G-Flux Part 3 - The Conclusion… How Much Exercise Do You Really Need?”
This is part 3 of 3 in an exclusive interview with Dr. John Berardi about “Energy Flux” - also known as “G-Flux”, which refers to the amount of energy flowing into and out of a system - namely, calories in and out of your body! This advice that can be gleaned from the G-flux concept could be neatly summarized as “Eat More - Exercise More.” In parts 1 & 2, we weighed in the evidence suggesting that it may be far more effecient for burning fat and building muscle to eat more and exercise more than the reverse (starving yourself, while not exercising or exercising very little). That leads us to the final “burning” question: Exactly how much exercise are we talking about here?…
Continued from part two
Tom Venuto: On the energy expenditure side of the equation, we typically think of strength training and cardio training, but you’ve also talked about the importance of training “multiple muscle qualities” and “loading parameters” and using GPP, high intensity interval training and traditional aerobic training. Sounds complicated. How does the average person balance all of this training? Or is this just your way of saying, “don’t spend hours on a treadmill… “cross train” and “get some variety in your workouts.”
John Berardi: As discussed above, it’s fairly simple. The message is this: make sure you’re doing some resistance training, some interval exercise (very high intensity reps interspersed with very low intensity reps), and some low intensity cardio. Here’s what that might look like in practice:
Day 1 – Strength Exercise (60 minutes)
Day 2 – Interval Exercise (30 minutes) + Low Intensity Exercise (15 minutes)
Day 3 – Strength Exercise (60 minutes)
Day 4 – Interval Exercise (30 minutes) + Low Intensity Exercise (15 minutes)
Day 5 – Strength Exercise (60 minutes)
Day 6 – Interval Exercise (30 minutes) + Low Intensity Exercise (15 minutes)
Day 7 – Low Intensity Exercise (60 minutes)
Of course, based on your goals, your program might vary. The schedule above would be ideal for general body composition improvement as it involves some exercise every day and a healthy mix of high and low intensity work totaling 6 and ¼ hours of exercise per week.
Yet remember that not all of this exercise has to be done in the gym. Much of the interval work can be done outdoors and much of the lower intensity work can be done through play activities such as tennis, basketball, or going for a fast walk with your spouse, your kids, or your dog.
Tom Venuto. John, on one hand we have competitive athletes and bodybuilders, who are highly motivated and wouldn’t bat an eyelash at training 1 to 2 hours a day. In this group, I see the “whatever it takes” attitude, along with the physiques and performances that match it, I might add. But for the mainstream dieter, I have a feeling that “eat more, exercise more” is never going to be a popular approach and that only highly motivated individuals are going to embrace this concept. What are your thoughts?
John Berardi: As I mentioned in part one of this interview, we’re a sedentary society and there’s no getting around that. And, as I also mentioned, we’re built to move around a lot. Therefore we’re not doing what we were designed to do. And we’re paying the price.
So I don’t really have much of a message of hope for those who want short cuts or the easy way out. The best bodies are built on high levels of physical activity. That’s just the way it is.
Tom Venuto: It’s pretty obvious that our society has a quick fix mentality. I’ve noticed now more than ever that the fitness industry seems to be pandering to this attitude by trying to come up with programs that get more done in less time. In one regard, I think this is great - up to a point - because it helps people avoid all or none thinking and it helps people like executives and busy moms stay fit.
Unfortunately, I see this “less time - more results” attitude getting taken to ridiculous extremes with a never ending stream of “revolutionary” new workout programs based on “just minutes a day” and just a few days a week. What are your thoughts on the marketing of these super brief exercise programs and realistically, what can the average Joe expect from a minimal time commitment?
John Berardi: I’ll always laugh when I see these short programs (I think I saw a 4 minute and a 7 minute program recently) because they remind me of the 6 minute abs skit from the movie Something About Mary. Of course, I’m also laughing because I know they don’t work.
Sure, if the average Joe is a beginner, something is better than nothing. And this individual may see some small changes if they’re going from sedentary to 7 minutes. However, minimal time commitment eventually translates into minimal results.
Now, don’t get me wrong - I can respect someone who says: “I’m not willing to commit to more time so I’m OK with very small changes.” However, what drives me nuts is when folks expect huge returns on small investments. This is self-deception at its worst. Remember the 5 hour rule above. That’s the starting point for long-term health, body comp, and performance results.
Tom Venuto: Well, John, this has been very enlightening, thank you.
John Berardi: Thank you, Tom. It’s been great!
