So much has been written about fat loss. It’s hard to determine fact from fiction. What about the best way to burn fat? Aerobic training seems to be the focus of all discussion, however, contrary to popular belief it is not the only way to burn fat. According to the center for disease control, “strength training can increase your metabolism by up to 15%, because strength training increases muscle mass, and it takes more calories to maintain muscle than fat.” This means that even after you’re done with your workout your body still continues to burn fat in an effort to keep that muscle your building. Pretty awesome, right?!
Cardiovascular exercise burns fat for energy so while your exercising you actually burn more fat than with strength training, but once you stop, you no longer burn as much. If you’re exercising all the time this might be a great way to lose weight, but who has time??
In my option, the best way to burn fat is through high intensity strength training. Now, obviously you don’t start here because you can get hurt or suffer from overtraining, however it is something you should try to work up to. Start small, remember baby steps are key. Lift something on your lunch break every day. When you use the bathroom do some push-ups off the sink. These seem minuet but over time you will develop habits and that’s the key to success. Work up to 30 min strength training workouts every day. From here you can make it more intense and by now you WANT to work out. You’re seeing results and feel great!
Now, if you prefer cardio exercise, the truth is, as long as you’re doing something and always challenging yourself you will continue to get stronger, leaner and feel better. So go ahead and take that jog in the morning or bang out some planks on your lunch break. In the end, the best form of exercise is ANY exercise.