BURN MORE FAT IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME
Good Afternoon Fitness Family,
How is everyone today? Planning or already completed your workout today? I hope so and I am back today to provide a tip on how to intensify your workout and increase the amount of fat that is burned in the same amount of time. Impossible you say or are you curious as to how. If you said impossible I am hear to inform you of a few tricks that will definitely help you move to closer towards of your fitness goals.
Remember when you were a child and your parents told you to stop turning the air conditioner on and off. Do you know why they insisted to either leave it on or leave it off. Well you probably know by now since I imagine most who will read this are paying an electric bill and after the heat this summer. Starting something that relies on fuel for it's energy burns extra energy to get it started and it burns less fuel once it is running. Think about your car. Do you have cruise control? if you used it for any distance you know that you burned less gas. Why, well because your are not accelerating and slowing and accelerating again. Well your body burns fuel. Hopefully good fuel but that discussion comes later as we continue to cover some of the basics. Your body also works the same as any other machine, when it comes to the utilization of energy, as you accelerate it increases the amount of fuel required to function properly.
Another barrier to overcome is a primary and primitive survival mechanism all creatures have and that is the fight or flight response evolution provided as a reaction to danger. In order to do this the body stores glucose (sugar) in our muscles to ensure there is a ample amount of energy to allow us to either move away from the danger or overcome the danger, fight or flight. This sugar is ample and last up to approximately 20-30 minutes during the beginning of a moderate to intense workout. So during your first 20 minutes (intense), you will only burn this glucose and the fat remains hiding beneath your skin.
The third barrier to your fat loss is another remarkable feature called muscle memory which I spoke briefly about in an earlier blog. This allows our body to remember acts that we have not performed in years if we have done it repeatedly over time in our past. So even though you may not have ridden a bike in 20 years your body does not forget how to do it and although the first few steps you may falter, it will not be long before you are up and away. Remarkably even though I have not played basketball for about 15 years, I am still able to make foul shots consistently. In fact better I am better at it know than when I had to do it under the pressure of a game. Yes you may increase the intensity or the amount of time or frequency but how far can you go before the body begins to break down. If you are my age, 54, you will need to find another way and I am here to provide you with some tips.
So let's look at the first barrier and turn off the cruise control when we workout. I am always amazed at how long some folks are on the cardio machines because I get bored and really struggle to stay on for more the 20 to 30 minutes. It just feels like such a grind and I want to get to that weight. So here is something you may want to try out for a while. Instead of going on cruise control I want you to start and stop your cardio routine every ten minutes or so. In between, you may keep your heart moving although not as rapidly as when running or using the elliptical equipment but faster than at rest. This may be a good opportunity to add in some additional core elements to your routine or you may want to get a few sets of weight resistance during the ten minute break. Once the ten minute cardio break is done, you are going to accelerate and burn some more fuel. Stop again after the next ten minutes do something to keep the heart rate from going back to complete rest. This is not the time for texting, phone calls or extended conversations. You do not want to disrupt someone else's workout or lose track of time and not be able to complete yours. Stay focused and intense.
I find it interesting when I come to the gym and I see so many people on the cardio machines as soon as I get there. See I arrive at 5 a.m. when it opens on most days. So if you are on there at that time you have an opportunity to increase the intensity of your cardio by getting off the machines, now. Don't wait get off and go do your weight resistance or your core exercises or whatever else you do as part of your routine. Do that for 20 minutes at least to burn off the sugar and increase the amount of fat you are burning during the cardio routine. So for instance, a person who normally does say 30 minutes on the treadmill, at the beginning, of the workout will burn sugar for 20 minutes and fat for 10. Reverse the order and do the cardio after the other parts of your routine and do the math. Instead of burning fat for 10 minutes you will now be burning fat for 30 minutes. You now have tripled the amount of fat you will burn without extending the workout.
Now let's address the muscle memory issue. You may be thinking right now that if I start and stop or if I change the order of my routine that is enough. Well it is a good start but if you do not vary your workout muscle memory will kick in and you will plateau. Once you plateau, stick with the theory but vary the intervals or frequency or the apparatus you use and you will begin to make gains again. Plateaus are normally. They just demonstrate that you have been given a remarkable body. No matter how remarkable it still takes care and conscious deliberate activity to care for it well. If you do any one of these things I have recommended here today you will see more results from your workouts. Do all 3 things and the results will keep coming and plateauing will no longer be a difficult thing to overcome. You will see results and you will see them soon.
Two cautions I need to give:
- If you have not done much or no cardiovascular training at all start slow with shorter intervals at the beginning and build a little at a time. Whether they are 1 minute or 10 to 15 minute intervals you will increase the amount of fat you burn and results you and other see.
- All things take time and hard work. Give it a few weeks as anyone who does this seriously knows their are no magic bullets that will just peel back the years. These changes will help but they will not overcome poor eating or a lack of consistent regular workouts.
I hope each of you have increased success. Incorporate these tips in to your routine and you will be happy with the results. If you have any questions or comments please contact me on this site and I will respond to all. Also let me know how it works for you. Have a great day and an intense fat burning, muscle building workout.
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