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You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to lose body fat
December 13th, 2008 · by Edwin · Filed Under: Weight Loss
Spending more than 20 minutes doing cardio can actually cause you to preserve fat.
According the Dr. Al Sears, “burning fat while exercising signals to your body that it needed the fat. This trains your body to make more fat for the next time you exercise. Your body then replenishes your fat each time you eat and becomes efficient at building and preserving fat necessary for long mid-level cardiovascular sessions in preparation for the next endurance workout. In doing so, it sacrifices muscle and other high-energy burning tissues and preserves fat.”
If you want to lose body fat try short duration interval cardio for 20 minutes, instead of long duration cardio, such as running on a treadmill for 45 minutes. I get my best cardio workouts when I increase the intensity of my intervals and keep the duration to 20 minutes. Studies have shown that you lose body fat 9 times faster with this strategy.
Below is an example cardio workout…
•Ø Warm-up for 5 minutes and then stretch
•Ø Using a bike, pedal as fast has you can for 30 seconds to a minute
•Ø Rest for 1 minute (slowly pedal and let your heart rate come down)
•Ø Again, pedal as fast as you can for another 30 seconds to a minute
•Ø Then rest again for 1 minute (slowly pedaling)
Repeat the above cycle for 20 minutes. If you are new to cardio, you can start with 5 minutes and build your way up to 20 minutes. Wear a heart rate monitor and stay within 80% of your maximum heart rate during this exercise.
Once your 20 minutes of cardio is complete, you will need to cool down by slowly pedaling or marching in place until your heart rate comes down below at least 60% of your maximum heart rate. And don’t forget to stretch.
Remember, your body adapts to the demands placed on it, so change your exercise routine about every 4 weeks. For example, instead of using a bike, you can use a jump robe or any other type of cardio equipment you like. You can also change your routine by increasing the intensity between rest periods by going faster or increasing the level on your bike or other equipment.
Important Note: As I mentioned above, when doing intense cardio you need to wear a heart rate monitor and don’t go over 80% of your max heart rate. And as always, I recommend seeing your doctor before starting any new exercise program.
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Although the information in this blog will benefit people of all ages, this blog is dedicated to over 40 fitness, so I’d especially love to hear from those who are over 40.
