If you live in Livermore, CA, you probably see people running or doing yoga at the beach. Exercise has become a way of life for some. Others are just starting. They begin for various reasons. People may want to build their stamina, lower their blood pressure, or burn more fat. Are all of those things possible? It depends on the goal and the exercise you’re doing, especially for fat burning.
You’ll burn tons of calories when you do cardio, but will you burn fat?
There is no doubt about it, you’ll burn some fat when you do cardio, but you’ll also burn some lean muscle mass. That’s because cardio uses both lean muscle mass and fat to get the calories necessary. While you’ll lose weight, it won’t change your body composition. You’ll have the same proportions of fat to muscle but weigh less. If fat burning is your goal, you need some cardio for endurance, but it’s not the ultimate answer.
Strength building is perfect for fat burning.
Just like cardio, strength-building exercises require a lot of calories. Unlike cardio, the body uses fat to get those calories and builds muscle tissue at the same time. The more muscle tissue you have, the easier it is to lose weight since muscle tissue requires more calories than fat tissue does to maintain. Strength training also continues to burn fat after you quit. It burns extra calories for up to 48 hours after you end your exercise session to get the body back to a steady state condition. It burns an extra 10 calories every hour, but since it can last up to 48 hours, it can add up to a significant number.
HIIT workouts are a way to do exercises that burn fat, not a type of exercise.
HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. It’s a simple method that can maximize your exercise time. You modify your intensity throughout the workout, going from high intensity to moderate recovery and back to high intensity. HIIT boosts the body into higher metabolism and studies show that burns more fat than steady-state workouts, even though both are important. It allows you to work at high-intensity effort longer and you can use it with any type of exercise, even walking.
- Using kettlebells can provide a fat-burning option that’s also fun. Kettlebells provide balance, flexibility, endurance, and strength training all in one and burn lots of calories.
- Vary your workout to increase the fat and calories you burn. You’ll maximize the benefit when you vary your workout regularly. When the body becomes too efficient at a workout, it doesn’t burn as many calories.
- Don’t forget a healthy diet with plenty of protein to build muscle. You can workout long hours and still not burn fat if you’re eating more calories than you burn. The calories in some junk foods are far higher than the number you’ll burn working out.
- Hydrate and get adequate sleep. Your body needs rest to heal muscles after a tough workout. Lack of sleep can also cause a hormone imbalance making weight loss more difficult. Hydrate frequently, especially before meals. You’ll eat less and lose weight faster.
For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness