High Intensity Exercise for Fat Loss

In my last post I explained the benefits of circuit training for fat loss. Today I received an email from a reader who wants to lose weight. They are lifting weights a few days a week, jogging, and playing sports! Talk about active! However, this person is not really lean per say, just fit. He asked how he can get really lean and what supplements he should take.

First off, I have not seen his workouts or diet but here are the tips I gave him and they apply to men and women equally.

1. Eat more protein, it builds muscles and is energy intensive to digest. Eating a high protein diet will improve the metabolism and muscle tone.
2. Do high reps in the gym if fat loss is the goal. Higher reps burn out more glycogen and more calories. The carbs you eat will then be stored as muscle glycogen instead of being converted to fat. This will help lean you out and make your muscles look better (improve tone).
3. Swap high intensity cardio for jogging. Jogging is really only effective if you are trying to improve as an endurance athlete. It is not time efficient for fat loss. If you want to lose as much fat in as little time as possible, do sprints instead. Sprints can be done on a bike, on a treadmill, on a rower, or better yet outside! My fiance and I do running hill sprints as it is safer on the hamstrings than flat ground and it really works the calves and glutes (butt). Sprints will elevate your metabolism long after the workout and really lean you out fast. For fat loss, rest for 2-3 times the amount that the sprint takes. The rule of thumb is to let your heart rate come down under control, not normal but not crazy high, before going again.
4. Take protein powder, an Omega-3 supplement, a greens powder and maybe a fat burner too. I explained protein in point number 1. Omega-3's are a good fat that will help you burn fat. A greens powder will provide your body with nutrition and fiber, both necessary for fat loss. A fat burner is really the icing on the cake and should be used in the last stages of the fat loss process.
   
   

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OUV7Xiy2HAQ