Fat Loss does not always have to be as intense as shown on social media. Fat loss can be achieved by making improvements to our everyday routines and exercise habits.
By Daniel Salazar
RESISTANCE TRAINING
Resistance training allows your body to overcome resistance in the form of bodyweight, dumbbells, barbells, sandbags, bands, and machines.
People tend to shy away from resistance training but many studies have shown that resistance training is the most effective fat-burning strategy.
METABOLISM & RESISTANCE TRAINING
Building off of resistance training, our muscles require the body to burn more fuel while in motion. This mainly includes fat and carbohydrates. Each pound of muscle burns approximately 50 calories a day.
Fat takes up significantly more volume on the body than muscle. This would explain why a heavier person with more muscle will take the spotlight as opposed to a lighter person with less muscle.
Building muscle and size is a challenging journey. It requires an understanding of training protocols and a hefty surplus of calories. Nonetheless, stay true to yourself on this journey. You have the power to build the body that you want.
A Staron et al. study from 1990 showed that after a 20-week program of heavy resistance training, female participants showed decreased body fat with an increase in muscle tissue but there was no change in physical size. Therefore, the muscle you build not only adds tone and shape to your figure. It also builds stronger bones, improving body image and posture.
CARDIO TRAINING
Steady-state cardio is an excellent measure for maintaining your overall fitness & health. The key to burning the same amount of calories is actually changing your training regularly
Don’t forget: Steady-state cardio refers to any repetitive, rhythmic, low-intensity exercise done for an extended time.
The human body’s goal is to work in the most efficient way. Therefore, there is a possibility that your steady-state cardio routine used to burn 300 calories now only burns 150 calories a few weeks later.
BURNING FAT FAST
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a strategy of cardio that will produce great fat-burning results overall in less time than a normal cardio session. HIIT sessions typically last nine through twenty minutes. The protocol is a 2:1 ratio for work to rest periods.
Real World Example: A runner can alternate between a 20-second sprint and a 10-second walk. You would go back and forth between work and rest until your session time is over.
A study by Gibala et al. proved that 2.5 hours of sprint interval training produced similar biochemical muscle changes to 10.5 hours of endurance training and similar endurance performance benefits. Another study by King et al. proved that HIIT increases the Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) for the following 24 hours
Try This: During your next cardio session:
Start on the treadmill with a 3 min jog at 1-2%i incline, stop. Then go as fast as you can safely go for 10 seconds. then walk for 2 mins then go for a 20-second sprint. Walk for another 2 mins then go for a 30-second sprint. Walk for 2 more mins and finally a 60-second sprint. Slow down the pace to about 3 mph and raise the incline to 10% for a 10 min walk. In only 20 mins you’ll have the best cardio session of your life.
Be Mindful: Too much steady-state long-distance cardio training is not the most beneficial way to lose fat. This type of training is catabolic in nature, meaning that it can actually break down muscle mass!
TRAINING PITFALLS
Comfortability is a big part of our lives. We learn a few exercises from an IG fitness influencer, or even our friends who appear to be in good shape… and then we do them forever.
The first few weeks you see a change, yes! But then you’re suddenly back to the same body you had before you started… even though you’ve just implemented a seemingly good workout routine. Part of the problem is that it’s a routine!
We head to the gym and encounter similar emotions. We might even put less effort into the same routine we’ve been doing for so long!
Similar to cardio, our body has gotten used to this “routine” again and has become more efficient at doing the same amount of work.
It is important to switch it up every 4-8 weeks! This doesn’t mean to change your current routine for another set of random exercises.
It means that you should be cautious and understanding as to how and what you are training. Know what your goal is!
Now you are probably thinking “OK, I’ll just use more weight and still get results.” but if that was the case we’d all be able to squat 500 pounds and be lean and muscular with great bodies.
Make gradual progressions in whatever training program you choose. Don’t wing it, at least not all the time.
WHAT NOW?
So you are now aware that there is an alternative to burning fat. You don’t have to do tons of miles on the treadmill or tear apart the pedals on your exercise bike. Don’t get me wrong, I do strongly believe that a certain amount of steady-state cardio will help trim the body fat. But, we must include a proper resistance training program, not routine, into our training sessions. This will definitely help achieve our health and body transformation goals in less time.
