Lincoln has his own business, Total Fitness, and has a BSc degree in Recreation Management and Sports Science. He has presented sessions all over the world, including Italy, Spain, Holland, Germany France, Hong Kong and Mexico. Linx has toured the UK presenting his unique stylised sessions and is the creator of 20 fitness videos. In between organising his own fitness and dance days, he had his own TV Slot on the popular Big Breakfast TV Show, teaching street dance fitness. Together Lincoln and Jade have launched a new ‘Metabolic Effects’ programme for Personal Trainers.  Enrol on a Drummond Personal Training Diploma and attend this brand new course within the cost of your PT Diploma.

Safety and results. These are the primary charge of every fitness professional. But it is not easy. After all, the two ideas are diametrically opposed. Too much attention to one often leads to problems with the other.

Fitness professionals require tools that work, are safe and can be adapted to each and every individual. High intensity unconventional workouts are surging in popularity and hold real promise in delivering results. But how does a trainer or group exercise instructor use these tools while keeping things safe and manageable for all fitness levels and physical abilities?

A new training tool called rest-based training (RBT) may provide a solution. RBT is a system that makes rest, not work, the primary goal of the workout. It allows participants to take rest when needed and for as long as necessary. Rest actually becomes a tool for increasing intensity, because exercisers can use it strategically to work harder than they could without rest. It also provides a buffer against overexertion making even high-intensity workouts safe. In RBT, the protocol adapts to the individual rather than forcing a person to adjust to it.

The physiological link between rest, intensity and results

Work and rest are often viewed as opposites. In reality, they are closely linked and dependent on one another.  For a real world example, consider a sprinter running a 100-meter race.  If at the completion of the race he or she was told to immediately run the race again, could they muster the same degree of intensity?

Intense exertion is the major determinant of physical adaptation and rest is the chief driver of intensity. Without rest, exercise must be naturally regulated with pacing strategies. This is a key insight because aerobic exercise modalities by their very nature do not employ rest. With aerobic exercise, the only options to increase intensity are going farther or exercising for longer. This may not be the most efficient way to drive results.

A 1997 meta-analysis by Miller et al. (1997) analyzed 400 plus aerobic exercise studies spanning over 25 years. The conclusion of the research was that aerobic exercise provides an insignificant weight loss advantage over diet by itself.  Melanson, et. al (2009) more recently showed little metabolic stimulation from moderate intensity aerobic exercise beyond the calories burned during activity.

At the same time, researchers have determined higher intensity exercise like weight training and interval exercise burns significantly more calories than once thought and can provide a substantial metabolic advantage. Anaerobic contributions to energy use can be underestimated by 70% for weight training and 95% for interval exercise (Scott 2005; 2009). The metabolic advantage can also result in a significant “after-burn” that can last 16 hours in women and 48 hours in men. (Schuenke 2002; Osterberg 2000).

Interval training, boot camps, metabolic conditioning and other more anaerobic programs are surging in popularity. They also seem to deliver on the promise of results. When compared head to head against traditional aerobics some research shows substantial benefit. Trapp et. al. (2008) looked at a 20-minute anaerobic interval program compared to 40-minutes of aerobics. The programs were conducted 3 times each week for 15 weeks. At the end of the study the anaerobic group lost approximately 5 pounds of fat while the aerobic group showed a non-significant trend towards fat gain.

The trick is to adopt some of the tools and techniques of higher intensity exercise protocols, while keeping the workouts safe and scalable for all fitness levels.  This is not an easy task. The average exerciser is not always equipped physiologically or psychologically to push themselves to the exertion levels required to generate the results they seek. Rest-based training solves this issue.

 Exercise motivation and self-regulation

Rest-based training draws inspiration from the school of psychology and its self-determination theory (SDT). Self-determination theory posits those who are given autonomy over change are far more likely to develop and maintain innate motivation. (Deci 2004; Markland 2005; Ryan 2000). This is in contrast to those who are coerced into change. Rest-based training brings this concept to exercise. By giving the exerciser control over when to rest and for how long, work volume can increase while safety is maintained.

Many current exercise trends work against the principles of self-determination theory. The keep-up-militancy of boot camps and the competitive approach of some metabolic conditioning programs are examples. These approaches, while effective for some, may be counterproductive for significant segments of the population.

RBT flips these models around and gives complete control of the workout over to the exerciser. By doing so, it creates self-motivation and ownership over exercise so that participants not only work harder, but also become better aware of their physiology and more engaged in their programs. RBT encourages participants to adjust work and rest ratios according to their individual needs. The wording used in this approach is “push until you can’t, rest until you can”.

