I just starting going to the gym again. Tell me, what is the fastest way to burn fat? Some people say not to lift weights for a month and focus only on cardio. While other people say to focus on doing lots of reps with light weights. Let me know your suggestions.
Never try to lose weight quick. Quick weight loss is usually only temporary and unhealthy. Furthermore, you may risk injury. Think long term and change your lifestyle. To do this simply watch your calorie intake and increase your output (exercise). Make sure that your exercise is consistent each week. Work up to a half hour of straight cardio no less than four times a week. Slow and steady wins the race. You can also tone up and increase flexibility. Do your best to minimize junk food and alcohol intake. Watch your portions. Never "starve" yourself or your body will go into starvation mode where your metabolism will slow down and you will gain weight quicker than ever. Eat at least three meals a day. Alternatively, you can eat four or five slightly smaller meals spread out throughout the day. Just make sure that you get at least one fairly good sized healthy meal a day. If you don't change your lifestyle, you'll gain the weight back. Be consistent and committed. Stay committed for life. You'll also get a boost in self esteem as a result of using self control. Nothing worthwhile is ever quick and easy. Always commit for the long term. ~Newbie Shield~
Thanks for your response. I've been going to the gym 5 days per week for the past 2 weeks and already feel better.
Marcus, That's great to hear. I love to vary my workouts. I make sure that I get at least a half hour of cardio in four or more times a week. Plus, I like to get a variety in each work out. I walk, jog, swim, bike, row, lift weights, stretch, practice martial arts, and meditate. I exercise outside as often as possible, but when the weather is awful, I work out inside. I'm lucky that I live by so many lakes and parks with paths around them. Lots of swimming pools around too. It really does make you feel good and adds a little variety to each day. I even switch directions around the paths and running tracks Have fun getting healthier, ~Newbie Shield~
I live in Phoenix, so the gym works better for me. I do at least 40 minutes of cardio 4 to 5 days per week and then I play basketball for fun. I'll report my progress soon. Thanks for the encouragement.
First Determine your BODY TYPE 1. ECTOMORPH - The ectomorph is the naturally-slim person. They have a smaller bone-structure and can seem to "eat whatever they want and not gain an ounce." 2. ENDOMORPH - The endomorph type is the heavyset end of the scale. The endomorph typically gains and holds onto fat easily and has a harder time losing it. 3. MESOMORPH -The mesomorph has all the luck. This is the naturally- muscular person. They are characterized by having broader shoulders and a narrower waist (known as a "V" taper). They gain muscle easily and lose fat easily. Then tell me your GOALS " JUST LOSE FAT " OR BUILD MUSCLE TOO By the way are you male or female =) Im a Fitness Instructor and Bodybuilder
I suggest running or any type of cardio to burn fat alone. Weights increase strength along with your metabolism so you might get more hungry and gain more.
1. Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day - between 300 and 500 calories each. 2. Eat at least 20 grahams of protein with eat meal. 3. Do both cardio and weight lifting - you should do ok with 30-45 minutes of cardio per day. 4. Stay away from soda pop and beer - these are very high calorie, and even the "light" or "diet" varieties can hurt you. 5. Learn to read food lables. Even if its fat free doeen't mean its sugar free - you can learn a lot by reading labels.
zack: Weights increase strength along with your metabolism so you might get more hungry and gain more. Zack, Increasing metabolism is half the idea. You want to increase your metabolism because that's what burns off fat. ~Newbie Shield~
What has worked best for me is weight training and particular the use of free weights using superset and giant set techniques. The guru's of weight training will tell you these are advanced techniques but, I don't agree. You can customize these techniques to fit any level of fitness simply by either decreasing reps and or weight. However, you need professional instruction so that you will learn proper form, get optimal results and stay injury free. Once they show you how you're off and running. What I love about super sets and giant sets is you accomplish the same amount of work in half the time. And it it's great for reshaping your body too, because at any point you can target whatever muscle in your body that you think needs more work and focus on it. I go for intensity, that cranks up my metabolism to a whole new level. I never have to worry about weight gain. To maintain I go to the gym 2 days a week to lift. Do cardio 7 days a week at home. I watch my diet and take vitamins to supplement. I am also a vegetarian that helps eliminate a lot of fat.
I agree with all the posts, except I would add some moderate weight training. The more muscle you have, the more fat you will burn.
