Get the Big Burn: Effective Ways to Scorch Fat
This article was originally posted on www.FitnessGeared.com one of the leading fitness and bodybuilding forums on the web.
More often than not, people are in the gym to slim down. After years and years of indulging in our favorite food, drinks, and non-fitness activities, the past tends to haunt you. Some people got a young head start with their fitness, and their goal is to add and maintain muscle mass. While countless other numbers of individuals have the same exact goal in mind “lose fat as quickly as possible”.
Know Your Calories
To put it simple, it’s all a math problem. Calories in from food subtracted by calories out from daily activity and exercise will result in a calorie surplus or a calorie deficit. So what we need to shoot for is of course a calorie deficit when it comes to losing those pounds of fat. Be sure to note though that this may NOT work by just simply starving yourself. Why? If you are 100% successful at it, you will die. Obviously that is not the route we are shooting for with our fat loss goals. Even so, if you cut your calorie intake to the max and work out like a fiend, your body will again not react in the most ideal route. Studies show that your body will actually store fat faster from the small amount of calories ingested if you go way below your recommended caloric intake amount.
Burn More Calories From Workouts
We have all heard the “fitness claims” about more fat being burned at the lower intensity exercises. While there is some truth and logic behind this, there is more to meets the eye than just keeping it nice and easy peasy.
If exerciser A weighs 300 pounds and wants to lose fat mass each week. To put it simple, let’s say exerciser A does very easy exercises each day 5x a week, and they result in 300 extra calories expended each day. Since this person is exercising at 55% average of their VO2 max (easy exercises) they are likely to burn a higher fat percentage. This would probably be around 55% as well. End result would be about 165 fat calories per workout, and an overall 825 or so fat calories per week. Nice, but not enough.
Exerciser B also weighs 300 pounds and wants to lose fat mass each week. Now, let’s say that exerciser B does moderate to hard exercises each day 5x a week and they result in 600 extra calories expended each day. This person would be exercising at about an 85% average of their VO2 max (medium to hard exercises) and are likely to burn a lower fat percentage from the workout. But, since the overall calorie amount is so much higher, the fat calories burnt is more as well. It would be somewhere around 40% of the calories from fat. End result would be about 240 fat calories per workout, and an overall 1200 or so fat calories a week. Pair that with some smart dieting, and you are on your way to a slimmer body.
Work Out In Intervals
Tired of sitting on the stationary bike for an hour straight? The monotony of dull exercises could also be something devastating to your exercise habits. Not to say that cardio is a bad thing for people trying to lose weight, but eventually the thought of going to the gym can make you find 101 different things better to do than your workout. Cardio is not the problem; the problem is the way most fat loss individuals do their cardio. Interval training is bursts of intense exercise followed by periods of rest, or lighter exercise. This is not only a great way to boost those calories up tapping into more overall fat calories burnt, but it also makes your hour at the gym feel a lot quicker. Also, interval training has been proven to help reduce belly fat overall. Working out in different planes of motion other than just going straight in one plane of motion (stationary bike, or elliptical) will incorporate much more core than you realize. Try sprinting up a small hill, busting out 10 burpees, flipping a tractor tire, try a jump rope routine, or take a kickboxing class.
Diet Away the Pounds
Obviously dieting is a word on everyone’s mind when it comes to fat loss. Know this, when it comes to human beings, no two people are the same. In the same sense, know that no two people will get the same results from a particular cookie cutter diet. All in all, knowing or being reminded of the fundamentals of dieting are important. Keep your lean protein amount high. Protein will make muscle, and muscle will burn fat. Keep your processed carbohydrates to a minimum. That salty chip or that sugary drink may taste delicious. But, understand your body fat troubles are literally coming from these sources. Keep these numbers in check. When it comes to fats, know that you need to get the good fats and cut out the bad.
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