Why it matters
Working muscle releases signalling molecules called myokines. Dr. O’Mara says maximum-intensity exercise uses them to build muscle and burn harmful fat. Long, steady cardio, which he calls durational exercise, can make visceral fat harder to lose.
Cortisol matters too. In his account, a sprint raises it briefly and then it drops below where it started, while an hour of running keeps it raised.
The sprint session
- Sprints
- ~6
- Each
- 15–20s
- A week
- 3–4×
- Warm up well first.
- Go all-out, then rest until you can do it again.
- Mix it up: hills, a track or a machine. Even a hotel room works.
How to train
- 01
Sprint every other day
About six all-out sprints of 15 to 20 seconds. Vary them so no two sessions are the same.
- 02
Lift hard
Weights or bodyweight, like push-ups and pull-ups, worked close to failure. Muscle is what helps burn visceral fat.
- 03
Walk, and move all day
Stand and move a lot. Steady walking is good. It just doesn’t replace sprinting.
- 04
Cut back on long cardio
Long runs and hours of steady cardio make visceral fat harder to shift. If you run long distances, he suggests getting your heart checked for atrial fibrillation.
- 05
Start slow, at any age
Build up gradually and warm up well. Dr. O’Mara has clients in their 80s who sprint.
I tell my clients to make sure that they engage in maximally intensive exercise, not jogging.