The SMARTEST Workout for FAT LOSS (Science Explained)

Summary

This video script delves into the complexities of weight loss, emphasizing that while exercise is crucial for health, it's not the primary factor for significant fat loss. The key is a calorie deficit, achievable through diet or increased physical activity. Research suggests that combining diet and exercise yields the best results. The script also explores the types of workouts effective for fat loss, highlighting the importance of sustainability and lifestyle fit. It concludes by advocating for a balance of cardio and strength training for overall health and aesthetic benefits.

Takeaways

• 😀 Weight loss is complex and involves psychology, physiology, and environmental factors, but ultimately hinges on a calorie deficit achieved through reduced energy intake or increased energy expenditure.
• 🏋️ Exercise alone is not the primary factor for weight loss; diet plays a significant role, with the saying 'you can't outtrain a bad diet' holding true in many cases.
• 📊 A study by Foster et al. (2012) found that diet modification alone led to substantial weight loss, while combining exercise with diet resulted in the most weight loss, and exercise alone had minimal impact.
• 🔍 A systematic review by Swift et al. (2018) indicated that exercise, whether cardio or resistance training, typically resulted in modest weight loss, with more significant weight loss observed with cardio or endurance training.
• 🏃‍♂️ High-rep sets in strength training may help with fat loss directionally, but the actual difference in weight loss is likely minimal, making it hard to notice a significant impact.
• 🌟 Exercising is beneficial for health, with several meta-analyses showing associations between exercise and improved health outcomes, even at moderate to high intensities.
• 🚶‍♂️ For effective fat loss, workouts need to be sustainable, fit within lifestyle, and burn a significant amount of calories, making walking or other low-impact activities suitable for consistent energy expenditure.
• 🕊️ Walking is an accessible and sociable form of exercise that can be easily incorporated into daily life, offering health benefits and aiding in fat loss when done consistently.
• 💪 Strength training is important even when focusing on fat loss, as it helps retain muscle mass, which is beneficial for aesthetics and overall health.
• 🔄 The best workout for fat loss should be enjoyable and sustainable within an individual's lifestyle, whether that involves high-intensity workouts for the busy or more leisurely activities for those with more time.
• 📈 A combination of a higher step count, such as 10,000 steps per day, and strength training can significantly contribute to overall energy expenditure and fat loss over time.

Q & A

What are the two main factors that influence weight loss according to the script?

The two main factors that influence weight loss are energy intake and energy expenditure. Reducing energy intake means eating a little less, while increasing energy expenditure involves moving more and being more physically active.

What is the primary message about the role of exercise in weight loss presented in the script?

The script emphasizes that while exercise is important, it is not the main factor in weight loss. The saying 'you can't outtrain a bad diet' is likely true, indicating that diet is more critical than exercise when it comes to creating a calorie deficit.

What was the conclusion of the 2012 study by Foster and colleagues regarding weight loss?

The study concluded that the group that modified their diet lost a substantial amount of body weight. The group that combined dietary changes with 4 hours of moderate-intensity cardio a week lost the most weight, whereas the group that only exercised didn't lose a significant amount of weight.

What did the systematic review by Swift and colleagues in 2018 find about the impact of exercise on weight loss?

The review found that just working out, whether it was cardio or resistance training, didn't lead to significant weight loss, usually in the range of 0 to 5% of body weight at most. However, combining exercise with dietary changes resulted in more appreciable weight loss.

What type of training was found to be more effective for weight loss in the literature mentioned in the script?

Cardio or endurance training was found to be more effective for weight loss compared to resistance or strength training.

What is the importance of sustainability in choosing a workout for fat loss?

Sustainability is crucial because the chosen workout needs to be something that can be repeated multiple times a week for weeks and months on end to accumulate a meaningful amount of energy expenditure and effectively trigger fat loss.

Why is it recommended to combine weight lifting with cardio for fat loss?

Combining weight lifting with cardio is recommended because weight lifting helps to preserve muscle mass, which is important for overall health and aesthetics during weight loss.

What are some characteristics of an effective workout for a busy person trying to lose fat, as per the script?

For a busy person, an effective workout should be intense to burn more calories per minute, sustainable, enjoyable, and should ideally involve minimal eccentric components and impact to be less fatiguing and easier to recover from.

What is the significance of steps in the context of the script for someone who is less busy or new to working out?

