Will Playing Basketball work for Fat loss?
October 23, 2008
Basketball for weight loss
By Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com
ANSWER: I just plugged basketball into my calories burned calculator and it says that if you weigh 185 pounds, moderate basketball (full court game play) burns 839 calories per hour. Moderate basketball (non-game) is 528 calories per hour. I’m guessing “non-game” means either half court or just casual play with your buddies.
Either way, 528-839 calories burned per hour sounds like a good fat burner to me – especially the all-out, full court basketball. Don’t you agree?Basketball also gives you a wide variety of different physical challenges and intensity levels – running down the court, jumping, pivoting, shooting – and you said you enjoy it.
If you feel guilty when you finish your game, as if you didn’t burn enough, when the game is over, just run intervals up and down the court… do about 6-10 of them or until you yak. (just kidding).If I were to clarify my position on cardio training in my fat loss book today, I don’t think I would change my recommendations much. I’m a very strong proponent of exercise and becoming more active to burn fat rather than just cutting calories. However, I might change some of the language to make it clearer that fat loss is about BURNING calories and that your choices for HOW to burn them are virtually infinite.
The problem, in my opinion?
The word “aerobics” sets people off… especially the macho guys. There’s an instant emotional connotation carried in the word “aerobics, and it’s negative for many people. “Aerobics” is also usually a very narrow definition making for a fairly small list of choices.
I like the word “cardio” a little better, because it’s a little broader, but even “cardio” carries with it some pre-conceived notions and it’s unclear whether various types of “cardio” exercise are good fat burners.
Is basketball cardio? I suppose it depends on your definition.
Is basketball a good fat burner? Sure. But you might not think so if you were inflexible about how you define exercise and training.
What I would do if I wanted to most clearly define what makes a good fat burner, I’d recommend that you focus on:
“INCREASING ENERGY EXPENDITURE” (BURN MORE!)
This description leaves the choice of activity up to your own personal interpretation and personal preference.
Is 500 to 800 calories per hour a lot of energy to expend? You bet. Better still is the fact that you enjoy it. I know, I know, everyone wants to be told EXACTLY what to do; how many minutes, what intensity, what type, what heart rate, blah, blah, blah, and gurus are infamous for being dogmatic about their systems as the “best way” or “only way.” But what if Dan loves basketball and Tom loves the Stepmill and Joe loves to jog and Kyle likes calisthenics and John likes kettlebells and Suzy likes kickboxing? Then what?
By changing your language and focusing on increasing “energy expenditure” (Burning more), that should change your conception of what efficient fat burning exercise is.
DEFINITION OF GOOD FAT BURNING EXERCISE =
High # of total calories burned/expended
DEFINITION OF GREAT FAT BURNING EXERCISE =
High # of total calories burned/expended and high # expended per unit of time
DEFINITION OF WHOOP-ASS FAT BURNING EXERCISE =
High # of total calories burned and high # burned in a short period of time and you love doing it! It’s play time!
Fat oxidation and excess post exercise energy expenditure and all that other scientific stuff (that I could bore you to death talking about) does matter, but your primary focus should be on:
1) Burning as many calories as you can in the time you have.
2) Finding something you like to do.
3) Focusing on RESULTS above all else… Is your body fat decreasing or not?Last, but not least, don’t forget that optimal fat loss is achieved with a three-part approach including nutrition, weight training and “cardio” training. I’m not saying that basketball should replace your strength training. I’m suggesting that basketball or other sports can be a perfectly viable alternative to traditional aerobics or cardio if they’re high energy cost activities.
Using my new definition for fat burning exercise should help lift the fog of confusion that has been created by only defining fat burning exercise as”aerobics” or “cardio.”
The word “Aerobics” is somewhat restrictive in scope and definition. The possibilites for “expending energy” are endless.So now, go forth and BURN THE FAT… however you choose to do it… just do it!
Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.comPS. By the way, you don’t see a lot of fat jiggling around the court in the NBA do you?
