Zuzana-Bodyrock

I’m a little upset…okay…I’m really upset. In fact I’m pissed off. Wanna know why? Well here’s the story…

A few days ago I answered a reader’s question here on the site that asked “Can You Get A Great Body Exercising 12 Minutes Per Day?” The basis for the question was the famous Zuzana, formerly of Bodyrock and her successor on the site Lisa Marie. Both ladies insist they achieved their ultra lean and toned bods with just 12 minutes of exercise per day. 

Now if you read my response carefully and thoroughly, you’ll see that I answer the question in some detail. No, in my opinion you CANNOT sculpt a physique like Zuzana or Lisa Marie’s with just 12 minutes of exercise per day. Now remember the question wasn’t “Will 12 minutes of exercise per day benefit a person’s health and fitness?” It was CAN YOU get a body like these two women in such a short workout? Again the answer is NO.

Well apparently a Zuzana follower forwarded my post to her and here’s what she has to say:

“Anyone who’s telling you that is IMPOSSIBLE to get fit and lean by doing HIIT for only 15 minutes a day like I do is a FAT LIAR and I don’t care what their background is. If it’s a trainer, then it’s even worse because they should know better.

The reason why it gets me so mad is because they are discouraging people by telling them that they have to be on a super strict diet and dedicate at least 45 minutes 5-6 times a week to get fit. It is outrageous!

As a matter of fact any healthy individual can lose weight and get fit and lean by doing short high intensity workouts (15 minutes, 5-7 days a week) and following basic eating habits.

It has been proven so many times by research and by actual trainers and real people that I don’t understand why is it still being questioned?”

Okay – here we go!

Firstly, I NEVER said it’s impossible to do anything! Man, do people actually read what I write? Of course you can get fitter and healthier performing 12-minute workouts. And you can lose weight by just eating better, without even exercising! I’m not going to recite everything I wrote in my answer, BUT to call me a Big Fat Liar and say I should know better is plain wrong. Just who does Zuzana think she’s talking to here?

What’s really interesting is that many people who follow Bodyrock and Zuzana actually agreed with my thoughts! Many of them HAD seen results when they first started out but as I suspected, all said they needed to add more time, more movements and in general supplement their routine because their results started to fall short. In essence, they stopped seeing progress. And this is to be expected. Think about this – 12 minutes is LESS THAN 1% of your day. How much of a change in your physiology can you stimulate in such a short time?

We’re all interested in burning fat when we exercise right? Well here are some real FACTS – it can take up to twenty minutes for exercise to reduce insulin levels and lower blood sugar enough to get into a fat burning zone. And since Zuzana wants to speak about science and what’s been proven – let’s get the facts straight about hormone and endorphin release.

Surely we all want to feel those wonderful endorphins kick in right? It’s kind of a high. Well guess what? It’s not happening in 12 minutes. It’s PROVEN that after longer bouts of exercise – around the post 30-minute mark – endorphins start to get released and that growth hormone (the fat burning granddaddy) and testosterone (muscle building) levels begin to rise as well. Additionally, it’s been shown that these levels continue in a linear fashion over time, peaking around the 70-minute mark. How’s 12 minutes sounding now?

For those of you looking to add muscle to your body, 12 minutes just won’t suffice. In order to coax your body into adding lean slabs of beef, you must try to fully exhaust the muscle and its fibers. How that’s accomplished? I’ll tell you – multiple sets of exercise that fatigue the muscles, break them down and force them to repair themselves, bigger and stronger, for the next challenge. That’s not happening in 12 minutes.

What about calorie burn and the post-metabolic effects of exercise? Let’s talk about that too. Sure a 12-minute HIIT session is great and you will burn SOME calories and get a boost in your post calorie burn. But here again SCIENCE has proven the value of longer workouts. Training intensely for 45 minutes may yield up to a 500-calorie burn but also an additional 200 calories may be burned throughout the course of the day. I’ll take option #2 thank you.

Zuzana

I could go on with these FACTS but let me ask you, Zuzana, how many people have you trained in your life? Are you an actual trainer or just a YouTube front woman who has a passion for fitness? Have you ever trained anyone – ever? Do you see clients on a regular basis or teach class to hundreds of participants weekly? Have you ever personally helped a person lose 50, 60 or more pounds and get in the best shape of their life? Guess what? I have. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years now, with real people, in real life, with real workouts and solid nutrition plans, not just basic eating habits and some online videos with daily affirmations (By the way if you’d like to check out my Angry Trainer You Tube Channel for the kind of workouts I promote take a look!) :-)

I’d also like to ask the millions of Bodyrockers out there a question! I’m sure you’ve all been a fan of Zuzana for some time now and followed along with her suggestions. Do any of you look like her? Do you have her ultra low bodyfat? Do you have the muscle tone and hardness she does? I’m sure many of you look amazing – but I highly doubt any of you look like her. Especially if you only work out for 12 minutes a day!

Zuzana has an amazing body, no doubt about it. I would never deny that she’s worked hard. I’ve seen pictures of her from years ago and she didn’t always look this great. Although she’s a bit softer now then in her Bodyrock days, she still looks like a fitness competitor. Do you know how hard those girls work to achieve that look? It takes hours in the gym and a closely monitored and controlled diet. My girlfriend Alejandra has an outstanding physique and she’s ultra fit. She too is outraged with this BS, because she knows first hand how hard it is to get into shape.

As I’ve said – I’ve never met anyone with an amazing body who achieved it in just 12 minutes a day. If you’ve got a solid base from years of hard labor in the gym then perhaps you can maintain for a while with such a short stimulus, but you aint building a Greek goddess or god–like physique in that time. And don’t just take my word for it! You won’t find ANYONE with any type of qualifications or credentials telling you that all you need is 12–15 minutes, 5 days per week.

Here’s the kicker. I’ve been a BIG supporter of Zuzana here on the site. I’ve given her two very positive reviews and props for her fitness contributions. I was a fan and thought she was the real deal. But the fact is she DIDN’T really read what I was saying – and neither did her army of fans. Instead they just went on the attack, telling me that I didn’t know what I was talking about!

YES, you can improve your health and fitness with short workouts – BUT they have their limitations. You will look better. But you won’t look like Zuzana!

Okay everyone – let the comments roll in… can’t wait to hear what you all have to say!

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