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Blast the Fat!By Chelsea Cooper, MPA, CPT The question of how to burn fat effectively – the right way – has been posed for decades. Over that time, it's been answered many different ways. I am going to assume that you are trying to burn fat so you can lose weight. Let's look at how the body burns fat and calories effectively, as well as address a few myths or assumptions about burning fat. Then I will recommend a few fun exercises to help you burn those calories. In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than your body consumes and uses on a daily basis, pure and simple. Exercise is one of the main ways to burn fat calories. When it comes to weight loss, keep in mind that what counts is how many total calories are burned, not necessarily where the calories come from. To lose weight, you have to burn calories. A popular myth is that there is a specific range of heart rates in which you must exercise to burn fat. Even many cardio machines have a "fat-burning zone" on their panels, which encourage people to exercise in their specific heart rate zone. Have you ever wondered if you really have to exercise in a specific heart rate zone to lose fat? Since more fat is used at low exercise intensities, people often assume that low-intensity exercise is best for burning fat, an idea that has given birth to the "fat-burning zone."
I am assuming that you picked jogging or sprinting even though it has the lowest fat percentage, but the calories burned are the highest. And that's what matters most when you are trying to lose weight. Which of the three exercises would get your heart rate up? Yes, it would be the jogging or sprinting, but according to the "fat burning zone" it would probably keep you walking for 20 minutes. So the popular myth about staying in your "fat burning" zone is just that – a myth. If I watched television my fat percentage was 60 percent but I only burned 40 calories total compared to jogging or sprinting where I burned 250 calories although my fat percentage was only 40 percent. Your body is similar to your car. You put fuel in your car so that it will take you to your destination. Your body does the same, but it uses a few different types of fuel. It can burn sugar (carbs), it can burn fat, and if it doesn't have any excess sugar or fat, it can actually burn muscle tissue (which we want to minimize as much as possible). How much you burn of either type of fuel depends on your exercise methods and habits such as what you eat before you head to the gym. For now, let's focus mainly on different exercises that will help you burn fat. But know that your eating habits have a direct effect on fat burning or lack of. A great way to burn fat and lots of calories is through interval (circuit) training. Interval training breaks up the work with periods of rest. Not only does interval training allow you to improve your fitness quickly; it is also more effective than continuous exercise for burning lots of calories during exercise and increasing your after workout metabolic rate. Studies have shown that "after burn" and interval training (circuit) can last up to 36 hours after. (This basically means you are still burning calories at a higher rate when you are finished than normal). Here are some fantastic interval training exercises that will help you burn calories and lose weight: Circuit/ Interval Training Perform the exercises in these circuit routines consecutively (pick a routine) with as little rest as possible between exercises; then repeat the entire circuit 3-4 times with 30-45 seconds of rest in between if needed. You can also time yourself and try to improve your time each round. Circuit #1
Circuit 2
Circuit #3 Summer Fun Outdoor Workout
Circuit #4 Obstacle Course
Be creative if you have a soccer ball you can kick the ball, or basketball do lay ups for 30 seconds make it fun and challenging. I didn't spend too much time on the wrong way because I want to teach you the right way to burn fat and lose weight. There is a science to this, but for fat and weight loss, what matters most is the difference between the number of calories you expend and the number of calories consumed. It matters little whether the calories burned during exercise come from fat or carbohydrates. But you want to stay away from burning muscle because that helps with your metabolism. So try the workouts below and let's get fit now! Action is the difference between reaching our goals and just thinking about them. How to Perform the Exercises Bodyweight (BW) Squat
Mountain Climbers
Jumping Jacks
Plank
Lunge
Run in Place/High Knees
Siff Squat
Ask The Trainer Is it wise to do an intense cardio workout before you hit the weights? Dear Reader, This is a good question that I actually get asked a lot by my clients. But to answer it completely and thoroughly, I need to know what your goals are and what you are trying to accomplish; as well as how comfortable you are (from a safety standpoint) with lifting weights. For example, if you are looking to lose weight and have a substantial amount of weight that you want to lose, and if you are new at weight-lifting, I would go with cardio first and then weight-lifting, because you will probably get more out of the cardio workout right now because you are new at weight-lifting. Now, when I say cardio, I'm talking about no more than 30 minutes with intervals (30 seconds of work, 1-minute rest). That is most effective. On the other hand, if you have 10-20 pounds to lose or are looking to get stronger and lean out, and you are confident in using weights, I would go with a good weight-lifting workout first. Whatever is left in the tank can be used to do cardio. The reasons for this is because if you are doing a circuit training-type of workout (performing 4-5 exercises back-to-back with little to no rest), you are also getting in your cardio. This is called cardio strength training. Research has shown that cardio strength training can actually be more effective when trying to lose weight than long, slow cardio. In the end, it does depend on your goals and experience. But keep in mind that if you are doing cardio and weight training back-to-back, then one of the two is going to be affected negatively (whichever you do last, when you're tired). One way to get around this is to do one in the morning and the other in the evening. You also can do them on separate days. My recommendation would be to look into circuit training, interval training or cardio strength training. Any of these options takes less time and is very effective when trying to lose fat compared to traditional cardio. -Chelsea Cooper, CPT Chelsea Cooper, MPA, CPT, is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer, performance enhancement specialist, and rehab and exercise specialist. To learn more, visit www.trainwithchelsea.com. |
