If
you want to lose weight, you need to look at two areas – your diet and
your exercise. But which form of exercise is best for weight loss?
Recent research suggests that the old formula of twenty minutes steady
cardio may not be the most effective way to shift the pounds. If you’re
looking at exercise as a way to help you lose weight it makes sense to
figure out which type will burn the most calories. However, the
relationship between exercise and the calories your body burns is
probably one of the most misunderstood subjects in the field of fitness.
But if you want to get the most from your workouts, it’s worth
understanding. Many people attempt to figure out how many calories a
given workout uses (there are numerous charts available to help you do
this), then of course consume that many calories straight afterwards!
But whether your step class or swim burns 300 or 400 calories is only
one part of the issue – to get the complete picture, there are actually
three different issues you need to consider when comparing workouts –
how many calories your exercise burns while you’re doing it, how long it
continues burning calories after you finish your workout, and what long
term effect it is having on your metabolism (the rate at which you burn
calories). We’ll look at each in turn. The long and the short of
calorie burning Every workout has the potential to burn calories
immediately, for a short while after you finish your workout, and long
term. So how does each work? 1. Short-term – This refers to how many
calories any given workout burns while you’re actually doing it – this
is what the charts and the readouts on some CV machines attempt to
estimate. It is also notoriously hard to accurately asses as it depends
on your fitness level, body composition, workout length and intensity,
etc, etc. 2. Medium-term – When you exercise, your body continues to
burn calories for a while after you finish your workout. Depending on
the exercise you do, your body can continue to burn calories for hours
afterwards. 3. Long term – What affect are your workouts having on your
body composition? Different workouts change your body in different ways,
and this will ultimately affect how many calories you burn, 24-hours a
day, 7-days a week. Most fitness experts believe that the key to
understanding the effects of exercise on calories burned is to ignore
the short term, and focus on the medium and long-term effects of your
workouts, because of their effects upon your metabolism. So which
workouts are most effective at raising your metabolism? Speed up your
metabolism When you hear the phrase “speed up your metabolism” what do
you initially think? Did you know that you really can speed it up – and
what effects does this have? To lose weight and then manege to keep it
off one of the things you will need to know is which type of workout
will have the most dramatic effect on the speed of your metabolism.
Speeding up your metabolism helps you to burn more calories all day
every day. Therefore, you need to find fitness workouts that both work
for you and also achieve the desired results. There are really three key
types of workouts that will fit the bill – one being a cardio and one
being more a workout type option : Interval Training (cardiovascular
workouts with short bursts of speed mixed in). These give your
metabolism a boost, so that your body continues to burn calories for
several hours after your workout. Resistance Training (free weights or
machines). Performed with minimal rest, a hard weights session is as
tough as an interval workout – if you wear a heart rate monitor during
weight training, you should find that it fluctuates between 60 – 85% MHR
(Maximum Heart Rate) during the workout – just like intervals. Fat Burn
Training (squat press is among the best!) The most effective workouts
for raising the metabolism are interval training (cardiovascular
workouts with short bursts of speed mixed in), and resistance training.
Resistance training works on two counts – firstly, the intensity of it
raises your metabolism. Secondly, by adding lean muscle, you further
increase the amount you burn. Research has shown other things to be helpful in raising metabolism and maximising the fat burning effect of your workouts. One is split workouts – two short workouts per day burn more than one longer one; another is watching what you eat after a workout – consuming a carbohydrate laden drink or snack right after a workout will shut off the post-workout burning process, while a more protein intensive one will allow the burning to continue longer. In addition to these ‘medium-term’ metabolic effects, both of these forms of training have another benefit that will contribute to long-term weight loss. Interval training, if performed regularly, dramatically increases the body’s output of HGH – Human Growth Hormone. This is definitely a good thing, because HGH facilitates two crucial processes in your body – building muscle and burning fat. Enough said! Similarly, resistance training not only raises your metabolism in the short to medium term, it also adds lean muscle – for each extra pound of lean muscle you carry, you burn 15 – 35 calories per hour, 24/7, 365 days a year – even when you’re asleep! So if weight loss is your goal, be sure to include weight training and intervals in your regular workouts to maximise the benefits of your training time. Weight loss tips While weight loss tips won’t guarantee that you will be successful, having the right information at your fingertips can certainly make the process a little easier. As with all weight loss tips you need to check they are from a good source. These can help you to offset the nonsense and misinformation put out by companies who want you to buy their products. Regardless of your objectives for slimming, there are so many different routes to ensure that you are looking good both short and medium term. You will also be making changes that suit your lifestyle too. So here are our top weight loss tips to help you fight your own battle of the bulge: Set realistic goals: While you will read plenty of diet plans and pills promising that you can lose 10 pounds per week, any qualified doctor or dietician will tell you that such a figure is unrealistic – a safe, healthy and sustainable rate is 1 – 2 pounds per week. It may not sound like much, but just one pound per week would equal almost two stone in 6 months time. Ditch the junk calories: Most people have hidden, or junk calories in their diet – alcohol, junk food, sugary sodas. Simply getting rid of these junk calories can make a huge difference in the long term. Eat your five a day: We are constantly being exhorted to eat our 5 a day, and it really makes sense if you want to ditch the fat. Fresh fruit and vegetables contain few calories, and have lots of great nutrients. It’s hard to gain weight if you are eating lots of fresh fruit and veg. Learn to love water: Water is a key dieting. It is calorie free, helps to fill you up, and is needed by the body to metabolise fight. What more could you ask for?
by ayoub oubarka
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