About the Author:
7 Weight Loss Transformation Secrets
September 9, 2008
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Millions of men and women want to lose weight because they are sick of their
excess body fat and low energy levels. If that sounds like you, then you
need to join the Turbulence Training weight loss transformation contest.
There’s already been some powerful, emotional stories told in fitness
magazines, and folks from all over the world are helping one another to
finally change their bodies. Your weight loss transformation is going to be
an amazing 12 weeks. So I thought this would be the best time to give you my
Top 7 Transformation Tips to help you lose more weight in the next 12 weeks.
Here are my Top 7 Transformation Secrets that you can use to burn fat from
all over your body with Turbulence Training.
Tip #1) Clean out the pantry
One of the biggest pitfalls in a weight loss program is added sugar and
mindless snacking (especially between getting home from work and dinner).
Get rid of the junk. Toss it. Better the garbage can eats it than you do.
Tip #2) Stop doing slow boring cardio
Increase the intensity of your workouts and switch to interval training. And
yes, even beginners can do interval training when using the metabolism-
boosting short, burst workout system.
Tip # 3) Use professionally designed, structured workouts such as my
Turbulence Training Workouts that have been featured in Men’s Health magazine
You should be in and out of your short, burst workouts in less than 45
minutes, three times per week. On the other 4 days of the week, stay active,
getting at least a 30-minute walk in each day.
Tip #4) Set up home gym with ball, bench, and adjustable dumbells
That’s all you need. If you are feeling frisky, you can add a pull-up bar to
your home gym.
But to change your body, you only need a little bit of equipment at home.
You don’t need an expensive gym membership or one of those colossal home
gyms, or even a pricey bowflex.
Your body doesn’t discriminate on price. It simply responds to the
turbulence training you put on your body, and you can do that on the cheap.
Tip #5) Use short, burst Bodyweight Circuits at home instead of using cardio
machines.
Choose 3 lower body exercises and 3 upper body exercises. Alternate between
upper and lower body bodyweight exercises. Watch my youtube video on circuit
training for more details.
Tip #6) Plan, shop, and prepare your food
Finding the right nutrition program is CRITICAL to success, and so is
planning. You can’t out-train a bad diet, but you can out-plan bad habits.
So invest 2 hours on the weekend to prepare as many of your fat burning
meals as possible for the week ahead.
Tip #7) Get Social Support
This is the most important Weight Loss Secret that no one pays attention to.
But the bottom line is…you can’t do this on your own.
You need support from others to stick to your workouts, to make the right
diet choices day-in and day-out and to have someone prop you up when you are
feeling down and also to “call you out” when you are feeling like cutting
corners.
Get social support on your side today with help from Turbulence Training.
Put these 7 Secrets to use today and you can lose 14-30 pounds in 12 weeks
just like our past Transformation Contest Winners. And please refer your
friends to the contest. You’ll be supporting them and helping them change
their bodies & their lives.
I can’t wait to hear about your results in the Turbulence Training
transformation contest.
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
2 Cardio Mistakes You’re Still Making
May 31, 2008
www.BurnTheFat.com
REASON #1: NOT ENOUGH FOCUS ON TOTAL CALORIES BURNED
REASON #2: TOO MUCH FOCUS ON WHAT TYPE OF CALORIES BURNED
(B) A 30 minute, sweat-pouring, heart-pounding, lung-burning run?
The reason people still buy it is because the “fat burning zone” myth sounds so plausible because of two little science facts:
- The higher your intensity, the more carbs you burn during the workout
- The lower your intensity, the more fat you burn during the workout
It’s not that fat oxidation doesn’t matter, but what if you have a high percentage of fat oxidation but an extremely low number of calories burned?
If you really want to be in the “fat burn zone,” you could sit on your couch all day long and that will keep you there quite nicely because “couch sitting” is a really low intensity (“fat-burning”) activity.
HERE’S THE FAT-BURNING SOLUTION!
