| Burn
Fat in 15 Minutes
by Ted Frazer
Stoking the furnace
Look at the cover of any lifestyle
magazine today and the chances are that the two words
“burning fat” will appear in some form or
another. Its an obsession. Even those who don’t
necessarily have a weight problem are drawn to articles
that discuss fat burning and new strategies to do so
more effectively. Fat – more specifically, body
fat – has become a topic of increasing debate
over the past 10, 20, 30 perhaps even 40 years, and
today more than ever, we are constantly trying to find
new and effective ways to “burn” fat off
our bodies.
Fat is usually “burnt”
off through exercise. There are also dietary approaches
that claim to put the body into a “fat-burning”
state, but generally, the term “burning”
is more readily associated with exercise.
There have been many analogies used
to define how body fat is burned off – one such
analogy being to liken the body’s metabolic system
to a “furnace” that needs to be “stoked”
to increase its “fat burning” efficiency.
This analogy implies that fat is burnt during a particular
exercise activity – whilst the activity is being
performed. This analogy has also fuelled other theories
and mindsets, such as the longer the duration of an
exercise activity the more fat will be “burned
off” – i.e. the “I’ll-just-run
a-few-more-miles-to-burn-off the-extra-slice-of-cake”
way of thinking.
Unfortunately, this eat more/exercise
more approach can spiral out of control with exercise
becoming just a means to an end – almost creating
a situation that can be seen as “exercise bulimia”.
This approach not only also leads
to potential overtraining injuries, but is extremely
time consuming, with some people exercising up to several
hours a day to ensure that they continue to “burn
fat”.
There is a far more sensible approach
to burning fat…one that not only is far less time
consuming, but also burns fat whilst at rest….long
after the exercise session is finished.
Burning fat – From 10%-90%
As mentioned earlier, the traditional
“fat burning mindset” is that body fat is
burnt whilst performing a particular exercise activity
(the preferred exercise activity usually being aerobic
or cardio type exercise). However, even if an exercise
activity is performed for 2 hours (e.g. 2 hours on the
stationery bike) – which is a considerable amount
of time – this still only represents just under
10% of the day. Also, with most aerobic type activity,
the metabolic rate returns to normal just 1 hour after
the exercise session is completed (the metabolism or
metabolic rate being the single most important aspect
that affects fat burning).
Surely it would be better to be
able to burn fat for 70%-90% of the day? To somehow
keep the metabolic rate elevated for as long as possible
to ensure that fat was “burnt” long after
the exercise session had finished?
Metabolism and Muscle
If you want to burn fat, you need
muscle – it’s that simple. The more muscle,
the more fat is burnt….whilst exercising and whilst
at rest.
Now this does not mean that you
need to become a competitive bodybuilder, or even become
“musclebound”. But it does mean that you
should consider reducing the cardio sessions and increasing
or adding resistance training sessions to condition
your muscles. To put it in perspective, for every pound
of muscle, the body requires an extra 60-100 calories
a day to maintain it at rest! Also, resistance workouts
keep the body’s metabolic rate elevated for up
to 15 hours after the exercise session is completed
(assuming that the workout is relatively intense). Also,
endurance cardio training makes muscles smaller, which
means a less efficient fat-burning furnace in the long-term.
So now that we know that better
conditioned and stronger muscles increase the body’s
metabolic rate – which in turn leads to more efficient
fat burning, how do we do this in 15 minutes?
Fat Burning in 15 Minutes
Please note the following: This
exercise approach is very intense. If you are not used
to exercise or exercising with resistance, then you
should begin the routine with very light weights at
first and take a 2-3 minute rest between each exercise.
As you become fitter and stronger, you may gradually
increase the weight and also gradually reduce the time
between each exercise.
The following 2 routines are tough…very
tough. There are several aspects that make this routine
effective:
1) Each exercise uses several muscle
groups – thus placing a higher energy demand on
the body
2) Each exercise focuses on larger muscles – by
using larger muscles, we also place higher energy demands
on the body
3) The level of resistance required places 90-100% demand
on each group of muscles (NB: beginners/intermediates
must use lighter weight)
4) There is minimal – ideally zero - rest between
sets creating a massive cardio and fat-burning effect
that literally “fries” calories
5) Both routines are brief – and should not take
longer than 15 minutes
The Metabolism Stoking Fat-Frying
Routine
For each exercise of the following
2 routines, select a resistance load that allows you
to complete no more than 10-12 smooth repetitions. If
you can perform a 13th repetition, then the weight is
too light (NB: Beginners & Intermediates to select
a light weight and progress gradually).
Also, keep rest between each exercise
as short as possible (ideally run to next exercise and
start as soon as possible). Again, beginners & intermediates
take longer rest periods between sets.
Routine 1:
Squats
Dumbbell Pullovers
Stiff-legged deadlift
Squats
Bench Press
Chins or Pulldowns
Bench Press
Barbell Curls
Shoulder Press
Routine 2:
Squats
Bench Press
Chins or Pulldowns
Repeat above 3 exercises 3 times
with no rest between all 9 sets
Author Info: Ted Frazer
has been dedicated to the weight loss and “Wellness
Revolution” for 20 years. He has written a fast
selling e-book titled “The Total Diet Solution”
in which he looks at the various approaches to eating
and how we all need to find an individualized and unique
eating approach that works for the long-term. Visit
http://www.total-diet.com
and download the 1st chapter for free.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_Frazer
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