Go you chicken fat go! haha That's a funny song my dance teacher played during our pre-dance warm up. Here's the deal with fat. First, you need to understand something: When working out, you will BURN the most fat during mid-intensity cardio. However, here's the rub. If you do that, when you are resting, your body says, "Hey, I need to store up fat, because this fatty needs that stuff for those long runs on the treadmill!" So.... all that time that you are NOT working out, your body will be hard at work storing up more fat. So, they've done studies that show if you do VERY SHORT, VERY HIGH INTENSITY cardio instead of what we've all been taught what will happen instead is this. Your body will burn MUSCLE during your workout. However, you're only going to be working out a short time. Never more than 10-12 minutes. Now, after your workout, your body is going to say, "Hey, I better rebuild that muscle, because this guy needs that stuff for those crazy bursts of speed." So, what will your body use for energy? You got it. FAT! You'll be burning fat, building muscle (which burns fat) and your body will actually do what you want: becoming lean, trim and toned. I didn't just come up with this off the top of my head, either. There's about 20 years of studies you can find supporting this. say goodbye to that chicken fat! g
I just joined team beachbody. Their products are amazing and you can work out from home. You log on to their site and decide which workout you are going to do, then you check back when exercise is completed. It's awesome. They also awards daily prizes, at random, from $300-$1000 a day, or maybe an ipod. Much better than going to the gym!!
Step 1: Double up on your aerobics Instead of exercising for 30 minutes on the treadmill, step it up to 60 minutes. You don't need to walk, step or jog faster, only longer. Extending your workouts past 30 minutes gives your body more time to burn fat, as opposed to only burning carbohydrates for energy Step 2: Go to bed the same time every night before 11pm Step 3: Wake up 30 minutes earlier Step 4: Eat you last meal by 6:30pm Step 5: Eat more frequently, 6-8 times a day Metabolism manipulation is the cornerstone of weight loss. Manipulate your meals and you manipulate your metabolism. The best way to speed up your metabolism is through cardiovascular (using the heart) exercise. Weight training is perfectly fine, but isn't needed to burn fat. It is best to do cardio on an empty stomach. --------------- Linda
There is some good advice here. I have written a squidoo lens on this subject and have given my workout program that I am currently using. The link to my lens is below if you are interested. I am a firm believer in a full body workout, not just cardio. Why do I believe this? Because I have seen the best results this way. To me it is a proven method. You will have to try it yourself to prove it to yourself, or take my advice or others that have said the same thing. zack: Weights increase strength along with your metabolism so you might get more hungry and gain more. To the above quote, yes you might gain more, but muscle is more dense than fat. 1 pound of fat takes up more area than 1 pound of muscle, and the question was how to burn more fat not how to weigh less. Also, muscle helps burn fat. getagrip: 1. Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day - between 300 and 500 calories each. This is absolutely TRUE! Eating more, smaller, meals a day helps maintain your sugar levels. If you eat 3 big meals a day your sugar levels will spike and crash. If you maintain your sugar levels your metabolism is increased. Another point that I would like to add is to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Most people do not drink enough water which places their bodies into "Starvation" mode. Their bodies don't know when the next time they will get a drink and therefor hold more water. If you drink plenty of water, again at least 64 ounces a day, your body will hold less water. I could go on and on about this subject. I'm not saying I'm a fitness expert, but I have studied it for awhile and have seen what really works myself. Good luck, and I'm glad to see you are taking an interest in a healthier you.
There are some very good pointers in the posts here. What I would like to add is that high intensity intervals (using supersets as someone previously mentioned) of body weight and free weight exercises is the best possible way to increase your metabolism and burn more calories in less time during your workout. These exercises should be multi joint exercises. 20 to 30 minutes of this type of workout is sufficient and if you follow this with 20 minutes of high intensity interval cardio work (not the fat burning "zone"), you will be amazed at the changes that you will see in your body. 3 workouts per week with a day in between is perfect. I hope this helps and let me know if you have more specific questions. Good luck!
I know people have said this already, but don't lose fat too quickly. I did that, and ended up with gall stones (overly fast weight loss being one of the big causes) and had to have surgery. Slow and steady, take care of yourself.
many helpful suggestion has been mention here and I just would like to add that balancing the calories you use through physical activity with the calories you eat will help you achieve your desired weight.ie: a) When you eat more calories than you need to perform your day's activities, your body stores the extra calories and you gain weight. b) When you eat fewer calories than you use, your body uses the stored calories and you lose weight. c) When you eat the same amount of calories as your body uses, your weight stays the same. I hope it can be helpfull
