If you want to get the BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK when it comes to BURNING FAT, then listen up! If you’re tired of over-exercising, under-eating and going through the “restrict-binge” cycle, there are 3 things you can start doing NOW to help you blast more fat and be more effective overall at your efforts to be healthy!
Most people are still caught up in the belief that “more is better.” The FACT is that “more isn’t better,” “BETTER IS BETTER!” Getting out of the cardio trap, low calorie and yo-yo dieting cycle can be VERY hard! I know because I’ve been there. Waking up everyday, over-exercising and over-stressing/thinking about food. . . It’s a TRAP! I know this because I’ve lived this, and I know how very hard it is to get out. Once you’re in the “trap” the thought of doing less seems impossible! “How could I do less and get better results?” I asked myself this questions a lot. I knew the science, I knew what research was saying, but I was afraid! Afraid of the unknown for my body. Lots of questions circled in my head. . . “What if I cut back?” “What if I didn’t train at least an hour a day?” “What if I let down my guard and ate a little off-track?” These were all legitimate questions, and if you’re living in this reality, you are probably asking yourself some of the same things. I had fears. . . “What would happen to my body?” “Would I gain weight?” “Would I lose my muscle?” “Would I be just as fit?” “Would I still be looked up to as a trainer/coach by my clients if I wasn’t living and breathing exercise and diet 24/7?”
These questions ran through my head over-and-over again! I would tell myself I would cut back, but morning would come, my alarm would sound and I would jump out of bed and workout hard, and then go for a run and maybe workout more! I would do lots of long duration steady-state cardio, especially if I had a night out or felt like I ate something out of my norm. I used exercise and food as things I could CONTROL, but instead they were controlling me. Exercise was consuming me. I didn’t have time for much else! Hobbies? What hobbies? My workday involved working out and the only hobby I had time for was working out.
Getting older and having kids and a family made me realize, I wanted exercise to be PART of my life, not my WHOLE life! I wanted to enjoy more time with my kids, my family and enjoy other hobbies, like spending time with friends, golfing, reading “non-fitness” books, etc. There was a whole lot out there that I just wasn’t experiencing. I was tired of workout-related aches and pains for too much running. I was just plain tired of being a slave to exercise! So I decided to follow the research, the advice I would give to any client I was working with in my shoes. . . and that was to cut back and do what I knew was RIGHT and not just habit!
I committed to change, and I committed fully! Just like someone deciding to start eating healthier, the day starts, you do good, but somewhere along the way it’s easy to fall back into your regular routine or habits of eating, the same can hold true when trying to change any behavior! I promised myself I wouldn’t let this happen, and I didn’t! I started doing exactly what I KNEW all along I SHOULD be doing, but was just too afraid and stuck in the “trap.”
Here are 3 things I started with, that I still do today! They are proven to BLAST fat most effectively and efficiently!
- Lift Heavy Weights! No, you don’t have to power lift, but you need to overload your muscles! Holding 3lb. weights out to the sides for several minutes may create a burn, but it’s not going to make a significant change to the shape of your body! Lighter weights do not create the “toned” look that most people think. By taxing the muscles with heavier weights, you’ll create muscle burn and mechanical failure. This forces you to rest more in order to keep up with the increased load. Lifting in a metabolic conditioning style (rest-based/cardio-strength combo) creates a rise in cortisol, HGH and testosterone. Together this hormonal rise produces the best environment for fat burning. This also creates a greater “after burn” effect (EPOC), so your body continues to burn calories long after the exercise session is complete! PLUS, more muscle = GREATER metabolic capacity, which means you have a faster metabolism! One more bonus. . . muscle takes up about 1/3 less space than fat. . . so increase muscle mass and the inches will come off even without much fluctuation in the scale!
- Do LESS! Sounds crazy, but doing long duration steady-state cardio causes a rise in cortisol, which leads to fat storage. This is where “more ISN’T better,” “BETTER IS BETTER.” Go for short, intense workouts that raise cortisol, HGH and testosterone together to help increase muscle and prevent excessive levels of cortisol in the body. High cortisol levels lead to fat storage, especially in the mid-section, and have been shown to increase cravings for more starchy foods. When you do shorter workouts, you can push harder without pacing! Exercise sessions should last 20-30 minutes, and no more than 45 if you’re doing intense rest-based workouts! Compliment these high intensity, short workouts with leisurely walks and other restorative and recovery activities like massage, yoga (not power or hot), naps, etc. This will aid in lowering cortisol levels.
- Sprint! One of the best ways to create the “after burn” effect of exercise is to sprint! You’ll be burning calories LONG after your exercise session is complete! Stop the long duration, moderate intensity cardio if your goal is fat loss! A sprint session can last anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Added bonus here is that sprints are GREAT for your abs! If you want my FREE GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE SPRINTING click HERE!
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