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Fat Loss and Exposure to Cold Temperatures

There is some evidence indicating that exposure to cold temperatures can enhance the body's fat-burning capabilities. This isn't actually a new concept. In some Eastern European cultures jumping into icy rivers and rubbing snow on the body to improve circulation and overall health have been common practices for generations. Even Charles Atlas—the original bodybuilding guru—believed that exposure to cold water when taking a shower could facilitate the burning of fat. Charles recommended that men finish off their showers with a brisk spray of cold water to stimulate and strengthen the nervous system. A 2003 study provides some support to this idea. In this study, researchers reviewed the seasonal variation of testosterone levels and hip ratio among groups of men.

Results of this research project indicated that among the participants, the lowest levels of testosterone occurred during the summer months with the levels peaking during the colder months. Similarly, the men's waist to hip ratio exhibited a similar parallel, with the highest values occurring during the warmest months and the lowest values occurring during the coldest months. The variation in hormone levels was significant, with a difference as high as 31% being noted among some of the participants.

It is believed that cold temperatures have a positive impact on fat loss because it causes the body to increase the expenditure of energy, therefore increasing body heat. 'Uncoupling proteins' mediate the energy production by essentially inducing a waste of energy in the form of heat. This mediation process is referred to as a thermogenic action, which is defined as an increase in heat generated by metabolic stimulation. In particular, this thermogenic action reduces cellular levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), ultimately stimulating an increase in cellular energy production to make up for the wasted energy. This happens because a primary function of ATP is to transport chemical energy within cells for metabolism.

By simulating a cold weather response you could use this uncoupling-protein activity to your advantage to encourage the body to ramp up the use of excess body fat as an energy source. One of the ways you could accomplish this is by taking cold showers—it turns out that maybe Charles Atlas was on to something after all. To achieve the optimal impact the best strategy is to alternate the temperature of the water between warm and cold. Just before you step out of the shower you should finish with a nice cold rinse. According to Charles Atlas, you should focus on the cold water on the front of your body—the solar plexus and genital area in particular—because of the significant concentrations of nerve endings located in these areas of the body.

Short-term exposure to cold temperatures is the key to success for this strategy however, so don't pack your bags and head for the North Pole just yet. Given the body's remarkable ability to continuously adapt to dynamic situations, it's not surprising that repeated, prolonged exposure to cold temperatures minimizes the fat-burning capacity of the uncoupling-protein activity. Continued long-term exposure to colder temperatures shifts the body into survival mode. In this state the hormones signal the body to store fat both to keep the body warm and to use as an energy source. That's why people indigenous to colder climates—like the Inuits and Eskimos—tend to be rounder, with higher body fat percentages than people who are native to warmer climates.

The persistent, long-term exposure to colder temperatures that comes from living in a cold climate motivates the body to constantly mobilize fatty acids as fuel for both energy and heat. This tends to increase the amount of visceral fat that the body maintains. Interestingly, though populations indigenous to cold climates tend to have low levels of heart disease in their native environment, switching to a 'western diet' causes a significant spike in these figures.

Before you try jumping into a cold shower or immersing yourself in an ice cold lake in an effort to burn more fat, you need to know that you are in good health. Sudden exposure to cold water may not be right for everyone. Unexpected temperature changes can provoke a strong neural response in the body. If you potentially have a health or medical condition such as heart disease or something similar, you should consult with a doctor or medical practitioner before utilizing this strategy.

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High Intensity Training versus Volume Training

There are lots of different training methodologies out there with new ones popping up all the time-most of these are just "flashes in the pan." Guys are all over them one week and on to something else the next. High Intensity Training (HIT) and Volume Training have both been around for a while though and neither of them is a flash in the pan. Each has plenty of followers and both camps seem to be pleased with the results they get. What's the difference between the two? Is one better than the other? Let's take a closer look and you can decide for yourself.

High Intensity Training (HIT)…

has been around since the 1970s. There are lots of variations but overall, the underlying premise of HIT is that weightlifting sessions should be brief, intense and infrequent-basically, it's low volume/high intensity. Followers of HIT believe that this is the most effective way to stimulate gains in both muscle strength and size. From that perspective HIT makes sense since gains in size and strength are the result of the body's reaction to the "stress" of lifting weights.

In the original incarnation of HIT, one high-intensity set done to failure for each body part was all that was needed. Each training session would typically be an all body workout done three times a week. Later, as people began to experiment with the routine, it became more common to do three sets of each exercise (body part) to failure, breaking the sessions into upper body/lower body or some similar combination.

In all versions of HIT though, there are some basic underlying principles that remain constant. These include:

1) each workout has to be intense;
2) each set is performed until failure;
3) each workout should be more challenging than the previous one;
4) proper form is essential-each rep is performed in a deliberate, controlled manner;
5) training sessions should be less than one hour;
6) for each body part, perform from 1-3 sets and no more; and
7) rest is important-don't train more than 2-3 times per week.

With Volume Training (VT)…

the emphasis is of course of on volume-not just in the number of sets performed, but also in the number of training sessions per week. With HIT, you're only doing from 1-3 sets per exercise/body part but in contrast, if you're doing VT, you might be doing from a low of 12 to a high of 24, 30 sets ore even more, per body part. Also, with VT workouts are more frequent-up to 5 or 6 days per week.

There are other differences between the two as well. For example, unlike the slow, controlled movements of HIT,

Volume Training movements tend to be explosive, incorporating both slow and fast movements, depending on the exercise. Also, since you're doing more reps (higher volume), the weight load in VT is going to be lower than in HIT. Lastly, because of the higher number of reps, VT more of a "pump" than you'll realize with HIT.

So given the information above, is one of these routines better than the other? The right answer is that "it depends," and that's not a cop-out answer. First of all, it depends in part, on your body type. Ectomorphs tend to respond better to VT better than HIT. Ectomorphs are thin, light-framed and sometimes have long limbs. For these guys, it takes longer to gain muscle than for your average mesomorph, who usually has a more rectangular frame with more muscle mass. A lot of ectomorphs really need the longer workouts and higher reps to stimulate muscle growth. Conversely, for most mesomorphs, a HIT routine is usually going to result in greater gains.

Some other factors that can influence your choice of routines include skill level, weight training goals (do you want to get big or just tone up?), the amount of time your body needs to recover and how often you're able to workout.

It's also important to note that the key to long-term gains in bodybuilding is remembering that no single routine will consistently work for anyone. Once the muscles become accustomed to a routine, it's time to mix things up and try something new. So if you've done a 12-week cycle of VT, you could switch it up with a HIT cycle or vice versa. The bottom line is that both of these routines come up winners-it's what you make of either one of them that's going to make the difference.