For someone less busy or new to working out, steps are significant as they represent a low-intensity, sociable, and sustainable form of physical activity that can contribute to overall energy expenditure and health benefits.

What is the estimated calorie burn for walking 10,000 steps according to the script?

The script provides a general estimate that you burn 1 kilocalorie per kilogram of body weight per kilometer walked. For someone weighing 80 kg, walking 10,000 steps (about 8 kilometers) would burn approximately 80 calories.

What is the overarching advice given in the script for incorporating physical activity into one's lifestyle for fat loss?

The overarching advice is to find a form of physical activity that is enjoyable, sustainable within one's lifestyle, and that allows for consistent engagement to make a meaningful impact on fat loss.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♂️ The Role of Exercise in Weight Loss

This paragraph discusses the complex factors involved in weight loss, emphasizing that while exercise is important, it is not the primary method for achieving a calorie deficit. The script highlights that diet modification is more effective for weight loss than exercise alone, as supported by research from Foster and colleagues in 2012. It also points out that combining diet and exercise yields the best results. The paragraph mentions that high-rep sets in resistance training may not significantly impact fat loss, suggesting that the type of exercise matters less than the overall calorie deficit achieved.

05:01

🚴‍♀️ Sustainability and Lifestyle Fit in Effective Fat Loss Workouts

The second paragraph focuses on the importance of sustainability and lifestyle fit in choosing the right workout for fat loss. It suggests that workouts need to be something one can do regularly over time to be effective. The script advises considering the intensity of the workout to maximize calorie burn and the enjoyment factor to ensure consistency. It also differentiates between two archetypes of individuals looking to lose fat: those with busy lifestyles who need efficient workouts and those who are less busy or new to exercise, for whom walking and gradually increasing activity levels are recommended.

10:01

🌳 The Benefits of Walking and Incorporating Nature into Fat Loss Routines

The final paragraph of the script extols the virtues of walking as a low-impact, sociable, and sustainable form of exercise that can be easily incorporated into daily life. It touches on the benefits of walking for health, including exposure to sunlight and nature, which are associated with improved well-being. The script also provides a general estimate of calories burned per kilogram of body weight per kilometer walked. It concludes by encouraging viewers to find physical activities they enjoy and can sustain, with a special note on the importance of strength training for maintaining muscle mass during weight loss.

Keywords

💡Calorie deficit

A calorie deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than your body needs for maintenance. This concept is crucial for weight loss as it forces the body to use stored fat for energy. In the video, it is emphasized as the ultimate goal for losing weight, either by reducing food intake or increasing physical activity.

💡Energy expenditure

Energy expenditure refers to the amount of energy, measured in calories, that a person uses. It includes basal metabolic rate (BMR), physical activity, and the thermic effect of food. The video discusses how increasing physical activity can help create a calorie deficit by raising energy expenditure.

💡Physical activity

Physical activity encompasses any movement that requires energy expenditure, such as walking, running, and resistance training. The video highlights different forms of physical activity and their effectiveness in contributing to fat loss, stressing that exercise alone isn't sufficient for significant weight loss.

💡Cardio

Cardio, short for cardiovascular exercise, involves sustained physical activity that increases heart rate and breathing. Examples include running, cycling, and swimming. The video compares cardio to resistance training in terms of effectiveness for weight loss, suggesting that cardio might lead to more weight loss when combined with dietary changes.

💡Resistance training

Resistance training, also known as strength training, involves exercises that improve muscular strength and endurance, such as weight lifting. The video explains that while resistance training is beneficial for overall health and muscle preservation, it may not be as effective as cardio for weight loss when performed in isolation.

💡Systematic review

A systematic review is a type of research that summarizes the results of multiple studies on a particular topic. The video cites a systematic review by Swift and colleagues, which found that exercise alone typically results in minimal weight loss, reinforcing the idea that combining exercise with dietary changes is more effective.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in the context of exercise refers to the ability to maintain a consistent workout routine over a long period. The video stresses the importance of choosing sustainable forms of physical activity that can be performed regularly without causing burnout or excessive fatigue, crucial for long-term weight loss success.

💡Steps per day

Steps per day is a simple measure of physical activity, often tracked using pedometers or fitness apps. The video recommends setting a daily step goal, such as 4,000 to 10,000 steps, as an effective way to increase overall physical activity and support weight loss efforts, particularly for those with busy lifestyles.

