51 A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise Just above nutrition, proper sleep and stress management plays the next most important role in effective weight management. We will be talking more about sleep and stress in Chapter 4. Another important factor is hormonal balance. Although this topic will not be discussed in detail, hormones play a critical role in weight management. In addition to controlling blood sugar levels and insulin balance, hormones regulate our metabolism and therefore are intricately connected to the amount of fat gained or lost. After sleep and stress management, exercise is the next most important factor in effective weight management. Just as with nutrition, there also seems to be a hierarchy in terms of the effectiveness of exercise in promoting fat loss (Cosgrove, 2019). As depicted in Figure 3.6, strength training (ST) and endurance training (ET) performed in combination is likely the best approach to losing body fat and keeping it off. However, current research would suggest that ST performed in isolation may be more effective than ET performed in isolation in terms of promoting fat loss. Additionally, some forms of ST seem to be more effective than others. According to Cosgrove (2019), circuit training (aka metabolic conditioning) seems to be more effective in terms of promoting fat loss than traditional resistance training. Circuit training involves performing multiple sets of the compound lifts with limited to no rest between sets. Similarly, some forms of ET may be more effective than others. According to Swain & Franklin (2006), vigorous-intensity endurance training (e.g., high-intensity interval training (HIIT)) seems to promote more favorable results than low- to moderate-intensity endurance training (e.g., low-intensity steady state exercise (LISS)). Figure 3.6. Hierarchy of Exercise for Fat Loss As a result, Cosgrove (2019) assigns recommendations (Table 3.2) as to when and how to prioritize the different types of training based on the available amount of time to exercise each week. For example, if you only have 3 hours or less to exercise each week, and your primary fitness goal is to lose weight, then you should only perform ST, preferably circuit training. However, if you have between 3-6 hours or more to exercise each week, then you could engage in both ST and
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