Loading ...In general when looking to to lose a few pounds or more most people start a cardio training program to help burn fat. This usually results in a program of either running, walking, cycling or hours on the rower and cross trainer in the gym.
Yes as fat burning exercises they will work but are the results as effective as we seem to think? Recent research now suggests that too much cardio training can have a negative impact when looking to burn fat.
This is because excessive cardio training can result in a loss of lean muscle mass resulting in a lower metabolism and if you have a lower metabolism you will be burning less fat. This can cause the syndrome of “thin fat” people who are small in size but having no muscle tone and a low metabolic rate therefore making them very vulnerable to rapid weight gain should they stop training and begin eating normally again.
Another reason why moderate intensity cardio training is not as effective is that after doing this exercise your metabolic rate is only kept high for possibly 1-3 hours after you finish. This leads to a limited fat burning window in what can be called the “after-burn” of exercise.
After examining this information we can conclude that for a more stronger and longer fat burning post exercise state focus on exercises that build muscle performed at high intensity. This means having a high proportion of free weight exercises as part of your fat burning plan. If must be noted that not all of these kind of exercises are suitable. For a more effective workout focus on multi joint movements that use lots of muscles and therefore lots of energy.
The key exercises you should perform on a regular basis are:
Squats – Perform various types using free weight dumbbells and Barbells (No Machines!)
Deadlifts – Again to be performed with Dumbbells and Barbells
Chest and Shoulder Presses – No Machines if possible
Push ups- Use varying techniques to increase the difficulty
Pullups - Very difficult for most people only perform if you can do full range of movement. If you cannot do this exercise then use lat Pulldowns
Lunges – Vary between front, reverse and side.
Rows – Bent over Rows and cable rows
There are lots of variations of these exercises and I would recommend you research further to get more ideas.
Look to perform all these fat burning exercises at a high intensity during your workout. This means using relatively heavy weights ( weights you can perform between 6-10 reps ) and keeping rest rates between sets under less than 60 seconds so the heart rate is elevated throughout the workout. Another highly advised technique is to perform supersets to maintain intensity. Supersets involve a pair of exercises being performed without rest as on rep. That is one set. A set of 10 reps of squats then performing 10 reps flat chest press immediately after is a good example of this. You will find that for a more effective response choosing opposing muscle groups is the best way to do it.
Therefore if want a change from the usual workouts then I strongly advise including free weights in your weekly workouts. The results might just surprise you.