BUT WAIT – THERE IS MORE TO IT…
Incidentally, this is the exact reason that a few studies show that adding cardio or aerobic training to a diet “did not improve fat loss”: It’s not because the cardio didn’t work, it was because the researchers didn’t control for diet and the subjects ate more!!
It should go without saying that nutrition is the foundation on which every fat loss program is built.
Choose the combination of type, intensity, duration and frequency that suits your lifestyle and preferences the best, and WORK THE VARIABLES to get the fat loss results you want, but whichever cardio program you choose, remember that a solid fat burning nutrition program, such as Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle is necessary to help you make the most of it.
Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com
About the Author:
Wu Long Tea (oolong tea): Does it really help you lose weight?
May 31, 2008
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com
You’ve probably seen the advertisements:
“Drink wu long tea and lose a jeans size every 7 days!”…
“Burn 20 lbs of fat in 30 days with wu long tea!” …
Maybe you even watched Oprah a few years ago when Dr. Perricone said that switching your coffee for green tea would help you take off the pounds.
You may have also read or watched countless news stories which say how healthy it is to drink green tea. Read more
“Who else wants to lose 40 lbs of fat in just 12 weeks?”
May 29, 2008
“Who else wants to lose 40 lbs of fat in just 12 weeks?”
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This is the title of a new e-book that is now yours absolutely F R E E
if you’re one of the first 100 people to go to the web address below to
claim your copy!
I’ve negotiated a special deal with the publisher who’s willing to give it
away for a very limited time, with the hopes that they can get a little
feedback (optional) before they sell it on Amazon for $37.
Don’t wait, this book is incredible – it explains exactly what Julia
Iannuzzo did to lose 40 lbs of fat in less than 12 weeks … and how
YOU can achieve the same.
Wait. It gets even better….jpg)
Interested in achieving lean, firm, fat-burning muscle? Then you’ll
definitely want to check out Jamin May’s e-book as well!
It too will be selling for $37 soon, but for a limited time, IF YOU ACT
FAST, you can get it absolutely f ree by going to the web address above!
It’s jam-packed with the exercises and truly awesome techniques that
will help you get the best possible results in the shortest amount of time.
Here’s that link again for your 2 f ree e-books – you will LOVE them:
And after you claim your 2 f ree e-books, you’ll learn how you can
receive their award-winning Online Fitness Program for only $1!
That’s not a misprint, you’ll receive extremely effective diet plans,
workout routines, fitness tracking software, instructional videos, and
so much more for only ONE DOLLAR!!
But whether you want their program for $1 or not, definitely hurry to
claim your 2 f ree e-books NOW before they’ve given them all away!
Fat Burners: The Unadulterated Truth
May 26, 2008
Fat Burners: The Unadulterated Truth
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com
If you’ve paid any attention at all to the weight loss industry, chances are you’ve probably heard about some kind of fat burner supplements. The ads that promote these fat burners usually have a very lean model, often with a six-pack claiming incredible fat loss success. These companies would like you to believe that the only way to guarantee fat loss progress is by supplementing your diet with one of their “miracle pills,” and that it is not so much a matter of proper nutrition and hard work.
While I won’t dismiss the fact that there are some ingredients in some “fat burner” products that might help a little bit, I take great displeasure in seeing those kinds of misleading headlines as well as the misleading use of models who are often paid to endorse the product even though they may never have even used it (they’re just models!)
Many “fat burner” companies have been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising, false claims and falsifying before and after photos.
Just so you know those numbers arent something I just pulled out of thin air, lets take an example:
- walk your dog for 15 minutes
- three times a day, walk for 5 minutes at normal casual pace
- 30 minutes of ironing
- bagging leaves and grass clippings for 14 minutes
- re arrange your furniture for 10 minutes
- wash your car, 15 minutes
- vacuuming for 15 minutes
- 7.2 minutes of walking up stairs (could be spread throughout the day)
Ah yes, but why move your body when you can take the pill and metabolism increases while you sit and watch TV? How about for your health? A body that is not moved, rots away. Unlike a car which only has so many miles on it and wears out from over-use, people are the only “machines” on earth that fall apart from under-use.
