Further to my last post I would like to back it up with some information by one of the leading Fitness Consultants in the industry. This excerpt is taken from a free publication of Alwyn Cosgrove, some of which has been paraphrased to capture the consensus of his points.
Although this talks about interval training it does apply to my theory on explosive set training. I would like you to consider explosive set training as a regular event in your training regimen. Here is an example of a routine that I believe exemplifies what I am talking about. This is similar to Interval training but in shorter bursts.
Example Routine by Kru Kelly:
Exercise: combo 2 + cross, round kick
Explosive set : 3 – 5 reps
Active Rest: 10 seconds – Foot work and defense
Total Time Allotment: 3 min
Total Number of Sets: Varies, start with 1 and work your way up.
Key Elements: Again the key to this type of routine is to strike with Maximum power and speed. If you are capable of doing more than 3-5 reps you are NOT hitting the pads hard and fast enough.
Begin Excerpt by Alwyn Cosgrove
The key with anaerobic training is what is known as EPOC. Anaerobic exercise burns a ton of calories while you are performing it. However, the metabolism remains elevated following this type exercise. This was, at one time, referred to as the oxygen debt, but is now referred to as the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). The recovery of the metabolic rate back to pre-exercise levels can require several minutes for light exercise (aerobic training), several hours for very heavy exercise (anaerobic cardio training), and up to 12 to 24 hours or even longer for prolonged, exhaustive exercise (interval training or circuit weight training).
Interval training
So is there a better way of performing cardio workouts to prevent these adaptations, and rapidly improve fat loss results? Yes. The key is to perform what is known as interval training. Interval training simply refers to a series of intense activity separated with short rest periods. Through using interval training you are able to exercise at a higher intensity without getting tired. In other words – because we alternate the periods of high intensity work, with periods of lower intensity work – you are able to do much more work in the same time period than you were before. The beauty of this is as you improve, the work intervals can get harder and harder, and the recovery intervals can be shortened, or performed at a higher speed. In fact, there is no end in sight, and no downside to interval training (other than it is really hard).
The Routine
This can be performed using any cardiovascular machine, and I suggest that you use them all. Multi-mode cardio (where you change the machine or type of activity regularly) has been shown in the research to be another more effective factor. So as a general guideline, don’t use the same cardio machine two workouts in a row.
- Warm up for five minutes
- Round: Perform 1 minute as fast as you can (a level 9 or 10 intensity – on a scale of 1-10).
- Recover at a moderate pace for two minutes (a level 6-7 intensity).
That’s one “round” – and it lasts three minutes - Cool down for five minutes
These interval workouts can be done after your weight training workouts, later the same day or on separate days.
What I DON’T want you to do is to perform these routines BEFORE weight training. This will reduce the effectiveness of your program.
End Excerpt