Most people who exercise to lose weight do moderate intensity aerobic activity at long duration cardio. This type of exercise is supposed to help lose fat fast, but it doesn't work. The entire aerobic industry has been built on this thought. Could an entire industry be wrong? Recent research has shown that moderate intensity aerobic activity doesn't work to burn fat. The big question is... Why?
There are many reasons, but I'll focus on the two most important. What happens when you exercise on a treadmill or bike at moderate intensity is that your body does burn fat during the exercise. This sounds like what you want, but it isn't.
Your brain is wired to keep you alive. So what you're doing is sending a signal to your body to keep fat around for the next time you exercise. It's unbelievable, I know, but what you really telling your body is that "you'll be doing this exercise again, so keep some fat around". It is true that you're burning calories during a workout, but as soon as the workout is over your body goes to storing fat again for the next one. Obviously, this is not what we want. What we want is to burn fat as fast as possible.
The other thing that happens with medium intensity aerobic activity done several times a week is that your body becomes really good at it. Your training your body (lungs, heart, muscles, etc.) to become super efficient. You may be asking "What's wrong with that?". I know it sounds good to make your body efficient, but is not very good for you. What's happening is that you end up working within what you're good at, and never improve your aerobic capacity.
The reason that this is important because your aerobic capacity is how your body decides how to respond in times of intense stress. If you diminish your aerobic capacity, as you do in this kind of exercise, you are actually messing with your long-term health. You are also giving your body a poor chance to burn the fat.
Here's some good news. You can reverse these effects with high intensity resistance training. Here's some even better news. You'll probably actually get some of your time back, because these workouts only take 15 to 20 minutes on average, and you can view them as a couple times a week.
When you do this type of work out you will burn carbohydrates instead of fat when you are exercising. What happens then is exactly what you want. Your body will reach into its fat stores, and use those to replace the calories from the burning of carbs. That means that all those problem areas will start to shrink. Pretty neat isn't it?
But the exercise must be performed correctly to be effective. You must have enough intensity and you must keep your rest periods between sets below 60 seconds.
This is the best exercise to lose weight. It will give you the results that you want, and instead of just losing weight, you will be burning fat. - 15683
There are many reasons, but I'll focus on the two most important. What happens when you exercise on a treadmill or bike at moderate intensity is that your body does burn fat during the exercise. This sounds like what you want, but it isn't.
Your brain is wired to keep you alive. So what you're doing is sending a signal to your body to keep fat around for the next time you exercise. It's unbelievable, I know, but what you really telling your body is that "you'll be doing this exercise again, so keep some fat around". It is true that you're burning calories during a workout, but as soon as the workout is over your body goes to storing fat again for the next one. Obviously, this is not what we want. What we want is to burn fat as fast as possible.
The other thing that happens with medium intensity aerobic activity done several times a week is that your body becomes really good at it. Your training your body (lungs, heart, muscles, etc.) to become super efficient. You may be asking "What's wrong with that?". I know it sounds good to make your body efficient, but is not very good for you. What's happening is that you end up working within what you're good at, and never improve your aerobic capacity.
The reason that this is important because your aerobic capacity is how your body decides how to respond in times of intense stress. If you diminish your aerobic capacity, as you do in this kind of exercise, you are actually messing with your long-term health. You are also giving your body a poor chance to burn the fat.
Here's some good news. You can reverse these effects with high intensity resistance training. Here's some even better news. You'll probably actually get some of your time back, because these workouts only take 15 to 20 minutes on average, and you can view them as a couple times a week.
When you do this type of work out you will burn carbohydrates instead of fat when you are exercising. What happens then is exactly what you want. Your body will reach into its fat stores, and use those to replace the calories from the burning of carbs. That means that all those problem areas will start to shrink. Pretty neat isn't it?
But the exercise must be performed correctly to be effective. You must have enough intensity and you must keep your rest periods between sets below 60 seconds.
This is the best exercise to lose weight. It will give you the results that you want, and instead of just losing weight, you will be burning fat. - 15683
About the Author:
Heather Hughes is passionate about real weight loss, and believes everybody deserves to be fit, healthy, and thin. On her site she has reviewed one of the top systems for optimum exercises to lose weight. For a limited time you can also also get a free guide at her site to get you started with a good exercise to loose weight.
