Sunday, July 3, 2011

Burning Fat...

Here is a quick fat burning workout that will raise your metabolism and have you burning calories for hours.

Note: Use an Elliptical
Warning: This is an intense workout. Start out slow and work your way up.

Get on an elliptical and warm up for five minutes.
Then turn the level up to one you can sustain for 30 seconds. (try a level 5 or 6)
Move on the elliptical as hard and as fast as you can for 30 seconds. (the elliptical may shake but dont worry it means your working hard)
Then continue at a moderate pace for 1-2 minutes.
Repeat 6- 8 times.

Note: You can also do this on a treadmill or a stationary bike. I choose the elliptical because it is easier on my knees.

Weight Training...

Weight training is important for a couple of reasons. First, the more muscle you have, the higher your base metabolism will be and the more calories you will burn even at rest. But the actual numbers involved in a whole day of "extra" calorie burning due to extra muscle are relatively small compared to the number of calories you can burn during an hour of cardio exercise.

The second reason is more important. Whenever you lose weight, you will lose some muscle along with the fat. If you don't exercise and do some strength training, up to 30% of the weight you lose can come from muscle loss, and that isn't likely to be healthy over the long haul. Good strength and muscle tone are essential for functional living and health. You can hold your muscle loss down to 3-5% of total weight loss with moderate strength training. Likewise, strength training helps to preserve bone density, balance, and many other important things.

So, strength train each muscle group at least twice a week--this really only takes about 30-45 minutes per workout. Better yet, try circuit training, where you lift weights without resting between sets. This method meets both cardio and strength requirements because you keep your heart rate elevated throughout your workout, increasing the amount of calories you burn per workout. After you've met your 2 strength sessions per week, focus on cardio if your goal is weight loss. You need the cardio for the calorie burning, and also to build and maintain your cardiovascular fitness.

Advice I got from a Fitness Instructor...

Fitness is a lifestyle.
All you need is a little motivation.
Train hard...No Pain, No Gain.

Pushing your body to the limits.
Energy to build muscles, adrenaline to pump you up.
One step is where it all starts off...
Putting in the time and effort no matter what it takes.
Living a life of dedication...and
Earning the body you worked so hard to get...

Sitting down is not an option...
Universal gyms are a great alternative to free weights.
Cardio is always a must...and finally
Keep true to your diet.