💡Moderate intensity

Moderate intensity refers to a level of exercise that is not too easy but not too strenuous, often described as being able to talk but not sing during the activity. The video mentions moderate-intensity cardio as a practical form of exercise that can be maintained consistently and contribute to overall energy expenditure and health.

💡Metabolic adaptations

Metabolic adaptations refer to the changes in the body's metabolism in response to factors like diet and exercise. The video hints at these adaptations when discussing why exercising alone might not lead to expected weight loss, as the body often compensates by reducing energy expenditure or increasing appetite, making it harder to create a calorie deficit.

Highlights

Weight loss involves a complex interplay of psychology, physiology, and environmental factors, with energy intake and expenditure as key factors.

Achieving a calorie deficit is fundamental for weight loss, which can be accomplished by reducing energy intake or increasing energy expenditure.

Exercise alone is not the primary method for significant weight loss; diet plays a more crucial role.

A study by Foster et al. (2012) found that diet modification alone led to substantial weight loss, more than just exercise.

Combining diet and exercise resulted in the most weight loss, suggesting a synergistic effect.

High-intensity exercise can burn calories but may not be sustainable for long-term weight loss.

A systematic review by Swift et al. (2018) indicated that exercise alone typically results in minimal weight loss.

Cardiovascular or endurance training may lead to more weight loss compared to resistance or strength training.

The effectiveness of different types of exercise for fat loss is nuanced and depends on individual factors.

Sustainable workouts that can be repeated regularly are more effective for long-term fat loss.

Exercise should fit within an individual's lifestyle to be consistently maintained for fat loss.

Walking is a low-impact, accessible form of exercise that can significantly contribute to overall energy expenditure.

Social aspects of physical activity, such as team sports, can enhance the enjoyment and sustainability of exercise.

Strength training is important for retaining muscle mass during weight loss, which is beneficial for health and aesthetics.

For busy individuals, high-intensity cardio can be an efficient way to burn calories within limited time.

For those with more time or who are new to exercise, incorporating more steps into daily routines can enhance health and aid in weight loss.

The importance of finding enjoyable and sustainable forms of exercise for effective long-term fat loss cannot be overstated.

