Burn Your Fat

The more muscle a person has, the greater their metabolism is, which equates to the faster they burn calories. However, resistance training to build muscle is only one part of the equation. The other parts are cardiovascular conditioning and healthy eating. A lot of men that I have encountered feel that weight training is the only thing they need to do in order to get in shape, but wonder why they can never achieve the definition that comes as a result of adding cardio conditioning and healthy eating. If you are not dedicating enough time to any one of these three elements, you will most likely not achieve the results you strive for. Having said that, this edition's column is dedicated to the importance of cardiovascular conditioning for fat burning.

Once you reach your desired weight, you only need maintain it, which usually requires you do cardio about three times per week, every other day, for 20 minutes. However, if you are training for a sport, the frequency and duration will be much different. Assuming you are not training for a sport, you will need to put more into your cardio workouts until you reach your desired weight. Since fat is not your body's first choice of fuel (carbohydrates are), you stand a better chance of tapping into your fat stores if you perform your cardio workouts first thing in the morning before eating. The duration of your workouts should be approximately 45 minutes, four or more days per week for maximum results in order to rid your body of excess fat.

That leads to the next area of importance-intensity. To maximize your results and burn the most calories you can, you need to train at a high enough intensity. This is assuming that don't have any health problems. If you do, consult with your physician before preceding any further. However, if you are healthy, begin whatever method of cardio (walking, bicycling, etc?) you choose at a moderate pace, and then progress from there. Once you have gotten your body used to the exercise, it is time to step it up a notch.