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Old 12-08-07, 08:14 PM  
susan p
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Aerobic base building and OutSmarting the Midlife Fat Cell

I recently did a 6-week rotation of walking, wherein I walked 3 miles a day, 6 days a week (or approximately, anyway; my goal was to average 18 miles per week, sometimes I did it in five longer days rather than six shorter ones).

I LOVED it, I felt great, and at the end, when I popped in a Cathe, I expected to struggle a bit. But you know what happened? I SOARED through that workout! It was MUCH easier than it had been before my "easy" walking rotation! Wow.

Coincidentally, I was also re-reading Pamela Peeke's Fight Fat After Forty and Debra Waterhouse's Out-Smarting the Midlife Fat Cell.

I also came across some old saved links on aerobic base-building

(yes, this is all going to come together, hang on!)

I realized that my walking rotation had been, in effect, aerobic base building. I'd been doing 45-70 minute workouts at a very moderate pace. After six weeks, I had lost some weight and really made some significant increases in cardio capacity!

The theory behind aerobic base-building is that you TRAIN your body to burn fat most efficiently by doing only moderate aerobic workouts, and avoiding doing anaerobic workouts that train your body to burn carbohydrates instead. Debra Waterhouse proposes that in mid-life, you have to TRAIN your fat cells to release fat, because they are becoming much more resistant to letting it go.

Both ABB article and DW's book discuss the fact that at a cellular level, you develop more of the enzymes you need to burn/release fat by doing longer, more moderate workouts most days of the week.

I've always known about this, but rarely practiced it because as much as I like moderate cardio, I do always throw in at least one significantly tougher workout per week (or two) --either something hard-core like Cathe, or some intervals.

But just now, after unintentionally doing what was basically ABB, I'm thinking that wow, it seems as though that "training" of the enzymes and cells to release and burn fat really does work!

Anybody else do periodization that includes aerobic base-building? Have you noticed the same thing I did (increased cardio capacity, and weight loss without much diet change)?

I'm reading that you want to focus on ABB for 10-12 weeks at a time. I'm wondering what would happen if I focused on ABB for Jan/Feb/March, then focused did some tough cardio/weights rotations for Apr/May/June, then ABB again for July/Aug/Sept, etc.

What do athletes do? 3 months of ABB then 6 months of training? Or what?
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Old 12-09-07, 01:00 AM  
Vee
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
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There is so much contradicting information

I wish we could lock all the experts into a room and say we wont let them out until they come to a consensus.

Doing longer, moderate cardio in your target heart rate zone was the old theory I thought, until experts said interval training is better because it boosts metabolism (like several plans such as Body For Life claim).
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Old 12-09-07, 01:29 AM  
Helen S
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Susan,

I follow periodization. My plans change depending on what I'm training for. Last summer, I needed to be in shape to do a century ride and a 50 mile backpack hike through the Uintas over a couple days. Both things were planned for early August. So I started doing more steady state aerobics in early spring. We plan to do those things this summer. But right now, I'm doing HIIT for cardio since both things are far enough away.

Previously, when I used to be more serious about events like 5Ks and 10Ks then my training was the opposite since those are shorter faster events. So now would have been the time to do ABB.

Helen
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Old 12-09-07, 07:29 AM  
DRD0
 
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I do a lot of my cardio swimming. I train for competition. One of the basis for training for competition is periodization and aerobic base building is your first phase. Athletes have been using this for years, it is nothing new, but good to know that it helps during menopause.
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Old 12-09-07, 12:19 PM  
jerebo
 
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Susan,

I'm pretty ignorant about periodization, so maybe the answer to this question will seem obvious. Did you do any weight training during the ABB? Or is the point of periodization to do only one kind of exercise at a time?
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Old 12-09-07, 12:39 PM  
Helen S
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jerebo
Susan,

I'm pretty ignorant about periodization, so maybe the answer to this question will seem obvious. Did you do any weight training during the ABB? Or is the point of periodization to do only one kind of exercise at a time?
Yes. I do periodization for weights too, heavy weights during the off season and lighter weights for maintenance during the season.

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Old 12-09-07, 12:50 PM  
MichelleRN
 
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Actually, today's trend in fitness is interval training/circuit training..your aerobic base theory is flawed because the body becomes "used" to a base and eventually efficient and more recistant to a workout...the intervals allow you do do greater intensity bursts but you can work out for less amount of time...see some of the sites by Alwyn Cosgrove, Craig Ballentine, Bill Phillips, Jillian Michaels, and ACE fitness and other sites.....its better to do 20 minutes of HIIT than an hour reading a magazine on the bike...so it goes today anyway....
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Old 12-09-07, 01:23 PM  
Denise B
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My experience

I wish I knew.

I've lost about 25 lbs over the past year. I did different things over the year, changing my focus -- sort of an unintentional periodization.

Last winter I did lots of walking workouts, over the summer it was heavy weights, lots of yoga and not much cardio. With both methods I lost slowly but steadily; and didn't go more than three weeks without seeing some sort of drop on the scales. I really didn't care about the speed the weight came off, as long as it was moving in the right direction.

Two months ago, DH and I joined a gym and because I had access to cardio machines I've done lots of interval cardio on the treadmill and elliptical. I thought for sure, the weight would come off more quickly, if for no other reason than the change in my routine. Nope--- I have plateaued and the scale has not budged (depending on the day even went up a half pound - Frustrating!!! ) since we joined. Diet has been consistent over the time, in fact if anything, I'm eating a bit healthier right now than over the summer. And it's not because I don't have more fat to lose, I'm still about 20 lbs shy of having a healthy BMI.

So I'm wondering about the benefits of steady state cardio, and if it isn't is a more effective method for fat loss than intervals, at least for middle aged women. Or perhaps ABB is necessary *before* attempting more demanding cardio.

I wish studies would be gender and age specific, since I personally think our hormones have a lot to do with fat loss.

~Denise
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Old 12-09-07, 01:35 PM  
DRD0
 
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Denise, I have found with weight loss that you can lose at a steady pace for awhile, and then the body seems to take a break. This is the dreaded plateau and I kind of think no matter what you are doing, you would have this.
It would not hurt to through steady state in along with the intervals to try and get it to budge.
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Old 12-09-07, 01:42 PM  
videofit
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MichelleRN
Actually, today's trend in fitness is interval training/circuit training...see some of the sites by ... Jillian Michaels.....its better to do 20 minutes of HIIT than an hour reading a magazine on the bike.
I listen to Jillian's radio show every week, so that last bit about reading on the treadmill made me laugh. She is always saying, when she sees someone doing that at the gym, that she wants to strangle them!

I've always walked a mile or two nearly everyday, in addition to my usual fidgeting and workouts. When I injured my back years ago, all I could do was walk and I maintained my weight even while stuffing my face with food because of my misery. Perhaps it depends on one's body type? I'm an ectomorph.
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