Transcripts

while the psychology physiology

environmental factors and so forth that

underly weight loss are very complex one

is energy intake and one is energy

expenditure ultimately the goal is to

get into a calorie deficit you can do

that by reducing your energy intake AKA

eating a little bit less or you can do

it by moving more and increasing your

physical activity and that begs the

question what form of physical activity

or whacking out is best for fat loss by

the end of this video you'll know the

answer

welcome back Dr M wolf with you today

PhD in sports science breaking down the

best workouts for fat loss first some

bad news physical activity or exercising

specifically isn't the main thing when

it comes to losing weight and getting

into a calorie deficit the saying you

can't outtrain a bad diet is probably

true when it comes to weight loss

exercise likely isn't that magic bullet

that will all of a sudden make you lose

tons and tons of fat how it can likely

contribute it is very difficult to

create a calorie deficit purely through

exercising usually exercising is

secondary to diet and that's been shown

in tons of research to give you an

example here's a study by Foster schuon

colleagues from 2012 in this study they

compared four groups the first group was

a control group the second group

performed nearly 4 hours a week of

moderate intensity cardio the third

group was simply put on a relatively

aggressive calor deficit achieved

through dietary changes and the fourth

group combined both a dietary changes

with the 4 hours of exercising a week a

few findings emerged first the group

that simply modified their diet lost a

substantial amount of body weight second

the group that lost the most weight was

actually the one combining exercising

with dieting and finally the group just

exercising didn't lose a ton of weight

they lost some weight but not a ton and

that was in the context of doing nearly

4 hours of cardio a week so if all

you're doing is exercising it's going to

be difficult to lose a ton of weight and

that general idea of working out not

being the main thing for weight loss is

corroborated by more data out there for

example a systematic review paper by

Swift and colleagues from 2018 found

that just working out whether that was

cardio or resistance training didn't

lead to tons of weight loss usually in

the range of 0 to 5% of body weight at

the most however when this is combined

with dietary changes is when you can

really start seeing some appreciable

weight loss within literature

importantly though they found more

weight loss with cardio or endurance

training as opposed to resistance or

strength training and so if for example

in the gym you've heard the claim that

doing High rep sets say sets of 20 or

more repetitions is going to really help

you lose fat while that may be true in

terms of directionality I.E it is going

to help the magnitude of that difference

is going to be very very very small in

all likelihood in fact you probably

couldn't even tell the difference if you

went from doing sets of 5 to 10 reps to

only doing sets of 20 or more reps the

difference in weight loss is going to be

minimal if there is one so now to have

set your expectations at the right level

for how much exercising can really

contribute to weight loss let me give

you what I think is the best workout for

fat loss before I do that though let me

tell you why exercising is a good idea

anyways even if it doesn't contribute a

ton to your weight loss for example we

have several metanalyses finding great

associations between how much you

exercise and your health for instance a

couple of metanalyses have found that

doing all the way up to 8 to maybe

15,000 steps improves your health more

and more likewise we have studies on

moderate and vigorous intensity physical

activity which could be stuff like

cardio for example finding that all the

way to about 5 to 10 hours a week you

find improvements in your health so even

though the effect of exercising or

working out on your fat loss is not

going to be huge I'm not going to sit

here or stand here and lie to you for

your health exercising is hugely

important here's what makes a workout

effective for fat loss first it needs to

be sustainable a big reason why walking

out doesn't really do much for your

weight loss in the first place is

because you don't burn that many

calories in the grand scheme of things a

really hard intense cardio session might

have you burn 500 calories to illustrate

that even further think about the

hardest workout you could possibly do

let's say you run a marathon completely

unprepared assuming you weigh around 150

lb that would have you burn around 3,000

calories in one go and that's great

because 3,000 calories is nearly a pound

of fat loss assuming no physiological

weirdness which by the way physiology is

complicated so often times you will

compensate when you exercise leading to

less weight loss than you thought but

assuming none of that happens which it

usually does that would have you lose

nearly a pound of fat assuming a pound

of fat is worth around 3,500 calories

and the marathon is super hard right and

the issue there is that you probably

wouldn't be able to do it more than

about once a month if fat and so you

would lose an additional not even a

pound a month by incorporating this

really intense form of cardio

sustainability is huge because it needs

to be able to be repeated multiple times

a week to add up to a meaningful amount

of energy expenditure to really trigger

fat loss for your body to lose fat you

need to send it the signal that you're

using up energy and that it needs to dry

from somewhere preferably from your fat

stores so if your workout isn't

something you can do sustainably

multiple times a week for weeks and

months on end it's not going to help you

much in your fat loss Journey so think

about that when you think about the

equipment required your motivation to do

different things it needs to be

sustainable next good cordio needs to

fit within your lifestyle if you're busy

for example that is going to have

ramifications for what form of cardio is

better for your fat loss and even if

you're not busy different people have

different starting points if you've just

started working out for the first time

and you're relatively overweight you

might find that walking is a much better

form of activity for weight loss than

something like sprinting or

high-intensity interval training and

finally any good workout for fat loss

needs to burn an appreciable amount of

calories to actually matter for fat loss

you can consume 1,000 calories just like

that in about 3 minutes but burning off

1,000 calories can take you hours and

hours and so we need to make sure that

whatever workout we use does burn an

appreciable amount of of energy to

matter for fat loss now at the risk of

going full Keno on you and making you

