Burn Belly Fat The Quick Way
Monday, 21 December 2009 08:41 | 
Written by Brad Setti |
I often get asked, "What's the best way to burn fat and lose my belly?" People want to know if aerobics is better than strength training, or if traditional cardio exercise is better than intervals.
I often get asked, "What's the best way to burn fat and lose my belly?" People want to know if aerobics is better than strength training, or if traditional cardio exercise is better than intervals.
I have to say, I've tried them all!
With over 15 years experience helping others, training myself, training for sports, spending countless hours in the gym, AND actually conducting laboratory research studies on different exercise methods, I'm pretty confident in knowing what works and what does not.
Some people can spend 90 minutes per day on exercise and others cannot. I want to help those of you who are limited on time. Let's see what works best for you.
People read in magazines that we need to spend so much time on this and we disconnect.
You don't need 6-8 hours/week to exercise. Maybe if your goal is a triathlon you do. But for those of us trying to lose and tone there is still hope.
Having said all that, the bottom line for getting a better body is...
Your best results will be through warming up with your own body-weight. Use strength training for muscle buildup. And use interval training to finish up and burn fat fast. This system is structured for you to workout 3 times/week and be in and out of the gym in 45 minutes.
Warm up using 5 minutes of bodyweight exercise. This will be much more effective than walking on a treadmill. Walking on a tread mill will only get you ready to walk more on a treadmill.
Then we move into the strength training supersets, where we use two exercises performed back to back with minimum rest between each. This cuts our workout time, while still giving us maximum results. We only need 20 minutes for this, and we'll use basic exercises, and sometimes even more bodyweight exercises, depending on the client's goal for muscle building.
And finally, we'll do 18 minutes of interval training. A warm-up, followed by six short intervals at the appropriate fitness level for the client, interspersed with short periods of low-intensity recovery. Finish with a cool-down. And that's the workout. Again, about 45 minutes total.
Most people run, cycle or ride a cardio machine for 45 min. straight which will burn calories. But won't get you that six pack.
In fact, there are a few "dark sides" to long slow cardio, including less-than-optimal results, the potential for overuse injuries, and it is an inefficient form of exercise. If you only have 30-45 minutes for your workout and you spend it all on a cardio machine, when are you going to train the rest of your muscles and sculpt a better body?
So the best way to burn belly fat is with a combination of strength training and interval training. It's fast, it works, and it's fun!
I often get asked, "What's the best way to burn fat and lose my belly?" People want to know if aerobics is better than strength training, or if traditional cardio exercise is better than intervals.
I have to say, I've tried them all!
With over 15 years experience helping others, training myself, training for sports, spending countless hours in the gym, AND actually conducting laboratory research studies on different exercise methods, I'm pretty confident in knowing what works and what does not.
Some people can spend 90 minutes per day on exercise and others cannot. I want to help those of you who are limited on time. Let's see what works best for you.
People read in magazines that we need to spend so much time on this and we disconnect.
You don't need 6-8 hours/week to exercise. Maybe if your goal is a triathlon you do. But for those of us trying to lose and tone there is still hope.
Having said all that, the bottom line for getting a better body is...
Your best results will be through warming up with your own body-weight. Use strength training for muscle buildup. And use interval training to finish up and burn fat fast. This system is structured for you to workout 3 times/week and be in and out of the gym in 45 minutes.
Warm up using 5 minutes of bodyweight exercise. This will be much more effective than walking on a treadmill. Walking on a tread mill will only get you ready to walk more on a treadmill.
Then we move into the strength training supersets, where we use two exercises performed back to back with minimum rest between each. This cuts our workout time, while still giving us maximum results. We only need 20 minutes for this, and we'll use basic exercises, and sometimes even more bodyweight exercises, depending on the client's goal for muscle building.
And finally, we'll do 18 minutes of interval training. A warm-up, followed by six short intervals at the appropriate fitness level for the client, interspersed with short periods of low-intensity recovery. Finish with a cool-down. And that's the workout. Again, about 45 minutes total.
Most people run, cycle or ride a cardio machine for 45 min. straight which will burn calories. But won't get you that six pack.
In fact, there are a few "dark sides" to long slow cardio, including less-than-optimal results, the potential for overuse injuries, and it is an inefficient form of exercise. If you only have 30-45 minutes for your workout and you spend it all on a cardio machine, when are you going to train the rest of your muscles and sculpt a better body?
So the best way to burn belly fat is with a combination of strength training and interval training. It's fast, it works, and it's fun!
About the Author:
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. To learn more please visit Craig Ballantyne's Website here.