Elite Physique The New Science of Building a Better Body

Fat-Burning Programs
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• Don’t train to momentary muscular failure, except for the final set of body
weight exercises.
• Supplement strength training with a broad spectrum of energy systems
work.
These key changes, combined with a calorie deficit, will ensure that you lose
fat while maintaining muscle and strength. And you’ll build endurance that
translates to virtually any sport. In the end, you’ll emerge with a leaner, more
athletic physique—exactly what you expected when you bought this book.
Utilizing Energy Systems Training for Fat Loss
Your body relies on three different systems to produce energy. First is the ATP-PC
system, which uses phosphocreatine to fuel high-intensity muscle contractions
for seconds at a time. Second is anaerobic glycolysis, a process where your body
breaks down glucose without the help of oxygen. Third is aerobic metabolism,
which breaks down glucose and fatty acids with oxygen. It also uses ketones
when you’re following a low-carbohydrate diet (Volek, Noakes, and Phinney
2015). These three systems constantly overlap to provide the energy you need
during exercise, as shown in figure 9.1. Of the three systems, aerobic metabolism
can directly burn fat for energy, which is why it should be part of any fat-burning
program. The other two systems, ATP-PC and anaerobic glycolysis, are trained to
build more muscle and mitochondria, which in turn increases your metabolic rate.
Importantly, each system does not make an equal contribution at any given
level of intensity. During maximal activity, ATP-PC and anaerobic glycolysis are
the primary drivers. Conversely, low-intensity activity is dominated by aerobic
metabolism. For example, an MMA fighter could practice boxing at a low intensity
for 30 minutes to develop his aerobic base, or strike with maximal intensity
for 10 seconds and then rest a bit to build powerful endurance. Same activity,
different energy systems.
There are two primary types of energy systems training (i.e., endurance training):
• Continuous training, which is
performed at a relatively low
intensity from start to finish
without stopping, such as a
30-minute jog or 45 minutes
on a bike.
• Interval training, which consists
of two or more bouts of
high-intensity exercise with a
period of rest between each.
For example, a swimmer
might perform eight 50-meter
sprints with 90 seconds’ rest
between each; a boxer might
perform 12 20-second bouts
of punching with 60-second
rest intervals.
ATP-PC
Aerobic
metabolism
Anaerobic
glycolysis
FIGURE 9.1 Overlap of the three energy
systems.
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