Here’s what any good personal trainer will always tell you: No amount of calorie restriction or pill-popping will ever give you FITNESS. It willl never give you STRENGTH. it will never get you MUSCULARITY. It will never give you FUNCTIONALITY. At best it will help you reduce body mass slightly.
On one hand, I’m tempted to say that everything counts and that yes, 75 calories here, and 75 calories there, it ALL adds up, because it does. After you’re exercising regularly and all your fundamentals are in place, details and little things do matter.
I’m simply asking you to put the benefits of any fat burners in proper perspective and realize that (1) there is no “need” for taking them and (2) the claims made in the ads are often erroneous or exagerrated.
1. NEVER buy a fat burner unless you get independent verification of the claims made for the product.
2. Put it in perspective
3. See if there are any side effects or health warnings.
4. Read the label and see if the product contains enough active ingredient to even work.
5. Proprietary blend scam.
Some companies, DONT LET YOU SEE how much ingredient is in the product formula, because it contains multiple ingredients and they say their formula is a “trade secret” aka “proprietary”, so they list WHAT is in the product but not HOW MUCH. If you don’t know how much is in there then how are we (the consumers) supposed to get independent confirmation of the facts and analyze whether this product is any good?
6. Make sure there is human research, not just rodent research.
7. Look for more than one human study.
Actually, I think it’s a good thing that nutrition and supplement companies fund and sponsor some of the research. They should. They should not only back up their claims with published clinical trials, they should share some of the cost of this expensive research.
Do you REALLY need “more” than nutrition and exercise??????
Train hard and expect success,
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.BurnTheFat.com
Why Cardio Doesn’t Work for Fat Loss
May 21, 2008
Why Cardio Doesn’t Work for Fat Loss
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Cardio exercise is such a strange thing. In theory, it should work
so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has
tried it knows, the practicality of it just doesn’t add up.
After all, some men and women do cardio 6 hours, 9 hours, or more per week, and still have belly fat to burn. On the other hand, it works just fine for others.
British researchers wanted to get more insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren’t previously exercising.
(Reference: International Journal of Obesity 32: 177-184, 2008).
Subjects exercised 5 times per week for 12 weeks. That’s a lot of
exercise, but it helped the subjects lose an average of 8.2 pounds, which is great – I was positively surprised by the results.
So cardio will work for some people, however, in my experience, it works best in young men, who need the help the least!
Back to the study, the variance in fat loss between individuals was huge. Check this out…
The best subject lost a staggering 32.3 pounds in 12 weeks, while the worst subject actually GAINED 3.74 pounds.
The scientists think they know where things went sour. They
classified the subjects into 2 groups, called the “Compensators”
and the “Non-compensators”.
The Compensators were hungrier, and as a result consumed an extra 268 calories per day, all but wiping out their cardio efforts.
Therefore, the Compensators lost the least amount of weight, and scientists believe that was due to the huge “compensatory” increase in appetite experienced by this group.
Does your appetite increase when you do slow cardio? If it does,
research shows it will ruin your cardio efforts.
So if your cardio program is not working for you, check your
appetite and calorie intake to see if you are “compensating” for
your efforts. If you are, you might be better off using a program
of high-intensity resistance and interval training (i.e. Turbulence Training) for your weight loss efforts.
As Australian Professor Steve Boucher has shown in research,
interval training increases hormones called catecholamines. And
increased catecholamines can reduce appetite, among other fat-
burning benefits.
In the real world, few people lose 33 pounds after 12 weeks of
cardio. Heck, few even achieve an average weight loss of 8 pounds with aerobic exercise.
So again, check your appetite, and consider giving high-intensity
exercise a go for your next workout program.
Beat the curse of cardio with high-intensity Turbulence Training.
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author
Learn about the “Dark Side of Cardio” in the free report from Craig Ballantyne at www.TurbulenceTraining.com Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
