Fat Burning Cardio - Will Doing More Cardio Burn Off Fat?
Jenni Kerala
April 06, 2009
If you're wondering if doing more cardio will burn off the fat, the answer is definitely yes. But the way you do your cardio exercises has a lot to do with how effective it as as fat burning weapon. The most important tip I can give you on getting the most fat burning power out of your cardio work-out is that you need to increase the intensity of your work-outs.
Low intensity cardio work-outs might be great for endurance training, but they are not an effective method of getting rid of the fat. You need to increase your intensity. One of the most popular ways to increase the fat burning potential of your cardio work-out is known as high intensity interval training, i.e. HIIT.
While there are whole books devoted to HIIT, the idea, in a nutshell is to add a series of sprints to your regular cardio work-out. Do you jog every morning? Try adding some sprints to your regular work-out. For example, after your warm-up, jog for a minute, and then sprint flat-out for 30-60 seconds. Spend the rest of your work-out alternating between jogging and sprinting in 30-60 second intervals.
If you aren't a jogger, you can apply the same high intensity cardio techniques to walking, cycling (either Lifecycle or your real bike), the Stairmaster or circuit training. So if you are a walker, alternate your regular walking pace with a much more brisk pace. Get your arms moving! Ideally, you want to stick to weight-bearing exercises using your whole body. So take advantage of gravity and stick with jogging, walking, stair running, and dancing rather than cycling and swimming.
Three to four cardio workouts each week done using high intensity intervals for about 20 minutes per work-out will make a big difference to how much fat you lose. But the best part is that you won't just burn more fat while you are working out, HIIT cardio training will help your body continue to burn fat more efficiently for hours after you've done your cardio.
Low intensity cardio work-outs might be great for endurance training, but they are not an effective method of getting rid of the fat. You need to increase your intensity. One of the most popular ways to increase the fat burning potential of your cardio work-out is known as high intensity interval training, i.e. HIIT.
While there are whole books devoted to HIIT, the idea, in a nutshell is to add a series of sprints to your regular cardio work-out. Do you jog every morning? Try adding some sprints to your regular work-out. For example, after your warm-up, jog for a minute, and then sprint flat-out for 30-60 seconds. Spend the rest of your work-out alternating between jogging and sprinting in 30-60 second intervals.
If you aren't a jogger, you can apply the same high intensity cardio techniques to walking, cycling (either Lifecycle or your real bike), the Stairmaster or circuit training. So if you are a walker, alternate your regular walking pace with a much more brisk pace. Get your arms moving! Ideally, you want to stick to weight-bearing exercises using your whole body. So take advantage of gravity and stick with jogging, walking, stair running, and dancing rather than cycling and swimming.
Three to four cardio workouts each week done using high intensity intervals for about 20 minutes per work-out will make a big difference to how much fat you lose. But the best part is that you won't just burn more fat while you are working out, HIIT cardio training will help your body continue to burn fat more efficiently for hours after you've done your cardio.
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