EPOC PROGRAM 4: Supramaximal Interval Training
Think 15—20 one-minute all-out sprints with 2—5-minute walks in between.
Duration: 60—80 minutes
Intensity: High (7—9 intensity rating)
Why it works: When researchers at the Flinders University of South Australia (Adelaide) compared
continuous running for 30 minutes at 70% VO2 max (about 80% MHR) and interval running of
20 one-minute intervals at 105% VO2 max (100%-plus MHR) with two-minute rest periods, the
latter was the EPOC winner. The supramaximal interval training had double the EPOC levels as its
continuous-exercise counterpart. In another study, Norwegian scientists found that supramaximal
training of three two-minute bouts of exercise followed by three-minute rest periods produced
EPOC for up to four hours.
EPOC PROGRAM 5: Circuit Training
Perform one weight-training exercise per bodypart at 20 reps per minute (slow and controlled on
both the up and down portions of the rep) with a weight load that's 60% of your one-rep max. Run
to each station and complete the circuit three times, resting only 20 seconds between each.
Circuit: Leg press, biceps curl, bench press, triceps pulldown, lat pulldown, crunch, lateral raise.
Duration: 30 minutes
Intensity: Moderate to high (4—7 intensity rating)
Why it works: Circuit training that consists of three sets of eight exercises resulted in a higher EPOC
within 30 minutes of exercising as compared to an equivalent-intensity treadmill workout, according
to researchers at Shippensburg University (Pennsylvania) in the journal European Journal of
Applied Physiology. The duration of your resting period may also impact your EPOC after circuit
training, say Southeastern Louisiana University (Hammond) researchers. They found that a higher
EPOC occurred when subjects rested 20 seconds between circuits than when they took 60-second
rest periods
