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** this is PART II of a post based on this question from a reader “Which of your main studio classes burn the most calories per hour?” 

TABATA

Last, and most certainly not least, the TABATA protocol offers the potential for burning the most calories in the least amount of time. Of course, this is assuming that the priority is maximizing exercise intensity based on heart-rate response, such that one tries to remove factors that get in the way of achieving greatest intensity (i.e. local muscular fatigue, exercise complexity, etc).

There are currently various interpretations of this protocol. Some experts use cardio modalities only (treadmills, bikes, or activities such as actual sprinting on a track). Others have chosen to use calisthenic or body-weight based exercises alone, and stick with the same exercise throughout the 8 sets. Still, others have chosen to use different exercises within the 8 sets, either through using 2 or more movements in super-set, complex, or circuit-fashion, to allow some muscle groups to rest, while continuing to “sprint” via other movements. My personal preference is this last interpretation.

I like this! Do supersets for SUPER results! LOL

In my opinion, and per Dr. Michael Bracko, a known expert/presenter on High-Intensity-Interval-Training, program design that allows for the greatest heart-rate-response and thus cardiovascular effort and intensity is what truly makes an impact on EPOC and on overall calorie expenditure.

Additionally, the TABATA protocol is by no means the only type of interval training that accomplishes this. There are other successful H-I-I-T protocols that Dr. Bracko mentions, such as the following examples:

“The Little Protocol –  8-12 x 60 sec intervals at about 100% of peak power with 75 sec of recovery, or the The Trembley Protocol - 10 – 15 bouts of 15 – 30 sec or 4 – 5/60 – 90 sec intervals, Recovery HR down to 120-130 bpm.”

Ultimately, he summarizes the success of TABATA or any H-I-I-T program in this statement:

“The point behind the success of HIIT is that we work at a very high intensity for short periods of time followed by varying periods of time in recovery.  And, according to the research, HIIT may not burn as many calories as traditional LSD (long slow distance) training, but for some reason we’ve found that there is a greater impact on fat reduction or fat calories being higher.“

Note that his statement points out what matters in our quest for max-calorie burn, which is the impact on fat reduction, versus just burning most calories overall.

Can it be? Does Uncle Sam really want you to do your Tabatas???

AND HOW WILL YOU KNOW, FOR SURE?

I’ve always been a fan of heart-rate tracking and associated rating of perceived exertion (RPE) as a means of comparing how much harder one class is from the other. Most students and clients that understand how this works use the calorie-tracking function of their heart rate monitors to compare 1 workout hour from the next (i.e. if they burn 400 calories in a typical group fitness class, how much more/less do they burn when doing kettlebells vs. ViPR vs. TABATA or any other format).

I highly recommend that you look into using one for yourself, so you can get a better sense of which class format in the main studio really burns the most approximate calories for you. With that said, do note the following:

1. As with everything, intensity cannot be prioritized over technique. Poor technique will, down the line, lead to an inability to properly and safely achieve maximum intensity. Bluntly said, if how you’re exercising is going to hurt your back/knees, it won’t be long before you’ll be able to keep exercising at all.
2. After your body gets familiar with the feel and pace of a certain exercise and modality, it gets smarter and more efficient at doing it. Therefore, the kind of calorie burn and exercise intensity you felt on Week 1 of your kettlebell classes may not be the same as on Week 5, especially if the class program has been more or less the same. This is also why people who now find kettlebell classes easy may find their first ViPR class extremely difficult, even if the pacing and program design may be more or less the same.
3. High-Intensity-Training (H-I-T) is not an everyday undertaking. Your body systems get extremely fatigued with this and joints tend to get more than the usual stress than they’re used to. Avoid overtraining and potential injury by allowing for less-intense classes or even recovery formats in between your high-intensity classes.
4. There are many other class formats that can achieve High-Intensity-Training results. You have BootCamp classes, various interval styles/protocols, and all sorts of names and descriptions that accomplish a similar goal. I covered Kettlebells, ViPR, and TABATA since they’re the most intense of my main studio classes.
5. Ultimately, classes/activities that you enjoy are what you will most likely keep doing. So instead of seeking out the “best class” that is pure torture or agony for you, find one that you love, and your continued attendance will most likely follow.

There you have it! A quick rundown on my main studio classes that burn the most calories per hour. Will I see you in class?

This post responds to a reader’s question: Which of your main studio classes burn the most calories per hour?

These days, everyone wants to burn as much as they can in classes, so they can get the most calorie “bang for buck” so to speak. Everyone wants a metabolism like the figure below:

Don't we all want a body that's a virtual furnace, torching all our food calories 24/7? LOL

Of course, the easy answer is: “The class that makes you work the hardest” but the truth is, even that is relative to each person. Some people prefer class formats purely out of comfort with the tools being used. For example, I know of people who refuse to touch a kettlebell, because their first experience with it gave them too much low back discomfort or wrist pain. Yet others appreciate its effects and have invested the time and energy in learning great technique.

Either way, class formats based on total body movement, such as kettlebells, ViPR, and TABATA, tend to offer the most calorie burn. The very nature of their program design and training protocol lends itself to high-intensity effort, typically to the point of offering high-intensity intervals to achieve the desired “EPOC” (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption) which basically allows one to burn more calories throughout the day, effectively creating a true metabolic effect.

KETTLEBELLS

We love kettlebells swings, etcetera. I've grown to ENJOY kettlebell program design so much, I practically dream about it in my sleep

Kettlebell exercise are typically driven by power moves. These are Olympic-style lifts, such as cleans, snatches, push-presses, etc. And of course, some moves are unique to kettlebells, as in swings.

Some don’t realize that the training mode of adding speed and managing the momentum you generate through these moves is the MAIN reason they can burn so many calories with kettlebell classes. However, using a kettlebell alone isn’t a guarantee of a max-calorie workout. I’ve seen people half-a$s their way through these workouts, and just like any exercise, what you get out of it depends on how much work you put into it.

ViPR

You know I'm also a big fan of ViPR, and just like kettlebells, I love creating athletic movement based exercises with this tool.

ViPR moves aren’t just for high-intensity training, but from what I’m seeing out there, it’s the athletic-drill based exercises that are making this format most popular. And these drills are tough! Because they’re meant to improve your speed, agility, coordination, explosiveness, and ability to decelerate, classes tend to leave you practically breathless throughout.

So despite the non-use of Olympic-style lifts as in kettlebells, ViPR moves typically link lower-body movement with upper-body action, through proper core activation. And since cues for deceleration and re-acceleration are in most of the movements, the potential for high-calorie expenditure is great.

I personally tend to alternate a high-intensity ViPR move with a low-intensity move to allow for some “active recovery”. This has still kept heart rates well above typical other classes, while addressing the need for specific muscle groups to recover, while also changing the movement speed and pattern.

Part of the winning element in the use of ViPR is in the body’s inherent unfamiliarity with handling its shape, size, and weight. Anyone who is expert in kettlebell movement will still experience a learning curve, and thus an initial challenge in handling ViPR.

** stay tuned for PART II of this post, covering TABATA which can offer the most calorie burn of these types of classes, depending on program design. Part II also covers general guidance for training with these high-intensity formats.