Weightlifting Or Cardio To Lose Body Fat

Weight training or cardiovascular aerobic training? Which training technique is best for losing body fat? This is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive each and every week in my quest of helping people build effective fat burning exercise programs. This simple question can lead to the misfortune of inconsistent fat loss results, and even frustration.

Clients want to know if they should avoid weight training programs altogether and stick to the alleged fat burning aerobic training. Many are convinced that lower intensity cardiovascular training will enable them to lose body fat at a greater rate than with just weightlifting exercises alone.

Let's take a closer look at which exercise regimen, weight training or aerobics, is the best system to lose body fat. Both training systems are vastly different from one another.

Aerobic or cardiovascular training is performed with high volume, and low intensity exercise. Oxygen is required; and exercise can last for twenty plus continuous minutes with an elevated heart rate.

The benefits resulting from aerobic or cardiovascular training is an increase in cardiovascular function, and a decrease in body fat from the extra calorie burn.

However, with positives, there are also negatives. There are a few things lost when training aerobically. First off, over time, a decrease in strength from muscle breakdown occurs. This decrease in strength results from a decrease in muscle mass, power, speed, and anaerobic capacity.

On the other hand, with weight training programs, there is a huge increase in muscle tissue, metabolism, strength, speed, power, and anaerobic capacity. There is even a slight increase in cardiovascular function.

Now why do many fitness participants feel that cardiovascular or aerobic exercise is far superior for fat loss? It is quite simple; they are listening to people who are not thinking about physiology. However, one thing they do understand is the preferred fuel used during low intensity aerobic exercise is fat. Therefore, many feel if a greater percentage of fatty acids are burned for fuel, a greater fat loss will occur. But, is this true?

As a matter of fact, fat is the primary fuel used while sleeping. Thus, wouldn't the best exercise to lose body fat be sleep? Not necessarily even though a greater percentage of fatty acids are used for fuel during rest.

In my opinion, training at a low intensity aerobically, with a goal for maximum fat loss, is the greatest myth for losing body fat.

Here is a fat loss example that will help you understand what type of training is best to lose body fat. On Monday you walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a very comfortable 3.3 miles per hour. The results of your cardiovascular training session include a calorie burn of 300 calories, where a high 60% of the fuel is supplied from fatty acids. Now, on Tuesday, you decide to run on the treadmill for 15 minutes at a very high intensity level of 6 miles per hour with a 7% incline grade. Your heart rate was registered at 85% of your maximum heart rate, and you burned 350 calories in those 15 minutes with a greater percentage of sugar burned than fat. That leaves you with a greater caloric burn of 50 additional calories resulting from exercising at a higher intensity for only a 15 minute duration. This will, over an extended period of time, lead to greater overall fat, and weight loss compared to the 30 minute, lower intensity aerobic training session.

Now to lose body fat, it simply isn't true that lower intensity, longer duration exercise, which burns a greater percentage of fatty acids is far superior in overall fat loss compared to higher intensity, higher calorie burning weightlifting, or cardiovascular training.

With that said, the most effective way to lose body fat is through a higher intensity training program like weight training because of the higher calorie burn, and the elevated metabolism from the added active, fat burning muscle tissue. The added muscle tissue burns calories 24 hours per day. It is much more important to think about the amount of calories expended versus the percentage of fat or sugar used as preferred, primary fuel.

Now I'm sure you agree weight training can be a more effective fat loss exercise program, but the ultimate fat burning exercise regimen is to combine weight training with higher intensity cardiovascular workouts. The best way to implement this training session is by performing your strength training routine first immediately followed by your cardiovascular training regimen.

After reading this article you now know the truth about the most effective way to lose body fat through exercise. Don't fall for the lower intensity exercise equals more fat burn myth, but instead push yourself with higher intensity workouts. You will lose body fat at a high rate.

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4 Miracle Foods That Burn Belly Fat - Can Peanut Butter Really Make Your Stomach Flat?

Irrespective of what TV commercials that sell the latest ab machine or fat loss potion will make you believe, nutrition is the most important factor if your priority is to burn belly as fast as possible. You can start living in the gym, but if your diet is not up to scratch you will have to settle for living with an expanding waistline.

