Soooo what’s the deal with EPOC?
E.P.O.C. (aka “the after-burn”). It’s the latest buzz in the fitness world, and although its #trending, it honestly sounds more like a medical term that only personal trainers know about. SO we’re here to break it down for you.
Think about it like chocolate chip cookies. They’re baking away in the oven (ahem, the oven is your workout in this analogy.) When the timer goes off you pull them out, but they aren’t instantly cool. As they rest on the counter, the cookies continue to bake internally as they gradually cool to a resting temperate. The same thing happens with your metabolism. After you finish your workout, your body continues to burn a heightened number of calories long after you leave the studio. EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, is literally the amount of oxygen needed to restore your body to its resting levels. So, you continue to burn even if you take a post workout nap.
The key to EPOC, otherwise known as “after burn,” is intense exertions in a short period of time. When you put a lot of weight on your muscles, they can’t sustain it for that long because your muscles start to fill up with lactic acid and burn your stored oxygen. If you burn through your oxygen levels, your body has to continue to work harder after your workout to build you oxygen back up, meaning your body is burning calories at a heightened level up to 36 hours after your workout. Pretty cool, huh? What’s even cooler is that there are specific workouts you can do to increase your EPOC so you can torch calories for days (literally).
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) AKA THE22
Getting your heart rate up to about 75% max is the best way to increase the EPOC effect, and the best way to increase your heart rate is interval training. By combining intervals of intense muscle use and short recovery periods, HIIT workouts allow you to burn through your oxygen supply within minutes, so you increase your calorie burn quickly. ZYN’s new workout program, THE22, is an interval training combination of perseverance, power and plyometric movements designed to strengthen and surprise the body with fresh, functional exercises, all in less than 35 minutes, optimizing your time for the maximal fat burning sesh.
Strength Training
Focus on compound exercises that target multiple, large muscle groups. When you start to build up your muscle mass, your body’s natural metabolism, meaning you’ll burn more calories just living your (best) life.
Sprinting Interval Training
Sprinting requires intense use of your entire body with brief rests. Sprint for 10-20 seconds with 30 seconds of rest.
Circuit Resistance Training
In this case, you are not trying to push you muscles to exhaustion each set, but keep the intensity through each round of exercises with rests between sets. Alternate between higher and lower intensity exercises like.
So, wanna get in on that 36-hour after-burn? Time to hit The Turf! Try THE22 for a sweat sesh that packs a literal punch and is the perrrrfect compliment to your ride.