Can Less Cardio Lead To Greater Weight Loss?
by Nia Shanks
Traditional teaching leads us to belive that for our exercise program to be effective we must spend hours and hours doing cardio. We believe that to maximize our weight loss we must walk, run, step, spin or otherwise be moving for long periods of time every day. The truth is, long, slow cardio is simply not an effective way to shed fat. Long slow cardio will provide great results if your goal is to improve stamina or heart health. To really shed unwanted pounds we need to take a different approach. The best way to lose fat is by:
1) Engaging in strength training. By performing strength training exercises about 3 days a week, you will build lean muscle. You will not get big and bulky, ladies; it just won't happen. But by increasing lean muscle, you will burn more fat all day long; even while you sleep! Who could argue with that? Also, by building lean muscle, you will develop an athletic, lean look instead of the "skinny fat" appearance that most marathon runners have. Make sure you use compound free weight and bodyweight exercises; no isolation exercises allowed.
2) Perform higher intensity cardio work. No more 60 minute sessions walking on a treadmill. Here's a better way: have a set distance, say 2 or 3 miles. What you should do is time yourself to see how long it takes you to walk 2 miles. The next time you walk those 2 miles, you have to beat your time, even if it's only by 5 or 10 seconds. And again, the next time you walk the 2 miles, you must do it faster than the second time.
This is a way of increasing the intensity of your workout to get more results in less time. And once you can't beat your time anymore, feel free to add an incline (if you're using a treadmill) and start the process over again. Another option is to add some bodyweight exercises throughout your walk. Walk for 5 minutes and then do 10-15 pushups and 15-25 squats. Repeat this about every 5 minutes. These 2 tips are very basic but can produce huge results. By following these 2 tips you will spend less time working out while achieving more results. Start incorporating these tips into your workout program and see the fat melt off! Remember: be consistent.
Nia Shanks is certified personal trainer who specializes in fat loss. She helps individuals build lean muscle and lose fat with fast, effective workouts. Nia doesn't believe in spending endless time on cardio machines in hopes of losing fat. Instead, she uses proven training techniques that deliver faster results in less time. You can get more information about Nia's training methods and join her email list by visiting Niashanks.blogspot.com