Contrary to popular perception, exercisers given the ability to self-regulate exertion do not necessarily default to lower exercise intensities. A review by Ekkekakkis et al. (2009) highlights research showing exercisers instead work at greater intensities than predicted. This remains true so long as the intensity remains below the anaerobic threshold. This is the whole theory behind interval training, which employs rest to allow greater exertion. RBT takes this concept one step further by using rest coupled with control. This achieves the results of interval training while keeping the workout safe and appropriate for all fitness levels.

Self-regulation in exercise is a built in feature of movement management seen in animals. Animals naturally regulate exercise by using a burst-then-rest strategy (Ekkekakis 2009). This is likely an evolutionary adaptation allowing animals to maximize distances covered in a given time. It appears humans have the same ability to regulate intensity by employing rest (Edwards 2010).

Rest-based training versus interval training

The main goal of interval training is to balance the work intensity of every interval using the help of rest. Implementing the shortest rest period possible for metabolic recovery helps accomplish this. The “metabolic recovery” has to do with the clearance of hydrogen ions, restoration of phosphocreatine, recycling of lactate, and resetting of electrolyte gradients. Once this is accomplished, the physiology can perform at a high level once more. This reset point is likely different for everyone.

Definitive interval protocols present a challenge, for example 30s of work followed by 30s of rest. They are often too intense for the average exerciser and provide inadequate metabolic recovery. At best, this will cause pacing which compromises workout results, and at worst presents safety concerns.

According to RBT, individuals will self-regulate work and rest intervals to maximize intensity and ensure adequate recovery. Research shows this is indeed the case. In a study by Edwards et al. (2010), 11 well-trained runners were put through two trials.  In the first trial, 1, 2, and 4 minutes of rest were given after 4 minutes of intense exertion.  Researchers wanted to determine which resting protocol provided adequate metabolic reset for the physiology.  They found 1 minute was too short, 4 minutes was too long and 2 minutes was just right.

The experiment was then repeated. Only this time, the exercisers were instructed to rest as long as they felt was adequate and then resume the workout when they “felt” ready. Surprisingly, the average rest taken by the participants in the second experiment was 118 seconds, almost identical to the two minutes researchers previously determined was most beneficial from a physiological perspective. The researchers concluded, “The concept of self-pacing facilitates greater self-awareness of physical capabilities………and it is our contention that the combination of using ratings of perceived exertion to gauge interval effort and perceived readiness scales to gauge recovery may be a useful means of organizing interval training according to individual conditioning requirements.”

Rest-based training principles

There are four key components of RBT represented by the acronym R-E-S-T:

  • R= Rest-based. Rest, not work is the goal of rest-based training. This automatically increases the quality of work done, and it makes exercise psychologically easier (Edwards 2010; Ekkekakis 2009; Lander 2010; Rose 2010; Williams 2008). When exercisers have permission to rest according to their needs, they voluntarily work harder without being consciously aware they are doing so.
  • E= Extrinsic focus. Intrinsic sensations, such as breathlessness, burning and other sensations, are inhibitors of exercise intensity (Duncan 2010; Williams 2008). Rest-based training incorporates techniques that focus exercisers on what they are doing (extrinsic factors) versus what they are feeling (intrinsic feelings). With this in mind, an RBT workout is often structured to be quick moving and psychologically motivating.
  • S= Self-determined. RBT workouts are structured, but the exerciser has complete autonomy over exertion and rest. They are taught to use their rest strategically to push harder than they could without it. Giving control to the exerciser increases workout quality (Edwards 2010.), improves exercise adherence (Deci 2004; Ekkekakis 2009; Markland 2005; Ryan 2000; Rose 2010; Williams 2008), makes exercise psychologically easier (Lander 2010) and improves results overtime when compared to more definitive exercise prescriptions (Mann 2010).
  • T= Time conscious. Time and intensity are linked. So, harder workouts must be shorter by necessity. RBT workouts usually last from 20 to 40 minutes and incorporate start and stop working and resting segments according to individual needs.

RBT in practice

In order to help the novice exerciser tap into their inherent ability to self-regulate exercise, RBT teaches a 1 to 4 scale. This scale works as both an exertion score and a readiness rating. It works to help the exerciser and/or their trainer recognize more clearly when they should rest, and when they may want to resume training. Research has shown this to be a reliable tool in maximizing work and rest to generate optimal intensities for results (Edwards 2010). It also keeps the workout safe and manageable.

RBT exertion scale:

1-   Exerciser is at rest

2-   Exerciser is exercising but can still talk, there is no burning in muscles and/or the weight is light.

3-   Exerciser can no longer talk, there is burning in the muscle and/or the weight is getting heavy.