However, if you are sick of hearing that the only way to lose stomach fat is to eat only raw fruits and vegetables, I've got good news for you. There are certain fat burning foods that are healthy, taste good and will help you to shed belly fat. In fact, there's a good chance that you haven't even tried some of them.

* Goji berries - super high in protein and amino acids, goji berries are also packed with vitamins and have six times more antioxidants than blueberries. They have very high fiber content and 5 different fatty acids which makes them a perfect fat-burning food as well as a powerful immune system booster. Look for them in your local heath food store in dried form and with no added sweeteners.

* Peanut butter - this kid-friendly food is surprisingly waist-friendly as well. It contains niacin, which prevent bloating and aids in digestive health. Make sure that you buy all- natural peanut butter as it doesn't contain vegetable fat, added salt and sugar. Skippy is out of the question. A good idea for a snack is to spread some of it on a celery stick. It burns fat and fiber from the celery will suppress appetite as well.

* Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese - it's low in calories, rich in calcium, and activates fat-burning hormones. Also because it contains a fair amount of protein, it will suppress your appetite and you'll stay fuller for longer. It also contains the highest amount of protein than any other dairy product.

* Green Tea - it's rich in antioxidants and has been proven to speed up metabolism. So much so that research has showed that people who drink green tea on average burn 260 calories more per day than those who don't. Avoid bottled teas as processing they go through deplete their fat burning ingredients.


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Burning Belly Fat - The Secret Key!

Basal metabolic rate (BMR), my goodness that sounds like a long confusing phrase that someone who just wants to lose their belly fat needn't know about! Well, sorry but bear with me for a minute, BMR is at the very heart of losing belly fat and is the secret key to getting the body you deserve. Here is why:

BMR equates to the amount of energy your body burns off whilst at rest. This energy is burnt off by simply keeping the vital organs of the body alive and functioning properly. If this rate is low then you don't use up many calories, if it is high then the body uses up a lot of calories. Clearly for weight loss purposes a high BMR is very desirable, what it means is that even at rest when you are doing nothing you can be burning through calories and contributing to weight loss. So, how can you increase your basal metabolic rate? here are a few tips that will point you in the right direction:

1) Interval training. Aside from the health benefits of exercise on the cardio-vascular system as well as the calories that you use up whilst you exercise, exercise also increases the BMR so after you whilst you exercise and after you finish your BMR is higher. Just what the doctor ordered for burning belly fat. Interval training is more stressful than long continuous training such as jogging. It requires you to perform short bursts of exercise followed by short periods of light exercise and increases MBR much more than old fashioned long continuous forms of exercise.

2) Weight lifting. Similar to the previous point but lifting weights gives an even greater boost to BMR which lasts for even longer, so make sure you put this on your belly burning to do list. What is more the more muscle you have in your body the higher your MBR will be because simply your body ha more tissue to take care of, so keep pumping iron!

3) Drinking tea and coffee. Both of these have been shown to raise BMR and are both also proclaimed to have certain disease preventing qualities such as anti-oxidants. Another simple yet effective technique.

4) Regular food consumption. I think we can all agree that the bodies main job is to keep itself alive and functioning properly. To that end if the body is made to feel it is starving then it will lower its MBR in order to hold onto the energy that it does have to ensure it can stay alive longer. This is known as the starvation response and is why drastic calorie cutting does not work! The body will try and hang on to every calorie and fat cell it can in order to stay alive. At the other end of the scale however, if the body is happy and believes it has a comfortable supply of food that it will quite happily raise its MBR and burn off excess calories. So, eating regular meals and not skipping breakfast is a must in order to burn belly fat fast!

5) Eating spicy foods. Spicy ingredients such as chillis contain a certain chemical that triggers the speeding up of the MBR, so that is another handy trick.

Now, that you an idea of a few really simple yet effective ways to raise your MBR, why not go ahead and put them into practise no-one else is responsible for burning your belly fat, only you!


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Burning Belly Fat - Tummy Reducing Exercises

The term "love handles" is not considered cuddly and loving for anyone concerned about their weight. In fact one of the hardest areas to lose weight is your tummy. You can target that ugly belly fat in a number of ways. One of the most effective ways to trim your belly fat is to do some simple exercises. Here are five easy methods to lose that spare tire

Climbing stairs:

If you want to improve your leg muscles and quads as well as losing belly fat you should start climbing. In order to achieve this you do not necessarily have to go on a strenuous hike. Just 30 minutes a day repeatedly climbing the stairs in your home will help you to lose weight.

