Fat Burning Cardio

Forget cardio. Well at least forget cardio in it’s usual form. Unless your goal is to get better at riding a stationary bike, or running on a treadmill then you had better ditch the idea that this will help you burn fat.

To get the maximum amount of fat burning happening you want to recruit a lot more muscles, build fatigue and be working hard enough to question why you are doing it at all. By using high intensity intervals the goal is to get your heart rate up around or over 90% of your maximum. A typical session should last at most 30 minutes. You want to get in, go hard and go home. No messing around.
Instead of just going for a run next time you have a cardio day scheduled, try the following workout.
All you need is a few dumbells or kettlebells, a treadmill (running outside would be better) and the desire to work hard.

For Time :  Maximum number of rounds in 30 minutes

Run 250 metres
10 One-arm dumbbell/kettlebell swings (each arm)  Hard – 10kg, Easy – 6kg
Run 250 metres
50 Mountain Climbers (25 each side)
Run 250 metres
10 One-arm Alternating dumbbell/kettlebell clean (each arm) Hard -20kg, Easy – 10kg
Run 250 metres
50 Bodyweight Squats

Rest as much as you need to but as little as possible.

This fat burning workout will get you using all your big muscles which will get your heart rate sky high, burning so many more calories than a normal cardio session.

It is important to fully recover between session like this. With this in mind I would recommend that you did no more than two of these sessions per week.

Also, make sure that you have your food and nutrition in order. You can learn more here.

Post your results below.

Fat Burning Workout of the week

Fat burning workouts need to be high intensity and use compound and full body exercises. The combination of using large muscle groups and minimal rest periods will shock your body into the fat burning zone. As my friend Donovan says, “There are two zones. The Comfort Zone and the Burn More Fat Zone…To get to one you have to get out of the other.”

If your workouts are in the comfortable zone you won’t be maximizing your fat burning potential. Push yourself and you will realise what you and your body are truly capable of achieving.

This weeks workout has three phases. The first two consist of 5 exercises performed in a circuit fashion with no rest between exercises. Rest 90-120 seconds between circuits, and take up to 5 minutes between phases.

A1: Front Squat x 20
B1: Chins x Max (-2)
C1: Mountain Climber x 25 each side
D1: Dips x Max (-2)
E1: Clean and Press x 10

A2: Romanian Deadlift x 20
B2: Inverted Body Row x Max (-2)
C2: Stability Ball Crunch x 25
D2: Pushups x Max (-2)
E2: Burpee x 10

Finish with Medicine ball slams 3 x 30secs with 30secs rest.

Remember: You can either be in the comfort zone or the Burn More Fat zone. To get into one you have to leave the other.

WHICH ZONE ARE YOU IN?

Super Fat Burning Workout Routine

I had a client today that wanted to lose some belly fat. Pretty much something that happens everyday!!

To his suprise the workout I gave him had no crunches, situps, or other ‘ab’ exercises. After countless hours of doing these exercises in an effort to get some stomach fat loss, he had developed a strong functioning core. All I needed to do was help him to shed the layer of body fat that was hiding these great abs!

After covering some nutrition basics, he walked away with the following workout:

3 circuits of:

Barbell Squat x 12-15
Chin Ups x Maximum -2
Step Ups x 12-15
Push Ups x 12-15

Rest 2 minutes between circuits

3 circuits of:

Static Lunge x 12-15
Seated Row x 12-15
SB Leg Curl (1 leg) x 12-15
Dips x Maximum -2

Rest 2 minutes between circuits

Fat Burning Cardio Intervals:

2 minute warm up
5 x 30 seconds hard – 90 seconds easy
3 minute cool down.

Have a go at this workout, 2-3 times per week, for the next month and you will be seeing those long lost abs once again!

The Perfect Workout?

We are always looking for perfection.

The perfect car. The perfect partner. The perfect job. The perfect

A lot of people will spend all their time searching instead of taking action.

The same goes for any fat burning workout, weight loss workout or trying to lose belly fat.

There are lots of great workouts around, but none of them will do a thing if all you do is read and analyse them.

You have to take action. Put something into action. Anything.

A crappy program performed 3 times a week will give you better results than the perfect program done zero times a week.

Just as you have goals with your body, you should have some matching goal with your training. A consistent effort will give you consistent results. Going hard with your training and diet for 3 weeks just to let it go for 3 weeks will have you in a spin cycle of mediocrity.

Aim for at least two solid sessions per week. If you aren’t getting the two sessions consistently there is no point having a 5 day program. If you are getting the two sessions a week, aim for 3-4. If you can do this for 4 weeks then you know you are developing a solid habit. Now you can have a closer look at what you are doing in the gym and make improvements there.

After a month or so it will be time to change up what you are doing for your workouts. There are a number of reasons for this. Probably the biggest reason, yet also the most overlooked, is the boredom factor. If you are getting bored and lazy with any program your results, or lack of, will be evident.

The other reasons include:

• Change of goal
• Injury
• Change of circumstances (work times/availability to gym etc)
• Reached a plateau
  

Any of these reasons are acceptable. You really want to be avoiding stagnation so that you can get the most out of every single workout.

Follow this formula (application, consistency, change) and you will be well on your way to getting that flat stomach or whatever your goal may be.

Now get out there and do it.

James