The key to fat loss - are you training for fat loss?

June 27, 2012 - PRLog -- The Key to Burning Fat through Exercise
 Whether you are new to training in the gym or if you have been training forever it is essential that you know whether or not you are training effectively toward your goals.  In my opinion there is nothing worse than putting in hours of effort in the gym only to find out you have been wasting your time, or even worse being counterproductive.

 If you are a cardio slave, and have been for a long time, you may have noticed that you had the best results early on in your training days.  Since then you have been working your backside off to improve your results, but to no real avail.  This is mainly due to the fact that the benefits of steady state cardio (at a pace that you feel comfortable and could hold a conversation) plateau after 8 weeks or so.  It will also go a long way towards lowering your strength and power, which are essential in building muscle.  It is muscle that is key in fat burning – the less you have the lower your metabolism will be. If you are unintentionally getting rid of muscle, you are committing fat burning suicide!

 A good example for you to try out is to look at the body composition of your average long distance runner and compare that to the physique of sprinters.  I like to think of the long distance runner body type as ‘skinny fat’ (looks skinny with clothes on, but is in fact carrying body fat and no muscle whatsoever).  Sprinters may be an extreme example, as they train regularly and have the best nutrition too –  they have extremely low body fat levels and good amounts of muscle, but it gives you an idea of how you should be training in order to start burning off that Christmas dinner that may still be hanging around your midriff.

 The way a sprinter trains is very effective for fat loss.  Think heavy weights (think back to my last article), power training, sprints and generally higher intensity type efforts.  This type of training will cause a metabolic disturbance in your body, meaning you burn more calories during and after exercise and more specifically target stored body fat.  A well balanced and planned exercise program can take you from your current mode of training to the more effective sprinter example.  It will take time, but think how you could look and feel 6 months from now in comparison to your cardio slave former self.

My tips for using strength and conditioning for fat loss:
1)   Use multi-joint compound exercises such as squats and bench presses etc..  
2)   Keep rest time to a minimum between reps and sets.
3)   Use finishers as a tool after your strength sessions.  Things such as kettlebell swings, interval training, sprints or even a steady state run on the treadmill are effective after a strength session.
4)   Circuits are also a great training tool to enhance fat burning.  Choose 5-6 barbell/dumbbell exercises per circuit and try to repeat the circuits 4-5 times.  Make sure you are using moderate to heavy weights and keeping rest to a minimum.


And remember, effective and long lasting fat loss takes time.  Track your weight regularly, but no too regularly.  N.B. I am not anti-cardio – it has many great health benefits and is more suitable for different populations.  But there are just more effective ways to burn fat and look great.