was different: exercising moderately and for longer periods was the answer for getting fit. They explained that with the fact that body fat is a source for lower energy, so it would be necessary to train more and with less intensity in order to use it as fuel.

During the high intensity activities, fat is also mobilized, but to a lesser extent when compared to carbohydrates. Even so, the total fat burn is bigger, says Mauro Guiselini, a PhD in Physical Education in USP (a Sao Paulo University). 

The strategy for training to exhaustion is to balance activity and rest. Nobody can stand exercising hard for a long time. The advantage is that the fat burning continues for longer during the post-exercise period, according to Guiselini.



How should I train, after all?
Opt for interval training sessions, which combines less time at the gym but lots on intensity on the movements - in this case you reach your limits. The last repetition should be hard to do it. Opt for strength-training with less repetitions and more weight. It should never be easy.

The same applies to the cycling, jogging and running. I would say a good tip is to cycle or jog for 40 seconds very rapidly (to your limits, remember) followed by a 20-second rest. Repeat the cycle  about 10 or 20 times. The ideal is to speak to a professional you trust on and as him / her to help you with the start. Then just follow when the professional says and go for it!

It is also very important to say that the base training done on the first months (when you first start visiting the gym, for example) is essential. When you build a good base, you develop a solid and articulated muscle structure – which means the chances of you getting hurt are much lower. After the first couple of months, you may start a more intense interval training.

Always talk to a Physical Education professional so you have your weight training made according to your necessities and body. See you next time!