Many personal trainers will tell you that the best way to burn fat is long slow distance cardio, but is that what the most recent research is showing us?
Actually, with long slow distance training, muscle fibers adapt to becoming more aerobic and gaining greater endurance by decreasing in size and becoming smaller and weaker! Smaller muscles require less calories to maintain themselves. So, once you are comfortable on your chosen piece of cardio equipment try some of the interval programs to create more lean muscle as you burn calories.
Slow and steady cardio
can be likened to using a 5 pound dumbbell for 30 minutes versus curling a 30 pound dumbbell for 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions with a While many personal trainers argue that going slower and staying longer in your cardio is zone is the best way to burn fat and protect muscle mass, research is now showing the opposite appears to be true.
The most current research on how to burn fat
is now proving that a Cardio done at a higher intensity for a shorter period of time will actually help you build muscle mass and the more lean muscle mass you have the more calories your body will burn-even whole you sleep!
When you train at a slow and steady aerobic pace for a longer period of time, you are training your muscle fibers to be more aerobic and have greater endurance. Many cardio machines call this a “Fat Burning” workout 30 second-1 minute rest in between. If you are wondering which activity build more muscle mass, the 2 sets with a 30 pound dumbbell is clearly the winner-and is more efficient as well. The higher-intensity workout with heavier weights simply builds muscle better-and quicker. If you think about it, weight training, when done in reps of 8-12 (you are totally fatigued at somewhere between 8 and 12 reps) is actually a form of HIIT! If you normally do reps of 12-20 try finding a weight that will fatigue you by your 12th rep and watch your lean muscle mass grow.
High Intensity Training Workouts
Actually, many High Intensity Interval Training workout programs incorporate weight training with cardio sets. HIIT training is not appropriate for beginner exercisers but if you have hit a plateau and want to create more muscle or burn fat look for classes at your fitness club labelled “Total Body Conditioning”, Bootcamp, “HIIT & Tabata” or Spinning Intervals and enjoy the increased benefits.
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