A treadmill is another way to exercise going uphill. You can increase the incline of your treadmill by 10 to 15 degrees and walk at a steady pace for at least 15 minutes. Increase the time you do on the treadmill as you get more into condition.

Squatting:

You can burn belly fat by doing squats. They will burn a lot of calories and hel you to reduce your waist size. You will need some space to do this exercise. Put the tips of your fingers on the ground to balance yourself and crouch down and up at least 100 times. Your goal should be to do 100 squats in less than 5 minutes. As you get more conditioned you can try for 200 squats in 10 minutes. You should not do more than you can with this exercise as your body needs time to adjust.

Vacuum exercise:

This easy exercise is very effective in reducing stomach fat. these exercises do noit require any equipment. Suck your stomach in as much as you can. Hold it for a count of 50 to 60 seconds and then let it out. Rest if needs be and repeat the action. Do this for 20 minutes a day and you will see results. You should trim at least an inch off your waist in around a month.

Bicycle crunches:

These exercises will help you trim that spare tire. Lie down on a mat with your hands behind your head. Slowly touch your right elbow with your left knee. Repeat with your right knee touching your left elbow. Tense up your abdomen when you do this. do these exercises for around 15 minutes. Speed up the exercises as your body gets into better condition.

Hula Hoop:

Remember those child hood toys? In case you do not here is a brief explanation. A hula hoop is a large plastic ring that you twirl around your waist by a circular movement of your hips. The circular movement exercises your tummy muscles and will help you lose that spare tire. You should do this exercise for 2 minutes and then take a rest for 15. One of the best ways to do this is to watch your favorite TV show and do your hula exercises during advertisements. An hour long show will have at least 4 ad slots. After an hour your exercises will be done. Remember to do this everyday and you wil see that spare tire disappear.


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What Foods Can Help You Burn Belly Fat?

Usually, the body part most people have difficulty with when it comes to weight loss is the stomach, and especially the lower section and love handles. However, there's a trick to everything, and although it will take time and patience, there is definitely a way to get rid of that stubborn belly fat once and for all. How to Lose Weight the right way is also related to losing belly fat; if you haven't seen results, it is probably because you haven't been doing the right things.

Forget everything you've heard about crunches and sit-ups. The truth is that you should not be targeting your abdominal area during exercises more than twice a week and usually crunches and sit-ups are not very effective. When it comes to fitness training, the secret to losing belly fat is to do full body workouts and not target the abdominals often. Focusing on exercises for the stomach when you already have fat on it will cause you to form a bigger and thicker waist and stomach area.

Why? This is because you are building muscle on top of fat. The first thing you have to do is to burn the fat, and then begin to build muscle. Here are some good exercises that will help you burn belly fat without targeting your stomach:

1. Staircase workouts

2. Wind sprints and hill sprints

3. Bodyweight workouts

4. Swimming

5. Mountain biking

6. Jumping exercises

7. Indoor or outdoor rock climbing

8. Bag boxing

Another important thing to keep in mind is that proper nutrition is probably the most important aspect of losing stomach fat. So, if you are constantly at the gym and wondering why you haven't been able to get rid of your stomach fat, then you probably have not been eating the right things. Fat loss diets are a great way to start losing belly fat, and there are specific foods that are target fat loss and allow you to lose weight at a faster rate.

One of the most effective foods for stomach weight loss is whole grains. Stay away from refined grains, because a diet rich in whole grains will change the glucose and insulin response in your body, which will speed up the melting of fat process in your abdominal area.

Also, studies have shown that a diet with a higher ratio of monounsaturated fats can prevent the buildup of belly fat. Some foods to avoid are Trans fats such as margarines, crackers, and cookies, because they are made with partially hydrogenated oils which means that their fat content will be deposited mostly in the abdominal area.