take a quiz about your body type I think

most people fall into two kind of

archetypes when it comes to working out

for fat loss so you'll fall into one of

these categories let me break down each

one so you can decide what sort of

working out is going to be best to make

you lose fat and keep it off the first

archetype is a person who's busy but is

still looking to lose fat and makes the

most of their limited time that they

have to work out for you here's what I

recommend I would set a baseline number

of steps of say around 4 to 6,000 per

day whatever you can fit into your

lifestyle and the more the better

however as far as health goes even with

Just 4 to 6,000 steps you'll get many of

the health benefits that you get from

activity so even if you can only hit

this consistently it's still much better

than not doing anything because you're

busy we'll need to make sure that

whatever form of cardio we Implement is

pretty intense so as to burn more

calories per minute spent working out

that means higher intensities of cardio

I would recommend aiming for a certain

number of calories burned every time you

walk out for fat loss while the

calculations used to estimate energy

expenditure or how many calories you

burned during that workout won't be

perfectly accurate it's still a good

reliable metric to aim for any form of

cardio will do provided you do it at a

relatively high intensity but as far as

making it the least fatiguing as you can

here's a couple things to look for first

forms of cardio with a minimal Ecentric

component will be better I'll save you

the science talk about what that means

but essentially things like cycling and

Rowing and incline walking will be a

little bit less fatiguing per C already

burned than things like jogging or

sprinting likewise forms of cardio

without any impact are going to be

slightly easier to recover from as well

and therefore these forms of cardio will

have less of an impact on for example

your strength training within the gym to

preserve muscle and so all us being

equal if you're just looking to burn

calories and get the health benefits I

would prefer forms of cardio like

cycling incline walking and Rowing over

things like running and sprinting

however coming back to the

sustainability Factor it needs to be

something you somewhat enjoy as well so

if you for example find that you really

enjoy team sports or something like that

joining a football or soccer team or a

basketball team and making that a

consistent habit within your life can

really contribute to overall energy

expenditure as well and generally

socializing while being Physically

Active is going to be very beneficial

for your overall health and the final

recommendation if you're busy but still

want to lose fat is to lift weights at

least a couple times a week if you can

do so training each muscle twice a week

say with two full body sessions make

sure that you keep your muscle around

ultimately when you're losing weight for

both the health benefits and for looking

better you'll want to keep your muscle

around keep in mind that one pound of

fat is worth around 3,500 calories so to

make an appreciable dent in your weight

loss you'll want to burn a decent amount

of calories across the week as a

starting point I would recommend four

cardio sessions of 300 calories burned

each time that adds up to a weekly

energy expenditure of 1,200 calories

through cordio which if you keep it up

could result in an additional third of a

pound of fat loss each week if you add

in the number of steps you're doing that

could be even more keep that up for 6

months and all else being equal that

could be an additional 8 to 9 lbs of fat

lost the second archetype people fall

into are people who are less busy and or

who are not hugely into working out or

exercising this also applies to people

who are just new to working out in

general and who may not be as fit or

comfortable going into really intense

cardio the main thing for you is going

to be getting more steps in for instance

setting a baseline Target of 10,000

steps per day is phenomenal for your

health and for overall energy

expenditure now you might be asking how

many calories does 10,000 steps burn how

do I estimate how how many calories I'm

burning when I'm doing steps a good

generalistic is that you're burning 1

kilo calorie per kilogram of body weight

per kilometer walked now I'm sorry if

you don't live in the metric world but

you'll have to use this anyways for

instance for someone weighing 80 kg and

being of a roughly average height here's

what that would look like now just

walking leisurely is going to have a

lower energy expenditure per minute

spent walking than more intense forms of

cardio but it's also going to be a bit

less fatiguing than more intense cardio

and importantly going for walks is a

great way to achieve several things at

the same time first it's more sociable

than most formal forms of cardio if

you're in the gym and just doing intense

cardio it's hard to socialize at the

same time when you're walking you can

easily bring along a friend or place a

phone call to a family member and all of

a sudden you're also making it

productive and enjoyable it's low

intensity and it's not very fatiguing on

account of a low Ecentric and impact

component most people can walk so

walking is a pretty low Bearer to entry

for a physical activity it can also

allow you to get some exposure to

sunlight which helps with your circadian

rhythm it's also associated with better

health benefit benefits on account of

being around nature indeed there

something called nature therapy and the

research that is generally deemed to be

positive for health and getting more

steps in is associated with Better

Health all the way to 8 to maybe even

15,000 steps per day ideally alongside

this step count Target if you have the

time to do it lift weights twice a week

two full body sessions or even more than

that ultimately while I gave you these

two broad archetypes realize that

physical activity and working up for fat

loss needs to be sustainable within your

lifestyle to really make an impact find

something that you enjoy that you can

fit within your lifestyle consistently

and that allows you to reach your goals

there's a spectrum from more busy and

more intense forms of cardio to less

busy and less intense but the main thing

is just going to be to be more

physically active to boost fat loss get

some cardio in or do more steps and to

retain your muscle mass which is good

for both Aesthetics and overall health

get a couple of sessions of strength

training in per week that is the video

broke down how important walking out for

fat loss really is what the best forms

of working out for fat loss are and why

you should still be strength training

even when you're working out for weight

loss or fat L if you enjoyed this video

please comment like subscribe hopefully

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