Tom Venuto: For anyone who enjoyed this info, I highly recommend anything and everything John has written. John’s website is www.johnberardi.com and it’s a wealth of information. And John has two books in print right now, Metabolism Advantage which I recently read and it’s outstanding, and Scrawny to Brawny which is an excellent muscle building program for the ectomorph body type or anyone who has trouble gaining body weight. Both of those are available in hard copy at Amazon.com and in bookstores. John also has the Precision Nutrition program and the ebook Gourmet Nutrition, and I liked that one so much I wrote A review of that ebook last year for the amazing abdominals website.
Do you have anything else new and are you planning on holding any more G Flux seminars or general seminars that will touch on the G-flux concepts?
John Berardi: Well, for starters I’ve got two G-Flux seminars coming up. One in Boston on May 5th and 6th and one in Denver on May 19th and 20th. To find out more, visit my web site at www.johnberardi.com. And even more exciting is a new Precision Nutrition web project happening right now at www.PrecisionNutritionSystem.com
Tom Venuto: Thanks again John for taking the time for us and keep up the great work.
Copyright BurnTheFatBlog.com. No reproduction of this article permitted.
We hope you enjoyed these interview highlights. This was an excerpt of Tom venuto’s full-length exclusive interview with Dr. Berardi. To read the full length, unedited G-Flux Interview, visit www.burnthefatinnercircle.com (members only)
For more information on Dr. John Berardi’s nutrition methods, visit www.PrecisionNutritionSystem.com
For more information on Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle method of fat loss visit: www.BurnTheFat.com
About Dr. John Berardi
Dr. John Berardi has earned a doctoral degree from the University of Western Ontario (2005) with a specialization in exercise biology and nutrient biochemistry. Prior to his doctoral studies, Dr. Berardi studied Exercise Science at Eastern Michigan University (Masters program; 1999) as well as Health Science, Psychology, and Philosophy at Lock Haven University (Undergraduate program; 1997).
Dr. Berardi’s research has focused on the interaction between nutrition, sports supplementation, and exercise performance. He has taught college courses in Strength Training, Exercise Science, Laboratory Techniques in Exercise Science, Nutrient Metabolism, Fitness and Wellness, and Exercise Nutrition. Currently, Dr. Berardi is an adjunct professor of Exercise Science at the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Berardi is a performance nutrition consultant to a number of elite level individual athletes, sports teams, and Olympic training centres including The Toronto Maple Leafs, The Canadian National Speed Skating Team, The Calgary Sports Centre/Olympic Oval, The Manitoba Sports Centre, The University of Texas Women’s Track and Field Team, Individual athletes in nearly every sport including professional football (NFL and CFL), professional hockey (NHL and AHL), professional baseball (MLB), professional basketball (NBA) and more.
No stranger to elite athletics, John has been successful in a number of sports including Power lifting (squat 650, deadlift 600, bench 430), Track and field (AAU nationals in 100m and 200m), Rugby (medaled @ national under 21 championships) and Bodybuilding (1st place at the 1995 NABBA Mr. Jr. USA)
John is a prolific author, having published over 200 popular press articles for magazines like Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Women’s Health, Muscle and Fitness, Testosterone and more. Berardi has also authored or co-authored numerous books including Scrawny to Brawny, Metabolism Advantage and Gourmet Nutrition and is the creator of the www.PrecisionNutritionSystem.com
04 April, 2007 posted in Tom's Interviews
Comments
Tom,
I read your interview with Dr. John Berardi (G-flux concept) with great interest. I also have a personal, yet unintended, demonstration of the concept to relay to you.
I had oral surgery several years ago that involved purposefully breaking my lower jawbone and realigning it. My mouth was wired shut for the next seven weeks while my bones healed. During that time, all of my intake had to be in the form of a liquid, fed from a syringe (imagine a turkey flavor injector without the sharp needle). As you can imagine, it was difficult to get a substantial amount of caloric intake and the right balance of nutrients this way.
I could not go back to eating "regular" food immediately after the wires were cut. After being held in one position for such a great deal of time, my jaw muscles were very weak and had very little range of motion (I could not open my mouth very far). Throughout the next few weeks I had to progress from babyfood to soft foods, then finally to foods I could attempt to chew again.
As if not being able to "eat" for 10 - 12 weeks wasn't bad enough, I was unable (not allowed) to exercise during that period of time. By the end of my ordeal, I had lost nearly 20 pounds. While a great deal of women (and several men) might relish that idea, for me it was a horrible experience.
I LOOKED fantastic after this process. Obviously, that's not the horrible part. Everywhere I went, both friends and strangers complimented me on my appearance. The horrible part is that nearly every bit of the 20 pounds I had lost was muscle. My body was smaller, but it was soft and very weak. When I was finally allowed to get back into the gym, I was unable to lift 10-pound dumbells. To put it into an everyday activity perspective, I was unable to lift a laundry basket full of clothes! It took several months of increased eating and exercising (cardio and weight training/bodybuilding) to get back to pre-surgery strength and endurance.