4-   Exerciser must rest and recover.

RBT readiness scale:

1-   Ready for full exertion.

2-   Ready to attempt full exertion.

3-   Unable to attempt full exertion.

4-   No exertion is possible

 The goal of the workout is to reach a 4 on the RBT exertion scale repeatedly. Rest is then taken until the exerciser reaches a 2 on the RBT readiness scale. In time, the scales are no longer required as the participant learns to quickly hone in on their self-regulating abilities.

A sample RBT workout

Here is a simple rest-based training workout that illustrates the concept. This can be done with a group of clients or in a one-on-one personal training setting.

  • Choose 3 full body exercises using a 10 to 15 rep max.
  • Complete 8 reps of each exercise in circuit fashion.
  • Instruct trainee/trainees to work until rest is required, reaching a 4 on the RBT exertion scale.
  • Coach them to rest as long as required reaching a 2 on the RBT readiness scale
  • Direct exercisers to resume the workout right where they left off.
  • Have them continue this way starting and stopping according to their own needs. The phrasing to use is “push until you can’t, rest until you can”
  • Use a stopwatch a time the circuit for 10 minutes. Remember, there is no structured rest.  The trainee/trainees take rest according to their own needs.
  • After 10 minutes choose another three exercises and have them go for another 10 minutes.
  • Repeat a third time with another 3 exercises for a total of 30 minutes.

During the workout, some exercisers will use lots of short rests while others will prefer less frequent and longer rests. The trainers job is to cue, coach and motivate the client by reminding them they are in control.

 Final thoughts

Trainers are taught systems and protocols and are expected to fit a diverse client base to a specific program. It can be hard to find the right fit. The choices range from the keep-up-militancy of boot camps, the don’t-be-beat competitive approach or the treat-with-kid-gloves mindset. RBT teaches the exerciser to instead fit the program to their unique fitness level and physical abilities. This provides trainers with a much needed tool. The focus on rest and autonomy finds common ground between safety and results. It is a science-based approach drawn from the best of psychology and conditioning research and holds promise to bridge the gap between safe and effective workouts.

References:

  • Deci, et al. 2004. Self-determination theory and basic need satisfaction: Understanding human development in positive psychology. Ricerche di Psichologia, 27, 17-34.
  • Duncan, et al. 2010. Exercise motivation: a cross-sectional analysis examining its relationships with frequency, intensity and duration of exercise. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7, 7.
  • Edwards et al. 2010. Self-pacing in interval training a teleoanticipatory approach. Psychophysiology, Published ahead of print.
  • Ekkekakis, et al. 2009. Let Them Roam Free? Physiological and Psychological Evidence for the Potential of Self-Selected Exercise Intensity in Public Health. Sports Medicine, 39(10), 857-888.
  • Lander, et al. 2003. Self-paced exercise is less physically challenging then forced constant paced exercise of the same intensity: influence of complex central metabolic control. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 43, 789-795.
  • Mann, et al. 2010. The effect of autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise vs. linear periodization on strength improvement in college athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(7), 1718-1723.
  • Markland, et al. 2005. Motivational interviewing and self-determination theory. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 24, 811–831.
  • Melanson, et al. 2009. Exercise improves fat metabolism in muscle but does not increase 24-hr fat oxidation. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 37(2),93-101.
  • Miller, et al. 1997. A meta analysis of the past 25 years of weight loss research using diet, exercise or diet plus exercise intervention. International Journal of Obesity, 21, 941-947.
  • Osterberg, et al. 2000. Effect of acute resistance exercise on post-exercise oxygen consumption and resting metabolic rate in young women. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 10(1), 71-81.
  • Rose, et al. 2010. Exercise experience influences affective and motivational outcomes of prescribed and self-selected intensity exercise. Scandanavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, Published ahead of print.
  • Ryan, et al. 2000. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68-78.
  • Schuenke, et al. 2002. Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: Implications for body mass management European Journal of Applied Physiology, 86, 411-417.
  • Scott, et al. 2005. Misconceptions about aerobic and anaerobic energy expenditure. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2, 32-37.
  • Scott et al. 2005. Contributions of Anaerobic Energy Expenditure to Whole-body Thermogenesis. Nutrition and Metabolism, 2, 14.
  • Scott, et al. 2009. Energy expenditure before during and after the bench press. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(2), 611-618.
  • Trapp, et al. The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women International Journal of Obesity. 2008;32:684-691
  • Treuth, et al. 1996. Effects of exercise intensity on 24-h energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, 28:1138-1143
  • Williams, et al. 2008 Exercise, affect, and adherence: an integrated model and a case for self-selected exercise. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 30, 471-496.