Exercise Secrets: Burning Fat Effectively

Exercising is not always about giving it everything you've got. Often, working out smarter can give you same or even better results than working out harder. One of the chief reasons why you exercise is perhaps to burn fat. Indeed, reducing body fat is at the core of weight loss, body-toning, muscle building and staying healthy. So, whether you want to lose those love handles or get washboard abs the first step is to get rid of fat. But for this you need to understand how fat burns and how to get the best out of your exercise program.

Fat Burning Basics

Your body uses a mixture of carbohydrates and fat for providing energy required for activities. How much of these two are used up by your body depends on the type of physical activity. If you engage in activities which require more energy than what can be derived from food and drinks you've had, your body starts burning stored fat.

When this happens, the fat stored under the skin and around your organs is used up rapidly. The point you should note here is that you can manipulate the amount of fat your body uses up, by engaging in the right type of exercise with optimum intensity.

But contrary to what some people claim, exercises do not have a 'fat burning zone'. You simply burn more fat as you exercise harder and consume more energy. You might have heard that low intensity exercise helps you burn more fat, but that is actually a myth.

Weights and Fat Burning

If you have heard that muscles burn fat, you should know that it is a fact. Muscles can actually help the body use up stored fat and this is why weight training is receiving greater importance as a fat-busting tool. The reason behind this is the 'afterburn' effect.

The new slimming mantra is to lose fat while you are at rest. It is possible if your metabolism remains at peak rates even hours after exercise. Weight training helps you achieve this. So, not only do you burn fat while slogging it out at the gym, your body also does the same for you when you have stopped exercising! So, the next time your personal trainer asks you to pick up weights don't grumble!

Another reason behind 'afterburn' is the tendency of your body to burn fat preferentially. When you are exercising, a greater amount of glucose is used up for energy. So, when you stop exercising, your glucose level is quite low. This prompts the body to switch to stored fat to generate energy.

Now that you know these vital facts, you should be able to use a four pronged fat burning strategy.

1. Develop your muscles by means of weight training. You already know why!

2. Lift heavier weights with moderate number of repetitions. This is actually a cheat-code for burning more fat via weight training.

3. Do cardio exercises along with weight training for best results. Better heart health contributes to increased metabolism.

4. Try short bursts of high intensity cardio for maximum benefits.

After all this talk, now its time for you to 'walk the walk'! All the best!

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