Soluble fiber such as apples, oats and cherries lower the insulin levels, which as mentioned above, can reduce the amount of belly fat storage. Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs) can burn more belly fat and they can be found in the following foods:

1. Oils such as olive oil and canola oil

2. Nuts and seeds, such as cashews, peanuts and walnuts

3. Avocadoes

4. Dark Chocolate

5. Grape seed oil

6. Soybean oil

Losing belly fat can be a challenge, but it's not impossible. Make sure that you are following a proper and balanced nutrition plan and are exercising regularly. In addition, never skip breakfast, drink LOTS of water, and carefully monitor everything you eat! Don't get discouraged, be patient and give yourself time. When learning about How to Lose Weight, do it the right way. Your health is important, so give it the attention it deserves!


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Fat Burning Foods and Recipes - Eat and Stay Thin!

What's the fun in dieting when all you are allowed to eat is rabbit food? Its no wonder we never stick to our diets! Wouldn't it be great if we were allowed to eat as much as we wanted, but not pick up any weight? Or better still, lose some of it!

Here are some great fat burning foods and recipes that will allow you to eat when you feel hungry, but will also help boost your metabolism so that you're losing stubborn belly fat at the same time.

I know you're probably keen to get to the recipes (we all know how tough it can be to think of what's for dinner every night!), but let us start by discussing the kind of fat burning foods you can incorporate into your snacks and meals. Try and include one or two of these foods in every meal and you will be moving one step closer to your ideal weight.

Fat Burning Foods

Beans. There, I said it. I know beans aren't everybody's favorite food (well, not mine anyway), so I thought I would get it out of the way first. Beans contain plenty of protein and fibre, so they are great for building muscle and the fibre helps prevent your body from absorbing fat. Of course, the more muscle you build, the faster you will be burning fat too. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body needs to burn to sustain the muscles. Building muscle mass is therefore a great way to get your body burning fat naturally.

Eggs are also packed with muscle building protein, which is why eggs are a favorite food for body builders. Eggs also contain B12 which destroys fat cells.

Dairy products contain calcium - also great for boosting metabolism. Low fat cheese and milk contains plenty of calcium and carbohydrates which also help to keep your body from storing fat. Some people advise only using skim milk, but most dietitians will tell you that not all fat is bad for you and recommend low fat milk rather than skim milk.

Green Vegetables provide your body with the nutrients it needs to keep healthy and stay thin. Steam your vegetables to keep them crisp and help retain all those fat burning nutrients. Oh, and try not to drown your lettuce in salad dressing, as that would defeat the purpose of eating them in the first place! If you want a little dressing on your salad, use the light dressings or drizzle some olive oil over the top of your salads.

Wholegrain cereal and oatmeal is a great breakfast option. It contains fibre and complex carbohydrates, and it satisfies your hunger quicker so you don't eat more than you should.

Olive oil is a far better option than regular cooking oil which contains too much fat for our liking. Simply replacing your regular cooking oil with olive oil will give you a much healthier meal, and your cholesterol levels will be kept in check.

Lean meat such as lean beef, chicken, pork and turkey are natural additions to this list thanks to the much needed muscle building protein they add to your diet. Turkey and skinless chicken breasts are probably the best metabolism boosting, muscle building foods you can eat.

Fish is said to be great brain food, but has fat burning benefits as well. Salmon is high in Omega 3 content which lowers your leptin levels and helps burn calories. Tuna contains muscle building protein, and sardines are a body building favorite because of their high levels of protein and fish oil - another awesome fat burner.



Fat Burning Recipes

Having the ingredients is one thing, but putting them together to create a great tasting, fat burning meal can be a daunting task. These 3 fat burning recipes prove that eating healthily does not necessarily have to be a boring, tasteless dining experience.

1. Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 package of lean ground turkey meat
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup spinach
6 chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped spinach
1 bunch of chopped scallions
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 packet of buttermilk hidden valley mix
1 tbl. of organic ketchup



Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients (except the ketchup) together in a bowl until thoroughly combined with the meat. Place in a baking pan and pat down, then spread ketchup on top.

Place in the oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

For the last few minutes, switch to broil so that the top gets a nice golden brown finish.

2. Cabbage Soup

Ingredients:

5 carrots, chopped
3 onions, chopped
2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
1 large head cabbage, chopped
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (15 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
2 quarts tomato juice
2 green bell peppers, diced
10 stalks celery, chopped
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth



Instructions:

Place the carrots, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, green beans, peppers, and celery into a large pot. Add onion soup mix, tomato juice, beef broth, and enough water to cover the vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are tender.

3. Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

Spice
Salt
Pepper
4oz Tuna
2 tsp Olive Oil
Mesculin Greens
Red Onions
1 tbl Balsamic Vinegar



Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and coat the tuna on both sides. Place one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and sear each side on medium heat. In a bowl, throw in the lettuce, onions, balsamic, and olive oil and toss together.

Cut tuna in thin slices and place on salad.

These are just 3 examples of how anybody can make great tasting meals using fat burning foods. Your meals do not necessarily need to be extravagant or even expensive. Use the list of foods in the list above, and try to incorporate 2 or 3 of these ingredients into your meals every day.


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Until next time...

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2 Powerful Items Already In Your Kitchen To Burn Fat And Lose Weight Fast

Through out my 8 years of research and experimenting, I've discovered 2 powerful items already in your kitchen to burn fat and lose weight fast that actually has a tremendous effect on whether you're going to lose weight or not.

So, what are these 2 powerful items? Are you sitting down? Drum roll please.....water & fiber! That's right. These two items are so powerful if you are trying to burn fat and lose weight, that they can make or break your entire weight loss endeavors!

Sure, the whole world from the beginning all the way until now has heard how important water is for your health. You want to read something strange? Even though everyone knows how important water is, most people still don't drink enough of it?! Water is extremely important to your health and weight loss goals. It aides in fat burning and sculpting that lean muscular body everyone wants. Water can do so many tricks when it comes to you wanting to lose weight, such as keeping you from snacking and eating unhealthy. How? Well because sometimes, and actually most of the time, when you may be feeling hunger through out the day, even if you have been eating frequently, you are actually dehydrated. That previous point pretty much justifies that you need water in your body even more than food. After all, our bodies are made up of more than 60% water.

Ready for a horror story? If you are dehydrated, your body is going to punish you, and punish you badly! The biggest punishment in regards to losing weight is that dehydration will stop burning body fat for energy. If this happens, your weight loss efforts just pretty much went down in the toilet! So, pick up some refreshing ice cold water and get to chugging! Add some lemon or lime to your water if you want to, for extra flavor. Doing so is also an extra health benefit as it is good for your liver.

Here is a little secret for you. Well, it's not that much of a secret since I've mentioned it a few times already through some other articles and my blog. But, the little secret is to drink ice cold water, not just regular water from the faucet, or even water in the fridge. Make sure it is really ice cold. Drinking ice cold water causes a thermogenic effect. When you drink ice cold water, your body will warm the water to body temperature. When this is happening, your body is burning one calorie for every ounce of ice cold water you are drinking! You can burn 164 calories just by drinking a gallon of ice cold water a day!

Can I have another drum roll please? The other powerful item is fiber. Fiber is your weight loss best friend. Why? Because fiber will slow down your digestion, make you feel fuller, burn fat, and reduce cravings! With all of those benefits, you might want to go pass friendship and straight to marriage!

Excellent sources of fiber are fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grain bread (make sure it says whole grain), whole grain cereals (make sure they are not high in sugar), and oatmeal. Those foods are also very high in other important nutrients your body needs for you to effectively lose weight. By the way, foods rich in fiber are highly craved by your body. Respect your body and give it what it wants! Fiber also through several studies have been shown to prevent several common diseases such as certain cancers, diabetes, and heart diseases. Eat up people!

So, if you want maximum results, to burn fat, lose weight, and get that lean muscular body you've been dreaming of, well stop dreaming firstly, and start drinking a lot more ice cold water, and get more fiber in your diet. Combine proper weight training into the mix along with eating several small healthy meals daily, and your body will not only thank you by giving you that special "healthy feeling", but it will thank you with great health, longevity and the look you've been wanting so long.


Are you you ready to "lose weight" now? To get started, or to improve your current weight loss efforts, I recommend for you to take a look at this powerful fat burning program. This program is straight to the point and is not your typical "low calorie", "no carb", "don't eat anything all day" type of diet.

Avy Barnes is a long time health and fitness enthusiast. Being someone who once struggled in weight loss, muscle building, and overall health improvement, you will be able to connect more to all the information he provides through articles and his site. If you're looking for more free valuable tips, tricks, and secrets about weight loss & fitness, then be sure to visit Conquer Weight Loss , and enjoy a healthier and happier life.

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