Why is Energy Systems Training effective for fat loss? Part 1.
If you want to lose body fat fast, Energy Systems Training should serve a role in your training regimen! One fact that serves its purpose to this is that with Energy System Training (EST) there is no muscle tissue wasting. Actually, if performed properly, EST can act as a form of weight training. Just to clarify, I am not talking about spinning. If you are on a bike and pedaling faster than 70 RPM then you are not effectively performing Energy System Training.
The key to EST is the load/tension. The load, if heavy enough, causes a significant weight training response. Consequently, your muscle has to adapt to that load and achieve this training response (gain muscle, strength; lose fat, etc.). You will gain strength in this case by building muscle due to the time that the muscle is under tension. If you do not apply the principle of progressive overload (increasing the load or tension over time), you will just cause your body to locally store fat so that it can be utilized more effectively as energy to do the work. Your body is a smart one!
That is why it important to track your tension and RPM. We only use Monarch bikes here at the Laylor Performance Sysems. Energy system work should not be longer that 50 minutes. This is to prevent a negative testosterone/cortisol ratio, which is detrimental to fat loss because of the catabolic environment caused by elevated cortisol. In plain English, cortisol, a catabolic hormone, eats muscle tissue therefore causing a reduction in metabolism. Also, the caloric repayment/debt one has to pay after an EST workout is more than an aerobic workout. Let me make myself clear, if you are not creating metabolic tissue in your Energy System program, your efforts for fat loss will be compromised in the long run!
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