Intervals for Fast Weight LossThis just a short article for those of you who don't have alot of time to waste in the gym.
I am always on the lookout for ways for my clients to lose fat faster. Quick results guarantee happy clients and more referral business!
Fast fat burning is the goal of most who start an exercise program.
One secret for fast fat burning that not all trainers know about is the 'magic' of interval training.
Interval training is when you vary the intensity of the workout periodically.
For example, if you walk or run on a treadmill, adjust the incline or speed to safely increase the challenge for 60 seconds, then return to the normal pace for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.
You can also use a rowing machine, bicycle or stationary bike, or even an elliptical machine to do intervals. Simply increase the intensity to a more challenging level for a minute, then go back to the original speed. Repeat.
The great thing about strength training and intervals for fast weight loss is "efficiency". Because you are working harder, the signal to your body to change is stronger. You cut time when you increase intensity and you burn fat faster.
Now don't worry, I won't be asking you to do hill sprints tomorrow if you aren't exercising today. For a beginner, just do some slightly faster than normal walking intervals. For intermediate fitness levels, pick up the pace about 20% compared to your normal cardio levels, but again, the work periods are much shorter.
The key fast weight loss and breaking through plateaus is shifting to a slightly higher intensity in order to cut time from your workout. But the workout also goes faster, and much more importantly, you will get more results and better fitness from these methods.
When I speak of 'weight loss' of course I mean "FAT loss". There are some workouts that will cause you to lose both fat and muscle tissues. Losing muscle tissue is not a good thing as muscle will give you that desireable shape and muscle itself will burn fat for you even at rest.
It's easy to do these workouts first thing in the AM, at lunch, or after the kids go to bed. Plus, you can get a great workout at home with only a bench, dumbells, and an exercise ball. You don't need fancy machines or an expensive gym membership.
And another bonus, you only need three hard fat burning workouts per week. You don't have to be in the gym six days per week.
On your off days, it's important to stay active for at least 30 minutes, but these days should be unstructured and revolve around being active with your family or hobbies. Don't think of them as workout days, think of them as fat burning, stress reducing activity days.
I got some of my interval training exercise ideas for fast fat burning from Craig Ballentynes' book on "weight loss intervals"
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