Today, I have regained more than the 20 pounds. As a matter of fact, by the typical "ideal" weight charts, I am about 10 pounds overweight. But that is okay with me because I am STRONG. I can now carry my six-year-old son in my arms while carrying my eight-year-old daughter on my back (they giggle a lot when I do that). Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm a 5'2" woman!
Without even trying, I learned that it is MUCH healthier to eat more and exercise than to simply cut calories. I am bigger now, but I am not flabby because my increased size is from increased muscle mass. Today when I see a woman whose body is thought to be acceptable because she wears a size two (or less!), it doesn't bother me. I just remind myself that I could bench press her.
Most Sincerely,
Bridgette Cole
Posted by: Bridgette Cole | April 4, 2007 2:26 PM
My query is in relation to the forms of exercise that can be done, for each category. Sorry, Ive not been an exercise enthusiast in the past, and have no idea what forms of exercise fall under the banner of a) Strength exercise b) interval exercise c) low intensity exercise. I love my treadmill, what category does that fall under....and I love swimming freestyle laps at the pool, and walking.....Is there any way in which we could get a list that states what different exercises falling under the a, b or c category, so that people can find exercises they enjoy to make the experience of exercise a happy adventure they are embarking on.
Also, the specifications above of the amount of time spent daily on exercise, is that to achieve the results of a healthy lifestyle, or is that to achieve the Tom Venuto or John Berardi type of body?...Im wanting to be fit, but dont want to be soooo voluptuously muscly...LOL.
Thanks so much for your help, Valerie
Posted by: Valerie | April 4, 2007 4:41 PM
re: what is interval training/high intensity training? This is simply alternating between high and low intensity during a workout... for example 1 minute high intensity, 1 minute low intensity, repeat 6-10 times etc).
Craig ballantyne has written extensively about interval training. See:
http://turbulencetraining.blogspot.com/
walking, on the other hand, is good example of low intensity exercise
re: "healthy lifestyle" goals versus "muscly" body goals... People with casual fitness and health goals can surely become "fit" with lesser amounts of exercise. generally, the bigger the goal, the more time and effort required.
But regardless of ones goal, optimal results will ALWAYS come with a comibination of strength training (lifting weights) AND cardio training.
Posted by: tom venuto | April 4, 2007 4:59 PM
I am 53 yoa and consider myself to be in pretty good shape, left weights 3-4x/wk, and try to work in some aerobics (not my fav). However, since the begining of the year I have been looking to revamp my program. Same ole, same ole. I work out at a gym that nicely equipted.
I am interested in the below program I saw in one of your articles. Can you please give my an idea of Interval Exercises, and Low Intensity Exercise. I think the below program may get me out of my rut.
I Really like your site and and particularly, your science based info.
Regards,
Edd
Day 1 – Strength Exercise (60 minutes)
Day 2 – Interval Exercise (30 minutes) + Low Intensity Exercise (15 minutes)
Day 3 – Strength Exercise (60 minutes)
Day 4 – Interval Exercise (30 minutes) + Low Intensity Exercise (15 minutes)
Day 5 – Strength Exercise (60 minutes)
Day 6 – Interval Exercise (30 minutes) + Low Intensity Exercise (15 minutes)
Day 7 – Low Intensity Exercise (60 minutes)
Posted by: Edd Wilbanks | April 5, 2007 9:53 AM
I previously mentioned craig ballantyne as a good source for info on interval training ( http://www.getturbulencetraining.com ). He recently posted this on his blog -- this should help you with ideas for what to do on the high intensity interval cardio days:
------------------------------------------------------------
Interval Q & A with Craig Ballantyne
Q: One more question about intervals...Does it matter whether they're on a bike, treadmill, or eliptical? I did my Monday intervals on the bike...
Answer:
The interval methods I prefer are, in order of what I think is best...
1) Hill sprints
2) Sprinting outside
3) Treadmill sprints
4) Strongman type exercises/medleys
5) bodyweight and/or kettlebell circuits
6) bike sprints against resistance - not high-RPM spinning
(Note: 1-6 are all very, very effective...not a huge difference in results between those)
Lesser effective methods, in my experience:
1) rope jumping
2) swimming
3) rowing
4) elliptical
That said, I've seen almost all methods work. I just think group A works better. I'm happy to hear from people that can prove me wrong about the 2nd group of exercises.
Of course, some of the methods in the top group require a much more extensive warmup (ie. you have to do much more warmup for any type of sprinting compared to doing intervals on the bike).
Personally, I really like the bike. Convenient. Effective
Posted by: Tom venuto | April 5, 2007 12:24 PM
That's really outstanding! Ilike what has been said.
Posted by: Mia | April 6, 2007 12:00 PM